Mind Control

 

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Organized religion has indoctrinated people with so many false doctrines that the truth of the Bible sounds very strange. … 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐍𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐍𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐝. Y𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐫𝐞 not deceived 𝐛𝐲 𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭. You are built—piece by piece—by everything that’s been placed into your mind since the day you were born. Most people never question it. They never stop to ask: 𝐖𝐡𝐨 𝐩𝐮𝐭 𝐢𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞… 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐡𝐲?

Stay with me… This may help everything you are witnessing today in religion and politics make sense. The world is in the middle of the greatest social experiment in world history. It can be illustrated by drawing a circle that represents your brain.

Then ask, “What’s in the circle?”

At this point, “Nothing, It’s empty.”

This is who we are when we are born. We have a mind—the circle—but nothing has yet been placed inside it. As we grow and move through life, everything we see, do, touch, taste, hear, and even smell begins to fill that circle. Everything that enters becomes part of an equation that shapes our personality, what we believe and who we become.

Then thoughts and experiences began to flood into the circle. This can be television, social media, books, music, religion. Then it expands—what is taught by parents, teachers, family, friends, and organized religion. These inputs begin to populate the circle and create the narrative through which we see the world and believe it to be. The issue arises when multiple sources of information repeat the same ideas. That repetition creates redundancy, and redundancy hardwires the brain. Your brain is physical, your mind is spiritual. Your brain may reject truth, but your mind can be changed and accept revealed truth by the power of the Holy Spirit.

𝐍𝐞𝐮𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐬 T𝐡𝐚𝐭 F𝐢𝐫𝐞 T𝐨𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 W𝐢𝐫𝐞 T𝐨𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫.

But like branches on a tree, some of those connections remain thin and flexible, while others become thick and rigid. All too often, we rely on the thick, rigid branches because they make up the largest portion of the tree. Yet in a storm, or under strong winds, those are the branches most likely to break.

The difference between the average person walking through life and a true warrior is this: 𝐀 𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐫 𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐧𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐢𝐫𝐜𝐥𝐞. With conscious awareness, we recognize how information shapes how we think, how we feel, what we believe, why we believe it—and ultimately who we become.

The simple explanation I want to share with my audience is the exact same process unfolding on both the national and global stage. Since the days in the Garden of Eden, the world has been influenced by a powerful Adversary. Just like a tree, it starts as a seedling. Over time, it grows. Eventually, it develops thick, hardened branches of man made ideology. And today, that tree has revealed itself as a forest.

A dark forest of trees—desperate, and at times violent—trying to force its rigidity and anti-Christian values on every individual, starting with the youth. Because when the branches are still young, they are flexible. And so they flood the roots with a kind of ideological fertilizer—something corrosive—that spreads throughout the entire system like a parasite.

And once it takes hold, it doesn’t just influence the tree… 𝐢𝐭 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐞. It rewrites the circle. It reshapes how reality is seen, processed, and defended. And the person living inside it… 𝐧𝐨 𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐝𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝… 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐝𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐲𝐨𝐮’𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐧.

Jesus came to reveal THE TRUTH, open the eyes of the blind, and set the captives free. If you have eyes to see and ears to hear, that's the Holy Spirit urging you to seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness. 

Organized religion ("churchanity") is a hospital for sin sick sinners and a nursery for baby Christians. The Church that Jesus built is not an earthy organization; it's a Body of Believers seeking first the Kingdom of  God. As it is written: The general assembly of God and church of the firstborn are registered in heaven (not a corporation registered on earth). - Hebrews 12:23

What is a Genuine Relationship With Jesus Christ?

Christians are not "saved" people telling others they need to "get saved," rather they are one beggar telling another beggar where to find bread. A genuine relationship with Jesus Christ requires discipline and maturity. The path to eternal life is a lifelong process which requires knowing, not just believing. Simply listening to a preacher talk about God is not spiritual growth. 

Spoon-fed Churchanity teaches that "born again" is instant and one is "saved" by simply believing. But is that what the Word says?  Even the demons believe...  ~ James 2:19

Baby Christians can believe all they want, but nothing happens until they are mature enough to conceive to the Holy Spirit. Jesus was 30 years old before he requested baptism and received the Spirit of God (which is Holy). ~ Matthew 3:16

Let that sink in. Real Christianity is for mature people who go through the process of spiritual birth.

 

If you would like to learn more about a genuine relationship with Jesus, You Are Cordially Invited to Renew Your Strength Bible Study Group... https://mlf1070.blogspot.com/2021/01/renew.html

Renew Your Strength is not a "know-it-all" type ministry. The purpose of Renew Your Strength Bible Study Group is to get people to think about what they believe and why they believe it, not debate who's right or wrong.

Over the years, as Renew Your Strength has continued to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ, we have recognized that some of the things we once held as true, in fact, are not; and therefore we will not “cast in stone” a statement of our beliefs. We reserve the right to be wrong and to repent of such error when we discover it.  

 

To learn the revealed truth of God we must know and understand the true meaning of the words God inspired to be written. Use Strong's Concordance to check the original word before it was translated. Do your own research, make up your own mind, rely on the Holy Spirit to guide you. God always gives us a choice. We can choose to believe the Truth of the Bible, or we can choose the lies of the Adversary.

 

 

Isaiah 59

Isaiah 59 Describes Organized Religion 

 

Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, That it cannot save; Nor His ear heavy, That it cannot hear. But your iniquities (teaching that God's Law is done away) have separated you from your God; And your sins have hidden His face from you, So that He will not hear. ~ Matthew 7:2

For your hands are defiled with blood, (murder) And your fingers with iniquity; Your lips have spoken lies, Your tongue has muttered perversity.

No one calls for justice, Nor does any plead for truth. They trust in empty words and speak lies; They conceive evil and bring forth iniquity. They hatch vipers’ eggs and weave the spider’s web; He who eats of their eggs (false doctrines) dies, And from that which is crushed a viper breaks out. (more evil)

Their webs will not become garments, Nor will they cover themselves with their works; Their works are works of iniquity, And the act of violence is in their hands. 

Their feet run to evil, And they make haste to shed innocent blood (abortion); Their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity; Wasting and destruction are in their paths. The way of peace they have not known, And there is no justice in their ways; They have made themselves crooked paths; Whoever takes that way shall not know peace.

Therefore justice is far from us, Nor does righteousness overtake us; We look for light, but there is darkness! For brightness, but we walk in blackness! We grope for the wall like the blind, And we grope as if we had no eyes; We stumble at noonday as at twilight; We are as dead men in desolate places.

We all growl like bears, And moan sadly like doves; We look for justice, but there is none; For salvation, but it is far from us. For our transgressions are multiplied before You, And our sins testify against us; For our transgressions are with us, And as for our iniquities, we know them: In transgressing and lying against the LORD, And departing from our God, Speaking oppression and revolt, Conceiving and uttering from the heart words of falsehood.

Justice is turned back, And righteousness stands afar off; For truth is fallen in the street, And equity cannot enter. So truth fails, And he who departs from evil makes himself a prey. (assassinations)

 

The Redeemer of Zion

 

Then the Lord saw it (organized religion - the Golden Calf of the 21st century), and it displeased Him That there was no justice. He saw that there was no man (to make intercession), And wondered that there was no intercessor; Therefore His own arm brought salvation for Him; And His own righteousness, it sustained Him.

For He put on righteousness as a breastplate, And a helmet of salvation on His head; He put on the garments of vengeance for clothing, And was clad with zeal as a cloak. According to their deeds, accordingly He will repay, Fury to His adversaries, Recompense to His enemies; The coastlands He will fully repay. (the coastlands means no person or nation is beyond God's reach or authority)

So shall they fear The name YAHWEH from the west, And His glory from the rising of the sun; When the enemy comes in like a flood, The Spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard against him. “The Redeemer will come to Zion, And to those who turn from transgression in Jacob,” Says the Lord. (Jesus is The Only Redeemer)

“As for Me,” says YAHWEH, “this is My covenant with them (those who keep the commandments): My Spirit who is upon you, and My words which I have put in your mouth, shall not depart from your mouth, nor from the mouth of your descendants, nor from the mouth of your descendants’ descendants,” says the Lord, “from this time and forevermore.”

Organized religion has completely forgotten God's Promise to Abraham, or they teach the promises pertain to the Jews. Only a remnant is seeking first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness. As it is written: Broad is the path that leads to destruction. In Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, He emphasizes the choice between the easy, popular paths of organized religion's spoon fed doctrines, and the challenging path of righteousness. 

Just to be clear on the definition of righteousness, it means to conform to God’s standard of holiness, (not a church creed) encompassing moral integrity, justice, and right relationships with God and man. It is both a state of being "right" before God through faith in Jesus Christ (imputed righteousness) and the practical, outward behavior that aligns with His commandments. 

Let us hear the conclusion of the matter:

Fear God and keep His commandments, For this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every work into judgment, Including every secret thing, whether good or evil. ~ Ecclesiastes 12:13-14

 

You Are Cordially Invited to share your Christian experience with Renew Your Strength Bible Study Group... https://mlf1070.blogspot.com/2021/01/renew.html

 

Communion vs Passover

 

 

Mention that you observe the Passover, but with New Testament symbols, to most Christians and you will often be asked, “Are you a Jewish Christian?” It’s the common conception today that Christianity takes communion and only Jews observe the Passover. But why?

Sunday keepers often refer to the first day of the week as "the Lord's day." The only mention of the Lord's day is found in Revelation 1:10: I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day, and I heard behind me a loud voice, as of a trumpet... it says nothing about changing the Sabbath Law.

 

Sunday keepers like to site Acts 20, particularly verse 7, to justify taking communion instead of Passover. They take "upon the first day of the week" and "came to gather to break bread" out of context. The Disciples of Jesus Christ kept the Sabbath on the 7th day as commanded. On Sunday they came together to break bread, a common meal, not the Lord's Supper or "communion," because Paul was leaving the next day on a missionary trip. It was simply a farewell dinner. Farewell dinners are still a custom today. Jesus did not change Passover for communion.

During the Passover meal just prior to his crucifixion, Jesus took standard elements of the Passover Seder and redefined them: 

• The Bread: Instead of only symbolizing the haste of the Israelites' exodus from Egypt, Jesus stated the bread was his body, broken for his followers.
• The Wine: He identified the wine as the "blood of the new covenant," moving the focus from the blood of the paschal lamb to his own impending sacrifice.
• The Command: He instructed his disciples to "do this in remembrance of me," as an annual memorial of his death. 

 

The Old Testament Passover was a type and shadow of the New Testament Passover. Commonly referred to as “the Lord’s Supper’”, “communion”, or eucharist , man-made denominations offer a variety of dates and customs. Some take communion annually, but not at the time set by God's appointed time. Others observe the Lord’s supper for Sunday brunch; still others take it daily, weekly, or quarterly… ignoring the instructions of the God they claim to worship. Remember, Cain's offering was rejected for not following God's instructions.

Yahweh explained to Moses how important the very first Passover was… it literally was the difference between life and death! Yahweh made Passover an ordinance forever. Contrary to popular custom, Communion is not an acceptable “Christian” substitute for a “Jewish” Passover. Christians are not commanded to keep Christ’s birthday or resurrection day. They are commanded to keep the true Passover of the Lord, and teach it to their children patterned after the example of Jesus as recorded in the Holy Scriptures.

How Is The Correct Date For Passover Calculated?

The Lunar calendar is the one used to determine the dates of Jewish holidays (Not Yahweh's Holy Days). All 12 months are recorded in the Scriptures. There is no mention of a 13th month, or for that matter, a leap day or leap year. As it is written: Not giving heed to Jewish fables, and commandments of men, that turn from the truth.~Titus 1:14 

 

Thus says the LORD: Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hates: they are a trouble unto me; I am weary to bear them. ~ Isaiah 1:14 

The idea that the Jews have preserved a true biblical calendar is totally erroneous. And the Gregorian calendar with the “new year” starting in the dead of winter effectively hides the truth of Scripture. 

The most reliable calendar in the universe is the sun because it never varies from its appointed course, and cannot be manipulated by man. It is so accurate that the U.S. Naval Observatory sets their atomic clock by the sun.

The Spring equinox is the beginning of months, the true Biblical New Year, just as the Autumn equinox is the first day of the seventh Biblical month. With these two immutable witnesses, we can be certain that we are following the correct time for the Lord’s appointed Feasts. The moon has absolutely nothing to do with keeping time, and is one of the erroneous assumptions that many people make because they believe the traditions of the Jews.
 

The Biblical month of Abib/Nisan corresponds to March/April and runs from March 20 to April 19. Passover is ALWAYS observed on the evening of Abib 14 which is April 3. Passover never moves from that date like the lunar calendar does. It is an annual memorial to “proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes.” 1 Corinthians 11:23-29

 

In the original Passover in Egypt, the lamb was slain and consumed on the same day. ~ Leviticus 7:15  This would not be possible if days begin and end at sunset.

All the annual Feasts, or Holy Days, recorded in Leviticus 23 are SET from the Spring and Autumn equinoxes. The only Feast that “moves” is Pentecost (called the Feast of Weeks) which means “count fifty” days (or 7 weeks) from the day after the Sabbath within the Days of Unleavened Bread. Pentecost is always observed on Sunday.

 

My Church does not keep the Feasts of the LORD, so what do I do now? Find a group to fellowship with at Feast time... http://www.feastgoer.org/index.html 

Once a Christian has been exposed to Truth, they must search the scriptures to see if these things are so. They cannot and must not follow the traditions of organized religion in the place of God’s instructions. If you are unable to meet with other Christians at Passover time, start a Biblical tradition at home.

Passover Service At Home

 

Being "blessed" is deeply connected to being "covered by the blood of the Lamb" (Jesus)

, as the original meaning of "bless" relates to being marked with blood for holiness, symbolizing redemption, protection, and purification from sin. Just as the Passover lamb's blood spared the Israelites, the blood of Jesus over the doorposts of our heart offers Believers divine protection, freedom from the penalty of sin, and victory over spiritual enemies, making Believers holy and part of God's covenant. That is the reason communion is not a replacement for Passover. Just as God was displeased with Cain's offering, man made substitutions are rejected.

After serving a full supper meal on the evening (after sunset) of Abib 14 (April 3), clear the dishes from the table, and place some unleavened bread and fruit of the vine (this can be plain grape juice or red wine… both are “fruit of the vine”. Gather the family around the table, including the children… Passover is for the whole family. Read the following scriptures aloud.

The Reason For Passover  

Exodus 12:1-14

What Does This Service Mean? 

Exodus 12:24-27

A Statute Forever

Leviticus 23:1-14

The New Testament Passover - Just Do What Jesus Did

The Breaking of the Bread 
Matthew 26:17-26
Mark 14:22
Luke 22:19

The Cup
Matthew 26:27-29
Mark 14:23-25
Luke 22:20

Sing A Hymn
Matthew 26:30

Mark 14:26

Read Psalm 118:19-24
Sing verse 24 or another hymn from the Psalms

This concludes the Passover service. Spend the rest of the evening discussing Passover and praising Yahweh for so great a salvation. Because HE has not forgotten us, we should not forget Him.

When God told the Israelites to put lamb's blood over the doorpost of their homes that first Passover, the Death Angel did not look inside to see who was worthy, he only looked at the blood.

Likewise, when you observe the New Testament Passover by putting the blood of Jesus Christ over the doorpost of your heart, you are under His protection.

 

Passover is followed by seven Days of Unleavened Bread from April 4 to April 10

Passover is such an important event that it’s the only Feast that God allows a “make up”… on the 14th day of the second month of Ziv… May 3rd. Numbers 9:1-14

Christ is our Passover Lamb, not our Easter Bunny. 1 Corinthians 5:7-8

You are cordially invited to join Renew Your Strength Bible Study Group  

 

Follow Your Heart

 

By Dr. James Bruggeman • 22 Apr 2026  

 

The world says: “Follow your heart!” Is that a good idea?

Let’s begin with an answer of “no.” Because God says: “He that trusts in his own heart is a fool…” Proverbs 28:26

Biblically, the heart refers to the inner man, the spirit, the mind, will, and emotions.

The psalmist recounts some of the history of Israel.

Psalm 81:12 So I gave them [disobedient Israel] up unto their own hearts’ lust: and they walked in their own counsels.

In other words, the people each “did their own thing.”

But there is a positive side to the heart. The heart that is centered upon, and focused upon, God’s law is to be sought and guarded.

Proverbs 3:1 My son, forget not my law; but let your heart keep my commandments:

Proverbs 4:4 He taught me also, and said to me, Let your heart retain my words: keep my commandments, and live.

Proverbs 4:21 Let them not depart from your eyes; keep [Guard] them in the center of your heart.

Proverbs 4:23 Keep [Guard] your heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.

In our Lord’s parable of the sower, we find out what kind of heart brings forth Christian fruit.

Luke 8:15 But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience.

Then the apostle Paul assures Christian believers that when we follow after God and His law/word, He by the Spirit dwells within us!

2 Corinthians 1:22 Who has also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.

For centuries, ancient Israel disobeyed and forsook their Maker and thus suffered the consequences of disobedience, but Jeremiah prophesied of the time when (after the coming of the Messiah), there would be a new way open by faith in the Messiah, and it would entail and include a change of heart.

Jeremiah 31: 31 Behold, the days come, says the LORD [Yahweh], that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah:

 32 Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, says the LORD [Yahweh]:

 33 But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, says the LORD [Yahweh], I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.

This is echoed in the New Testament by the writer of the epistle to the Hebrews:

Hebrews 8:10 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people:

Returning to the titular question, should we “follow our heart?” The biblical answer is... only when we are following after God and His righteousness with all our heart.

~END~

You Are Cordially Invited to share your Christian experience with Renew Your Strength Bible Study Group... https://mlf1070.blogspot.com/2021/01/renew.html

 

Testimony

 

I genuinely don’t understand when people say the Bible is boring or “hard to read.” Like… are we reading the same book?

You've got God getting fed up and calling people “stiff-necked,” Jonah really thinking he could just ignore God and then boom—swallowed by a great fish and delivered right back to where he was supposed to be anyway. 

Jesus literally took time to braid a whip before flipping money changers tables because people turned the temple into a marketplace… that wasn’t random, that was planned. 

Jesus was hungry, went to a fig tree, it had nothing, and He said “fine then” and cursed it.

AND my personal favorite… He healed a deaf man by basically giving him a holy wet willy and restoring his hearing. 

I’m sorry but the Bible is not boring. It’s real, it’s intense, it’s funny, it’s convicting… and honestly I love reading it more than anything else.

You Are Cordially Invited to share your Christian experience with Renew Your Strength Bible Study Group

 

 

Guardian Angels

By Mike Farris, April 12, 2026

 

A guardian angel is a spirit being assigned to a person, group, or nation to provide protection and guidance throughout their life. This concept is shared across many cultures and religions, though the specific roles and number of angels vary. 

 

In Christianity every Believer has a guardian angel from birth until death. Their primary role is spiritual guidance toward salvation, though they also provide physical protection.

Psalm 91:11-12 refers to Jesus Christ, but also applies to all God's children. It's the Scripture Satan quoted to Jesus trying to tempt him. "For He (God) shall give His angels charge over you, To keep you in all your ways. In their hands they shall bear (lift) you up, Lest you dash (strike) your foot against a stone."

The Bible tells us "Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers." This refers to showing kindness to unfamiliar people, referencing stories like Abraham in Genesis 18. 

 

• Key Scripture: Hebrews 13:2 (NKJV: "Don't forget to entertain strangers: for some have entertained angels without knowing it."
• Meaning: It emphasizes hospitality to strangers, suggesting that kindness towards others may, in unknown ways, be a service to heavenly messengers.
• Context: The verse reminds Christians to show love for fellow Believers, and also serves as a general command for hospitality and charity.
• Biblical Examples: Historical examples include Abraham (Genesis 18) and Lot (Genesis 19), who both offered hospitality to angels disguised as humans. 

I asked AI if God was having a conversation about me with three of the top guardian angels in heaven, what would the conversation be like?

Here is how that conversation might go down

 

The Participants:

 

• God: Holding the original blueprint of my life.
• Michael: The strategist and protector (the "Results" guy).
• Gabriel: The communicator (the "Purpose" guy).
• Raphael: The healer (the "Well-being" guy). 

 

God: "Take a look at Mike today. He's right at that crossroads I planned for him. See how he is handling it?"

Michael: (Leaning in) "Mike's got grit. I watched him push through that setback last month—most would have folded. Mike is stronger than he realizes, but Mike is still hesitating to use the authority I've seen him develop. Mike needs to stop playing small."

Gabriel: "It’s a timing issue. I’ve been dropping hints about that creative spark Mike felt this morning. Mike has a message to share—or at least a role to play—that he is still keeping bottled up. I’m waiting for the moment Mike finally says 'yes' to that nudge."

Raphael: "I’m more concerned with Mike's rest. He is carrying old weight that isn't his to hold anymore. I’ve been working on Mike's heart, trying to show him that it's okay to let go of old regrets. Once he heals that one spot, his energy is going to double."

God: (Smiling) "Exactly. I love the way Mike thinks. He thinks he's behind schedule, when really, he is right where he needs to be to learn this lesson. Let’s keep the synchronicities coming. I want Mike to know he isn't walking this path alone."

---

 

The takeaway? God is not judging our "failures"; He's brainstorming ways to help us see our value and strength in Christ. Just ask. As it is written: "Ask and you shall receive." Jesus promises in Matthew 7:7-8 and Luke 11:9-13 that those who ask, seek, and knock will receive, find, and have doors opened, emphasizing God's willingness to give good gifts.

 Letter From Your Father

You Are Cordially Invited to share your Christian experience with Renew Your Strength Bible Study Group... https://mlf1070.blogspot.com/2021/01/renew.html

 

Law and Grace

 

 

What is this grace we hear so much about? 

The Hebrew word for "grace" is חֵן (pronounced khen or chen). While often translated as "favor," its meaning is multifaceted, spanning from favor to divine protection. The first mention of grace in the Bible is in Genesis 6:8, where "Noah found grace (khen) in the eyes of the Lord". Finding favor in God's eyes represents a superior bestowing of goodwill upon an inferior, often without any requirement for merit. This is the grace Christians hear about the most.

The Greek word for grace is charis which primarily means unmerited favor, goodwill, or a free gift. In the New Testament, it represents God's divine influence on the heart and its reflection in life, providing empowerment and strength to the undeserving. It often includes joy, gratitude, and kindness.   

In Luke 2:52 (NKJV): "And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor (grace) with God and men." This verse highlights his development in four key areas—intellectual, physical, spiritual, and social—showing his growth in favor (grace) with both God and people. Did Jesus need unmerited grace? Certainly not! Jesus needed, and received, divine empowerment to live a sinless life and perform miracles.

 

Let's Illustrate How Grace Works to Save Us

The distance between the North Pole and the South Pole is 12,436 miles. If you travel from the North Pole to the South Pole and keep traveling eventually you will head north. If you travel from east to west you will always be headed east forever. This is how the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross and God's grace works.

As it is written: As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us. ~ Psalm 103:12

Under the Old Covenant our sins were rolled forward from year to year. No matter how conscientious you kept the Law, you always ended back where you started. Under the New Covenant (the better covenant) our sins are removed when we follow the teaching of Christ and seek first the Kingdom of Heaven. The Law is written in our heart and we are no longer under the death penalty.  

Sins in the Old Testament were forgiven by God

based on genuine repentance, confession, and the prescribed system of animal sacrifices, which served as a temporary covering for sin and a precursor to the ultimate sacrifice of Christ. While animal blood could not permanently take away sins, it provided atonement that was valid based on faith in God's promises. 

In the New Testament, sins are forgiven

through the sacrificial death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, which established a new covenant. Forgiveness is received through repentance, faith in Jesus as Savior, and confession, rather than through the blood of animals. This forgiveness is a free gift of grace.

After receiving the gift of grace in the New Testament, believers are saved from the death sentence of sin, start the process of birth into God’s family, and empowered by the Holy Spirit to live a transformed life. It initiates an ongoing process of spiritual growth, leading to good works, the exercise of spiritual gifts, and a lifestyle of gratitude rather than animal sacrifices and religious rituals. 

Key aspects of life after receiving grace include:

• Transformation and Holiness: Grace is not just a free pass to sin, but a training force to live a godly life, overcoming sinful habits, and pursuing righteousness.
• Active Service and Gratitude: Because grace is a gift (Ephesians 2:8-9), believers respond with gratitude, serving Christ and helping others through the spiritual gifts they have been given.
• Relationship and Access: Believers enjoy an intimate relationship with God, characterized by the assurance of forgiveness and direct access to God as a loving Father.
• Empowerment for Daily Life: The same grace that saves also sustains, strengthens, and equips believers to endure trials and perform good works.
• "Grace Upon Grace": The New Testament describes a life of continuous, overwhelming grace, where believers receive ongoing spiritual blessings and divine help. Like traveling east, you will never run out of God's grace. Divine empowerment is the kind of grace Christian need to seek. The unmerited favor grace is a one time gift.

In essence, grace is the foundation that changes a person's identity and empowers a new lifestyle of love and service, rather than a mere transactional event performed by the High Priest on the Day of Atonement. 

Jesus is the great High Priest serving as the mediator between God and humanity who offered himself as the ultimate sacrifice

. Hebrews 2:17 focuses on His mercy and faithfulness to make atonement for us, and Hebrews 4:14-16 declares Him as our sympathetic high priest. 

Is Keeping God's Law Legalism?

In the New Testament, God's law is primarily defined as

the moral law, which is fulfilled through love, as established by Jesus and his apostles. While Christians are not under the Old Testament Mosaic covenant, the moral principles—such as loving God and neighbors—remain binding and reflect God's character. Law and grace go hand in hand. A sinner repents from breaking God's Law. A child of God repents from breaking their Father's heart by disobedience of His Law. The key is balance between law and grace. There are limits to this ocean of grace. Scripture notes that God "opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble" (James 4:6). Without a contrite heart or a willingness to repent from breaking God's law, a person may not receive the grace being offered. 

Key Aspects of Law in the New Testament:

• The Law of Christ: Often summarized as loving God and loving one's neighbor, as taught in Galatians 6:2 and 1 Corinthians 9:21.
• Fulfilled, Not Abolished: Jesus came to fulfill the law (Matthew 5:17), focusing on the internal attitude rather than mere external actions.
• The Royal Law: James 2:8 refers to "Love your neighbor as yourself" as the royal law.
• Purpose: The law is seen as good, holy, and righteous (Romans 7:12), designed to guide righteous living rather than being a burden. 

Key New Testament Law Concepts:

• The Law of Liberty: James 1:25 emphasizes the law as a source of freedom for the believer.
• The Law of the Spirit of Life: Romans 8:2 describes a new principle of life in Christ that frees believers from the law of sin and death, not the law itself.
• Moral Continuity: While ceremonial laws are fulfilled, the moral law remains central to reflecting God’s character and guiding behavior. 

In short, the New Testament shifts the focus from keeping the ritual law to earn salvation to obeying the law through the empowerment of the Holy Spirit, fulfilling its purpose through love. 

 

Both the Old and New Testament agree on God's standard of judgment. “Yet the children of your people say, ‘The way of the Lord is not fair.’ But it is their way which is not fair? When the righteous turns from his righteousness and commits iniquity, he shall die because of it. But when the wicked turns from his wickedness and does what is lawful and right, he shall live because of it. Yet you say, ‘The way of the Lord is not fair.’ O house of Israel, I will judge every one of you according to his own ways.” ~ Ezekiel 33:18-20 

 

Deuteronomy 29:29 declares: “The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.” 

 

You're Invited to share your Christian experience with Renew Your Strength Bible Study Group

 

The purpose of this post is to get people to think about what they believe and why they believe it, not debate who's right or wrong. To learn the revealed truth of God we must know and understand the true meaning of the words God inspired to be written. Use Strong's Concordance to check the original word before it was translated. Do your own research, make up your own mind, rely on the Holy Spirit to guide you. God always gives us a choice. We can choose to believe the Truth of the Bible, or we can choose the lies of the Adversary.