“¹⁰ Hear, O my son, and receive my sayings; and the years of your life shall be many.

¹¹ I have taught you in the way of wisdom; I have led you in right paths.” Proverbs 4:10-11

The ear is the organ of response, not our mind. Too often when we hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ and Him crucified, we filter what we hear through our mind which is at enmity with God (Romans 8:7).  Instead of hearing and responding; we hear, we filter and then we do not understand.

“Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.” Matthew 13:13.

Sadly, it is many of the professed “Believers” who in fact do not believe.  The great miracles we hear about in the Word of God, the unbelieving Believers will too often attempt to prove to the world in the natural that the supernatural occurred; not the fact that the miracle happened but how the miracle happened.  They go about explaining in the flesh what natural causes resulted in the miracle to happen.  Never mind the fact that the Word of God says God performed the miracle.  If the Bible says the Red Sea parted, then the Red Sea parted. If the Bible says that 5 loaves of bread and 2 fishes fed 5000 people, then that is exactly what happened.  Do not try to explain the miracles of God in the natural.  If such were able to be explained in the natural, they would not be miracles.

“¹⁶ But they have not all obeyed the Gospel. For Isaiah said, Lord, who has believed our report? ¹⁷ So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.” Romans 10:16-17

Many hear the Word of God, but do not believe…no matter their profession (sad but true). When they hear the Word of God, I’m speaking of Believers here; when they hear that Jesus Christ broke the power of sin in the Believers life (Romans 6:14) on Calvary’s Cross, they filter this through their carnal mind and do not understand.  Again, hearing they hear not and neither do they understand.  Instead of hearing and responding through faith in the power of God (which is the Cross of Christ [1 Cor. 1:18], Who He is and what He there did) that they are indeed dead to sin through the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit, the professing Believer unknowingly resorts to the natural.  They turn to philosophies or methods of man that they understand with their carnal minds for the victory that only Jesus Christ can give for dominion over sin.

“Likewise reckon you also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Romans 6:11

Simply stated, they do not believe themselves to be dead unto sin because the devil is in their ear telling them they will indeed die if they do not partake.  Instead of hearing and then responding to what the Bible says, they hear and respond to what the devil whispers.

The fact of the matter is, if satan has usurped the authority of Jesus Christ in the Believer’s life, it is not because the Lord has allowed such.  To be perfectly clear, the devil dethrones the authority of God in the Believer’s life only with the Believer’s consent.  The Holy Spirit will never force us to choose or respond to Him…it is our free will, our choice. Make no mistake, when we choose Him…when we choose to believe the atoning work of Jesus Christ broke the power of sin in our life, there is absolutely no demon in hell that can override, usurp or commandeer the authority of God in the believing Believer’s life.

“²⁰ I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ lives in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me.

²¹ I do not frustrate the Grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.”  Galatians 2:20-21.

Hearing, have you heard? Believing, have you believed?  Do you understand? Righteousness does not come by the law…it comes by faith in the Son of God, Jesus Christ.

Prayerfully consider.

-Donna Clark Warren

“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

The Cross of Jesus Christ was a place of great suffering for our Lord.  It was there that He paid the penalty of sin for the sinner and broke the power of sin for the Believer.  For the Child of God, the Cross of Christ is a place of great blessing.

The Believer cannot take up their blessings (their “cross”) until we deny self.  Denying ourselves, our self will and self efforts, requires submission to God…to His Will and His Ways, not ours.  God’s way for dominion over sin is Grace, the atoning work of Jesus Christ of Calvary’s Cross (Romans 6:14).  If mankind could overcome sin on our own self efforts, the Cross of Christ was in vain.  God forbid no!

Faith placed solely and exclusively in the Atonement to break the power of sin in the Believer’s life allows the Holy Spirit to isolate our sin nature.  The Holy Spirit dethrones the reigning monarch on our heart (the sin nature) and takes up His place.  With the Holy Spirit on the throne of our hearts and our sin nature isolated, the Believer is then able to willingly submit to God.  We can then partake in the Divine Nature when our sin nature is isolated.

“Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these you might be partakers of the Divine Nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.” 2 Peter 1:4

Please understand, only the Holy Spirit has the power to isolate our sin nature, we do not have the ability within ourselves to do this.  The only Law stronger than the law of sin and death is the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:2).  The Holy Spirit is not commissioned to free us from the law of sin and death, to isolate our sin nature, when our faith is placed in our self efforts, self will and resolution.

Sadly, untold millions will be attending Sunday services and home groups which present different methods to isolate our sin nature and we simply cannot.  Again, if such were so, the Cross of Christ was in vain.  The Gospel of Jesus Christ, Who He is and what He has done, is manipulated, diluted and twisted into a gospel about self.   This other gospel is humanistic psychology and the other Jesus is an example, not the Source and His Cross the means by which we overcome the world, the flesh and the devil.

“⁵ Do you think that the Scripture says in vain, The Spirit that dwells in us lusts to envy?

⁶ But He gives more Grace. Wherefore He said, God resists the proud, but gives Grace unto the humble.

⁷ Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” James 4:5-7

The Holy Spirit is jealous, He “lusts to envy”, over the areas in our life that we have turned over to vain philosophies.  He is not commanded to isolate our sin nature to that problem, whatever that problem may be, when our faith is placed in our self efforts and self will.  We in fact remain bound by the law of sin and death because that law we have placed upon ourselves to gain our victory, we have also unknowingly placed our faith in as well.  In other words, our faith is in our resolution to be obedient to that law.  Please understand, that “law” is not necessarily the Mosaic Law but any law, rule or method we place on ourselves to perform that which only the Spirit of God can do in our hearts and lives.

” ⁹ For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died. ¹⁰ And the commandment, which was ordained to life, I found to be unto death. ¹¹ For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it slew me.” Romans 7:8-11. 

We do not fight this good fight of faith; faith in Jesus Christ and Him crucified, to “gain” anything.  The only fight the Believer is called to fight is the fight of faith in Jesus Christ and His atoning work daily to “maintain” what the Lord Jesus has freely given whosoever will believe.  We cannot follow Him until we have denied ourselves.  The sinner is called to believe and the Believer is called to follow.  Jesus Christ has made a way for us to follow Him and it is the same way by which we believed in Him…by Grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8).

“⁹ Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dies no more; death has no more dominion over Him.

¹⁰ For in that He died, He died unto sin once: but in that He lives, He lives unto God.

¹¹ Likewise reckon you also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.”  Romans 6:9-11.

-Donna Clark Warren

^“9 I (Jesus) am the door: by Me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.

¹⁰ 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 10:9-10

Regrettably the world and much of the modern church live under the iron yoke of satan.  The world lives under satan’s yoke for obvious reasons; their rejection of Jesus.  It is because they are lost that they reject Jesus.  The sinner must choose to believe in the atoning work of Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit will then give them the faith to believe.  It is the faith of a mustard seed but can grow into a mighty tree when authored and finished by the Lord Jesus Christ (Hebrews 12:2, Luke 13:19, Matthew 17:20).  However, until the lost choose to believe upon the Lord Jesus Christ, they remain under satan’s iron yoke.

For the religious (some Believers and some not), the devil has stolen their peace, life, joy, hope and most importantly, he has stolen their faith.  Make no mistake…the Believer’s faith is satan’s bullseye.  If he can replace our faith in the Atonement to break the power of sin in our life, the devil will then have rights to us.  Sin is what gives satan a legal right to the Believer.

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

When we turn to laws, no matter the law (40 days of purpose, 21 days of fasting, hail mary’s or any other religious regimens) to overthrow sin, we have turned to law and made the Atonement (Grace) of no effect.

“²⁶ For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the Truth, there remains no more Sacrifice for sins, ²⁷ But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.” Hebrews 10:26-27.

The “willful sin” is the transference of our faith from Jesus Christ and Him crucified to other things, namely other things to overcome the world, the flesh and the devil.  When we (Believers) reject God’s way of victory and seek other methods to atone for our sin, we too come under the iron yoke of satan and he steals, kills and destroys our peace, joy, hope and faith.  This willful sin, the transference of our faith from Grace to law for dominion over sin, is deceitful…it does not come with a red flag.  Just as Eve was seduced in the Garden of Eden, so too are we.

“¹³ Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.

¹⁴ And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which says, By hearing you shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing you shall see, and shall not perceive:

¹⁵ For this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.

¹⁶ But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear.” Matthew 13:13-16

Blessed are the eyes that see and the ears that hear what the Spirit of the Lord is saying to the church.  Jesus Christ came to give life and life more abundantly to whosoever will believe.  Has satan stolen your faith in Grace, Jesus Christ and Him crucified, and charmed you into believing another way other than God’s way for dominion over sin? Is your peace, joy and hope failing you? Have you fallen under satan’s iron yoke? If the answer is yes, you are not the first and unfortunately, you will not be the last.  The devil has been beguiling God’s Children since the Garden of Eden…that’s what he does.

What I want you to know is this, there is still room at the Cross for you today; there IS life and life more abundantly in the atoning work of Jesus Christ.

“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.

-Donna Clark Warren

“Jesus said unto him, I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life: no man comes unto the Father, but by Me.” John 14:6

After our Salvation, the only Way, Truth and Life remains in the finished work of Jesus Christ.  Jesus is the Source and His Cross the means by which all of our blessings flow from the throne room of God.  God only recognizes our faith in the Atonement. Attending church every Sunday morning does not atone for sin committed during the week.

We, in and of ourselves, are not good enough to merit the approval of God…that is Cain’s alter. Make no mistake, God loved Cain just as He loves us.  This is WHY He made a way for mankind to be redeemed to Him.

“But God commended His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”  Romans 5:8

We are redeemed because of God’s love for us, not because we are redeemed. The ONLY Atonement God recognizes is that of His Son, Jesus Christ.  When our faith is placed in Jesus, Who He is and what HE has done, His Atonement becomes our Way, our Truth and our Life DAILY, not just the day of our Salvation.  The performance regimen laid out by many religious institutions does not atone for sin.  Our faith in Jesus Christ and Him crucified places us in HIS atoning work on Calvary’s Cross and gives the Holy Spirit latitude to do what He is commissioned to do in the Believer’s life – free us from the law of sin and death (Romans 8:2).

“Likewise reckon you also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Romans 6:11

Being free from the law of sin and death through our faith placed solely and exclusively in Christ Jesus, we are ALIVE unto God and made partakers of God’s Divine Nature.

“Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these you might be partakers of the Divine Nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.” 2 Peter 1:4.

This IS the Way, the Truth and the Life that Christ Jesus afforded whosoever will believe on Calvary’s Cross…this does not change after Salvation.  Too many turn back to the ways of the world for this life of which they came to God to receive and have made the Cross of Christ of no effect through their religious performance regimens.

“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.

After the day of our glorious Salvation, Jesus Christ continues to be and will always remain the Way, the Truth and the Life…no man comes to the Father but by Him.  This Truth will never change, regardless of man’s vain attempts to atone and obtain righteousness.

-Donna Clark Warren

“There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.”  Romans 8:1-2

The devil has access to the Believer’s emotions.  Regrettably, many have mistaken participating in spiritual things as walking after the Spirit when in reality the devil himself is leading them around by their emotions.  The unbeliever can go to a rock concert and be brought to tears or worked up into a frenzy.  The lost can do many good things that soothe their conscience for a time.  So too can the religious attend seminars, “Christian” concerts, attend religious ceremonies and do many good works that are in fact as spiritual as those who don’t go under the banner of “Christianity”.

“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.

Friend, just because someone is doing many spiritual things…even if they are in fact Scriptural (praying, fasting, reading the Bible – all of which every Believer should be doing), does not mean they are necessarily walking after the Spirit of God.  Please allow me to explain; if the Believer has placed their faith in their part, their “activity” if you will, to obtain righteousness they have in reality attempted to pay for their righteousness through works…good works, Scriptural ordinances of every Believer – yet they were used as penance.  Consecration quickly turns to ambition and faith turns to greed.

Prophesying in the name of Jesus, casting out devils in the name of Jesus and doing many wonderful works in the name of Jesus are not requirements to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.   Faith in the atoning work of Jesus Christ, solely and exclusively, is the only requirement to enter the Kingdom of Heaven.

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

Faith in the atoning work of Jesus Christ, solely and exclusively, is also the only requirement for dominion over sin.  Jesus Christ came to pay the penalty of sin for the lost AND to break the power of sin for the Believer.  The Holy Spirit is not commissioned to free us from the law of sin and death when our faith is placed in our “consecration”…our good works, no matter how Scriptural. If our consecration is about “us”, it is ambition.

“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

Please do not walk away from this thinking I just said Believers do not have to read their Bible, pray, etc..  God forbid no!  If that is your understanding from this writing, then I have poorly said what I feel like the Lord has put on my heart.  Righteousness is not an activity but a Man, The Man – Jesus Christ.  In Him and only in Him are we free from the law of sin and death and able to walk after the Spirit.

Don’t mistake the doing of spiritual things as walking after the Spirit.  Even the lost can partake in spiritual activities.  However, only the Redeemed of the Lord can walk after the Spirit of the Lord.  Discern the fruit…not the spiritual activity, righteousness is not an activity.

Prayerfully consider.

-Donna Clark Warren

^“6 Wherefore also it is contained in the Scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a Chief Cornerstone, elect, precious: and he that believes on Him shall not be confounded.

⁷ Unto you therefore which believe He is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the Stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the Head of the Corner,

⁸ And a Stone of stumbling, and a Rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the Word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed.

⁹ But you are a chosen generation, a Royal Priesthood, an holy nation, a Peculiar People; that you should show forth the praises of Him Who has called you out of darkness into His marvellous light;

¹⁰ Which in time past were not a people, but are now the People of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.” 1 Peter 2:6-10

The atoning work of Jesus Christ to pay the penalty of sin for lost and break the power of sin for the Believer is not a “doctrine” but is the Foundation, the “Chief Cornerstone” of all doctrine.  Most would agree in the Atonement for Salvation…at least I would surely hope.  However, it is the double cure where most stumble.  The atoning work of Jesus Christ on Calvary’s Cross to break the power of sin in the Believer’s life is too often rejected and other methods embraced, namely humanistic psychology, to overcome the world, the flesh and the devil.

The Cross of Christ is the means by which God reaches man and man reaches God.  To seek another method after Salvation to break the power of sin in our life, we are in fact leaving our first love, Jesus Christ, and have become double minded.

“⁷ Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. ⁸ Draw nigh to God, and He will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double minded.” James 4:7-8

Many have stumbled and are disobedient. They have been deceived by the double minded and have now become double minded themselves.  Just as the serpent beguiled Eve, so too have many hearts been corrupted by another gospel and another Jesus (2 Corinthians 11:3-4) who points them to self.

Until the Believer submits to God through the Blood of Jesus Christ, we cannot resist the devil…and make no mistake, the devil will not flee unless we are fully submitted to God.  The double minded constantly fight satan in the flesh yet “...the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds” (2 Cor. 10:4).

Purify your heart ye double minded…submit to God.  The Lord has called us to be a Peculiar People, a chosen generation to show forth the praises of HIM, Who HE is and what HE has done for whosoever will believe.  Lift Jesus Christ up….He is worthy to be praised!!  Forsake philosophies of man to conjure up faith, look to Jesus – the Author and Finisher of our faith.  Choose THIS day, while it is today in Whom you will serve.

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

Prayerfully consider.

-Donna Clark Warren

“⁵ Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a man be born of water (natural child birth, not water baptism) and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God. ⁶ That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. ⁷ Marvel not that I said unto you, Ye must be born again. ⁸ The wind blows where it listeth, and you hear the sound thereof, but cannot tell from where it comes, and whither it goes: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.” John 3:5-8

The born again experience cannot be explained through intellect. Jesus likens it to the wind which comes and goes; we feel the wind, hear the wind but we don’t know from where it comes.

When the modern church attempts to draw others to God through civic events and community festivals, the result is a church full of unconverted people attempting in vain to do what is right.  They are sincere in their efforts, please don’t misunderstand.  Furthermore, most preachers would love for the lost to fill the pews AND BE CONVERTED.

Sadly however, what we are seeing in the seeker sensitive churches is humanistic psychology being lifted up from behind the pulpit teaching the unconverted that they are inherently good and if they are bad it is the fault of others.  This prick of the flesh and tickling of the ear seduces the lost and unconverted to come hear more about why they are what they are.  Never mind the Word of God plainly states that “There is none righteous, no, not one:” Romans 3:10.

Unless the Gospel of Jesus Christ, Who HE is and what HE has done, is proclaimed to the lost, the lost cannot be born again.  It is not the job of the Believer to attempt to intellectually explain the reason the unconverted are…well unconverted.  The unconverted are not unconverted because they reject Jesus.  They reject Jesus because they are unconverted.  Everyone is responsible for their own actions and will one day give an account (Rev. 20:11-15).

When Jesus Christ is lifted up to the lost and dying world, and by that I mean the Jesus of the Bible, not the psychology Jesus or the “new age” Jesus, the Holy and Righteous Jesus that came to die on Calvary’s Cross to pay the penalty of sin for whosoever will believe and break the power of sin for Believer’s, the Lamb of God Who takes away our sins…when HE is lifted up to the people, the Word is anointed and the Holy Spirit convicts.  Again, this cannot be intellectually explained. Only then, when the power and the weight of the conviction of the Holy Spirit is upon “whosoever”, if they choose or “will” to believe, the Holy Spirit gives them the faith to believe.

“And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that hear say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.”  Revelations 22:17

The Word of God says whosoever wills to come…to come and take of the water of life freely.  If it is your will to come and be born again, God will give you the faith to believe. The faith of a mustard seed is all it takes for faith to grow into a great tree of righteousness when Jesus Christ authors and finishes our faith!  This is not something we conjure up.  This faith is built on a sure Foundation, Jesus Christ and HIS atoning work.  Will you come?

“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

If you are ready to accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour, please repeat this prayer. Please understand, repeating this prayer will not save you. You must believe in your heart on Jesus Christ and you are instantly saved. Won’t you come?
“DEAR GOD IN HEAVEN, I COME TO YOU TODAY AS A LOST SINNER.”
“I AM ASKING YOU THAT YOU SAVE MY SOUL AND CLEANSE ME FROM ALL SIN.”
“I REALIZE IN MY HEART MY NEED OF SALVATION, WHICH CAN ONLY COME THROUGH JESUS CHRIST.”
“I AM ACCEPTING CHRIST INTO MY HEART AND WHAT HE DID ON THE CROSS IN ORDER TO PURCHASE MY REDEMPTION.”
“IN OBEDIENCE TO YOUR WORD, I CONFESS WITH MY MOUTH THE LORD JESUS, AND BELIEVE IN MY HEART THAT GOD HAS RAISED HIM FROM THE DEAD.”
“YOU HAVE SAID IN YOUR WORD WHICH CANNOT LIE, ‘FOR WHOSOEVER SHALL CALL UPON THE NAME OF THE LORD SHALL BE SAVED’ (ROM.10:13).”
“I HAVE CALLED UPON YOUR NAME EXACTLY AS YOU HAVE SAID, AND I BELIEVE THAT RIGHT NOW, I AM SAVED.”
If you have just repeated this prayer and believed in your heart these words congratulations!!  Read your Bible, preferably KJV translation, make sure everything you hear lines up with what the Word of God says.  The Word of God is the only revealed Truth in this world.  Men (and women) are fallible, we make mistakes.  Do not put your faith in a preacher or a church but in Jesus Christ, Who He is and what He has done for you.  The Word of God is alive, therefore it is inexhaustible.

“Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the Lord your God, He it is that does go with you; He will not fail you, nor forsake you.” Deuteronomy 31:6

-Donna Clark Warren

“² With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; ³ Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”  Ephesians 4:2-3

There are two types of unity: man made unity and unity of the Holy Spirit which will always have the Cross as its Foundation.

“Howbeit when He, the Spirit of Truth, is come, He will guide you into all Truth: for He shall not speak of Himself; but whatsoever He shall hear, that shall He speak: and He will show you things to come.” John 16:13

“…whatsoever He shall hear, that shall He speak…” does not refer to lack of knowledge.  The Holy Spirit is God.  The Holy Spirit will declare the atoning work of Jesus Christ only.  He will unite the Body of Christ under the Banner of Christ alone…not Christ plus traditions, ceremonies or humanistic psychology.  When this Scripture was given by the Holy Spirit to the Apostle John, the “things to come” referred to the New Covenant which would soon be given.

This unity of the Spirit with the Cross of Christ as it’s sure foundation is not a mere doctrine.  The shed Blood of Jesus Christ is not one of many doctrines to overcome the world, the flesh and the devil…it is the ONLY Way, Truth and Life for those who believe. God does not look at His plan for Salvation and daily living (Sanctification) as different denominations and attempt to unite them regardless of their “doctrine”.  Again, the Cross of Christ is not a “doctrine”.  It is not one of many.  HE is life and life more abundantly for those of us who believe.

There is no unity in the Spirit with those who attempt to unite the flesh with the Spirit all in the name of peace.  The Word of God is a TWO edged sword.  That which it severs with one edge, it is perfectly able and willing to heal with the other edge…if we just trust and believe.

If someone claims to be a Christian but lacks fidelity to the Word of God, and by that I mean the full counsel, rightly divided Word of God…not according to man’s opinion or denomination but according to the Word of God, there is no unity in the Spirit.  We should all be growing in the Grace and knowledge of the Lord daily.  There is no graduating class.  However, sadly many, in their vain attempt to preserve their denominational rules or personal opinions reject growth…they unknowingly reject the increase God is wanting to give.

“So then neither is he that plant any thing, neither he that water; but God that give the increase.” 1 Corinthians 3:7

There are untold thousands who have rejected God’s increase and followed the ways of the world to overcome the world.  Their hearts are hardened to the Truth as they continue in vain to unite the flesh and the Spirit.  I’m not saying they are not saved but I am saying they have rebelled against Truth when they turned to philosophies of man and therefore we are no longer united.  To be plain and honest, they are adulterers and adulteresses.

“⁴ You adulterers and adulteresses, know you 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. ⁵ Do you think that the Scripture says in vain, The Spirit that dwells in us lusts to envy? ⁶ But He gives more Grace. Wherefore He says, God resists the proud, but gives Grace unto the humble.” James 4:4-6

Recognize the banner of the unity.  Is it man made for the sake of peace?  Jesus did not come to bring peace…He IS peace and His Word will divide asunder the soul and spirit and discern our thoughts and intents of the heart (Hebrews 4:12). The Holy Spirit “lusts to envy”, He is jealous of the those areas in our life that we have turned over to vain philosophies.  The Lord wants to give more Grace but the Holy Spirit is not commissioned to give increase to those who have placed their belief in methods of man and not the atoning work of Jesus Christ to address every problem of mankind.

The Holy Spirit will guide us into ALL Truth…not some.  We have the Word of God and the Spirit of God dwelling in us and they will never contradict one another.  The Lord did not leave us here to wonder, He left us here to occupy and glorify Him under ONE Banner…Jesus Christ and Him Crucified.

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

-Donna Clark Warren

“You did run well; who did hinder you that you should not obey the Truth?  This persuasion comes not of Him Who calls you. A little leaven leavens the whole lump.” Galatians 5:7-9

We either believe that Jesus Christ addressed every problem in the Atonement or else we don’t believe and need to turn to worldly methods to overcome the problem, namely humanistic psychology.

The modern church has so readily embraced humanistic psychology to heal the broken spirit of mankind and have utterly forsaken the Cross of Christ to address the problems that occur in the Believer’s daily life and living that the Jesus the pulpit presents is another Jesus.  We cannot separate Jesus from the Cross after Salvation.  No, Jesus is certainly still not on the Cross.  That is foolishness.  The Lord is sitting at the Right Hand of God searching to and fro throughout the whole earth to show Himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward Him (2 Chronicles 16:9).  However, when we separate Jesus from His atoning work after Salvation and seek other methods to address the problems of mankind, we are committing spiritual adultery.  Most of the modern churches wave 2 banners; one banner is the Atonement for Salvation and the other banner is humanistic psychology for daily living.

Let me be clear, humanistic psychology is the world’s method of overcoming and will always fall out to destruction.  We as Believers in Jesus Christ and His atoning work cannot believe in both the Atonement to address every problem and humanistic psychology.  We either believe the report of the Lord or we believe the report of Freud, Maslow and the other founding fathers of humanistic psychology.

If we could overcome the world, the flesh and the devil through psychology, the Cross of Christ was in vain.  God forbid no.  If our denomination is embracing humanistic psychology, we are all going to have to ask ourselves if we can support that particular denomination.  If we come down on the side of the Cross, by default we are directly opposed to any other methods besides the Cross of Christ to address problems in our daily living.  There is no neutral ground.  One or the other has to go!

“And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom you will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” Joshua 24:15

-Donna Clark Warren

“³ But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, You shall not eat of it, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.

⁴ And the serpent said unto the woman, You shall not surely die:

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

Sadly there are untold thousands who sit among the congregation on Sunday morning who believe themselves to be rich, increased with goods and have need of nothing.  Seeing they see not that they are wretched, miserable, poor and naked (Revelation 3:17).

“¹⁵ I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot: I would you were cold or hot. ¹⁶ So then because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue you out of My mouth.”  Revelation 3:15-16.

They are neither hot nor cold.  In spite of their zeal and sincerity they are in fact lukewarm.  Jesus says He would rather them be hot.  That is understandable, right?

However, the Lord also said He would rather them be cold instead of lukewarm.  The lukewarm sit in their pews, sincere but sincerely wrong.  They do many spiritual things yet walk not in the Spirit.  In need of  nothing, they have devised their own philosophies and methods to overcome the world, the flesh and the devil.  The sanctimonious ceremonies and long held religious traditions appeal to the flesh of man.

In short, the lukewarm bring reproach to God because they attach their worldly methods to the work of God.  They go under the guise of Christianity just to soothe their conscience.  You will probably see many of them dressed in their best Halloween attire in a couple of weeks.  At least the cold do not claim Christianity, therefore their deeds, albeit “good” deeds, do not bring reproach to God.

“But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.” 2 Corinthians 11:3.

Poison, when accidentally ingested, remains poisonous.  Eve was deceived by satan.  “You shall not surely die” satan declared to her.  “Your eyes will be open and you shall be as little gods” said satan (and Kenneth Copeland by the way) in his plan to deceive Eve and she ingested the poison fruit that separated her from God.  She was not longer spiritually alive unto God but dead in her sin and trespasses through deceit.

“And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.  Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.” 2 Corinthians 11:14-15.

Please allow me to say it again, sadly there are untold thousand who sit in the church pews every Sunday morning who are zealous for God.  They sincerely love the Lord.  However, week after week satan’s ministers, who have been transformed as ministers of righteousness, are ministering seeds of death to the congregation.  They are ingesting poison, albeit unknowingly, and they are spiritually decaying and lethargic.

“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.

There is life and life more abundantly in the simplicity of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and His redeeming work on Calvary’s Cross.

Recognize the seeds that are being planted in your spirit.  Is it Jesus Christ, Who He is and what He has done to break the power of sin in the Believer’s life or is it another gospel and another Jesus that goes under the banner of Christianity yet presents humanistic psychology as another method to overcome the world, the flesh and the devil.

Prayerfully consider.

-Donna Clark Warren