“Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.”  James 2:19.

There are many today that have this type of faith.  As I have stated before, years ago if you would have asked me if I was a Christian, I would have emphatically said “Yes”!  At that time however, I was no more a Christian than those demons in James 2:19.  I knew God but He did not know me.

“But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage?” Galatians 4:9.

The defining difference in these two scriptures is God’s saving grace.  Galatians 4:9 refers to knowing God the only way He can be known and that is through Jesus Christ. While James 2:19 refers to the mere belief that there is one God does not bring justification, for the demons believe and are not justified.  It is our belief in Jesus and what He did at the Cross that allows us to know God and moreover, God to know us, in a saving way.

Believing who Jesus is and what He did is the only way we are redeemed to God the Father.  More often than not, after salvation we continue to believe in Who Jesus is but tend to forget what He did and “…turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage?” Galatians 4:9.  Bondage that is rewrapped in 21st century chains is still bondage.  Our symbols and sacraments that the Cross of Jesus abolished are not progress but ignorance.  In our attempt to become Christlike, we begin to seek His power to overcome our problems instead of seeking Him because He has already overcome.  Instead of abiding “in” Him we want to abide “with” Him; shoulder to shoulder instead of submitting.   Our religion becomes more about rejoicing in His power than rejoicing that our name is written in the Book of Life.  We no longer pray “Your will on earth, even as it is in Heaven” but our will on earth.

“Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.  Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?  And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.”  Matthew 7:21-23.

God knows every hair on our head but does He know you through Jesus’ saving grace?  Will Jesus know you because you have abided in Him all of this time and He has taken care of you like a parent takes care of their child?  Or are you the one that was always showing Him a better way? You know, the one that was enlightened through the Holy Spirit then stepped away from the light to go spread the light?  Aren’t we all guilty of that?  Isn’t it easy to reach that certain level of spiritual maturity that we feel we no longer need the Cross of Jesus because we are now in a relationship with God ourselves?  This is the first sign that we need to go back to the Cross of Jesus…we can’t go past Jesus’ Cross.  It is not that it is improper to do so but that it is impossible to do so, period.

“And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out.  But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves.  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.  Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us.  But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not.”  Matthew 24:8-12.

Has religion taken you past the Cross of Jesus?  Will you be out buying oil when the bridegroom comes?  In season and out of season be determined to know nothing but Christ and Him Crucified (1 Corinthians 2:2).  Keep your lamp oiled.  – Donna Warren

“That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;” Ephesians 4:14.

The word of faith doctrine involves an attempt to conjure up enough faith to move a mountain and when the mountain doesn’t move it is because you didn’t have enough faith.  This man made faith is nothing more than self will with the title of faith because it involves scripture.  Let us not forget, satan too is a great theologian but he is still satan.

“And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.” Matthew 17:20.  When our faith is based on our measure, the mountain will not be moved…no matter the self will.  It is not the amount of faith but the Object of faith that moves mountains, Jesus Christ and Him Crucified.  Once the Object of our faith is correct, He (Jesus) begins to author our faith.  This is Biblical faith not man made faith.  The knowing that you know that you know because God placed it on your heart and you believed Him.  From when we first believed in John 3:16, “ For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” until today; we believe in HIM and not our works (man made faith).

“Your new moons and your appointed feasts My soul hates: they are a trouble unto Me; I am weary to bear them.” Isaiah 1:14.  From man made faith to man made holiness, man will ever try to please God in ways that they deem holy but God hates.  Because of sin, we are deemed as filthy rags until we accept Jesus as our Saviour, as our Redeemer.  It is in Him, Jesus, that we are deemed holy.  The observance of Jewish feasts are for one’s own sake, to make one’s self feel holy and not for Jesus’ sake.

Just as Cane’s sacrifice was rejected, so too are man’s attempts at holiness and faithfulness outside of faith in the Cross of Jesus and His finished work.  All of these things are adding to Jesus’ finished work and become that which we will be judged by.  It is not about how we feel or what we do but where our faith is and what He did.

“Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.” Hebrews 10:38.  When we trust God and His plan of Salvation through Jesus Christ and Him crucified, HE will author our faith and that mountain will move. – Donna Warren

Sinners aren’t called to confess their sins but that they are a sinner.  Saints are called to confess their sins. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins,…” 1 John 1:9.  The only reason God can justify the believing sinner or repentant saint and maintain His Holiness is because of Jesus Christ and Him Crucified.  God always looks to the Sacrifice.  By confessing we are a sinner in need of our Saviour, Jesus Christ,  we are covered by the Blood of the only Sacrifice God will accept for our sins.  By maintaining our faith in Jesus Christ and His finished work on the Cross (not 40 days or 18 ways), the Sacrifice for our sin remains. “For if we sin willfully after that we have received the knowledge of the Truth, there remains no more Sacrifice for sins.” Hebrews 10:26.  Willful sin is placing our faith on anything other than Jesus and Him Crucified. Faith in what we do is willful sin and not acknowledged by God at all…just ask Cain, he had plenty of faith in his sacrifice.  When we place our faith in things such as positive confession (declaring certain scriptures in an attempt to build man made faith), casting demons out of Christians who in reality don’t have dominion over their sin nature because their faith is in that prayer instead of what Jesus did on the Cross and rebuking the test that the Lord is allowing us to go through instead of seeking understanding for spiritual growth, we are committing spiritual adultery; we are wilfully sinning.

Our faith must always be in what Jesus has done and not what we have done.  Many say we must do our part when our only part is having faith in the Gospel of Jesus and trust the Lord to order our footsteps.  Good works will always follow proper faith; not the other way around.

Donna Warren

“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” John 14:6.

It is not so much that we accept Jesus Christ as our Saviour, albeit we must,  but that God accepted Jesus Christ as the Perfect Sacrifice for our sins.  Such is the first step in humility.  The revelation of our justification in spite of our condition is the beginning of understanding our need for our Saviour.   Our constant faith in what Jesus accomplished on the Cross is what allows the Holy Spirit to guide us in our spiritual growth.  We cannot add to or take away from what Jesus did on the Cross – whether we do it or not, makes no difference.  Jesus has already chosen us, now the choice is ours.  By not making a choice to accept Jesus our choice is made.  It is God’s will for all to come to Salvation and have eternal life, hence He sent His Son, Jesus Christ.  It is satan’s will to kill, steal and destroy which is the default of not making a choice.  God offered us a plan of redemption but we must accept Him, Jesus Christ.

Donna Warren

“Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.” James 4:4.

When our faith is placed anywhere other than what Jesus did on the Cross, we are at enmity with God.  As I was reading a questionnaire from a deliverance ministry regarding one’s family history, it was glaringly apparent the psychology in the ministry.  Questions regarding emotional, mental, speech and sexual problems, addictions, physical infirmities and occult error are seemingly harmless as the problems are indeed very real.  However, the answer to these problems are all the same for the believer, faith in Jesus Christ and Him Crucified.  Our faith in Jesus’ finished works is what gives us dominion over our sin nature.  At salvation, we are given dominion over our sin nature because of our faith in Jesus.  It is after salvation that our faith gets redirected.  All of the “open doors” from past experience we begin to revisit in an attempt to see where the enemy came in.  Self examination distracts us from God’s Word and God’s will.  The continual examination of our self will glean only what our carnal minds decide to crucify.  Seeking God’s will and allowing the Holy Spirit to enable us to crucify the things the Lord wants us to crucify in order to live out the purpose the Lord has for our lives.  Our faith is directed to schemes of man to cast out that “sin” rather than allowing the Holy Spirit to give us dominion over that sin nature through faith in Jesus Chris and His finished work.

Our battles are not physical, mental or financial – they are spiritual.  There is only one way to have dominion over these battles we all face and that is through our faith in Jesus Christ.  Everything that happens to a Child of God is either allowed or caused by God.  Therefore we rest knowing – and I mean knowing, that you know that you know; that no matter the circumstances, when you say to that mountain “Be thou removed”  Matthew 21:21 and our faith is exclusively in Jesus’ victory and not our declaration, that mountain will be removed.  The Lord will remove the difficulty or make the difficulty endurable.

No matter how religious our efforts may be, if our faith is directed to what we have done (methods of man, class 101-401, etc.) , albeit unknowingly, we have indeed become adulterers and adulteresses.  A relationship with the Lord will never require self examination but psychology will.   When we seek God, He examines our hearts. ” I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.” Jeremiah 17:10.  Discern every doctrine and test every spirit…a friend of the world is an enemy to God.  – Donna Warren

“But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.” James 4:6.

Some people don’t realize the difference between humility and self esteem.  Humility requires submission of one’s self to God’s will, while self esteem requires confidence or lack of confidence in one’s self.  Often times low self esteem on one’s part is viewed as humility when in fact any kind of self esteem, whether high or low, is at enmity against humility because it involves self.  Even when we realize we are not perfect, pride will still hinder us from submitting.  Once we admit our need, there is still one more step before receiving and that is submission.  When we accept Jesus Christ into our heart, we accept Him as our Saviour.  When we humble ourselves and submit to His will, He becomes our Lord.

“But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.” 2 Peter 3:18.                                                                       

Is Jesus Christ your Saviour AND Lord?  – Donna Warren

“And the Children of Israel did evil into he sight of the Lord: and the Lord delivered them into the hand of Midian seven years.” Judges 6:1.

Inevitably, when we forsake the Lord we accuse Him of forsaking us.  The Law of the Old Testament was given to reveal sin as sin.  The Cross of Jesus will reveal the sinner as a sinner in need of a Saviour IF we will humble ourselves to the reflection we see.  Living in the Age of Grace does not mean God operates any differently.  Because Israel had forsaken God and pursued other idols, God allowed them to be delivered into the hands of Midian.   God’s chosen people, the Israelites, were dwelling in caves out of fear.

The Lord heard the call of His people and sent them Gideon.  As Gideon began to point to their idols, they grew angry.  Such is the case in the church today.  The church calls out to God and God sends someone to reveal to them their idols (their religion) and instead of being thankful to God, they are offended at the messenger.  When the idols of todays church are touched, whether it be their methods, their television evangelist or any other man made religious schemes, the religious become angry and begin to warn of the “spirit of offense”.  Yes, there is a spirit of offense but the eyes of the religious are blinded to their reflection…they are the ones offended at their idols being touched.

When we are offended we must discern the reason for our offense.  Did the Lord send them as an answer to a prayer and the reflection paints an ugly picture?  “Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him who has ten talents.” Matthew 25:28.  Light rejected is light taken.  Discern the offense before rejecting the offense, it may be an answered prayer.  – Donna Warren

Seeking God’s heart, as in a mirror, reveals to us our heart which in turn causes the humility necessary to understand who we are.  We must understand who we are  in order to receive who He is.   As we discern (not judge) the disposition of another’s heart we can see the heart revealed to them by the heart they are reflecting.  While we stand, looking to Jesus Christ and Him Crucified, our condition is revealed to us under the covering of His Blood and His glory is reflected through us to others.  “Every way of a man is right in his own eyes: but the Lord pondereth the hearts.”  Proverbs 21:2.    Only God knows our hearts but we can discern a heart’s disposition by it’s reflection.   The heart we reflect to the world reveals the heart we are seeking. – Donna Warren

“For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.” Genesis 3:5.

Just as satan convinced Eve she would be as a little god, so to does the word of faith doctrine.  The grace revolution promotes true confession as putting faith in articulating God’s promises, “positive confession”, while maintaining it is not Biblical for us to confess our sins. Sinners confess sins and saints confess righteousness is their doctrine.  “If we confess our sins He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9.  Sinners are called to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ (John 3:16) and saints are to confess.

In the past I have been corrected while trying to explain this positive confession was a form of “works”.   People would explain that by declaring these scriptures over their situation would cause it to sink into their soul, so to speak.  It would build their faith.  “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith;” Hebrews 12:2.  How does Jesus author and finish our faith when we are doing the work?  In Luke 17:5 the Apostles asked the Lord to increase their faith “And the Lord said, If you had faith as a grain of mustard seed…”.  It is not the amount of faith we have but the object of our faith, Jesus Christ and Him Crucified.  When our faith is placed on His finished works, it is solid…at times it may be little and other times great but always on the Solid Rock, Jesus.   When the building of our faith is placed in our own hands by positive confession, it is of man and God cannot use man made faith.

Word of faith doctrine promotes faith but not the faith God recognizes.  The only faith God recognizes is faith in Jesus and what He has done, not faith in our decrees.  If our faith is man made it is not authored by Jesus.  “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.” Romans 10:17.   Regarding hearing, according to the Parable of the Sower (Matthew 13:1-9), only 25% of the seed falls onto good ground and will hear.  “And He said unto them, he who has ears to hear, let them hear.” Matthew 13:9.  Those who seek the Truth of the Word will hear as the Holy Spirit reveals and their faith will be built.  It is heart knowledge, not head knowledge.  The hearing ascends up to your head and not down into your heart.  The Gospel is purposely designed this way to weed out the insincere.

“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” Matthew 6:33.  When we seek God first, it is revelation by the Holy Spirit and His Word, not repetition by man, that builds our faith.  This revelation will ALWAYS line up with the Word of God.  There is no “new” revelation as many claim – the Word of God is enough.  Seeking the heart of God is like a mirror.  When we seek His heart, our heart is reflected and we realize just how unrighteous we are, which in turn, humbles us to be declared righteous anyway…all because of Jesus and what He did on the Cross.  Yes, as a Christian, we are the righteousness of God.  “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” 2 Cor. 5:21.  However, I would prefer to declare Jesus’ righteousness and allow Him to be the author of my faith. – Donna Warren.

I want to personally ask everyone to read this post in its entirety.  No matter how you may feel about the messenger (me), I pray the message will bless you.  Furthermore, as always, test this and all other teachings against the Word of God.  God Bless!

“…How shall we, who are dead to sin, live any longer therein?” Romans 6:2.

Throughout Romans chapter 6, the word sin in the original Greek is i_amartia, which is “the sin”. In other words sin is a noun and not a verb. It is hard for some to confess sin. Self righteousness, pride or rebellion will not allow them to admit that sin is their problem…sin the verb. However, sin is EVERYONE’S problem. Yes, I said everyone’s problem is sin…sin the noun. Our sin nature (noun) is what had dominion over us from birth. We can cast out every demon from hades but we can’t cast out an active sin nature. There is only one way to have dominion over our sin nature and that’s faith in Jesus Christ and Him Crucified.

When we are initially saved, our faith is placed on Jesus Christ and His finished work on the Cross. We are baptized into Jesus Christ and into the likeness of His Death (Romans 6:3 & 5). Jesus Christ did not have a sin nature. He had a free will but no sin nature. For us to be baptized into the likeness of His death, we too have to be cut off or unplugged from our sin nature. Upon salvation, the Holy Spirit comes in and “unplugs” us from the sin nature. The sin nature is not dead but we are dead to it. Sin, the noun, no longer has dominion over us because our faith is based on what Jesus did and not what we have done. At this point, our faith is correctly appropriated because the harlot we call religion hasn’t appeared. The sinner (us) has been crucified and “dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Romans 6:11.

Then comes religion.  As we are guided to and through the classes teaching us how to become a Christian, our faith begins to tilt to what that notebook says to do instead of what the Word of God says to do. We never realize we aren’t studying the Bible in context but instead picking out all of the “good stuff” and leaving out the part about “Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done in earth as it is in Heaven.” Matthew 6:10. Our religion is all about us living the resurrected life by our own accord. Instead of trusting God, we are testing God. We are not taught about what He has done but what we must do. Our faith has been misdirected and placed on what all we have done. At this point, we no longer have dominion over the sin nature because our faith has been misappropriated on our works and not the Lords. The Holy Spirit’s conviction is declared condemnation and He therefore steps aside as we go down the road of religion. The sin nature’s dominion begins to rise as we dig our heels in and fight. In an attempt to protect ourselves we don’t run back to faith in Jesus and the Cross but blame our sin problem on every demon from hades. We begin cast ing out demons when in fact it is the active sin nature we are battling. There is only one way to have dominion over our sin nature and that is faith in Jesus and what HE did…not what we have done.

Our problem is sin but it is the noun and not the verb. With all due respect, whether we believe it or not, that doesn’t change the fact. We will not, do not and cannot have dominion over the sin nature without faith in Jesus Christ. We cannot cast out our sin nature, we cannot bind our sin nature nor can we rebuke our sin nature. There is one way and one way only – our faith in what Jesus did on His Cross. Jesus Christ defeated every demon we are “fighting” already. “For sin shall not have dominion over you: for you are not under the Law but under Grace.” Romans 6:14. Living under the law will always conclude with the sin nature having dominion over us. The Law wrapped in a different package with a more seeker friendly, 40 day, grace revolution kind of way…is still law.

Grace comes in realizing, He, the Lord Jesus Christ, REALLY has already done it…ALL of it. We don’t have to live in the fear of doing all of these things; chasing down every demon or attending EVERY class (101, 201,301) until we graduate to “mature Christian” according to the world’s standards. We begin to understand grace by beginning to understand who our Saviour is and what He did for us. We begin to understand it is about what Jesus did that allows us to abide in God’s providence and not just us living in God’s providence. It is under the Blood that He continues His work in us; molding us and shaping us into who and what HE wants us to be, not that questionnaire we took in class 201. Our stumbles and failures are covered under His Blood as He teaches us His ways and equips us to live a holy life. We are not sinless perfection but sin no longer has dominion over our life. The good works we read about in the Bible automatically follow our proper faith because we know God has ordained it therefore He will see us through. The Word of God becomes a beautiful love story revealed to us by the Holy Spirit about a God who loves His children and sends His Son to save them. “For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.” 1 Corinthians 1:18.  It’s not about us, it’s about Him…Jesus Christ. – Donna Warren