Receive Freely Not By Works (Religion)

Receive Freely Not By Works (Religion)

How can we have Jesus revealed to us more in our lives?

Many ask how can I receive from Jesus?

Why don't I see Him or experience God for myself?

You can and you will because it has nothing to do with what you DO.

It has everything to do with believing.

Believing I do not mean "believe harder" but believe who Jesus said He is, and what He has done for you.

Jesus followers asked Him "How can we do the works of God?"

In Hebrew they asked "How can we worship (work and serve) God?"

Joh 6:27-28 NASB "Do not work for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you, for on Him the Father, God, has set His seal." (28) Therefore they said to Him, "What shall we do, so that we may work the works of God?"

They thought there is something they need to DO in order to eat the Bread from Heaven that Jesus talked to them about. They thought they need to DO something in order to RECEIVE from God. This is why they asked Him "O.k, we want food which does not perish, so what do we need to do to work the works of God?" Meaning, because of their works they will receive it from God.

But Jesus was in the midst of them, sent by God to them apart from their works or anything they have done for Him. He was given to them freely by God. They did not work or perform for it.

Jesus response to them after the conversation with Him about a bread God wants to give them which will not perish was: "this is who you work the works of God" (this is how you worship and serve God) "BELIEVE in the One God has sent"

Joh 6:29 NASB Jesus answered and said to them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent."

• If you want to receive from God the eternal bread I spoke to you about,
• If you want to receive from God a Word from Him,
• If you want God to feed you with who He is, with His love for you,
• Then I am not telling you to work and worship God for it,
• I am telling you to BELIEVE - have faith in Me and in what I have done for you.

In other words, believe in Me and you will receive from God.

You might say, but I believe in Jesus. That's the best works (worship) you have ever worked. It's all that takes to receive from God. (I never said we do not serve God and do acts of love. I am focusing now on the belief that BY DOING for God we receive from Him).

Now let's let go of that thought we have in our minds that it is by DOING; by WORKING, by PERFORMING, that we receive anything from God.

It's all by faith, and never by works, or because of our performance, or good deeds, giving or many prayers, fasting and much soaking – that we RECEIVE from God.

This is why the Lord said to us in His word that we receive from Him freely. He did not say by doing something.

1Co 2:12-13 NASB Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God, (13) which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words.

This means the Holy Spirit who was given to us from God, is the One who helps us know the things we have received for free. Then we speak these things with others – we testify.

But how many times do we want something from God and we decide to DO something so God will give us an answer?

How many time did we resort to "religious" practices which we have learned from our fathers to receive from God?

• "I'll fast for 40 days for my breakthrough"
• "Let me give so God will bless me"
• "Let me sow and because of my sowing God will answer my need"
• "Let me push this button and find that key and God will meet me"

Can we tell God that because of our fasting, doing, performing, good deeds, He will give us the breakthrough?

Does God give us based and because of what we can do for Him?

God will not speak to you or answer you if you don't DO something?

I would say, show me one person in the NT from all the sick He had healed and lives He had restored who fasted and worked in order to receive from the Lord.

How many times we DO NOT get healed or receive what we asked for and we immediately think "what have I done wrong?" We focus on something we did not DO, did not PERFORM, did not GIVE.

What are we thinking by that?

That something in u is wrong and by OUR OWN doing, God will give us. Unless we DO He will not give.

"Lord, show me what I had done wrong; show me my sins; show me what to do"

This belief comes from under the Law. It is the Law of works.

Under the Law the Israelites received from the Lord ONLY if they performed, and DID something.

Their relationship with the Lord was conditional – based on conditions they fulfill.

They needed to fulfill certain demands in order to be blessed and receive from the Lord.

However, our relationship with the Lord in the NT is not based on the Law of works. We are no longer under such Law. The Law we follow is called "Law of faith", "Law of grace" and "Law of liberty".

Under the Law of faith Abraham believed God and it was counted to him right standing with God.

Under the Law of liberty, God said to Abraham "I will bless you, and you will be a blessing". This means in order for us to be a blessing to others God gives us FIRST, and by believing Him we receive from Him. THEN we can bless others.

But what did the enemy do to the Bride?

He took her back to live under the Law which is also called the ministry of condemnation and told her "Give and DO first and only THEN God will bless you".

This is why the Bride believes she needs to DO something in order to receive from God.

But Jesus defined "works" for us. He said "believe" is works. Meaning "believe is the worship we bring unto the Lord". It pleases Him that we believe in Him and we no longer think that by our works and performance we receive from Him.

Beloved of the Lord, Jesus came to serve His children. He said to Peter who didn't want his feet washed "if I don't wash you feet (if I don't serve you) you have no part in Me.

Why?

Is there anything we can give to God apart from what He had given us first? As a father who raises up His kids, He shows us how we can give to others.

• Let Me BE FOR YOU first, so you will be the same to others.
• Let Me SERVE YOU first, so you will serve others.
• Let Me GIVE YOU first, so you will give to others.
• Let Me BE LOVE YOU first , so you will love others.

Whatever it is we need, the Lord give us first. This is true in the natural with our children.

If we want our kids to learn to give, do we teach them by the demands of the Law how to give; and by practicing their giving they will be givers? No! This is religion. We GIVE our children and give more and they become as we are and learn to give.

Let's apply it to love and any fruit we want our children to bear.

If we want our kids to love others, do we tell them they need to love, or do we love them more and more, and by OUR EXAMPLE they will also love?

This is how the Lord is with us. He always teaches us by example. Not merely by showing us who He was an example to others in His word, but by BECOMING our example first.

Since He is peace and He lives in us – He wants to feed us with His fruit of peace (Himself) so we will enjoy that peace and bear its fruits.

He showers love on us and His love produces fruits of love in us. His love changes us. His personal love for you changes the core of your being. It transforms you to WORK as He is. This is when HIS DOING empowers YOU to DO as well.

The Lord feeds us freely from His love, peace, joy and any fruit we need to eat – and we need to receive who He is for us. It's not by works.

It's not by what we need to that we receive from God. It's by WHO we know; it's by believing in Jesus and His works.

The Law points to our works, our performance and something MAN needs to DO in order to see God move, do, meet you, love you, accept you, give you, show up, etc.

Faith point to believing in Jesus' works, His performance, His doing, and because of His works you freely receive God's love, acceptance, presence, peace, joy, etc. His free giving of love empowers you to DO, and give and perform.

Just believe that Jesus had already WORKED and performed for you.

His death gave you life not by anything you worked – only by believing.

His bruises brought you healing – also for free.

His chastisement gave you peace – also not by your deeds.

His poverty gave you His richness (fullness of who He is)

2Co 8:9 NASB For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich.

There is nothing you have received from God which came by your works and there is nothing you will receive from God by your performance. It is by FAITH in His Son who had accomplished and fulfilled the Law of works.

Rom 3:20-24 NASB because by the works of the Law (Law of works) no flesh will be justified (be right with God and inherit the blessings) in His sight; for through the Law comes the knowledge of sin. (21) But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, … (22) even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe;(it done not say for all those who work, perform and by their deed) for there is no distinction; (23) for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, (24) being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus;

God gives us freely because of what His Son had DONE, not because of what we DO. Our works is to believe in His Son, and the doing part of our life (serving) is a fruit which is a result of His giving to us first.

Eph 1:5-8 NASB He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, (6) to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. (7) In Him (not in our works) we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace (8) which He lavished on us. In all wisdom and insight

Unveiling and Revealing Jesus

Experiencing Jesus in our life has nothing to do with what we DO and WORK or PERFORM, and everything to do with BELIEVING in Jesus.

There is nothing Mary had done to have Jesus show up by the tomb. She just sought Him believing she will see His body. She expected to see a dead Jesus and He surprised her by revealing to her a Living Jesus.

The dead image of Jesus in her mind had to die so she can see the Jesus whom she could not recognize. The Jesus who also appeared to the disciples not because of anything they had done. They were also finishing and He showed p preparing breakfast for them.

To see Jesus for who He is and experience Him in our lives begins by letting go of the belief that we need to do something in order to experience God.

We only need to believe that He desires to reveal Himself to us and show us His true image.

The unveiling of Jesus comes by removing the veil that prevents us from seeing who He is and experiencing Him.

2Co 3:14-17 NASB But their minds were hardened; for until this very day at the reading of the old covenant the same veil remains unlifted, because it is removed in Christ. (15) But to this day whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their heart; (16) but whenever a person turns (quits, converts, turns around) to the Lord, the veil is taken away. (abandoned, removed all around, cast off, taken away) (17) Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. (meaning no longer bondage and slavery, imprisonment which come from guilt, condemnation, shame, accusation of the Law)

This veil is the veil of the Law. As long as we walk under the Law of works and believe that our relationship with God is through works – we are under a veil.

The veil is removed when we choose to believe who Jesus said He is and what Jesus had worked for us, refusing to bring works into our relationship with Him.

Therefore, it's with unveiled face when the Law of condemnation is abandoned, that we can see the glory (image) of the Lord. This is how we are being transformed. Meaning, transformation in our lives comes when we no longer live our lives under the Law which focuses on man's works and performance.

2Co 3:18 NASB But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.

Receive from Him freely, not by your works, what you do or your good deeds.

Works and good deeds are done not in order to receive something from God, or have Him show up in our lives.

Prayer:

Lord, show us Your works and feed us with Your fruits that we will drink from Your living water and no longer draw dead water from the well of religion from which Jacob and our fathers had drank. Help us to walk simply with You and worship You in Spirit and in Truth. Reveal Your glory to us so we will be set free from religion and walking under the Law. Renew our minds and by knowing Your truth we will walk in Your freedom. Thank You Father.

Much love,

Elana