vinecast

The message emphasizes the privilege we have as believers in possessing the complete Word of God and the Holy Spirit. The Bible is not just for pastors or theological studies; it is our daily bread and the foundation of our faith. Without the Holy Spirit, reading Scripture is like reading in the dark, as true understanding comes through divine revelation. Proverbs 4:23 reminds us to guard our hearts because the issues of life flow from it. Jesus affirmed this principle by teaching that our words reflect the state of our hearts. As followers of Christ, we have been given authority over the enemy (Colossians 2:15), and we must not attribute power to the devil that he no longer holds. Instead, we should walk in the victory that Christ secured for us (Matthew 28:18).

Wisdom is essential in every aspect of life, as illustrated by King Solomon, who asked God for an understanding heart to govern His people (1 Kings 3:9). Solomon’s wisdom was evident in his leadership, his vision for building the temple (2 Chronicles 2:1), and his financial stewardship. The difference between a job and a divine calling is crucial—our job is a temporary occupation, but our true work is the eternal purpose given by God. Jesus modeled this through His ministry, and we are called to serve in the same way. The importance of financial wisdom is highlighted in Proverbs 6:6-8, urging believers to prepare and manage resources effectively. The church is called to expand God’s kingdom through wise financial practices, generosity, and investing in discipleship and missions.

Finally, wisdom in decision-making, especially in relationships, is key to thriving in crisis. Solomon demonstrated discernment in resolving disputes, as seen in the case of the two mothers claiming the same child (1 Kings 10:24). God calls us to seek wisdom in our interactions, marriages, and leadership roles, ensuring that we actively listen, communicate openly, and resolve conflicts in a Christ-like manner. True wisdom is rooted in seeking God first, as James 1:5 states: “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives generously to all without reproach.” As believers, we must remain steadfast in our calling, knowing that God equips us to overcome challenges and fulfill His purpose through the power of His wisdom and Spirit.

Proverbs 4:23 – “Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.”

James 1:5 – “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.”

Colossians 2:15 – “He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.”

Isaiah 61:5-7 Strangers shall

stand and tend your flocks; foreigners

s h a l l b e y o u r p l o w m e n a n d

vinedressers; 6 but you shall be called

the priests of the LORD ; they shall

speak of you as the ministers of our

God; you shall eat the wealth of the

nations, and in their glory you shall

boast. Instead of your shame there shall be

a double portion; instead of dishonor

they shall rejoice in their lot; therefore

in their land they shall possess a

double portion; they shall have

everlasting joy.

The Lord predestined us in this season of many

trials and scarcity to show His faithfulness and

goodness. The way to enter that reality is by faith.

God is not moved by complaints, murmuring, self-

pity, or grumbling. The Lord is pleased by our faith

and trust.

Over the next few weeks, your faith will be tested,

challenged and elevated to a new level so that you

can experience a higher level of favor. Through that

experience, you will boldly testify to people around

you that your God is good.Abundance in Times of Crisis

Genesis 26:1-14

God’s Word shows us that there are times of

famine, yet God does not send or initiate famine. If

that were the case, it would mean that in heaven

there would be famine, but we know that in heaven

there is abundance. Therefore, famine does not

come from the Lord, although He certainly uses times

of famine to demonstrate His unlimited resources

and expose human limitations.

We are Issacs

Galatians 3:7 (ESV) “Know then that it is

those of faith who are the sons of

Abraham.”

Galatians 3:29 (ESV) And if you are

Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s

offspring, heirs according to promise.

Isaac was someone who prospered in the midst

of a time of famine. There was no rain, and the seed

withered on the ground, yet he sowed and reaped a

hundredfold even in a time of crisis.

Romans 4:16 (ESV) 16 That is why it

depends on faith, in order that the

promise may rest on grace and beguaranteed to all his offspring—not

only to the adherent of the law but also

to the one who shares the faith of

Abraham, who is the father of us all,

Isaac is a type of the New Covenant believer. He

didn’t conquer anything but received everything

from his father. He is the symbol of the heir. All things

were prepared for him simply because he was a son.

Today, we have been made children of Abraham.

We are in Christ and, therefore, are the true seed of

Abraham.

Romans 8:17 (ESV) “And if children,

then heirs—heirs of God and fellow

heirs with Christ, provided we suffer

with him [sufferings of Christ means

the sufferings of the heirs] in order that

we may also be glorified with him.”

We are heirs to the promise. In this way, we are

like Isaac and can have the same blessings that he

experienced because we are also children of

Abraham.

In this text, we find Isaac, the heir to the promise,

facing famine but prospering enormously even in

very difficult times. Let’s see what spiritual principles

enabled him to overcome that time of crisis.Expect the transfer of wealth.

The inheritance is promised to us, even though

we do not yet possess it.

God told Isaac that he shouldn’t go down to

Egypt but should stay in the land because it would

be his. However, at that time, Abimelech was the king

of Gerar, where Isaac lived. This means that, at some

point, God would transfer possession of that land

with all its wealth to Isaac and his descendants.

The transfer of wealth occurs many times in the

Bible and will happen again in our day. After the

Passover night in Egypt, God transferred Egypt's

wealth to Israel.

Genesis 26:4 (ESV) I will multiply your

offspring as the stars of heaven and

will give to your offspring all these

lands. And in your offspring all the

nations of the earth shall be blessed,

But the Lord never does anything unfairly or

illegally. He doesn’t steal from some people to give

to others. God is not Robin Hood. How can He

transfer wealth?

Psalm 24:1 “The earth is the Lord’s and

the fullness thereof, the world and

those who dwell therein.”Suppose you have a house and you’ve been

away for a long time. When you come back, you find

that people have broken into it. You own the house,

but others have invaded it, so you can go to court to

get it back. God owns the land, but others have taken

possession of it, yet God is still the owner.

Wealth is transferred during times of famine.

Remember that God made Joseph second in

Pharaoh’s court during a time of scarcity. One touch

of God's favor can catapult you to a new level of

welfare and prosperity. Be found faithful in the little.

Don’t Go Down to Egypt

The Lord told Isaac that he should stay in the land

and not go down to Egypt.

Genesis 26:2 (ESV) And the LORD

appeared to him and said, “Do not go

down to Egypt; dwell in the land of

which I shall tell you.

God can only bless us if we stay in the right

position. What is the meaning of Egypt?

Deuteronomy 11:10-12 (ESV) 0 For the

land that you are entering to take

possession of it is not like the land ofEgypt, from which you have come,

where you sowed your seed and

irrigated it, like a garden of vegetables.

11 But the land that you are going

over to possess is a land of hills and

valleys, which drinks water by the

rain from heaven, 12 a land that the

LORD your God cares for. The eyes of

the LORD your God are always upon it,

from the beginning of the year to the

end of the year.

Egypt is a symbol of natural life that does not

depend on God. In Egypt, people didn’t have to

depend on rain from the sky; they relied on natural

resources.

They could depend on their own resources. In

Egypt, they are in control of the situation; they can

plant with their feet and rely only on their own efforts.

When we depend on natural resources, we look

down, searching for something to rely on. In Egypt,

we walk by sight, not by faith.

Colossians 3:2 (ESV) “Set your minds

on things that are above, not on things

that are on earth.”However, in Deuteronomy, we read that the

promised land depends on rain from heaven. In

Egypt, people looked to the ground while they

sowed, but in Israel, they looked to the sky to wait for

God’s rain. This makes us walk by faith, not by sight.

Blessing happens when we depend on God.

In the land of promises, we must depend on the

rain coming from heaven. Isaac and then the people

of Israel knew that nothing could bear fruit if the rain

didn’t come. God loves it when we live by faith in His

grace. However, we must stop looking at the ground

and look to heaven.

That makes me remember when God told Noah

to build the ark. God instructed him to make only

one window, which should be on the top of the ark.

Why were there no windows around? Because God

doesn’t want us to look at the circumstances. He

didn’t want Noah and his family to look at the death

and destruction around them but to keep their eyes

fixed on heaven.

When the Lord multiplied the loaves and fishes,

He didn’t look at the size of the crowd or the limited

resources. The disciples did, but not Him. He looked

up to heaven and gave thanks. When we look up, we

experience provision. Those who walk in the flesh are

always looking for something they can pick up,something they can do, or something they can lean

on. Those who depend on God may feel vulnerable,

but they are the ones who experience the blessing

because only they exercise faith.

Don’t go to Egypt. Don’t walk by sight. Don’t look

for ways not to depend on God. A worldly person

has a point of view anchored on natural things. This is

the Egyptian person.

Matthew 6:19-21 (ESV) “Do not lay up

for yourselves treasures on earth,

where moth and rust destroy and

where thieves break in and steal, but

lay up for yourselves treasures in

heaven, where neither moth nor rust

destroys and where thieves do not

break in and steal. For where your

treasure is, there your heart will be

also.”

If you walk by sight, you’ll never find anything

around you that satisfies your expectations and

gives you security. Egypt is a biblical type and

symbolizes a natural life that focuses only on the

temporal. However, if we walk by faith, we look to

what is invisible and eternal.That is the very reason for the discontentment in

life. Your wife is not enough for him. Her husband is

always short of what would be the man she is

convinced she deserves. And about your pastor, your

church? Dissatisfied, never content. Natural person.

Stop looking at your family with natural eyes.

People are channels of God's purpose in your life.

If you immigrated to this nation, how many

people keep looking with comparison eyes, natural

eyes to the USA? You keep planning to return to your

hometown, projecting that things have improved

there. To your surprise, you find out it may be even

worse. These are the people I call "Nationless"

people.

What is the problem of people who are

discontent? They are looking in the wrong direction.

Stop to look to the ground, as the Egyptians, look to

the heavens where your provision comes from.

It is time to do like the Psalmist.

Psalms 121:1-2 (ESV) I lift up my eyes

to the hills. From where does my help

come? 2 My help comes from the

LORD, who made heaven and earth.We Are Blessed Despite Our Faults

Every time the Bible mentions the wife of a man

of God, it says that she was beautiful. Rebekah was

also a very beautiful woman. This is certainly part of

the heritage of Abraham’s children.

Now we come to an embarrassing situation. Isaac

lied. Some say that when you cause the problem

yourself, God won’t help you. This is a question we

need to have an answer to because there are many

problems that we cause ourselves.

Psalm 23:1-4 (ESV): The LORD is my

shepherd; I shall not want. He makes

me lie down in green pastures. He

leads me beside still waters. He

restores my soul. He leads me in paths

of righteousness for his name’s sake.

Even though I walk through the valley

of the shadow of death, I will fear no

evil, for you are with me; your rod and

your staff, they comfort me..

God doesn’t say, “What a shame! You’ve walked

in your own ways and entered the valley of the

shadow. Now turn around and get out of there!” He

doesn’t look after the ninety-nine and let the stray go

astray; instead, He goes in search of the lost one.God doesn’t abandon us when we mess things up;

He stays with us.

Isaac lied, and that was certainly wrong, but God

still delivered him. Abimelech could have killed him

to take Rebekah, but instead, he protected them

both. We’re often confused when God delivers us

even though we’re the ones who made the mess, but

that’s God’s grace; His blessing is precisely for those

who don’t deserve it.

In Ruth 1, we read that Naomi and Elimelech left

Bethlehem, which means “house of bread,” and went

to a distant land, relying on their own resources. In

the end, she lost her husband and her two sons but

learned that there was bread in Bethlehem. When

they returned to Bethlehem, Ruth married the richest

man in the place. God can change our condition

even when we mess things up with our own hands.

Even when you have caused your own problems,

if you cry out to God, He will come to your rescue

A great example of this truth is the prodigal son.

(Luke 15:13-14). He left home and squandered all the

inheritance he had received. When he lost

everything, famine came upon the land. It was then

that he came to his senses and decided to return to

his father’s house. Hunger makes people come totheir senses and realize that they need God. Crisis is

useful because it can bring people to their senses, as

happened with the prodigal son.

(Luke 15:14). And when he had spent everything,

a severe famine arose in that country, and he began

to be in need

However, in his father’s house, there was plenty of

bread. Some people think that true prosperity is out

there, but there is only abundance in God’s house.

The fact that there was a fattened calf was a sign that

there were abundant resources.

When the prodigal son returned home, his father

didn’t mention the money that had been lost or

wasted;

Luke 15:23 (ESV) And bring the

fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat

and celebrate.

The parable says that the son returned because

there was a great famine, but in the father’s house,

there were calves that had been fattened.

Which farmer fattened a cow in famine and

drought? Only the rich ones have enough storage to

feed them.

(Haggai 2:8, ESV) The silver is mine,and the gold is mine, declares the Lord

of hosts.”

There may be hunger outside, but there will

always be supply in God’s house.

Agreement is the foundation of

blessings

Most women's behavior toward marriage

relationships has been consistent. You can ignore it if

you disagree, but it is a matter of their nature since

the time of Eve. Eve’s daughters have not changed

much.

What do you think Rebekah felt when Isaac said

to her, “You’re very beautiful, but the men here might

want to kill me to keep you, so tell them you’re my

sister”? Imagine how she must have felt. Perhaps she

thought, “You coward, I see where I’ve tied my

future.” The man couldn’t even protect her. If Isaac

had said, “You’re beautiful, I love you so much that I

would die for you, and no one will touch you.”

The first mention of help and rescue in the Bible

is when God created a woman to be a helper

(Genesis 2:18). Your spouse is not an obstacle or an

adversary; instead, God gave you a partner to be

your helper. However, this does not mean your

spouse should silently agree with everything.Instead, Isaac asked her to say she was his sister. I

wonder if Rebekah felt some resentment. It’s likely, as

most women in that situation would have.

However, something significant happened. It

seems that Isaac has conquered her trust. Isaac

approached her gently, and soon, the two were in

love. It was this love that saved their lives. Abimelech

wouldn't have discovered the lie if they hadn’t loved

each other and strengthened their bond. Their

decision to fix their marriage made all the difference.

If you and your spouse aren’t in agreement or

experiencing grace and favor together within your

home, the blessing is withheld. This isn’t because

God isn’t gracious but because the blessing

depends on agreement.

God blessed Isaac when he resolved the problem

surrounding his marriage. Similarly, we are blessed

when we resolve the issues within our marriages. The

devil seeks to destroy marriage because he knows

that when there is unity of heart, thought, and

purpose, whatever we bind on earth will be bound in

heaven.

Matthew 18:18-19 (ESV) Truly, I say to

you, whatever you bind on earth shall

be bound in heaven, and whatever youloose on earth shall be loosed in

heaven. 19 Again I say to you, if two of

you agree on earth about anything

they ask, it will be done for them by my

Father in heaven.

You both must agree on projects, plans and the

understanding that neither of you is the enemy.

Everything should be resolved through prayer on

bended knee.

Prayer is what will resolve the issue. And in that

prayer, agree: “Your will be done, not mine as a wife,

not mine as a husband, but Your will.” When there is

agreement that it is God’s will that you both desire, a

ladder is placed in your room, and the angels of God

will ascend and descend, manifesting the glory of

God.

I’m not suggesting that you or your spouse will

become perfect or that everything will be flawless.

I’m not saying your home will become an endless

bliss. Challenges will still arise. Yet, you will have

agreed on one crucial thing: those challenges will be

overcome on your knees in prayer. You both will lift

your eyes to heaven. That frees you from being like

the world, focused on earthly things, and believing

the problem lies with your spouse. It does not; yourbattle is against the devil. But when you pray

together, the angels rise and fight on your behalf.

Sow in a time of famine.

Isaac also prospered because he sowed in the

land during famine. The land was dry and lifeless, but

because of God’s blessing, he reaped a hundredfold.

In times of drought, the price of commodities

increases significantly, and it was during such a time

that Isaac experienced a super-harvest. He harvested

the equivalent of a century’s worth in one year.

Isaac went out with his seed, watching the dust

rise from the dry land, yet he sowed in faith, trusting

that the Lord would prosper him. In that year of

famine, he reaped a hundred times more.

Remember, we are Abraham’s children, and when

the children of faith sow on dry land, they reap a

hundredfold. God’s blessing is on you because of

Jesus. No matter how educated, skilled, or intelligent

you are, as long as the blessing is upon you,

prosperity will come.

When Joseph entered Potiphar’s house, God

blessed Potiphar because of Joseph.

Many people approach sowing with the mindset,This defies the logic of agronomy, but in spiritual

sowing, remember this: sow, even if you think the

place is dry; sow even in times of crisis. Crisis periods

may not seem appropriate for sowing, but consider

Isaac’s situation. I wonder if he had any advisors with

basic knowledge of agronomy who might have told

him that drought is not the time to plant and that it’s

wiser to wait for rain. Yet, Isaac’s actions

demonstrated his faith. God told him, “Stay in the

land; don’t go to Egypt. This is where I’m going to

bless you.” He believed, and instead of looking to

Egypt, he focused on heaven. He continued sowing

while others perhaps laughed at him.

But he kept sowing, and when everyone least

expected it, the sky thundered down on Isaac. He

alone had sown, but his harvest wasn’t natural—it was

supernatural. He reaped a hundredfold.

If you sow, even in a barren place, and believe

that the blessing is on your life, you will reap a

hundredfold.

God’s blessing is all we need. The world values

skill and seeks luck, but the children of Abraham

have God’s blessing on their lives.Didn’t Isaac know there was a famine? How could

he plant anyway? Simply because he was under

God’s blessing.

God’s will is for our prosperity. Do not criticize

prosperity of others while wishing it for yourself. The

classic NKJV says,

Psalms 35:27 (NKJV): Let them shout

for joy and be glad, Who favor my

righteous cause; And let them say

continually, “Let the LORD be

magnified, Who has pleasure in the

prosperity of His servant.”

God delights in His children’s prosperity, so don’t

be ashamed to seek the best schools for your

children. Do apologize for desiring your own house

and car.

Isaiah 1:19, ESV“If you are willing and

obedient, you shall eat the good of the

land.”

Sowing and reaping is God’s method of making

us prosper. When farmers sow, they must depend on

God to send the rain and make the seed come alive

in the soil.Some might wonder, “Pastor, how can I sow when

I don’t even have enough for myself?” A spiritual

principle is at work here: to sow, you obviously need

seed.

Before you sow, you must experience God’s

grace to reap what you never sowed. You become

qualified to be a sower only once you realize that

everything you have has been given to you

graciously, without merit.

In other words, you need a first seed to start

planting. And where will this seed come from? It will

be given to you freely by God. This first seed is not

the fruit of sowing but the simple expression of

God’s grace.

No one really gives anything to God; they only

give back what they have received because no one

can have anything unless it is given to them from

heaven (John 3:27).

However, once you have experienced the grace

of receiving the seed, you need to sow it. This sowing

is already your reward because it is more blessed to

give than to receive (Acts 20:35). Don’t turn your

sowing into a form of bargaining with God.

When you plant and reap, you set aside a portion

as seed, and the rest is for your sustenance. You thensow again with the portion set aside, and this creates

a cycle of blessing in your life.

2 Corinthians 9:10 (ESV) 10 He who

supplies seed to the sower and bread

for food will supply and multiply your

seed for sowing and increase the

harvest of your righteousness.

We don’t honestly give anything to God; we only

return what we have received. You give back what

you have received first.

Perhaps you don’t see the seed right now, but the

Spirit will reveal it to you because the Lord is faithful.

God provides the seed, and that seed is the

instrument, the channel through which God’s

prosperity flows into your life.

We Are Blessed Despite Persecution

The inevitable result of prosperity is that people

will envy us. This envy will eventually turn into

persecution.

The Lord Jesus promised that anyone who gave

up something for the love of Him and the gospel

would receive a hundredfold. This was the same

measure with which Isaac was blessed.Jesus said,

Mark 10:29-30 (ESV) 29 Jesus said,

“Truly, I say to you, there is no one who

has left house or brothers or sisters or

mother or father or children or lands,

for my sake and for the gospel, 30 who

will not receive a hundredfold now in

this time, houses and brothers and

sisters and mothers and children and

lands, with persecutions, and in the

age to come eternal life.

The Lord doesn’t say we should abandon our

fathers, mothers, and children. Instead, He explains

that when we renounce something for His sake, we

will receive a hundred times more. Every time I travel

and need to be away from my wife and daughters,

when I return, I am given back a hundredfold.

Anything we sacrifice for the Lord’s sake and for the

sake of the gospel will be returned to us multiplied a

hundredfold.

The Lord doesn’t say that the reward will come

only in heaven; He clearly states that it will be in the

present. He does not promise that we will receive a

hundred spouses, as the promise does not apply to

marriage. God’s will is not for us to renounce marriage but rather for us to serve the Lord together as a

couple.

However, we will receive a hundred times more

houses and fields than we have sacrificed, sowing for

the sake of the Lord and His house. Yet, along with

this prosperity, we will also face something

unavoidable: persecution. Like Isaac, those who

prosper will be persecuted. But we should not be

discouraged because, in the end, the Lord promises

that we can have the best of this world and the world

to come.

The same God who blessed Isaac will also bless

you. We need to sow with an attitude of faith,

believing that we are in God’s favor because, in

Christ, we are children of Abraham.

Forgiveness, cleansing, and the anointing of the Holy Spirit are at the heart of our relationship with God. Under the new covenant, we don’t confess sins to be forgiven—we confess because we already are (Hebrews 8:12). Imagine a marriage built on constant reminders of past mistakes—it wouldn’t last. In the same way, our relationship with God isn’t about dwelling on failures but standing firm in His mercy and grace. The enemy wants us to feel unworthy, but Jesus’ blood continuously washes us clean (Hebrews 9:14). Instead of living in guilt, we are called to embrace redemption and walk in the freedom Christ has given us (Ephesians 1:7).

Where the blood of Jesus is applied, the anointing of the Holy Spirit flows. In the Old Testament, when a leper was cleansed, blood was applied first, then oil—showing that purification comes before empowerment (Leviticus 14:1-17). The same principle applies today. When we believe in our complete forgiveness, the Holy Spirit moves powerfully in our lives, shaping our hearts and filling us with godly desires (1 John 2:27). Instead of being stuck in shame, we are meant to live boldly, knowing we are forgiven, anointed, and ready to fulfill God’s purpose.

Main Bible Passages:

1. Hebrews 9:14 – “How much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God!”

2. Ephesians 1:7 – “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace.”

3. 1 John 1:7 – “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.”

There is a spirit of fear, trying to put a halt to God's purpose and calling your life. You have to understand that the things God has for you will always require fearlessness. And that's why faith, trust, and confidence are characteristics of the children of God. You cannot expect to fulfill your purpose if you do not have faith.

Hebrews 11:6 (ESV) And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.

The devil knows how to shake your confidence, and that is bringing a conscience of fault, failure, and weakness. But here's the contrasting point: Your weakness and your failures are actually channels of God's grace.

2 Corinthians 12:9-10 (ESV) But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

The very things you see, limitation, inability, and inaptitude, are the same things God wants to use you the most. Because on them are testimonies of faith

But for that, first, you must be free from the conscience of being seen. And less you overcome the spirit of combination, you will never overcome the spirit of fear.

Hebrews 2:14-15 (ESV) 14 Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, 15 and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery.

In very simple terms, Jesus became like us to defeat the devil and set us free from the fear of dying. How? By making us like Him.

2 Corinthians 5:21 (ESV) For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

How is this even possible? Remember, in Adam, we were all included in his unrighteousness. It would be very unfair if God did not provide a way out of that cycle of death, but in the same way that we did not participate in Adams's sin, we were included in his unrighteousness. Now, those who trust in Christ, without any work or performance, are included in His righteousness.

The problem is attaching your identity and calling according to your conscience of fault and sin. Many think the only way out of the fear and expectation of defeat is to remember our mistakes. However, here comes the first proposition of the day:

Purification is Not According to Our Memory

If being cleansed by the blood of Jesus Christ depended on my ability to quickly and accurately confess all my sins, it would mean that my cleansing relied on my memory. 

Laughably, if that were the case, then Jesus would not have to come and die for us. It would be a matter of taking an “amnesia drug” or “memory eraser.” Because, with the logic, the only sins considered to be judged are the ones remembered. But that is not the truth of the Word of God. Since we can’t remember every sin we’ve committed, we will never be fully clean and free to move forward.

If purification by the blood of Jesus Christ relied on my ability to confess my sins on time, it would mean that Jesus’ sacrifice was pointless. Jesus didn’t die on the Cross and shed His blood just for our cleansing to depend on us.

If that were the case, some Christians would be 70% pure, others 50%, and others 30%, all based on their godliness. However, Jesus shed His blood so we could be 100% perfect, eternally, and completely clean.

The purification of our sins is not based on our subjective knowledge of them but on His complete knowledge.

This gives us a solid basis for trusting that if He continually cleanses us, then, we will be continually cleansed from all sin.

If the blood of Jesus continually cleanses us, it means that we are continually clean. As seen before, the misapplication of 1 John 1:9 sustains that wrong belief.

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).

The wrong understanding goes,

"Unless I continually and promptly confess all my sins whenever I commit them, I cannot be in communion with God."

Simply put, in this sense, one can never be at peace with God unless one always confesses sin.

As a Christian, you may have heard this verse applied in this way. However, if it’s true, you should always make sure you confess every sin you’ve committed in your life.

If you think so, I’d like to ask: "Have you confessed all your doubts? Have you confessed your worries and anxiety? Did you clean your slate after that fist of anger before joining the service today?"

If you really follow this way of thinking, you would need to spend the rest of your life solely and exclusively confessing your sins to God, and it’s not sure that you would be able to do so.

You are not completely able to confess our sins on the basis of your own knowledge.

Jesus, on the Cross, made an ultimate statement about our awareness of sin.

Luke 23:34 (ESV):“And Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.’”

So let the Lord Jesus Christ, on the basis of God's all-seeing and all-knowing knowledge, forgive and atone you for all your sins, once and for all.

Here comes the second proclamation of the day.

Forgiveness is greater than our confessions.

You may still ask about 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.

(1 John 1:9).

The verse in 1 John 1:9 was written to oppose Gnosticism that was creeping in the early church. They were a mystical cult and heresy of Greek religion. They didn’t believe they had sinned, so John invited them to recognize their sin to be forgiven. That verse is not for the believer, a born-again Christian. You must read that verse in its appropriate context.

The wrong reading of this verse disregards the context and appears to speak that when the believer sins, they return to darkness and must confess their sin again to return to the light.

In this reading, you find yourself in the dark and a little in the light, moving back and forth in an unsettled state. When they confess, they are in the light. When they sin, they return to darkness. And so it goes on and on, in an unending position of fear and uneasiness. Never confident, never bold, never active.

(During our 21 days, we will share that apparently controversial passage in-depth.)

However, the good news of God's truth is that Jesus didn’t shed His blood to put us in and out of fellowship with Him in an unpredictable relationship all the time. God’s grace and salvation are far greater than all that! His redemption is based on a solid foundation: Jesus Christ and Jesus Christ alone. His perfect work and love for us. None of this has anything to do with you and confessing your sins.

If you are living in depression, under the weight of guilt, constantly aware of your mistakes and sins. It is time to accept your complete redemption.

It doesn't matter if you preach, lead, teach, sing, and worship in the church if you are always insecure, depressed, and constantly aware of your sins.

What is the condition, then?

Dismas had made poor choices from a young age, often stealing from others to survive. His life was filled with regret and sorrow, bitterness and anger. He felt as though he had strayed too far from any goodness ever to find his way back.

One day, Dismas was caught stealing a wealthy, dignitary Roman merchant. His crimes were many, and his fate was sealed: crucifixion.

He would not be alone; two others were to be crucified with him.

One was a man named Jesus. Dismas had heard rumors of a man called Jesus (maybe while the Baptizer was in jail). For him, Jesus was a prophet from Nazareth who healed the sick, gave sight to the blind, and spoke of God's love and forgiveness.

As they were led to Golgotha hill, Dismas noticed that Jesus was different.

People shouted at Him as the savior and Christ, the King and Lord. Could He be?

At the same time, others were mocking Him, as the other condemned inmate.

But Jesus remained silent as one who had nothing to prove. He was quiet as the sinless Lamb of God. His face displayed He was determined to fulfill an assignment that could not be placed over another.

Nailed to the cross, Dismas hung in agony. The pain was unbearable, and death seemed like a cruel joke.

With the last of his strength, Dismas rebuked the other thief, “Do you not fear God since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed justly are receiving the due consequences of our deeds. We have done all wrong. But Him... He has done nothing wrong.”

Turning to Jesus, tears filling his eyes, Dismas pleaded, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”

Jesus turned His head to Dismas, and in that moment, the weight of Dismas’ sins seemed to lift. With a voice filled with grace and authority, Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”

Dismas knew his time was near. But he no longer feared death. He closed his eyes, not in despair, but in hope, knowing that when he awoke, he would be in the presence of the one who had saved him—Jesus, the Son of God.

Not because of anything he had done right but because of the grace and mercy of the One who hung beside Him on the cross.

A thief who found forgiveness.

Luke 23:42-43 (ESV) And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” 43 And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

Why did Jesus do that? What did He have to gain by promising this criminal a place of honor in heaven and honor in History? What could this guy ever offer in return? I can understand the Samaritan woman—she could go back and spread the word. And Zacchaeus had money to give. But this man? What could he possibly do? Nothing!

And that’s the point. Jesus’ love doesn’t depend on what we do for Him. Not at all.

In the eyes of the King, you have value just because you exist in Him. You don’t need to look a certain way or achieve something special. Your value is a part of who you are.

Think about that for a moment. You are valuable simply because you exist, not because of what you do or have done. Remember that the next time you feel left behind by someone else’s ambition. Remember that when someone tries to make you feel less valuable. When someone tries to put a cheap price on your worth, think about how Jesus honors you … and smile.

I do. I smile because I know I don’t deserve love like that. None of us do. When it comes down to it, any contribution we make is pretty frugal and puny. All of us, even the best of us, deserve heaven just as much as that criminal did. We’re all relying on Jesus’ grace, not our own merit.

There’s a joyful ex-criminal walking the golden streets of heaven who understands grace better than a thousand theologians. No one else would have given him a chance. But in the end, that’s all he had—a chance—and that’s all it took.

Confess because you’ve already been forgiven

You don’t have to confess your sins to be forgiven. However, if you want to, that’s fine; remember that we confess because we’ve already been forgiven. To confess means to admit them or recognize you made a mistake. Yes, acknowledge your sins, but above all, declare that you are already forgiven.

The devil wants you to feel impure and dirty because when you feel dirty, you’ll do dirty things, too. When you think of yourself as unclean, you also realize impure things.

The Christian life is wonderful. All your pain ends when you realize that the blood of Jesus Christ continues to cleanse you of all your sins, every sin, twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. Then, and only then, will your life become a life of victory.

The Anointing Comes on the Blood

Leprosy, in the Bible, is a symbol of separation that sin causes. It is a graphic illustration of sin’s numbing and destructive power. Incurable by man, and, in the Old Testament, perceived as a for the sins one had committed.

Sin bans the presence of God because God will not allow the sinful man in His sight and presence. All sin is abhorrent to God.

But those who have been redeemed from sin by grace through faith in Christ can stand in God’s presence in full confidence that we are accepted “in the Beloved,” we praise Him for the grace He extends to us for that purpose.

Ephesians 1:4-6 (ESV) ... In love 5 he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.

Ephesians 2:8-9 (ESV) 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

In the Old Testament, when a leper was cleansed of leprosy, the priest would take the blood of the sacrifice, the image of Jesus’ death, and put it on various body parts (Leviticus 14:1-17). This meant that everything the former leper would relate to would be purified.

- Blood Applied to Right Earlobe: everything the former leper would hear from that moment on would be purified.

• Blood Applied to Right Thumb: anything the former leper touched would be blessed.
• Blood Applied to Right Toe: wherever the former leper stepped, they would be blessed.

These three things represent the whole body.

(In Luke 4:16-21 Jesus read the scroll of Isaiah and said, "‘Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.'")

After applying the blood, the priest would take the anointing oil, symbolizing the Holy Spirit and His power.

Isaiah 61:1-4 (ESV) The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; 2 to proclaim the year of the LORD’S favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn; 3 to grant to those who mourn in Zion— to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit; that they may be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he may be glorified. 4 They shall build up the ancient ruins; they shall raise up the former devastations; they shall repair the ruined cities, the devastations of many generations.

The anointing is only poured over the blood. The anointing is poured where the blood is applied. The anointing always comes on top of the blood. Only if there is blood first can there be anointing oil afterward.

The Holy Spirit can only come where there is blood. God’s anointing can only flow where there is blood. When the blood is applied, the oil also falls on it. Only in this way do we enter the supernatural and become the appropriate place from which God bestows blessings.

When you believe in the truth that the blood of Jesus constantly cleanses you from all sin, the Holy Spirit descends upon you.

1 John 1:7 says that the blood continually cleanses us.

1 John 1:7 (ESV): “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.”

 But the next chapter tells us that the anointing we receive from Him and which dwells in us teaches us all things.

And you have the anointing that comes from the Holy One, and you all have knowledge. (1 John 2:20).

But the anointing that you received from him abides in you, and you have no need that anyone should teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about everything, and is true, and is no lie—just as it has taught you, abide in him. (1 John 2:27).

The anointing always comes after the blood. When you believe that the blood of Jesus continually cleanses you, the anointing of the Holy One is within you. Every time you believe that the blood of Jesus Christ purifies you uninterruptedly, the oil comes down on you. The anointing inside you will teach you everything.

The Fullness of the Spirit of God.

Only those fully forgiven, fully covered by the blood, can expect the fullness of the Spirit of God.

Revelation 1:4-5 (ESV) 4 John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, 5 and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth.

Isaiah 11:2 (ESV) 2 And the Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD.

Where Grace abounds, generosity over abounds

The Bible is full of expressions with people who clearly experienced farce; the immediate consequence was generosity. 

Forgiveness of sins generates faith

The forgiveness of sins is not only the beginning; it is the foundation and the source, the origin of all blessings. Think about that for a moment. What prevents you from being healed? It’s because you think there is an unforgivable sin in your life. You still think that illness is a divine punishment. Why don’t you receive an answer to that prayer request? You feel unworthy of receiving it because you still think there is sin in your life. However, when you are aware of forgiveness, you become unshakable.

Jesus sent His disciples out into the world, preaching repentance for the remission of sins. When people believe that their sins are forgiven, they gain faith to be healed, set free, restored, enriched, and receive everything else they need. This is the source of your faith: the forgiveness of sins.

The Gospel of Mark tells us that, on one occasion, Jesus was in Capernaum, and a group of friends decided to take a paralyzed man to be healed by Him. They couldn’t get in when they arrived because of the large crowd of people there to hear Him in the house. So they had an idea: they decided to pull the paralyzed man up to the roof, break the slab, and lower him down in front of Jesus. When Jesus saw the paralyzed man lowered by ropes before Him, He said,

“Son, your sins are forgiven”

(Mark2:5).

It wasn’t exactly what the paralyzed man was expecting to hear that day. He wanted to be healed. So why did the Lord decide to forgive his sins before healing him? The answer lies in the curse of the law.

“if you faithfully obey the voice of the Lord your God, being careful to do all His commandments that I command you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth. And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, if you obey the voice of the Lord your God” (Deuteronomy 28:1-2).

The blessing was the result of obedience. If they didn’t listen to God’s voice, then a long list of curses would befall them. The curses could be summed up as poverty, sickness, and death.

The paralyzed man was experiencing the curse of the law. He was sick, and because of his sickness, he had to be a beggar. Sickness and misery were signs that he was too sinful to be so cursed. That was certainly his thinking.

When Jesus said his sins were forgiven, he understood that he no longer needed to be under a curse. If he hadn’t sinned, then he could enjoy the blessing.

Jesus saw that the Pharisees were thinking to themselves.

“Why do you question these things in your hearts? Which is easier, to say to the paralyzed man, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise, take up your bed and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins” — He said to the paralyzed man, “I say to you, rise, pick up your bed, and go home”

(Mark 2:8-11).

Jesus' logic was very simple: The curse came because of sin. If the paralyzed man's sins were not forgiven, then he could not walk. However, if the paralyzed man had really been forgiven, Jesus would tell him to walk, and he would have to walk because there was no longer a curse of sin in his life. The proof that the paralyzed man was truly forgiven was his instantaneous healing.

That man had the faith to be healed because he first believed he had no more sin. The forgiveness of sins was what brought him faith. The same principle applies today. As long as you think you still have sin before God, you have no faith to receive anything. As long as you think your sin has not been forgiven, you don’t have the faith to ask for great things. The moment you believe in forgiveness, faith and boldness invade your heart.

The forgiveness of sins will always generate faith in you. Never think of it as a small matter; rather, consider it the most important point of the New Covenant.

What message will transform the world? Is it the small group vision? Is it about discipleship? These Christian elements are important, but the message that will change the world is the one that the Lord told the disciples to preach.

“And that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in His name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.”

(Luke 24:47)

That’s the good news. Your sins have already been forgiven. Jesus has already taken them all on the Cross. If you believe you are forgiven, you will be healed, set free, sanctified, and receive every blessing.

Forgiveness resultsgenerosity

It’s not just your faith that depends on the forgiveness of sins. The Lord Jesus also said that those who are forgiven more love more. Your love for the Lord also depends on how much you understand that you have been forgiven.

One of the Pharisees invited Jesus to dine with him. Jesus entered the Pharisee’s house and took His seat at the table. A woman of the city, a sinner, knowing that He was at the table in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster jar of ointment. Standing behind Him at His feet, weeping, she watered them with her tears and wiped them with her hair.

She kissed His feet and anointed them with the ointment. When he saw this, the Pharisee who had invited Him said to himself,

Luke 7:36-50 (ESV) 36 One of the Pharisees asked him to eat with him, and he went into the Pharisee’s house and reclined at table. 37 And behold, a woman of the city, who was a sinner, when she learned that he was reclining at table in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster flask of ointment, 38 and standing behind him at his feet, weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head and kissed his feet and anointed them with the ointment. 39 Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him, for she is a sinner.” 40 And Jesus answering said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” And he answered, “Say it, Teacher.”

41 “A certain moneylender had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. 42 When they could not pay, he cancelled the debt of both. Now which of them will love him more?” 43 Simon answered, “The one, I suppose, for whom he cancelled the larger debt.” And he said to him, “You have judged rightly.” 44 Then turning toward the woman he said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave me no water for my feet, but she has wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45 You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not ceased to kiss my feet. 46 You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. 47 Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.” 48 And he said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” 49 Then those who were at table with him began to say among themselves, “Who is this, who even forgives sins?” 50 And he said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”

Jesus says that your love depends on how much you have been forgiven. We’ve all been forgiven a lot; the problem is that some people aren’t aware of the extent of the forgiveness they’ve received. Jesus said that those who are forgiven love more.

Simon the Pharisee thought he had no sin, so he treated Jesus indifferently, but that woman was a sinner. Jesus said she had a lot of sin but knew she was forgiven. The Lord had already forgiven her. She wasn’t there to be forgiven but because she had been forgiven. We don’t know who she was; she could have been Mary Magdalene or the woman caught in adultery in John 8. The fact is that she loved the Lord because she had tasted forgiveness. She was there to worship the Lord.

In her worship, she had no limits for the Lord. She bought an alabaster vase filled with perfume. We know that such a vase cost three hundred denarii. A denarius was a day’s wage for a worker, so three hundred was almost a year’s wages. She didn’t think that investment was too much because she was greatly forgiven. She washed the Lord’s feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair—those who are forgiven a lot become extravagant in their relationship with the Lord.

On the other hand, Jesus said that Simon didn’t even give Him water to wash His feet when He got there, which was part of the etiquette in Israel. The host would give him water to wash his feet and hands whenever a visitor arrived. Simon didn’t do this or welcome Jesus with a kiss, which was also customary in Israel. But the woman never tired of doing much more.

Jesus’ explanation was very simple: she had been forgiven a lot, and those who are forgiven a lot love more and are more committed.

Your level of commitment depends on your perception of forgiveness. Those who are very forgiving don’t argue about tithing because they love it so much that they don’t set limits on their relationship with the Lord. Those who aren’t aware of how much they’ve been forgiven find everything too difficult. They think, "The church is too demanding, the service is always late, and the church practices are very heavy."

However, those who know how much they have been forgiven don’t mind serving. They want to find more occasions to express their love and gratitude. For them, the church never asks for too much because they always go above and beyond.

Those who think they haven’t sinned much aren’t willing to serve. Why? Because they think they don’t need so much forgiveness. They’re not willing to help much, and they’re not willing to contribute. For them, everything is seen as too much commitment. The Pharisee didn't know his sin, so he didn’t value forgiveness. Unfortunately, many are like this.

There’s no point in demanding commitment from people who don’t even know they’ve been forgiven, people who have never seen their own sin. If you knew the size of your sin, you would appreciate the size of the love that has been shown to you.

Someone who has been forgiven a lot is not afraid to talk about the good news of forgiveness. For them, evangelizing is not a burden imposed by the church. They want others to be as blessed as they were.

After many years in church life, you can forget who you were and where you were. You can forget the price you paid and the forgiveness you received. But it is this forgiveness that generates commitment and love. Without a sense of forgiveness, you do everything out of religious obligation.

Generosity changes the course of grace.

Jesus interacted with two rich men—one in Luke 18 and the other in Luke 19. The first has no name. He is known only as a "rich young ruler." I like to paraphrase his story like this:

Luke 18:18-27 (ESV) 18 And a ruler asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 19 And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. 20 You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery, Do not murder, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother.’” 21 And he said, “All these I have kept from my youth.” 22 When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “One thing you still lack. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” 23 But when he heard these things, he became very sad, for he was extremely rich. 24 Jesus, seeing that he had become sad, said, “How difficult it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God! 25 For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” 26 Those who heard it said, “Then who can be saved?” 27 But he said, “What is impossible with man is possible with God.”

A young man approached Jesus with a religious question: "What can I do to save myself? What good am I supposed to do to have eternal life?" Jesus tried to explain to the young man, "First of all, there is no one that is good enough to do good enough to achieve eternal life. But since you can't see that, let me remind you of the Ten Commandments. Maybe you can understand what I mean." The young man arrogantly replied, "All the commandments I have kept. What do I still lack?"

Can you notice his blindness? How could that young man not see himself as a wicked sinner? Religion makes that. It closes our eyes to the grace of God because it creates a false sense of merit where, in reality, there is none. Have you ever tried to rate your own righteousness based on obedience to the Ten Commandments? If you are honest, you will realize how powerless we are to keep them ourselves.

Back to the story. Jesus, with His particular loving and compassionate look, said to the young man, "Only perfect people enter heaven. You think you are one. But you are not perfect. You lack one thing." If we are honest with ourselves, we will confess we lack everything, not "one thing." But Jesus was trying to make a point here. To show that religiosity is never enough. Only His grace can save us.

The greedy young man wondered, "What do I lack?" Jesus said, "Go, sell all you have and give to the poor." Disheartened by the saying, he went away sorrowful. The religious man left, choosing to keep trying to be perfect without clearly listening to the whole invitation that Jesus said, "Instead of you trying, you can always come and follow me." You can also read this story in Mark 10:17-30.

I like that story because it is so clear that the intentions of Jesus were not to make the young man more religious than he thought he was. From all the ten commandments, Jesus chose only the one that could open the young man's eyes. He mentioned the commandments that are related to relationships. If there is a matter of life that we all fall short, it has to do with our relationships, isn't it? Jesus quoted five of the six relational commandments.

"Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you.

"You shall not murder.

"You shall not commit adultery.

"You shall not steal.

"You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. (Exodus 20:12-16)

In quoting those commandments, Jesus expected the young man to come to his senses and realize he was short of those requirements. It seems it did not work. He still did not see how faulty he was. He said, "All these I have kept from my youth." So Jesus used the ultimate pressure point. Coveteness. On the list of the Ten Commandments, that is the last one.

You shall not covet your neighbor's house [...] or anything that is your neighbor's. (Exodus 20:17)

Paul says that no one escapes from the condemning aspect of that commandment. Jesus appealed to man's covetousness because every human being will fail on covetousness. There is no way out. It is intrinsic to our fallen nature. He writes,

[...] in the flesh, our sinful passions, aroused by the law, were at work in our members to bear fruit for death. [...] What then shall we say? That the law is sin? By no means! Yet if it had not been for the law, I would not have known sin. For I would not have known what it is to covet if the law had not said, "You shall not covet." But sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, produced in me all kinds of covetousness. For apart from the law, sin lies dead. (Romans 7:5; 7-8)

The commandments were meant to reveal our sins as transgressions. God never intended to give us the Law to make us self-righteous and religious. The law was meant to reveal how bad our condition was, and it revealed. And it was actually awful.

Jesus tried the law to open the eyes of the young man, but he was so blind with pride and self-righteousness that he could not admit his incapacity to save himself. Isn't that the problem of so many people? They persistently try to be good by themselves without God and, because of that, don't receive the saving grace.

Initially, Jesus recited the commandments. However, at the last attempt, Jesus changed the expression of the tenth commandment. Instead of simply quoting it, Jesus explained its true meaning. Usually, the commandments are negative in expression, such as, "You shall not [...]". While the commandment is usually negative, Jesus shows us the actual implication of law by turning the commandment into an affirmative order. Let's compare this.

"You shall not covet your neighbor's house; [...] or anything that is your neighbor's." (Exodus 20:17)

Jesus, however, said,

Jesus [...] said to him, "One thing you still lack. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor [your neighbor], and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me." (Luke 18:22)

Instead of a negative statement, "You shall not covet," Jesus emphasized what the commandment should inspire if one could fully live by it. But who can live the reality of the commandments without God's grace? If the law of Moses is not sufficient to open one's eyes to see his own inability to perfect obedience, then Jesus, out of love, will show what the law really meant—all in order to humble our hearts and bring us to the grace of God. Only the humble can receive grace.

But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble." (James 4:6)

The power over covetousness

In the matter of covetousness, instead of "Do not touch." Jesus says, "Do not desire." You may wonder, "How can I control it? It is in my very nature the craving for it." To get even more intense, Jesus says, "Not only you can not covet you neighbor's belongings, but I tell you, 'Share what is yours with him. Give it away.' " One will say, "But if I were not even able to control my covetous heart, even less, I would be able to be generous." That was the conclusion Jesus intended for the young man and for all of us. Humility opens the doors for His grace. Jesus wanted to reveal our complete incapacity to save ourselves, redeem ourselves, and fix ourselves. Paul says that the law was given to reveal our total powerless condition. And that should lead us to Christ.

Now before faith came, we were held captive under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed. So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. (Galatians 3:23-27)

Humbleness and trust are the appropriate responses for receiving God's grace. Faith makes us to be born again, and those who are born of God have another nature. We are not only free from the dominion of rebellious covetousness, but now, God has clothed us with a new spirit of generosity.

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. (1 John 4:7-10)

Why can we be generous instead of covetous? We are born of God. God is not charging us for what He did not give us already. Propitiation means "the price paid."

God gave it first. So, the new commandment is not about "You shall not covet." It is "You must love, give, share, care." However, the source of selflessness and love is not in yourself. It is in the love He first loved us.

There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. We love because he first loved us. (1 John 4:18-19)

It makes us wonder if the power of God's grace is really truly transformative like that. That is why, as we said at the beginning of this chapter, in the following story of the greedy young ruler, Luke tells us another story.

Luke 19:1-10 (ESV) 1 He entered Jericho and was passing through. 2 And behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus. He was a chief tax collector and was rich. 3 And he was seeking to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was small in stature. 4 So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him, for he was about to pass that way. 5 And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for I must stay at your house today.” 6 So he hurried and came down and received him joyfully. 7 And when they saw it, they all grumbled, “He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner.” 8 And Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor. And if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it fourfold.” 9 And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

The two stories together highlight amazing parallels between the young rich man and the rich small-stature tax collector. While the young man sadly left Jesus, Zacchaeus "received him joyfully." For grace is not a matter of performing religious, but joyfully receiving.

The young man was not willing to leave his self-dignity to accept the invitation of Jesus, "[...] come, follow me." On the other hand, when Jesus said, "Zacchaeus, hurry and come down [...]", "[...] he hurried and came down.

The path to grace is always one that goes downhill. The flow of grace is similar to a waterfall; it begins at the top and works its way down. If you want more grace, step down from the pedestal of self-awareness.

Jesus tried to reveal the young man's heart using the law of commandments. But his callousness could not be broken. Zacheous experienced what it means: 

"[...] grace and truth came through Jesus Christ." (John 1:17).

Grace entered Zacchaeus' house. When that happened, he responded with transformation. For those who receive Christ, there is no need for commandments of law. The Lord never asked Zacchaeus for an offering or demonstration of conversion. He received the love of Christ, and he responded with generosity.

Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. For the commandments, "You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet," and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law. (Romans 13:8-10)

At the end of the two stories, we find strong parallels in contrast. In the story of the rich young ruler, the Bible says,

Jesus, seeing that he had become sad, said, "How difficult it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God! [...] "What is impossible with man is possible with God." (Luke 18:24-27)

There was no unwillingness on the part of God to save that young man. Today, Jesus still wants to bring whoever humbly receives and believes into the kingdom of God. It is time to let go of that ego. Whatever you hold as more precious than Jesus' invitation, surrender it today and experience the joy of His freedom. 

In the Zacchaeus' story, we read,

Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost." (Luke 19:9-10)

Jesus is still on a mission to find the lost. Like Zacchaeus, we also can respond with faith, like a "son of Abraham," to Jesus' invitation. Let Him come into your house today. Let Him make your possessions and riches be instruments of salvation for others. Like Zacchaeus, let's respond with generosity and liberality. Around the world, billions of people need to hear of Jesus' love. God is giving us the privilege to partner with those who are on the front lines of the mission field.

Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you." So we can confidently say, "The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?" (Hebrews 13:5-6)

Our vision is that every believer is a priest, a biblical concept that extends beyond the LifeGroup and becomes reality through speaking faith. This priestly vision centers on the Gospel, with Christ in us, and is rooted in the idea that God justifies the ungodly through faith, making us a kingdom of priests (Revelation 1:4-6). The priesthood, essential to reconciling man to God, involves interceding for others and sharing God's love and grace. Despite the failure of Israel to become a nation of priests, the New Testament church is called to embrace this role, not to condemn but to release words of favor.

Being holy means being set apart and different, reflecting our new identity as precious stones transformed by God. The princes' offerings in Numbers 7 demonstrate the nobility and generosity expected of us; they offered voluntarily to make the work light and out of love for the altar. Similarly, we are called to support the testimony of the cross and live as princes, assuming our identity in Christ and walking in the nobility of our calling.

Our vision is that every believer is a priest, a biblical concept that extends beyond the LifeGroup and becomes reality through speaking faith. This priestly vision centers on the Gospel, with Christ in us, and is rooted in the idea that God justifies the ungodly through faith, making us a kingdom of priests (Revelation 1:4-6). The priesthood, essential to reconciling man to God, involves interceding for others and sharing God's love and grace. Despite the failure of Israel to become a nation of priests, the New Testament church is called to embrace this role, not to condemn but to release words of favor.

Being holy means being set apart and different, reflecting our new identity as precious stones transformed by God. The princes' offerings in Numbers 7 demonstrate the nobility and generosity expected of us; they offered voluntarily to make the work light and out of love for the altar. Similarly, we are called to support the testimony of the cross and live as princes, assuming our identity in Christ and walking in the nobility of our calling.

Our vision is that every believer is a priest, a biblical concept that extends beyond the LifeGroup and becomes reality through speaking faith. This priestly vision centers on the Gospel, with Christ in us, and is rooted in the idea that God justifies the ungodly through faith, making us a kingdom of priests (Revelation 1:4-6). The priesthood, essential to reconciling man to God, involves interceding for others and sharing God’s love and grace. Despite the failure of Israel to become a nation of priests, the New Testament church is called to embrace this role, not to condemn but to release words of favor.

 Being holy means being set apart and different, reflecting our new identity as precious stones transformed by God. The princes’ offerings in Numbers 7 demonstrate the nobility and generosity expected of us; they offered voluntarily to make the work light and out of love for the altar. Similarly, we are called to support the testimony of the cross and live as princes, assuming our identity in Christ and walking in the nobility of our calling.

Our vision is that every believer is a priest, a biblical concept that extends beyond the LifeGroup and becomes reality through speaking faith. This priestly vision centers on the Gospel, with Christ in us, and is rooted in the idea that God justifies the ungodly through faith, making us a kingdom of priests (Revelation 1:4-6). The priesthood, essential to reconciling man to God, involves interceding for others and sharing God’s love and grace. Despite the failure of Israel to become a nation of priests, the New Testament church is called to embrace this role, not to condemn but to release words of favor.

 Being holy means being set apart and different, reflecting our new identity as precious stones transformed by God. The princes’ offerings in Numbers 7 demonstrate the nobility and generosity expected of us; they offered voluntarily to make the work light and out of love for the altar. Similarly, we are called to support the testimony of the cross and live as princes, assuming our identity in Christ and walking in the nobility of our calling.

Our vision is that every believer is a priest, a biblical concept that extends beyond the LifeGroup and becomes reality through speaking faith. This priestly vision centers on the Gospel, with Christ in us, and is rooted in the idea that God justifies the ungodly through faith, making us a kingdom of priests (Revelation 1:4-6). The priesthood, essential to reconciling man to God, involves interceding for others and sharing God's love and grace. Despite the failure of Israel to become a nation of priests, the New Testament church is called to embrace this role, not to condemn but to release words of favor.

Being holy means being set apart and different, reflecting our new identity as precious stones transformed by God. The princes' offerings in Numbers 7 demonstrate the nobility and generosity expected of us; they offered voluntarily to make the work light and out of love for the altar. Similarly, we are called to support the testimony of the cross and live as princes, assuming our identity in Christ and walking in the nobility of our calling.