Acts 19:18 And many who believed came, and confessed, and showed their deeds.

 

God used the Apostle Paul unlike any other in the New Testament. Paul was given the Message of the Cross of Christ and the assignment to go take it to both the Jews and the Gentiles. Prior to this time, only Jews were considered to be God’s people. All others were heathens and would die heathens.

 

Paul was so drastically changed by the Power of Jesus that he devoted the rest of his life to doing exactly what the Holy Spirit instructed him to do. No matter the circumstances, threats, violence, conditions, or hardships, Paul never deviated from the Call of God on his life.

 

In Acts 19 we read that Paul traveled around preaching the Gospel for Salvation and performing many Miracles in the Name of Jesus. In the 18th Verse we find that while he was in Ephesus, Paul came upon many people who were already believers in Christ but they were living in sin. They were saved but they were not living Sanctified lives.

 

These people came to Paul’s meetings to hear the Word of God preached and many came under conviction regarding the sin in their lives. And many who believed came, and confessed, and showed their deeds. (Acts 19:18) These people believed in Jesus. They believed He died on the Cross for their sins and that they had been forgiven. They believed they would spend eternity in Heaven with Him, but they still were living in sin.

 

What they didn’t know was that Jesus went to the Cross NOT ONLY to Atone for their past sins, but also to break the power of Satan in their lives now! My friends, this is still a problem with believers today. All they know is that Jesus died for them and this is the greatest knowledge they could have. BUT…..there is so much more!

 

The Apostle Paul understood the Finished Work of Christ on the Cross better than anyone because he had been baptized in the Holy Spirit and he was no longer led by the enemy. He was now led by the Spirit of God and had given his life over to the Guidance and Direction of the Holy Spirit of God who led him into a Righteousness lifestyle.

 

This is the meaning of Sanctification. When Jesus went to the Cross, He accomplished everything we needed for BOTH Salvation and Sanctification. When He said, It is finished. (John 19:30) His Work on earth was complete. He had finished the task set before Him by His Father. At that point, and still today, everything Jesus accomplished on the Cross is available to all who will believe. That is to place their faith in the Finished Work of Christ on the Cross.

 

We don’t have to live in sin. Jesus died for all sin. The following is an excerpt from Paul’s letter to the Colossians. And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the Cross. Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it. (Colossians 2:13-15)

 

Jesus nailed our past sins, present sins, and future sins to the Cross of Calvary. We DO NOT HAVE TO LIVE IN SIN! All we have to do is believe in what Jesus accomplished on the Cross. It is ALL included in His Finished Work that He was sent by the Father to do. Jesus did it! He finished His Job on earth. All we have to do is believe it. That’s our job.

 

 

Believe it and watch God……….turn the tide……….in your world!

 

Thank you Jesus!         Doreen

 

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