Christ Focused

The prophet Micah whose name means who is like the Lord addresses the sin of idolatry. It is the sin of ancient Babylon that is used metaphorically throughout the bible for all types of idolatry committed by mankind. It is the first commandment and the one broken more often than others, Thou shall have no other God's before me! Are you worshipping the Lord alone, or are you worshipping the works of your own hands?

 

 

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Jesus contends with a group of Pharisees concerning the problem with sin. Although they agreed that sin is the problem plaguing mankind, they differed when it came to how to deal with it. In this lesson, we follow the Lord's words and teaching on how to root out sin as we get to the heart of the matter.

Although salvation is free because it was purchased with the precious blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, being a true and devoted follower or disciple of Christ comes with a cost. Have you considered the cost? We must count the cost before we take on the great and tremendous challenge of following the Lord. It comes with a cost!

As believers in Christ, our entire position in life has been upgraded and we need to start learning how to view our lives and this world from God's perspective. You and I are seated together in heavenly places in Christ. We are clothed right now in the righteousness of Christ. Since this is our new position as believers, what should our perspective be?

It is such a human flaw to look at yourself and judge yourself by the opinions of others. Yet, we find ourselves doing this often throughout our lives. But what is even worse is when we are so critical of ourselves. As a child of God, you must not allow your past sins, mistakes, and bad decisions to define who you are because if you have believed in the Lord Jesus Christ then you are covered with his blood. God the Father sees each one of us through the blood of his son. Although we are imperfect, God sees us as perfect because of the blood of Christ. Close out the noise of the world and hear what God has to say about you.

In the Gospel of John chapter 8 verse 36, our Lord declares "If the Son shall therefore make you free, you shall be free indeed". This is an awesome declaration from the Lord Jesus Christ to all of us because if we trust in the merits of his shed blood for the remission of sin we are set free. We are free from the bondage of sin. We are free from the penalty of sin. We are free from the guilt and shame of sin. Christ has come to liberate us so that we can live our lives abundantly just as God the Father has purposed it.

The phrase "The Truth Shall Make You Free" is an often quoted and recited biblical phrase. Depending on the context this phrase has different meanings. Jesus said, if you continue in my word then are you, my disciples, indeed and you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free. What truth and what freedom is Christ speaking of and considering the world in which we live are we really free? In this lesson, we examine these questions to shine a light on the phrase itself as well as our consistently eroding freedom in this world as believers in Christ and human beings in general.

This message serves as a wake-up call to the Church of Jesus Christ Universal as we face unprecedented times in our world. There are a lot of questions, anger, and fear with regards to the latest events happening today concerning the new mandates and laws that in essence are robbing people of their freedom. As believers in Christ, we must be alert and spiritually aware of the times in which we are living. It is time to wake out of sleep and proclaim without fear the gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.