Heralds Digest

“There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit...For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.” ‭‭Romans‬ ‭8:1, 5‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ https://www.bible.com/114/rom.8.1,5.nkjv   The wicked often do not struggle with condemnation because his heart or conscience is seared with a hot iron. It is the Redeemed on parade of the wicked system of the world that mostly struggle with the fear of condemnation. But the scriptures ha s this promise for the righteous “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus”. The promised justification is coded “therefore” as being consequent upon the finished work of grace, and “now” because of the resumed guidance through the Spirit. It is not enough for believers to pride only over the finished work of grace. As we walk through the ...

“I thank God—through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin.” ‭‭Romans‬ ‭ 7:25 ‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ https://www.bible.com/114/rom.7.25.nkjv   One of the interesting powers of a legal will is the inability of anyone to raise any point of objection nor influence a change, even after the owner no longer exist. Oftentimes, it takes a daunted courage for anyone to confront the consequences of executing his will while still alive. However, human conscience would readily take pride in his will way; but the wild way mostly take preeminence in all of life’s affairs. The dominating negative influences are picked from the likes of the cold social norms, cultural disorientation, worldly exuberance, etc. It’s like the human mind is captivated by the wild and enslaved in wickedness, even when the will way is singled out as the better alternative. But when Apostle Paul declared “I thank God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!”, he reveal...

“For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it killed me. Therefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy and just and good.” ‭‭Romans‬ ‭ 7:11-12 ‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ https://www.bible.com/114/rom.7.11-12.nkjv   Those who willfully submit themselves for testing and isolation after showing the clear symbols of COVID-19 infection have something very unique - a clear conviction in a perfect treatment at the isolation centre, compared to a private treatment of the pandemic as fake news. Likewise, sin infection is made clear by a sincere exposure to the commandments of the Lord. When the scriptures say “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free”, it emphasizes the fact that conscience can only be nurtured by the truth. Unfortunately, many hearts are deceived to believe that the act of running away from the truth invalidates the power of the truth. Whereas, it is preferable to embrace the truth and daily catch the fruit of a clear conviction in th...

“But now we have been delivered from the law, having died to what we were held by, so that we should serve in the newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the letter.” ‭‭Romans‬ ‭7:6‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ https://www.bible.com/114/rom.7.6.nkjv   The significant uniqueness in the advent of grace is the involvement of the big G (God) in the race of life.  Before grace comes the efforts of the law in the race towards sanity by moral enforcements in human affairs. While the relative peace and sanity in the institution of life and system organizations are promotable (whether at the private homes or in the public society of members); genuine peaceful coexistence is not possible without the sincere enforcement of the rules of law. Unfortunately, those who live entirely by the rules of law understand the manipulation and the possible circumvention involved in exploiting legal loopholes. Whereas, grace brings joy, peace and contentment at the expense of the sacrifice of the Son of God....

“For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. What fruit did you have then in the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death.” ‭‭Romans‬ ‭ 6:20-21 ‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ https://www.bible.com/114/rom.6.20-21.nkjv   Freedom to engage in licentious living doesn’t always appear as sin slavery because the forces of coercion are often too fast and generally out of the control of victims. Whereas, unrighteous living takes away peace, joy and the sense of fulfillment from the life and engagements of its servants. But a journey into fruitful freedom begins in the day the grace of God enables the engagement of the heart in the question “what’s the profit in forceful freedom and licentious living?”. Obviously, freedom from righteousness is evil, leading the soul in the way of death and eternal damnation. Therefore, a fruitful freedom in life is the same as total freedom from sin and the one that guarantees peace with God and eternal rest in...

“Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts.” ‭‭Romans‬ ‭ 6:12 ‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ https://www.bible.com/114/rom.6.12.nkjv   A believer’s wishful thinking will readily approve the shutting down of all sinful enterprises and all avenues that promote lust. The justification of an enticement-free environment is that no one will sin. Notwithstanding, enticement-free environment is not the same thing as freedom from sin. Obedience to simple instructions is clearly an expression of love. And a relationship that cannot accept the responsibility of keeping away from lust is void of the true meaning of love. “Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body...” is a simple commandment for the Redeemed of the Lord and every beneficiary of His grace. This simply translate into a believer’s commitment to keep the eyes away from immoral looks, the legs away from unrighteous gatherings, the ears away from sinful entertainment, passion away from worldly i...

“Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more, so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” ‭‭Romans‬ ‭ 5:20-21 ‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ https://www.bible.com/114/rom.5.20-21.nkjv   In spite of the obvious complexity in the conspiracy theories surrounding the spread of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, everyone agrees on the dynamics of its infection. In just within 4 months, a virus infection that started in a single city has spread to all the nations of the world, infecting over 3 million and killing over 200 thousand people. And there is no doubt that the power of infection of COVID-19 virus is similar to the power of sin’s reigning. For “..so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord”. And just as Christ leads every believer in the understanding of the power of a righte...