Tag: 1 John 1:9

What Power

On By KateIn Devotionals, Hymns for TodayLeave a comment

How often have you sung this beautiful hymn and yet not really known the profound power that is in the blood of Jesus Christ, which was shed on the cross at Calvary? How can you sing this song and not shed tears, knowing the depth of His sacrifice for our salvation? The longer I am saved, the more I grieve over the sins in my life, the transgressions that separated me from such grace! It is MY sin that caused the precious Lamb of God to be slaughtered, and each time I reflect on this truth, my heart aches. This realization drives me to a deeper understanding of His love, a love that sought me when I was lost and unworthy. His sacrifice only magnifies the importance of repentance and a heart truly transformed, allowing me to appreciate the full impact of His incredible mercy and the eternal life that His blood has secured for all who believe. (2 Corinthians 5:17)

1 John 1:7  But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.

Ephesians 1:7  In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;

When we truly realize just how sinful we are, we begin to see the overwhelming purpose of Christ’s coming to earth! What was His mission? He came so that we might have salvation, offering hope and redemption to all of humanity. He understood our struggles, our temptations, and our weaknesses; He knew we could not do it on our own. In our own efforts, we fall short time and time again, and He recognized that we could never be good enough to enter Heaven’s gate. That, my friend, is why Christ came—to create that bridge between our sinful nature and the born-again child of God. A love so deep that He was willing to die for us. His journey to the cross signifies not just His willingness to endure suffering, but His commitment to restore our relationship with God, reminding us that no matter how lost we may feel, there is always that path back to grace and redemption.

2 Corinthians 7:10  For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.

There is no other power on this earth that can accomplish this mission. NONE! You will never find it. It’s senseless to look! This power is life-changing and it transforms beyond measure! Once you wholeheartedly commit your life to Christ and truly accept the fact that He died for you personally, you find that you can’t possibly go back to that life of sin that once held you in its grips. Sin, which used to seem like such a part of your life, now becomes a conscious choice, where before salvation you felt as though you had no choice at all. It’s as if a veil has been lifted, revealing that you can genuinely say no to sin because you are empowered by the Holy Spirit to resist temptation. You now can live a life marked by freedom,righteousness and purpose. This newfound strength helps you to navigate through life’s challenges with confidence and assurance.

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

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

John 14:17  Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.

If you know this from the bottom of your heart, deep within, then sing this song and see if you can make it to the end without tears! If you have sinned, praise the Lord we have a Saviour who forgives us. (1 John 1:9)

There is Power in the Blood – By Lewis E. Jones (1899)

1 Would you be free from the burden of sin?
There’s power in the blood, power in the blood.
Would you o’er evil a victory win?
There’s wonderful power in the blood.

Refrain:
There is power, power, wonder-working power
in the blood of the Lamb;
there is power, power, wonder-working power
in the precious blood of the Lamb.

2 Would you be free from your passion and pride?
There’s power in the blood, power in the blood.
Come for a cleansing to Calvary’s tide.
There’s wonderful power in the blood. [Refrain]

3 Would you be whiter, much whiter than snow?
There’s power in the blood, power in the blood.
Sin-stains are lost in its life-giving flow;
there’s wonderful power in the blood. [Refrain]

4 Would you do service for Jesus your King?
There’s power in the blood, power in the blood.
Would you live daily His praises to sing?
There’s wonderful power in the blood. [Refrain]

Friend, if you have not accepted Christ as your Saviour, and received that forgiveness of sin through the power of His shed blood, follow this link and read the Scriptures. Accept His precious salvation, for which He gave His life for!

Peace Through Troubled Times – Disobedient

On By KateIn Devotionals, Peace Through Troubled TimesLeave a comment

Rom 1:28-32  And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;  (29)  Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,  (30)  Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,  (31)  Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:  (32)  Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.

Today’s topic has to do with disobedience. Is it me, or are there more disobedient children in our society? It makes me so sad when I see children left to their own devices and they rule the house with their tantrums. Rather than deal with teaching them and disciplining them at that moment, they are too tired and leave them alone. The problem with that is that no directions from Dad and Mom let the children know that your silence means accepting their behavior.

But today’s devotional is not about a child’s disobedience, although it fits in nicely. It’s about adults’ disobedience. Notice verses 29, 30 and 31! Look at all those sins! They are not normally committed by young children but by grown adults! Verse 32 even attributes it to those who know the judgment of God!!! Children do not know in the early years, but adults sure do.

Paul told Timothy in 1 Timothy 1:9-10 that disobedience to the Law, meaning the Ten Commandments, is contrary to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. In his second letter to Timothy (2 Timothy 2:1-5), Paul says that these sins will increase in the end times. These warnings are not in the Bible for nothing, Reader. You must take heed to what God wants you to know! You commit these sins because you have not repented of your sin to be saved. Repentance is a reversal of one’s direction in life. When you were born, you inherited a sinful nature handed down to you by Adam and Eve. You don’t have to teach a toddler to do wrong because it is part of him from birth. You DO have to teach that toddler to do right. Jesus said:

Luk 5:32  I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

Friend, repentance means that you must consciously make a decision to follow Christ and His teachings. The Law, the Ten Commandments, prove to us that we are sinners because there is not a day that goes by in a person’s life where he doesn’t break at least one of those commandments. The first of those commandments is to love the Lord God with all your heart, mind and soul. Do you? Ding, ding, ding! You have broken one. Have you lied to someone today? Ding, ding, ding! There’s another. They add up after a while. But even if you only had ONE sin (which is virtually impossible), you are found guilty before God of breaking all the commandments!

Jas 2:10  For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.

So know that the Ten Commandments teach us about sin. That was God’s old covenant to the Jewish people. People needed to realize that they could not possibly live a sin-free life, a righteous life, because they failed every day. Israel had to sacrifice lambs to “cover” their sins. They had to shed the innocent blood of a lamb.

From the beginning of time, God provided a way to be reconciled to Him. He gave us a new covenant. Jesus became the Perfect Sacrificial Lamb to die for our sins. The blood of goats and lambs could not wash away our sins. But the blood of Jesus can. When we repent and confess our sins, Jesus hears us. His blood on that cross gives Him the power to forgive us of our sins and to cleanse us from all sin. Furthermore, He is faithful so this will always be!

1 Jn 1:7  But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.

1 Jn 1:9  If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Some believe you can go to confession and tell a priest your sins and that is it. You’re good to go. But that is not repentance, friend. So what exactly is the repentance? The Greek word is:

μετάνοια
metanoia
met-an’-oy-ah
From G3340; (subjectively) compunction (for guilt, including reformation); by implication reversal (of [another’s] decision): – repentance.

Strong’s concordance

Notice the one in needs to have repentance must feel the guilt and shame of his sin. Secondly, that person must be reformed (John 3:3, 3:7, 2 Corinthians 5:17). Thirdly, to be repentant means to change directions. If you were facing South and wanted to go in the opposite direction, you would go North. In the case of repentance, means you turn around from your current sinful path and go in the exact opposite direction – meaning, you go toward the Lord. Fourthly, you change your mind completely. Instead of giving in to sin, you seek salvation through Jesus Christ and say no to sin. There is no other way to be saved!

Act 4:12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

Sin is a choice after salvation. You are no longer a slave to sin. You can now say no to it.

Rom 6:20-23  For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness.  (21)  What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death.  (22)  But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.  (23)  For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Friend, do you know how many so-called “Christians” are out there that have not repented? They go to church and think about God during the service (if they are not sleeping or reading their phone). But after church, they go back to their lifestyle and they’re happy with that. That is not repentance. These people do not feel guilty or remorse for their sin.

After you have read today’s devotional, do you see the difference of what believers call nominal Christianity and true Christianity? You can call yourself a Christian, but if you haven’t changed from your old life, you are not. (2 Corinthians 5:17)

If you are not truly born-again, you won’t see today’s topic as a sin. But there is coming a time when it will be too late for you to repent and be saved. It is no coincidence that God has placed you here for such a time as this so that you may be saved if you are not already. Please click here and the link will open up in a separate tab You Can Be Born Again and Know It!

Hymns 2.0 – Just As I Am

On By KateIn Devotionals, Hymns 2.0, Thoughts and MeditationsLeave a comment
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Lyrics (click here to hear instrumental)

1 Just as I am, without one plea,
but that thy blood was shed for me,
and that thou bidd’st me come to thee,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

2 Just as I am, and waiting not
to rid my soul of one dark blot,
to thee, whose blood can cleanse each spot,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

3 Just as I am, though tossed about
with many a conflict, many a doubt,
fightings and fears within, without,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

4 Just as I am, thou wilt receive,
wilt welcome, pardon, cleanse, relieve;
because thy promise I believe,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

Charlotte Elliott

The History Behind the Hymn

Elliott, Charlotte, daughter of Charles Elliott, of Clapham and Brighton, and granddaughter of the Rev. H. Venn, of Huddersfield, was born March 18, 1789. The first 32 years of her life were spent mostly at Clapham. In 1823 she removed to Brighton, and died there Sept. 22, 1871.

In 1828, at the age of 32, Charlotte Elliott suffered a serious illness that left her a semi-invalid. This caused depression, and within the year she experienced a severe spiritual crisis. Swiss evangelist Henry A. Cesàr Malan was visiting her family, and she confessed to him that she didn’t know how to come to Christ. His famous response was, “Come to him just as you are.” Her depression continued, however. One night, twelve years later, she lay awake, distressed by her uselessness as an invalid, and by doubts of her spiritual life. The next day, as she reflected on the previous night, she decided she needed to meet her spiritual troubles head on and conquer them by the grace of God. So she “gathered up in her soul the grand certainties, not of her emotions, but of her salvation: her Lord, His power, His promise” (Lutheran Hymnal Handbook). She took up pen and paper, and wrote down her own “formulae of faith,” remembering those words of the visiting evangelist. In the end she had the text “Just as I am, without one plea.” Her rule of faith has since become a comfort to millions, and we join with all Christians who experience doubt and uncertainty in their faith when we declare that Christ invites us to come to Him, just as we are.

Though weak and feeble in body, she possessed a strong imagination, and a well-cultured and intellectual mind. Her love of poetry and music was great, and is reflected in her verse. Her hymns number about 150, a large percentage of which are in common use. 

https://hymnary.org/text/just_as_i_am_without_one_plea#Author

A Lesson for Me

Mat 11:28-30  Come unto me, all ye that labour 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 ye shall find rest unto your souls.  (30)  For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

I was probably a couple of days old in the Lord when I read these three verses. Oh how I cried! I was very heavy laden and had a burden of care upon my shoulders. I had been married six years at this point and my husband absolutely despised what I had become. Life was unbearable and I could not imagine God healing my marriage. He not only healed my marriage but He also showed me how I could receive peace in the midst of the trial while waiting! These verses rested heavily on my heart during that time.

What does this have to do with today’s hymn? Everything! God wants us to come to Him with all our troubles!

3 Just as I am, though tossed about
with many a conflict, many a doubt,
fightings and fears within, without,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

Message for today

Yes, this hymn’s message is mainly to show that God takes the sinner just as he is. The sinner need not clean up his life before receiving the gift of salvation. If he had to do that, what’s the point of God’s Son being called a gift? One doesn’t have to do a thing to receive a gift. It is freely given and must be freely accepted. There is nothing that can be added.

1 Just as I am, without one plea,
but that thy blood was shed for me,
and that thou bidd’st me come to thee,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

Luke 5:32  I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

Tit 3:5  Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;

Eph 2:8  For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

It is not by our own works that we receive this wonderful gift. It is by simple faith. We are all sinners in need of saving. We are all sinners in need of God’s grace. The very nature of God is to show mercy upon a repentant sinner. When we humbly come before Him, admitting our sinfulness, He is faithful to forgive us and cleanse us from ALL unrighteousness.

1 John 1:9  If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

2 Just as I am, and waiting not
to rid my soul of one dark blot,
to thee, whose blood can cleanse each spot,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

My friend, there is nothing we can do to wash away our sins. Only Jesus can do that. He became our sin offering so we could be made righteous before God through Him! Oh praise the Lord for His unending love for us!

2 Cor 5:21  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.

If you are not truly born-again, there is coming a time when it will be too late for you to repent and be saved. It is no coincidence that God has placed you here for such a time as this so that you may be saved if you are not already. Please click here and the link will open up in a separate tab You Can Be Born Again and Know It!

Discouragement – Day 5 – Heaviness for a Season

On By KateIn Various3 Comments

Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: (1 Pet 1:6)

How can one rejoice when they are experiencing numerous trials and tribulations? Is this possible to do? It is possible if you are walking in the Spirit. If you are suffering from discouragement, however, this verse in 1 Peter seems “out there”! This verse seems like an impossible task.

Everyone I have spoken with who has suffered from discouragement at one time or another has admitted that they are guilty of two things: (1) focusing their thoughts on their problem, and (2) not being in the Word as they should. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. (Gal 6:8 ) What are you sowing, Christian? Step back and look at your life – the results of sowing will appear in what you are reaping. Discouragement is not a fruit of the Spirit. The Word says that the fruit of the Spirit is: :… love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. (Gal 5:22-23) I don’t see discouragement in this list, do you?

Since the Word says that these are the fruit of the Spirit, it stands to reason that no sowing is being done in these areas to reap these fruit. Christian, examine yourself. If you can get to the root of this discouragement in your life, you will overcome it. The Word is our guide – the Holy Spirit is our Teacher. I know I sound like a broken record but, “Get in the Word”! Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee. (Psa 119:11) If you’re not reaping to the Spirit, then you are reaping to the flesh. There is nothing good in the flesh. For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: …(Rom 7:18 ) Therefore, if you are reaping to the flesh it stands to reason you are not in the Word for the Lord tells us that if we hide the Word in our hearts (through reading and memorizing), we will not sin against Him. Since discouragement is not one of the fruit of the Spirit, it is a work of the flesh and is sin. 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)

It is easier to understand now how Paul could rejoice through numerous trials. Paul walked in the Spirit and the Word encouraged his heart. How else could he be singing with Silas in prison at midnight (Acts 16:25)? If anyone had the right to be discouraged, it would be Paul and Silas – but yet they were found singing! When was the last time you felt like singing in the wee hours of the morning while you were discouarged? Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: (1 Pet 1:6) The Book of Psalms is filled with encouraging verses. Our Heavenly Father knew we needed these – He placed those words there just for you! Read Psalms 84, 121, 139 to name a few.

What a tremendous testimony you would have and the ability to help others through their discouragement if you would allow the Spirit of God to dwell in you and encourage your heart the same way He did Paul and Silas. Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit. (1 John 4:13) Yes, that’s right – help others! There’s nothing like a good dose of doing for others to help us take our eyes off our own circumstances. God allows trials in our lives for a reason – it is to mold us into His image and then we take what we have learned and try to help someone else. Why would someone who is discouraged listen to someone who has never been through it? How would they know?

A Christian with the purpose of helping someone else to overcome discouragement is a Christian who is in the Word daily and has taken his eyes off his own circumstances. This same Christian is walking in the Spirit and reaping the fruit of the Spirit. Won’t you take that first step in this walk?