^“38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, ³⁹ Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:38-39

In Christ Jesus, the love of God vindicates HIS Righteousness in spite of ours.  Continue looking unto Jesus as He authors and finishes our faith.  Precept upon precept and line upon line, all things are new and old things pass away as we are a made a new creature in Christ Jesus.

“O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusts in Him.” Psalm 34:8

-Donna Clark Warren

^“21 Not every one that says unto Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven; but he that does the Will of My Father which is in Heaven.

²² Many will say to Me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your Name? and in Your Name have cast out devils? and in Your Name done many wonderful works?

²³ And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from Me, you that work iniquity.” Matthew 7:21-23

Prophesying, casting out devils and doing many wonderful works in the Name of Jesus are not qualifications for being born again.

“Then shall the Kingdom of Heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the Bridegroom.

² And five of them were wise, and five were foolish.

³ They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them:

⁴ But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.

⁵ While the Bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept.

⁶ And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the Bridegroom comes; go you out to meet Him.

⁷ Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps.

⁸ And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out.

⁹ But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go you rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves.

¹⁰ And while they went to buy, the Bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with Him to the marriage: and the door was shut.

¹¹ Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us.

¹² But He answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not.” Matthew 25:1-12

Religiously keeping your lamps trimmed and nicely kept are not the requirement for being born again.

 ^“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3:16

Believing that God sent His only Begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to pay the penalty of sin (death) for whosoever will believe and that He was Resurrected on the third day, which is the proof that every sin was paid in its entirety for those who have believed, and that He now sits at the Right Hand of the Throne of God making intercession through His Sacrifice for those who have freely chosen to follow Him is the requirement for being born again.  Jesus Christ went to the Cross once for whosoever will believe.  Those who have believed go daily.

“And He said to them all, If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.” Luke 9:23

In order for the Disciple of Christ to follow Him, we must bear our cross…we must pick up our cross and crucify ourselves daily.  We cannot pick up or bear our cross lest we first deny our self will, self efforts, abilities, intellect, etc. and then only can we follow Jesus on a daily basis.  This is not for Salvation, we were born again when we first believed in the Cross of Christ.  However, for God’s Grace which always sufficient unto the day, we must follow Jesus as a child, utterly dependent upon His atoning work on the Cross for the supply in which we need today.  Sufficient for tomorrow is the evil thereof.  Today is the day of Salvation.

“And He said unto me, My Grace is sufficient for you: for My Strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the Power of Christ may rest upon me.” 2 Corinthians 12:9

Narrow is the way and few have found it.  Today many will go about trimming their candles and doing many wonderful works in the Name of Jesus.  They believed upon Jesus Christ for Salvation but have since followed the commandments of men as doctrine and added to His Work.  The Gospel of Jesus Christ and Him crucified has been corrupted and they have buried their talent in the dirt waiting on their Lord’s return. The Light which was once given to them upon Salvation, has been taken away and given to another with an abundance of light.  They have been a slothful servant.   Are they saved?  I wouldn’t dare to say.  The Word of God says Jesus did not know them.

^“13 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leads to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: ¹⁴ Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leads unto life, and few there be that find it.” Matthew 7:13-15

-Donna Clark Warren

“²⁵ Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess.

²⁶ You blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also.” Matthew 23:25-26

Religion will give us many ways to overcome the sin that so easily besets us.  The sin that so easily defiles us begins in our heart.  The Apostle Paul said “For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwells no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.” (Romans 7:18)

The majority of Christianity strives to make clean the outside of the cup, while within they are full of extortion.  Not knowing how to clean the inside of the cup, man resorts back to something they must do to cleanse the outside.  A method or vain philosophy is given as doctrine to overcome sin in a sincere attempt to make clean the outside but has no effect on the heart…which is where the problem exists.

Some may declare incantations (spells) that are referred to as “positive confession”.  They dare not “claim” the evil which is in their heart lest it be true. Instead of seeking victory over the sin in their heart, they deny the sin in their hearts and lie to both themselves and God.

The inside of the cup is cleansed by the Cross of Christ (Grace) through faith.  Without faith it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6) but it must be faith that God can accept.  Faith in Buddha, God cannot except…this is obvious.  However, less obvious to the Believer is faith in ourselves.  Faith in our efforts, intellect, talents and abilities for victory over sin makes the Cross of Christ of no effect.  Even Scriptural ordinances, even though Scriptural but were not given to overcome sin, God cannot honor.  If God could honor good intentions, the Cross of Christ was in vain.

“And He (Jesus) said to them all, If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.” Luke 9:23

Daily we must deny ourselves and place our faith in Grace, which IS the Cross of Christ, for victory over sin…otherwise, we cannot follow Jesus.  Getting in front of a mirror daily and pretending to put on the Armor of God will not cleanse the inside of the cup but spit shines the outside and prohibits the Believer from following Jesus.  Just to be sure, the Armor of God is God’s Armor.  We have the Armor of God on when we are in Christ Jesus through our faith in Who He is and what He has done on Calvary’s Cross for whosoever will believe, not when we get in front of a mirror and play dress up.  Some religious institutions teach this practice to the Believer and their faith is directed to their putting this armor on for their victory that day…utter foolishness.

“For sin shall not have dominion over you: for you are not under the Law, but under Grace.” Romans 6:14

Sin’s dominion was broken by the Cross of Christ (Grace).  We cannot clean the inside of our cup any other way.

“For the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the Law of Sin and Death.” Romans 8:2

The Holy Spirit superintends the cleaning of the inside of our cup.  He is the one Who circumcises our heart and makes us a new creature in Christ Jesus when our faith is in the Cross of Christ for victory over sin.  This is faith which God can honor and faith which the Holy Spirit is commissioned to superintend…faith in Jesus Christ and Him crucified.  Fight the good fight of faith….DAILY.   Lay hold on eternal life.

-Donna Clark Warren

“Wherefore, my Brethren, you also are become dead to the law by the Body of Christ; that you should be married to another, even to Him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God.” Romans 7:4

Being crucified with Christ, baptized into His Death because we freely chose to believe in the finished work of Jesus Christ for our Salvation, we are now dead to the law.  The law is not dead but we are dead to it and are now married to another, Jesus Christ.  Through this marriage, the Holy Spirit is now commissioned to bring forth fruit onto God.

“For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death.” Romans 7:5

Before we were born again, we were married to the law.  We are all born under law and will be judged according to law unless we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior.  To be sure, there is but One Who fulfilled the Law and that is Jesus.  God gave us the Law to show us sin.  God then sent His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, born of a virgin without spot or blemish, to fulfill the Law (of which He did so completely) and through His Death pay the penalty of sin for whosoever will believe.  Three days later Jesus Christ was Resurrected, proving that every sin was paid in full.  He walked the earth for 40 days and has now ascended unto Heaven where He sits at the Right Hand of the Throne of God searching to and fro to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is perfect toward Him (John 3:16, Matthew 1:18, Matthew 5:17, Luke 24:6-7, Acts 1:9-11, Hebrews 12:2, 2 Chronicles 16:9).

Once the believing sinner comes to Christ, they are born again…born of the Spirit. One cannot see the Kingdom of God lest they be born of water (natural child birth, NOT water baptism) and born of the Spirit (John 3:3-7).

Before being born again, we are in the flesh and married to the law where we brought forth fruit unto death.  Being married to the law, one cannot produce fruit unto God but only unto death.  Crucified with Christ, we are dead to the law.  Not yet perfected, we stumble in our walk with the Lord and the first thing we do is make a rule (a law) to not do that again.  Our faith now being in that law not to stumble, we are once again married to this law…whatever that law may be.  Some may say to fast, take the Lord’s Supper, pray more, read your Bible more, etc. to overcome that which made you stumble.  All of these things, although Scriptural and right, become laws given to overcome sin yet these things were not given to the Body of Christ to overcome sin…the death of Jesus Christ was given to break the power of sin in the Believer’s life and nothing else.

“For sin shall not have dominion over you: for you are not under the Law, but under Grace.” Romans 6:14

If given half the chance, we will turn anything into a law in order to receive the credit when “we” fulfill that law! This is not God’s Way but in fact spiritual adultery.  Being married to Christ and dead to the law, we will quickly turn back to laws once we have received liberty in Christ Jesus by Grace through faith and it will be the sincerest of Christians offering such laws in order to help.  In reality, these sincerely deceived Christians are doing nothing more than offering for doctrine the commandments of man to overcome the sin which caused us to stumble.

“⁸ This people draw nigh unto Me with their mouth, and honor Me with their lips; but their heart is far from Me.

⁹ But in vain they do worship Me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.” Matthew 15:8-9

Consider in whom you are married.  Jesus? Praise the Lord!  Now consider in whom you are betrothed to break the power of sin which caused the stumbling.  If it was anything other than faith in Jesus Christ and Him crucified, it was a law and will produce fruit unto death and not unto God.  Being married to the law, the Holy Spirit is not commissioned to produce Fruit unto God.  Prayerfully consider.

-Donna Clark Warren

“If you will not hear, and if you will not lay it to heart, to give glory unto My Name, says the Lord of Hosts, I will even send a curse upon you, and I will curse your blessings: yea, I have cursed them already, because you do not lay it to heart.‘ Malachi 2:2

The Old Testament is the New Testament concealed and the New Testament is the Old Testament revealed.  So many have thrown out the Old Testament but to do so is to dismiss a major portion of the Bible.  The Word of God says that “ALL Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine…” (2 Tim. 3:16-17), not some but all.

Because the Levites had lost the fear of the Lord, they offered to Him in Sacrifice the “torn, lame and sick” and then complained that the Sacrifices were polluted and contemptible.  This complaining was not out of reverence for God but because a portion of the Sacrifices were for the Levites to provide for them and their families.  The Priests cared nothing about the Lord being insulted but only that they did not receive what they wanted.

“⁶ I marvel that you are so soon removed from Him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: ⁷ Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the Gospel of Christ.

⁸ But though we, or an angel from Heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.” Galatians 1:6-8

Just as God cursed the blessings promised to the Levites for not keeping the Covenant given to them, so to does He curse the blessings promised to the New Covenant Believer who does not keep their part in the New Covenant.

“⁸ For by Grace are you Saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: ⁹ Not of works, lest any man should boast.”  Ephesians 2:8-9

Our part in the New Covenant is faith in Jesus Christ, the Sacrificial Lamb of God, Whose death paid the penalty of sin for whosoever will believe AND Whose death broke the power of sin for those who have freely believed.  Our part is faith.  We fight the good fight of faith.  We fight to not let our faith be moved to another source or another means to receive blessings from God other than Jesus Christ and Him crucified.

The Old Testament Priests failed to honor the Covenant that had been given them to uphold the Word of God and began complaining about their portion and sustenance given them by backslidden Israel.  The fact of the matter is, backslidden Israel was doing just what the Priest’s had allowed them to do and held God in contempt for the results of their own actions.

“⁸ But you are departed out of the way; you have caused many to stumble at the law; you have corrupted the Covenant of Levi, says the Lord of hosts.

⁹ Therefore have I also made you contemptible and base before all the people, according as you have not kept My Ways, but have been partial in the law.” Malachi 2:8-9

Many a preacher and teacher today have caused many to stumble at the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus which frees us from the Law of Sin and Death (Romans 8:2) because they have corrupted the Covenant given to New Testament Believer’s.  The Covenant given to us IS the Gospel of Jesus Christ and Him crucified, yet so many choose to present another gospel and another Jesus because it tickles the ears of those sitting on the pew.  No one is offended because the Cross of Christ is not presented as the source and the means of their blessings as they continue in their good works to “earn” God’s blessing.  Their conscience is soothed for their sincere efforts and what they deem as consecration is in fact ambition.

Are your blessings promised you in the New Covenant in fact cursed because you are sitting under another gospel and another Jesus? God does not change.  He is the same yesterday, today and forever more.  God cursed the blessings promised to the Levites because they no longer honored His Covenant.  He will as well curse the blessings promised to New Covenant Believer’s for their partaking in another gospel and another Jesus.  The Holy Spirit is not commissioned to superintend the blessings of those sitting under another gospel or seeking after another Jesus.

Prayerfully consider.

-Donna Clark Warren

“Understanding is a wellspring of life unto him that has it: but the instruction of fools is folly.” Proverbs 16:22

Understanding of the Word of God is a wellspring of life.  Every answer we seek for this life and living is found between Genesis 1:1 and Revelation 22:21.  Sadly, there are many high school graduates who have attended 12 years of school, attended a religious institution every Sunday, yet they have no understanding of the Word of God.  What little they do know of the Word of God, will be easily undermined by the instruction of foolish teachers and professors.

While it is certainly true that Christians pursue secular education for particular fields, unless the person’s heart and mind is rooted in the understanding of the Word of God, they will be easily deceived by the folly of fools which present another way to life.  Even professing Bible Colleges have resorted to humanistic psychology cloaked in Scripture and teach as Biblical doctrine the philosophies of man (Matthew 15:8-9).

“For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband: else were your children unclean; but now are they holy.” 1 Corinthians 7:14

According to the Word of God, the children of the lost, those who belong to parents where neither parent is a Believer, will not be taken in the Rapture and will not escape the Great Tribulation period.  To be clear, I did not just say these children were condemned to hell but that they would have to go through the Great Tribulation.  I speak here of young children who the Lord has not yet dealt with their hearts regarding their Salvation.

“And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, I will pour out of My Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:” Acts 2:17

It is my personal belief that the Lord my God is going to pour out His Spirit on these young children, the children of this lost generation of whom the Church has failed (and failed greatly I might add); those children who would otherwise be left behind to suffer the Great Tribulation, and that they, while their hearts are tender, will hear, believe and understand the message of the Christ of Christ for Salvation AND the message of the Cross of Christ for daily living for God.  These children will understand how to deny their personal abilities, intellect and talents in order receive the victory of which Jesus afforded us on Calvary’s Cross and they will not only follow but RUN after Jesus.   As they follow Jesus, others will follow them.  As the Spirit of God is poured out on them through simple faith in the Cross of Christ, they will prophesy. I believe what the Bible says!

“Be patient therefore, Brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the Husbandman waits for the precious fruit of the earth, and has long patience for it, until He receive the early and latter rain.”  James 5:7

I hear the sound of an abundance of rain.  I see a people rising up with a wellspring of life.  Their faith will not be undermined by the folly of fools but they will stand flat footed, shoulders squared and declare “Thus saith the Lord of Hosts…..”

Lord send the rain!  The harvest is great.

-Donna Clark Warren

Pride is the root of self righteousness.  It is the cause of Lucifer’s downfall and Adam and Eve’s lost condition.  The lost are not lost because they reject Jesus.  They reject Jesus because they are lost and it is their pride which keeps the majority of the lost from coming to God.

“And I, if I (Jesus) be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto Me.” John 12:32

When the Name of Jesus Christ (Who He is and what HE has done on Calvary’s Cross to save the lost) is lifted up among the people, the conviction of the Holy Spirit arouses our moral consciousness (the Law of God written on our heart) and the convicted sinner either approves the judgment of sin and accepts Jesus Christ’s Sacrifice as their Substitute to save them from the penalty of sin which is death (Romans 6:23) or disproves God’s judgment of sin and rejects Jesus Christ’s Sacrifice.

This work of the Holy Spirit in the heart of man is the only way the pride of man is pierced.  The Holy Spirit only works within the parameters of Jesus Christ and Him crucified.  There is no other Name under Heaven whereby man can be Saved (Acts 4:12).  Unless Jesus Christ is lifted up and the Holy Spirit draws men unto Him, the pride of man will keep the lost from coming to God.

I heard a lady who rehabilitated squirrels say her tithes went to rehabilitating the squirrels.  As ridiculous at that sounds to many (as it should), she was a professing Christian and was sincere in her statement.  Many others who do various good works, even supporting orphanages, etc., consider their works as tithes.  As good as these things are, and make no mistake, feeding the hungry and supporting orphanages is a wonderful thing to do, HOWEVER, they are not supporting the Gospel of Jesus Christ and Him crucified going forth to the four corners of the world.

Sadly, the pride of man which keeps man from coming to God through faith in the Cross of Christ for Salvation will also keep the Believer from coming to God through faith in the Cross of Christ in their daily living .   In other words, instead of submitting unto God’s Plan for an abundant life and all the He has in store for the Believer by Grace through faith in Jesus and His finished work, we quickly devise our own methods and place our faith in those methods for victory.   Our actions, the methods we apply for victory in our daily living for God (efforts, intellect, education, talents), may appear right to our own conscience but are in fact at enmity with God (Romans 8:6).

The worldly statutes applied to God’s work in our heart and life, defile and corrupt.  It is the poison in the pot.  The leaven which leavens the whole lump.  It is the vein of pride which produces self righteousness and leads to a haughty spirit.  Just as the lost do not come to the Cross of Christ because they are lost, so to do those who have devised their own methods for daily living for God not come to the Cross of Christ because they have devised their own way.  Their pride is hindering them from submitting to God.  We can’t resist the devil unless we are submitted unto God (James 4:7).  Furthermore, the devil will not flee as long as we can’t resist him…no matter the method we devised.  If it’s not faith in the Cross of Christ, we are not submitted unto God.

Beware of satan’s devices to seduce the pride of man and hinder the humility which can only be found in the Cross of Christ.  For we are HIS workmanship (not our own), created in Christ Jesus unto good works by Grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8-10).

“Better it is to be of an humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud.” Proverbs 16:19

-Donna Clark Warren

“3 Know you not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into His Death?

4 Therefore we are buried with Him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.” Romans 6:3-4

As for me, I am crucified with Jesus.  Baptized into His Death, Jesus became my Substitute for sin’s penalty when He willingly gave His Life for mine on Calvary’s Cross. Being buried with Him, my past sins are atoned AND they are entombed; buried and thrown into the sea of forgetfulness, never to be remembered again.

With my sins atoned and entombed in the Death of Jesus, my sin nature no longer reigns in my heart. The Holy Spirit dethroned the reigning monarch in my heart.  My sin nature’s dominion is laid waste by the entrance of Grace and I begin to walk in the newness of life.

Grace reveals the true character of my heart, precept upon precept and line upon line, a correction begins to take place. When these corrections, rebukes and instructions occur I am brought to a point of decision. This character of my heart can humble or harden depending on the choice made. Sometimes the choices are easy, while at others they seem impossible. However, the Holy Spirit quickly reminds me that all things are possible with God.

“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” 2 Cor. 5:17

With sin no longer having it’s dominion, I can now partake in God’s Divine Nature when I’m at the point of decision. Before being baptized into Jesus’ death and buried with Him, I had no choice…I could not partake in God’s Divine Nature and walk in newness of life. Sin’s dominion would never allow me to partake. If such were so, the Cross of Christ was in vain. God forbid no! The entrance of Grace through my faith in the atoning work of Jesus Christ, not only entombed my past sins but broke the power of sin in my life.

“For sin shall not have dominion over you: for you are not under the law, but under Grace.” Romans 6:14

Do I sometimes stumble? Yes. Am I perfect? Absolutely not (No, you’re not allowed to speak with my husband). But the important part is this, sin no longer has dominion over me. When I do stumble, I go back to the same place where I was crucified with Christ, the Cross.  I go back to the same place where my sins are entombed and buried with Christ and ask the Lord for forgiveness.

When I go back to the Cross of Christ, I’m not going to get saved again.  My faith has never faltered from the Cross of Christ for Salvation but perhaps my faith was in my abilities to control a situation which I had no control over. What I should have given to the Lord, I tried to handle myself and made an utter mess out of the entire situation. The entrance of Grace poured out on Calvary’s Cross by the Blood of Jesus, gives me the ability to submit unto God for help or continue on in my own efforts to overcome.  The Cross of Christ is a place I must go daily for the Grace to see me through the day (2 Cor. 12:9).  Denying myself, I pick up God’s Grace (my cross) and follow Jesus DAILY…not just on Sunday morning (Luke 9:23).

There was a time in my life as a born again Believer that I was bound by cigarettes. As much as I hated them, they had me on a short chain. I would ask the Lord to forgive me and daily it seems I would try to quit. What so many fail to realize is that forgiveness is not deliverance. My faith was in the Cross of Christ for forgiveness of my sin but I did not yet understand faith in the Cross of Christ for deliverance of my sin. I did not understand the entrance of Grace through faith in the Death of Christ for my Salvation which atoned and entombed my sin was the same Grace which delivers from the power of sin.

Because my faith was not in the Cross of Christ for deliverance from cigarettes but my own strength, Grace did not give me dominion over my sin nature. With my faith being in my self efforts and self will, I was not giving the Holy Spirit latitude to isolate my sin nature and break the power of sin. I could not partake in God’s Divine Nature in this area of my life, while in other areas I was experiencing victory.

“For the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the Law of Sin and Death.” Romans 8:2

Then came the revelation of the “Message of the Cross” and I began to understand how to receive God’s Grace to give me dominion over my sin nature and deliver me from cigarettes…faith in the Sacrifice of Jesus which broke the power of sin, allows the Holy Spirit latitude to do His Work in the hearts of Believers and we walk in the newness of life and the likeness of His Resurrection.

“5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of His Death, we shall be also in the likeness of His Resurrection: 6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.” Romans 6:5-6

This is my story. However, there are many, many more.  An army is being raised up who can testify to the message of the Cross of Christ being the power of God unto us who are saved (1 Cor. 1:18). This is our victory afforded each and every Child of God through the Cross of Christ.  The giants are falling.  Don’t take lightly the preaching of Jesus Christ and Him crucified.  Forsake the religious racket with it’s vain philosophies being presented as doctrine and be determined to know nothing else among you, save Jesus Christ and Him crucified (1 Cor. 2:2).

-Donna Clark Warren

“³ Know you not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into His Death?

⁴ Therefore we are buried with Him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

⁵ For if we have been planted together in the likeness of His Death, we shall be also in the likeness of His Resurrection: ⁶ Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.

⁷ For he that is dead is freed from sin.” Romans 6:3-7

Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with Jesus and that we are baptized into His Death through faith that His Death paid sin’s penalty in full for whosoever will believe upon Him as their Lord and Savior, we should from that point forward no longer serve sin.

Knowing this, that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, we should not serve sin…for he that is dead is freed from sin.

“Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto you are also called, and have professed a good profession before many witnesses.” 1 Timothy 6:12

Instead of fighting with sin, which most religion teaches, the Believer should be fighting for the faith…faith in the Cross of Christ, where our sin was atoned, principalities spoiled and death and hell laid waste.  The power of sin is not broken by the Believer’s fight to overcome sin, for sin has already been defeated, but by the Believer’s fight to maintain faith in the Cross of Christ (the good fight) because knowing this…knowing that our old man is crucified with Christ, baptized into His Death, we know the power of sin is broken and we are freed from sin.

“For the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the Law of Sin and Death.” Romans 8:2

The life which we now have by the precious Blood of Jesus Christ, freely given to whosoever will believe, comes through the Holy Spirit Who superintends the work of God in the Believer’s heart when our faith is placed solely and exclusively  in Jesus Christ as the Source of life and His Cross as the means by which abundant life is freely given.  Within the parameters of faith in the Cross of Christ, the Holy Spirit is commissioned to free us from the law of sin and death which had us bound to serve our sin nature that we were all born with due to the fall of Adam.

Planted together in the likeness of Jesus’ Death, we shall also be in the likeness of His Resurrection through the power of the Holy Spirit.  Our fight is not with sin, our fight is maintaining proper faith in the Cross of Christ, where sin’s dominion is freely given to whosoever will believe.

“And He said to them all, If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.” Luke 9:23

Our fight is in fact denying ourselves (our efforts, intellect and abilities which are worldly ways and vain philosophies given by man as doctrine), picking up our cross (the blessings afforded us by the Cross of Christ) and following Christ Jesus.   We do not deny our sin. God forbid no. We deny ourselves and place our faith in the redeeming work of Christ Jesus and BELIEVE that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father through the power of the Holy Spirit, even so we too shall walk in the newness of life.  Our faith is not in the power of the Holy Spirit but in the Cross of Christ.  The Holy Spirit will not work within the parameters of faith in Himself and neither will He speak of Himself but will glorify Jesus (John 16:13-14).

Know this.  Know this so that the body of sin might be destroyed and we no longer have to serve sin.  Be determined to know nothing else among you save Jesus Christ and Him crucified.

-Donna Clark Warren