The spark that is ignited in the heart of those who are born again; those who are saved to the uttermost by the Blood of Jesus Christ and alive unto God, cannot be fueled by philosophies gleaned from humanistic psychology which intrigue the mind.  This fire in the bones of the Believer who knows that they know that they know in Whom they have believed will not burn under the laws of man applied to our flesh for holiness.

This fire which burns is not ignited by man and cannot be sustained by man.  This fire; this sustaining power of God, is wrought in the heart of the Believer by faith in the Cross of Christ.  It is this same power of God, which gives the Holy Spirit latitude to free us from the law of sin and death (Romans 8:2) and gives us dominion over sin.  Sin no longer has dominion over the born again Believer.  We are under Grace, not law.

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

The problem comes when the fire begins to fade and the power of God (which is the Cross of Christ [1 Cor. 1:18]) becomes of no effect when we, that same born again Believer who was once on fire, allows our faith to be swept to and fro.  From one doctrine to another, religious ceremonies and vain philosophies distract us as they fascinate our intellect and arouse our curiosity.  Our faith is ever so slightly directed in that blessing we just spoke over someone or that blessing spoke over us.  We believe Jesus paid the penalty of sin for our Salvation but we believe that blessing just spoke is the reason we are blessed.  Our declaration becomes our object of faith and not the Cross of Christ.  If Jesus is not the Source and His Cross the means by which we receive our blessings, the fire will fade.  The cross we bear becomes heavy.

^“17 For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the Gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the Cross of Christ should be made of none effect.

¹⁸ 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 1:17-18

The wisdom of words corrupts the Gospel of Jesus Christ and Him crucified and makes it of no effect in the Believer’s life.  The wisdom of words seduces the Believer’s intellect and turns the heart from God’s prescribed order of victory to methods of man.  Standing at Cain’s sacrifice, they are deceived.  The fire is all but snuffed out as religious works become their perceived means of righteousness.

Beware of religion’s vain attempt to fuel the fire ignited upon our Salvation.  Religion is nothing more than a set of man made rules given to achieve certain beliefs.  Political correctness is in its self a religion.  When religion is applied to Biblical Christianity, it hinders and attempts to replace the ministry of the Holy Spirit.

Guard that which the Lord has given you.  Stay at the Cross of Christ. Seek Him first.  Be determined to know nothing else among you.

-Donna Clark Warren

“And whosoever does not bear his cross, and come after Me (Jesus), cannot be My Disciple.” Luke 14:27

As a Disciple of Christ, the cross which we bear is a blessing.  It is the freedom to live unto God; to partake in His Divine Nature through denial of our self efforts and abilities and purposely direct our faith, the good fight of faith, in the atoning work of Christ Jesus to carry us from glory to glory.  Daily we look unto Him, the Author and Finisher of our faith, Who broke the power of sin in our lives, and follow Him.

^“17 Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. ¹⁸ But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.” 2 Cor. 3:17-18

At Calvary’s Cross Jesus afforded whosoever will believe, access to the Throne of God.  Jesus and Jesus alone is THE Way, THE Truth and THE Life; there is no other.  Jesus alone is the Mediator unto God the Father.

“For there is ONE God, and ONE Mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;” 1  Timothy 4:5

The world and much of the modern church openly speaks of God but they fail to mention the only way to commune with God which is faith in the Cross of Christ and the Cross of Christ alone.  Buddha, mohammed nor Mary are mediators unto God and those who vainly attempt to commune with God through the dead, whether the dead be Saints of God or not, are not in fellowship with God the Father.

If it were possible to commune with God the Father any other way than through Jesus Christ and Him crucified, than Jesus Christ was crucified in vain. God forbid no!  Here is what I want you, the Believer, to understand; this which I speak of is not only for our Salvation but for our daily living for God.  This which I speak of is the sanctifying peace of God which orders our footsteps; the Grace which is sufficient; the life which is more abundant…all those things which are added unto us as we seek Him first.  This which I speak of is the good fight of faith in the finished work of Christ Jesus and not that which I can do, must do or will do to gain a form of righteousness.

This which I speak of is “my” cross.  The cross I am now able to bear because Jesus Christ bore the penalty and broke the power which hindered my liberty to follow Him is one for which I will fight for daily.  I know in Whom I have believed and He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him.

“…nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know Whom I have believed, and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him against that day.” 2 Timothy 1:12

“My” cross is not about me but Jesus.  If not for the Cross of Christ, no one would be able to bear their own cross…the burden would be too heavy.  If not for the Cross of Christ, we could not follow Jesus nor be His Disciple.  Religion will present a method to follow Christ; something we must do to be His Disciple.  Whether it be water baptism, fasting or reading the Bible; if our faith is directed in those activities in order to maintain and/or gain righteousness; we are not Jesus’ Disciple but religion’s disciple.  All of those activities are absolutely Scriptural and every Believer should be doing them.  However, we must be careful not to direct our faith in that which we do.  When we do this, the Cross of Christ becomes of no effect in our lives.  The cross we bear becomes heavy as we look unto ourselves and what we must do.

“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

Are you following Christ or following religion?  The cross you pick up; is it heavy?

Prayerfully consider.

-Donna Clark Warren

^“10 And He (Jesus) was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath.

¹¹ And, behold, there was a woman which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bowed together, and could in no wise lift up herself.

¹² And when Jesus saw her, He called her to him, and said unto her, Woman, you are loosed from your infirmity.

¹³ And He laid His Hands on her: and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God.” Luke 13:10-13

When we Christians see a Brother or Sister stricken with an illness, we don’t think twice about laying our hands on them and praying for their healing.  In the heart of the one who is sick, they want to be healed.   There are always exceptions to this generality.  Those who want to be sick or fain sickness in order to get attention, etc.  I’m speaking of those who are sick in body and desperately want healing/relief from their infirmity.  The Scripture speaks here of this woman having a spirit of infirmity for eighteen years; she was oppressed by a demon spirit for 18 years.

Now to change gears ever so slightly.  When we see a Believer being oppressed by a demon spirit and is perhaps not physically sick but bound by cigarettes or alcohol, how quick are we to lay our hands on them and pray for their deliverance?  Do we judge them because they are oppressed by a demon spirit? To be clear, I’m speaking here of those who love the Lord…they too want to be delivered from this demon spirit but are instead being judged by the religious; isolated in their own prison cell.

Yes, there are those who condone sin and vainly attempt to make those who are oppressed by demon spirits comfortable in their oppression but that is not what I’m speaking of.  We must understand that physical sickness is a result of sin as well.  Not necessarily the sin of the person afflicted but the sin nature we are born with due to Adam’s original sin.  Sin is the problem in the world today…and that includes Believers.

Just as we would never condone physical sickness in a Brother or Sister in the Lord, neither would we condone spiritual sickness; oppression by demon spirits.  That sin of which some are afflicted is the result of a choice once made in their past when their heart was far from God.  In his heart, the prodigal son decided to turn away from his father, take his inheritance and leave.

^“12 And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falls to me. And he divided unto them his living.

¹³ And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living.”  Luke 15:12-13

Soon, the prodigal son would be wanting the food of the swine but no man would feed him.  Realizing his condition, the prodigal’s heart turned back to his Father of Whom ran to him with open arms.

The clinging vines of the fall run deep in the hearts of man.  God’s Arm is not shortened and His Power, the Cross of Christ, is still effective for those whose faith is placed in His Finished Work.  Precept upon precept and line upon line, the clinging vines are removed.  There is a change in our lives as it reflects our heart’s decision to turn back to our Father…just as the prodigal son.

Our position in Christ Jesus does not waiver as we look unto Him for our Salvation.  We are washed, we are cleansed, declared Holy and Righteous through the Blood of Jesus Christ.  However, our condition on this side of Glory is being superintended and kept by the Holy Spirit through our faith in the Cross of Christ.  We are not perfected and have not yet been glorified.  If so, we would not longer age, our hair would no longer turn gray and our skin would not wrinkle. All of these are the result of sin.  The death and decay of our body is the resulf of Adam’s fall.  Upon Salvation, every curse was broken in the life of the Believer and our continued faith in His Redeeming Word, gives us sanctifying peace to overcome the clinging vines of sin.  Jesus came to deliver us from the oppression of demon spirits, whether they make us sick in body or the clinging vines of a once sin sick heart.

Be careful of rejecting those who are eating with the swine but God is working in their hearts to turn them back to Him.  Their eternal soul is at stake and YOU may be the very one He is wanting to use to guide them home…to point them to the One Who came to die on Calvary’s Cross to deliver them from the destructive power of sin.  Whether it be sick in body or sick in spirit, sickness is the result of sin and the answer to sin is Jesus Christ and Him crucified. When you see a Brother or Sister struggling with the effects of sin, bound by smoking, drinking, etc.; be not careful to pray for them in that matter, our God Whom we serve is ABLE to deliver them from the bondage.  Again, I’m not speaking of those looking for an excuse to sin but for those who are looking to be delivered from that sin.  We need some people who are willing to crawl up on the rooftop, dragging the sick on stretchers into the presence of God for their healing.

^“And he (the prodigal son) arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his Father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.” Luke 15:20

-Donna Clark Warren

“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

The world says to us all, depend on ourselves in order to lighten our load and follow our heart.  Our moral authority becomes our sin sick heart.

The Believer cannot follow Jesus until self is denied.  Depending upon our self efforts, intellect, talents, abilities and education in order to follow Jesus results in a heavy yoke of man’s religious rules in order to be deemed “holy” and “righteous”.  The cross in which the self dependent bears is a burden, not a blessing.  Their mask of sanctimonious religion is clearly seen by the spiritual and highly coveted by the fleshly.

The Cross of Christ was a place of great suffering for Jesus but for us, it is a place of great blessing.  Denying ourselves and picking up OUR cross, the blessings of which Jesus Christ provided us at Calvary’s Cross, enables us to follow Him.  Reckoning ourselves free from sin and no longer bound by sin’s dominion because our faith is placed solely and exclusively in the Cross of Christ, we walk freely in God’s Grace.  Our faith properly placed in Christ Jesus, not in ourselves, the Holy Spirit superintends the work of God in our hearts; removing the evil desires that once ruled our heart and occupied our mind and replacing them with the heartbeat of God’s Will…not our own.  The two edged sword which severs with one edge, heals with the other.  We are not rehabilitated but regenerated into a new creature in Jesus. These are spiritual things that the world understands not; the intellect cannot process but the heart reveals the fruit of which is now Godly and not dead.  The cross of which we bear is a blessing.

^“11 Likewise reckon you also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

¹² Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in the lusts thereof.

¹³ Neither yield you your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.” Romans 6:11-13

Picking up our cross is denying ourselves and yielding unto God.  Spiritually alive unto God, we are no longer a slave to sin’s dominion.  Our faith placed in the Cross of Christ, where sin’s penalty was paid and it’s power broken, we no longer have to yield until unrighteousness.  Before our Salvation, the devil was our lord and sin’s power dominated our lives.  The good things we did fed our pride and self righteousness because they were done with the wrong motive.  The “good” of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil deceives many into thinking they are “good” with God when in fact they are at enmity with God.   Their “good” is as Cain’s “good”…evil to the core.

“But seek ye first the Kingdom of God, and His Righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” Matthew 6:33

Satan’s intent is to distract our mind with the things of this world.  He will cloak the things of this world in Scripture in order to deceive causing us to place our faith in things we do, our abilities, talent, etc.; things of which the Holy Spirit is not commissioned to superintend.  The result is the Cross of Christ becoming of no effect in the Believer’s life.  This result hinders the Believer’s testimony or destroy’s their faith all together. Beware of the distracted mind which tends to things of this world.  Lay up your treasures in Heaven…be determined to know nothing else among you save Jesus Christ and Him crucified and your wary soul will find rest; the sin sick heart will find healing; the captives will be set at liberty.  There is freedom in the Cross of Christ that few find because it has been corrupted with the lies of the enemy.  Their’s is another gospel and another Jesus with a heavy yoke of religious rules which appeal to the flesh and appear as “good”.

^“28 Come unto Me, all you that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

²⁹ Take My Yoke upon you, and learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and you shall find rest unto your souls.

³⁰ For My Yoke is easy, and My burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30

Following Jesus is not a burden but a freedom.  The fight is the good fight of faith in the Cross of Christ and not our self dependence.  Fight the good fight.  Lay hold on eternal life.

-Donna Clark Warren

^“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

There is this religion man calls grace.  This religion is the leaven which leavens the whole lump.  It is another gospel and another Jesus which refuses to judge with a righteous judgement between right and wrong according to the Word of God.   This religion, just as all religion, is a set of man made rules applied to the Believer and is deemed hypocrisy when Scripture is searched and the weights are measured.   Sin condoned is not God’s Grace because Jesus broke the power of sin on Calvary’s Cross for whosoever will believe.  Therefore, to condone what God has sent His only begotten Son to free us from is to dismiss God’s Way and go the way of Cain.

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

The man made laws of religion do not break the power of sin.  God’s Grace, the Power of Christ…Jesus Christ and Him crucified blotted out the ordinances which were against us and nailed them to His Cross (Colossians 2:13-15).  We are no longer bound by the power of sin when our faith is placed in the Cross of Christ and the Power of Christ rests upon us. The Power of Christ which now rests upon us, keeps us.  Precept upon precept line upon line, the Power of Christ rest upon us as we look unto Him…Jesus Christ.   Never looking to the right or to the left, not being swayed by every wind of doctrine but daily fighting the good fight of faith in the Cross of Christ, we pick up our blessings and follow Jesus.

When the evening comes and the devil has constantly whispered lies in our ear of God’s supposed “lack” of blessing, we are often tempted to murmur and complain.  Truth be known, many of us often do (shamefully guilty myself).  Then suddenly, the groan from deep down in our soul springs forth as we cry out “BLESS THE LORD OH MY SOUL, OH MY SOUL, Worship His Holy Name, Sing like never before, Oh my soul, I’ll worship Your Holy Name…“.

^“26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, Whom the Father will send in My Name, He shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

²⁷ Peace I leave with you, My Peace I give unto you: not as the world gives, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” John 14:26-27

You see my friend, God the Holy Ghost, Who is living on the inside will bring to our remembrance the Promises of God, the Power of Christ which is resting upon us.  Peace beyond all understanding overcomes as we look unto the Author and the Finisher of our faith…Jesus Christ.  His mercies are new every morning. His Grace is indeed sufficient.

^“6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

⁷ And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7

This is not a religion for those who have believed upon the Lord Jesus Christ.  It is not a set of rules by which we must abide and neither is it a license to live a life of sin.  This is the Power of Christ which rests upon us because we know in Whom we have believed.  It is a liberty to no longer have to sin but live freely…more abundantly in the peace of God Who keeps us and shield us.  My prayer is for all to know this which surpasses all understanding and simply believe the Cross of Christ was and is sufficient to supply all of our needs according to His riches in glory.  Seek, knock…importune the Lord for understanding and guidance and God the Holy Spirit will reveal to you the victory that is in Christ Jesus.  There is freedom in the Cross of Christ.  Everything we need is in the Cross of Christ…the power of God is in the Cross of Christ.

“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

-Donna Clark Warren

“Woe unto you, lawyers! for you have taken away the key of knowledge: you entered not in yourselves, and them that were entering in you hindered.” Luke 11:52

Woe unto those who take away the key of knowledge, the Word of God, and substitute their own vain commandments for biblical doctrine.   Woe unto those who received not the love of the Truth and entered not in themselves.  Woe unto those who hinder the  Body of Christ from knowing Jesus Christ, Who He is and what He has done for whosoever will believe and choose to seduce the lusts of their flesh with talent shows, movie nights and various methods of humanistic psychology to deliver the bound from the sin which so easily besets, the basis of which is nothing more than distraction from sin.

Let me be clear, distraction does not deliver one from the bondage of sin.  If such were so, the Cross of Christ was in vain.  Man cannot deliver man.  Man’s methods cannot deliver man.  Furthermore, cloaking man’s methods in Scripture will not deliver man.

^“13 And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, has He quickened together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses; ¹⁴ Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to His Cross; ¹⁵ And having spoiled principalities and powers, He made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it.” Colossians 2:13-15

Jesus Christ delivered us from the wiles of the devil on Calvary’s Cross.  Our faith there, in His finished work, gives the Holy Spirit latitude to superintend that which He is commissioned to do…quicken us together with Jesus whereby we are free of the power of sin.  IN Christ Jesus we are free from the Law of Sin and Death and given dominion over the sin which so easily besets us.  The Holy Spirit will not superintend the work of man’s methods to overcome sin, no matter our level of sincerity. 

The movement of the modern church to remove the Bible from the services, exhorting them to not even bring a Bible to church, is akin to the “lawyers” of which Jesus spoke of in Luke 11:52.  Many have sat silently while the Word of God has been removed from the church and replaced with the thoughts of man through the various translations deemed as more relevant.  Man’s thoughts of God’s Word are not more relevant than God’s Word.

^“16 ALL Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: ¹⁷ That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.” 2 Timothy 3:16-17

Woe unto those who sit silently while the doctrines of biblical Christianity are being hindered and exhorted not to the people.  We must contend for the faith which was given unto us and refuse to be a door mat for the devil.

^“3 Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common Salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that you should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the Saints.

⁴ For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.” Jude 1:3-5

There are those who will turn the Grace of God into a license to sin and deny the power of God to overcome.  Why? Because the devil wants to hinder our faith in the Cross of Christ to break the power of sin which leads to the destruction of one’s faith in the Cross of Christ to pay the penalty of sin.  The devil corrupts the Gospel of Jesus Christ and Him crucified and when we Christians, those who are called by His Name, fail to try the spirits and search the Scripture to see whether these things be so, we fall into the snare of satan and are deceived.  Seeing we see not. Satan’s purpose is to kill, steal and destroy our testimony of faith in the Cross of Christ to deliver us from the wiles of the devil…but Jesus Christ came so that we may have life and life more abundantly.

“The thief comes not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” John 10:10

Choose life.  Hinder not.  Earnestly contend for the faith.

-Donna Clark Warren

^“38 Now it came to pass, as they went, that He (Jesus) entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received Him into her house.

³⁹ And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus’ feet, and heard His Word.

⁴⁰ But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to Him, and said, Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me.

⁴¹ And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, you are careful and troubled about many things: ⁴² But one thing is needful: and Mary has chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:38-42

Many years I spent toiling in the world.  Then the day came that I accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior.  Still daily was the grind after I was saved until I almost lost everything I toiled over.  My business was gone.  My boyfriend of many years gone and there I sat.  Not understanding what was going on nor what was going to happen, I chose the “Good Part”….Jesus Christ.  Months on end I spent in His Word, looking unto Him and He would author and finish my faith.  Months on end, He would supply all of my needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.  Months on end, I chose to seek Him first.

Those months have now turned into years.  Since then the Lord has given me so much more than I could ever imagine.  A God fearing husband and a home filled with love.  Family and friends who have blessed me; both young and old. There are still troubles but the peace of God is my strong tower and I will not be shaken.  He is my refuge.

^“28 Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

²⁹ Take My Yoke upon you, and learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and you shall find rest unto your souls.

³⁰ For My Yoke is easy, and My burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30

Choose the “Good Part” and you will find rest unto your soul.

-Donna Clark Warren

^“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

Religion has led untold millions to hell because they have declared unto the people another gospel and another Jesus.  Many have a false sense of Salvation because they partially believe in the Atonement.  For example, many believe in the Cross of Christ AND water baptism for Salvation.  Others believe in the Cross of Christ and speaking in tongues are the only requirements for Salvation; being a member of a particular church may be a condition of their Salvation…the list goes on and on of man made doctrines added to the Cross of Christ for Salvation.

What happens in these particular instances is their faith is in the Cross of Christ for partial Atonement and their “part” (whatever it may be) for complete Atonement.  No where in the Word of God does it teach that the Cross of Christ was a partial Atonement.  God forbid no!

^“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

Partial belief is in fact no belief at all.  Ask those who believe in the partial Atonement if they believe in the Cross of Christ and they will vehemently declare their belief.  Sadly they don’t understand that their partial belief is in reality no belief at all.  We either believe the Cross of Christ is sufficient unto our Salvation or we don’t.

^“17 For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved.

¹⁸ He that believes on Him is not condemned: but he that believes not is condemned already, because he has not believed in the Name of the only begotten Son of God.” John 3:17-18

We either believe in the only begotten Son of God, Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God Who took away the sins of the world for whosoever will believe and broke the power of sin for whosoever has freely chosen to believe and nothing else…or we don’t, partial belief is no belief at all.

“For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and Him crucified.” 1 Cor. 2:2

-Donna Clark Warren

We have too many professing Christians who profess “God” yet they do not study His Word. The god they know is the god being preached to them from behind the pulpit or declared in the world throughout the week in a vain attempt of “goodness”.  This god turns a blind eye to evil and calls it good.  This god is not holy nor righteous.  These professing Christians do not know the difference between the God of the Bible, the only TRUE God, and the god of whom they have heard because they have not searched the Scriptures to see if those things which were declared as doctrine were indeed so.

“These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the Word with all readiness of mind, and searched the Scriptures daily, whether those things were so.” Acts 17:11

Sadly, the majority of the Church do not understand the Atonement, Jesus Christ and Him crucified.  They have been taught that Jesus died spiritually and went to hell, fought the devil and won.  God forbid NO!  Jesus was not saved in hell, which is what this doctrine teaches without actually saying such.  There was no fight in hell. Resurrection power was not manifested in hell. Redemption was not met in hell when Jesus “won” some supposed fight.  That is utter heresy but that is what many believe.  The resurrection power of which they seek, they are looking for it in hell…literally, where they believe the battle for our soul was won.  Friends, this is not the Jesus of the Bible.

 ^“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 Cor. 1:18.

The Resurrecting Power of God is found in the Cross of Jesus Christ.  If we are not spiritually buried with Jesus in His Death on Calvary’s Cross, where the penalty of our sin was paid (NOT in hell where many have been taught the penalty of sin was “won” or earned), our faith has been redirected, the Gospel corrupted into another gospel, Jesus into another Jesus and we are cursed (Galatians 1:8-9).  This is the devil’s purpose; the leaven which leavens the whole lump.

^“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.” Romans 6:3-6

As a believing sinner accepts Jesus as their Lord and Savior, they are planted together in the likeness of His death where the penalty of sin was paid. They believe and understand the Atonement for Salvation.  They believe and understand Jesus Christ came to die on Calvary’s Cross to pay the penalty of sin for whosoever will believe, He was Resurrected 3 days later and now sits at the Right Hand of the Throne of God.  The believing sinner believes all of these facts about Jesus Christ, Who He is and what He has done, and because of such they are planted together in the likeness of His Death.

Then comes the sincere religious mouthpiece the devil uses to direct our faith anywhere but the Cross of Christ to now break the power of sin in our lives.  Remember, the penalty of sin was paid by Jesus Christ on the Cross but now they want to help us “live right”, which is the ministry of the Holy Spirit.  You see, the same work of Jesus which paid the penalty of sin on Calvary’s Cross as the Sacrificial Lamb of God, also broke the power of sin in the Believer’s life.  The Cross of Christ has a two fold victory for the Believer.

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

When our faith is placed in the Resurrection to break the power of sin in our lives, our faith is misdirected.  In other words, faith in Jesus’ Resurrection for the resurrected life we are promised in God’s Word is not where the power of sin was broken.  Remember, the Power of God is in the Cross of Christ (1 Cor. 1:18).

This does not mean we do not believe in the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.  God forbid no, no, no!!  The Resurrection of Jesus Christ is a GIVEN because of Who He is, God manifest in the flesh.  Jesus’ Resurrection is proof that every sin was paid in full and it’s power broken.  However, our faith isn’t in the proof of the “Act”, if I can use that word for the Atonement, but it’s in the Act itself…Jesus Christ and Him crucified.  If our faith is in the evidence of things seen, it’s not faith.

The Atonement for our Salvation was made by Jesus Christ on Calvary’s Cross as the Sacrificial Lamb of God.  It is there that we are planted at Salvation and it is there that we remain.  Daily denying ourselves and reckoning ourselves dead unto sin, crucified with Christ; no longer a servant of sin but a partaker in God’s Divine Nature, walking in newness of life.  This is our cross to bear.  It is not a curse but a blessing.  Jesus bore the curse for us who believe…now we follow Him.

“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

-Donna Clark Warren