Able and Willing | Pastor Raph | Oct. 13, 2024

Able and willing to do far more abundantly

This week, after Hurricane Milton, many brothers came to me with relief and gratitude. However, some came to me and were disheartened because now they have to face the havoc of renovation, cleanliness insurance claims, and other challenges.

One particular person was sharing with me his heart of sadness. Years ago, he had a dream car. He worked hard to be able to acquire that car. After restricting himself to leisure and comfort in order to save up to buy that car, he finally was able to do it. Unfortunately, when Hurricane Ian hit two years ago, that car had a total loss. Even after the insurance claim, he could not recover the total amount to buy that dream car. For the last two years, that brother has finally worked hard to buy the brand new model. The model he had was way better than the first. But, once again, another hurricane. He asked me, "Pastor, why did the Lord allow that to happen to me? Why did I not hear the voice of the Lord?"

Today, I would like to talk to those who are feeling accused, condemned, and discouraged by things that are happening in their lives; they have no control over it; they are discouraged.

Satan, the accuser, is creeping in. Because of that, you either believe in an image of an evil God that is pleased to punish and treat his children, or you believe that you are not godly enough, Christian enough, committed and devout enough, to listen and obey this God perfectly.

God is able. But is He willing?

Ephesians 3:17-21 (ESV) 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

20 Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

Many believers do not have a problem believing that God is able. Yes, we think he is powerful and capable. But is He willing?

Matthew 8:2-3 (ESV) And behold, a leper came to him and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, if you will, you can make me clean.” 3 And Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, “I will; be clean.” And immediately his leprosy was cleansed.

On the healing of the leper, Jesus made the ultimate statement of His will. He wants you to be cleaned, purified, forgiven, restored. 

Jeremiah 29:11-13 (ESV) For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. 12 Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. 13 You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.

Change the image you have about God.

I came from a school of thought that taught me that most of my interactions with God are projections of my human relationships. Therefore, I thought I had to fix my relationship with my father to appropriately relate to God as my heavenly father. I had to fix my relationship with my teachers so that I could better understand God's authority. I had to fix my relationship with my mom so that I could understand God's disciplinary love.

However, the more we grow in the revelation of the gospel, the more I understood it is the other way around. I mean, first, you must have the right image of God, based on the truth of the gospel, and then you're gonna project that relationship with God with every other relationship you have.

James 1:17 “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.”

The truth is, we had received complete forgiveness. The more we understand the power of this message and allow it to take every fiber of our lives, the more free and encouraged we'll be.

John 8:32 “And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

John 8:36 “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”

The conscience of sin does not increase God's forgiveness.

When someone truly understands that they are no longer under condemnation, they break free from the power of sin.

John 8:10-11 “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” She said, ‘No one, Lord.’ And Jesus said, ‘Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.’”

This woman could only walk away from her sin because she first received freedom from condemnation. People trapped under condemnation often feel stuck, repeating the same sins. If you see yourself as a dirty person you do dirty things. 

Living under the law is the same as living under condemnation.

Romans 6:14 “For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.”

This means that sin no longer rules over us because we are now under grace. And if sin has no power over us, then neither do things like poverty, sickness, curses, or the devil.

The law says we must obey perfectly to earn God’s favor. But since we can’t keep the law perfectly, it only leads to condemnation. That’s why being under grace – God’s undeserved favor – changes everything.

Some people misunderstand and think that preaching freedom from condemnation makes God lenient toward sin. But the opposite is true.

There is no more condemnation for us because every one of our sins – no matter how big or small – was already condemned on the Cross. From the slightest wrong thought to the worst act, all of it was placed on Jesus. God didn’t overlook a single sin.

God’s Justice

We are free from condemnation because our sins were already condemned in Jesus’ body. And since a sin can’t be punished twice, God declares us innocent.

Romans 8:1 “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”

This declaration isn’t based on mercy alone; it’s rooted in God’s justice. If Jesus took the punishment for our sins, the devil no longer has the right to accuse us.

Even though we still make mistakes, the blood of Jesus answers every accusation. According to the law, the soul that sins deserves death. But Jesus took that punishment for us by dying in our place. His sacrifice is the reason we stand free today.

Called to soar

If you take an eagle egg and put it under a hen, you’ll soon find a little eagle among the chicks. This little eagle will learn to live like a chicken, always on the ground and never flying. It will live the life of a chicken, even though it is an eagle. 

Just because it acts like a chicken, does it become a chicken? No! When you were born again, you were born with God’s nature and His life inside you. You may feel dirty and impure and like the worst person in the world, but you know what? You still have God’s life and nature inside you!

Although chickens surround this little eagle, it’s not a chicken. But it has learned to be afraid like chickens, to look at the ground like chickens, and every time it dreams that it can fly, its wings don’t support it.

One day, however, we all have to grow up, look up, and see that there are eagles to fly. When this little eagle hears, for the first time, a message that reminds them of their identity, its heart is touched. Right now, you’re feeling in your heart that what I’m writing is accurate and that this is the God you’ve been looking for all along. Even if you still have some doubts in your head, your heart is discovering the truth. The Word of God says that one abyss attracts another abyss.

In our story, one day, the cry of that eagle in the sky, a glorious and majestic sound, deeply touched the heart of a little eagle who said, "I want to be like that!" All the chickens around it responded, "Stop dreaming! Beware of the eagle, for it will devour you!" But the little eagle was so moved that it began to cry loudly like an eagle.

All the hens tried to stop it, saying, "You belong to the earth and can’t stay in the sky! Don’t you know that eagles are part of a heresy? They always stand out, which means they’re proud. They always want to be the head and never the tail." The chickens insist, "Careful with the eagles!"

However, one day, the little eagle saw an eagle in the sky with a snake in its beak and thought, "Does an eagle eat snakes? We chickens run away from snakes!" Again, the chickens replied, "Watch out! They’re a strange group. They believe in a victorious life, prosperity, and healing. We need to be careful with these people!"

Then came the moment when the eaglet decided to leave its foster family and climb some rocks. Now, it was further away from its foster family and closer to the eagle. The eagle in the sky approached the little eagle and started making eagle calls. As a result, the little eagle started sounding like a mature eagle. Seeing and hearing that eagle, it could see and listen to itself. For a long time, it had been among the chickens without ever recognizing its true nature. It had nothing in common with the chickens. It noticed that its wings were like an eagle’s, not a chicken’s, and said, "I look like that!" The little eagle finally found its true identity. How did it find it? Look at that eagle, a figure of our Lord Jesus Christ.

When you were born again, God placed everything you need for success within you. You are meant always to be the head, never the tail, always above, never below, and to live a victorious life on this earth.

The child of a serpent looks like a serpent, but the child of God looks like God. A child of God will speak like their Father. They will live like their Father. God is never sick, never internally destroyed by something, and never depressed. God never says, "What do I do now?" You are a child of God! I’m here to tell you that you are a child of God!

There will be voices telling you to be careful about the gospel of grace. But I know that, in your heart, you know that you are hearing divine truths. God didn’t create you to live constantly in the midst of problems. Jesus didn’t die for you to live a life of sickness, misery, and failure. Jesus said He came to give you life and life in abundance! We must enter into this life not through our efforts but through faith. Everything has been done for us, but our part is to believe in the truth because when you believe, it manifests itself in your life. When you believe in the truth, you also begin to feel it. I pray, in the name of Jesus, that everyone can feel that the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses them perfectly, continuously, and eternally.

When the young eagle began to fly, it looked down and exclaimed, "I didn’t think my world was so small!" While it was on the ground, the chickens claimed they were free thinkers and that the eagle was not free to think. They said the eagle was always preoccupied with negative and depressing thoughts and was never truly free. However, the young eagle was finally realizing how limited its life had been on the farm. Now, it could see beyond the constraints imposed on it. It could do this effortlessly, just by moving its wings slightly. The eagle soared above the snakes and scorpions.

You don't need to fear the devil, the serpent, anymore. You are a soaring eagle. Is the snake looking for you? Know that the blood of Jesus overcame Satan! You must believe in the truth! Your sins are no more significant than the blood that cleanses you. What should we be more aware of—our sins or the blood of Jesus Christ, which cleanses us from all our sins?

God never calls His children chickens; He calls them eagles. When eagles grow old, they renew their youth and strength. They have sharp vision and focus on their goals. They are not afraid of the storm because they master it. All problems work to their advantage because they soar above them. God calls us eagles.

If, upon hearing this message, you feel a cry within you, it is because you are an eagle. Come into the freedom of God’s children. You were born to soar high in heavenly places.

What Should We Do When We Sin?

A believer should not live under the consciousness of sin, constantly searching for wrongdoing to please God and be accepted by Him. We live in peace in God’s presence. However, a question arises: "What should we do when we sin again? We know all our sins have been forgiven, but what should we do before God if we fall again? Should we ignore the sin?"

1 John 2:1-2 (ESV) My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. 2 He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.

As children of God, one of their main goals is not to sin. There is no need to sin. But sin is an undeniable fact.

"My little children" indicates that he refers to those who belong to God. In case they sin, John says they have an advocate before the Father. We have a lawyer not before a judge but before the Father, highlighting that this is a family matter.

Our lawyer does not defend us by saying, "The temptation was too big for the little children to handle, which is why they failed." The Lord doesn’t argue, "Because they are still little children and lack knowledge, they should be forgiven." No, that’s not how He defends us.

The Lord defends us by asserting that He is the propitiation for our sins. His defense is based on His finished work on the Cross. This sacrifice was perfect and included all the sins of all believers throughout time and space. When this propitiatory sacrifice is presented to God, He no longer has a way to punish us.

For sinners, the Lord is their Savior, but for God's children, He is the Advocate. As Savior, He completed the work on the Cross, but as Advocate, He applies the work of the Cross. He became our Savior long before we repented, believed, and came to Him. He became our Savior when we were still sinners.

Romans 5:8 (ESV) but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

He doesn’t become our Advocate after we repent. On the contrary, He is already our Advocate even when sinning.

The moment we sin, the Lord defends us by showing the Father His finished work on the Cross. In this way, the blood of our Lord Jesus continually purifies us of all sin.

The continuing effectiveness of the blood

1 John 1:9 (ESV) If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

The blood of Jesus is continually purifying us from all sin and unrighteousness. The Bible never shows the blood of Jesus doing a second work of purification. Instead, it shows that the blood purifies us all the time. There are no "multiple purifications," only a continuous and definitive one.

The finished work of the Cross happened once and for all, but the work of purification by the blood is continuous. But why is it continuous? Because the Son is continually presenting the finished work of the Cross before God. It is not a re-purification but a continuous demonstration to God that He already died and all our sins have been taken care of.

Confess That You Have Been Forgiven Because of the Blood

The forgiveness of our sins is totally based on the blood of Jesus. The"confession of sins" has no power to erase sins. But why do we need to confess? John doesn’t say that confession is praying so God can forgive our sins. The apostle says we must recognize and treat our sins as such; in other words, call sin what it is: a sin, a mistake, a wrongdoing. No excuses.

Remember that you are not forgiven because of your confession. If that were the case, we would have to confess our sins constantly, making our Christian life very stressful and heavy.

But there are moments when your conscience will feel heavy. Then, at that moment, you will need to confess. How do we confess? Simply confess that you recognize that such an act is a sin, and also confess that the blood of the Lord Jesus has forgiven you.

If we were purified by confession, we would need to be aware of all our sins all the time. We are not purified only of the sins we know or perceive in ourselves. The Lord removed every single sin by His knowledge of us, not based on our own knowledge. If forgiveness were only for the sins we know and confess, it would be very limited. But the Lord knows us deeply and forgave us completely.

Our friend paid it all

Imagine you have a friend you haven't seen in years. One day, he shows up and tells you he has become a multimillionaire. Because he loves you dearly, he decides to pay off all your debts. Then he meets with your accountant and pays them all. Later, you ask your accountant to show you everything that has been paid for, and you notice that there were debts you didn’t even know you had. Nevertheless, your friend paid them all. This is exactly our story. We cannot measure the extent of our debt, but we can be certain that the Son of God has fully paid it on the Cross.

God does not forget. Therefore, He forgives it all.

We shouldn’t think that God also ignores the sins we’ve ignored. God does not do that. 

In Joshua 9, the Gibeonites tricked the Israelites into making a peace treaty, and even though it was based on deception, the Israelites swore before God to protect them. Many years later, Saul broke this oath by trying to wipe out the Gibeonites in his zeal for Israel, which brought guilt upon the land and offended God. As a result, God sent a famine during King David’s reign, and when David sought the Lord, he learned that the famine was caused by Saul’s actions (2 Samuel 21:1). The Lord showed him that the cause of the problem was the sin of Saul against the Gibeonites years ago.

David was not aware of the sin of the nation, but that didn’t mean God had forgotten it. According to this text, neither the passage of time nor ignorance can erase wrongdoing before God. Here is an example of what it means that God takes into account all of our sins, including those that we might not be aware of. Therefore, only the blood of Jesus can remove all our sins.

That’s why it’s not a confession but the blood of Jesus that washes us clean of sin. However, we need to confess our sins because this is God’s way of removing self-righteousness from us. We must call sin what it is and recognize that it still exists in our flesh. When we admit our sins, we humble ourselves before God, allowing us to have fellowship with Him.

Sin is a problem for our perception of the Lord's love.

John 13:1-4 (ESV) 1 Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. 2 During supper, when the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray him, 3 Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God, 4 rose from supper. He laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around his waist.

In John 13, we read about the day the Lord washed His disciples’ feet. This event is significant because it teaches us that we still need to be purified before we can have communion with the Lord at the table.

The washing of feet is fundamental because Jesus said that if He didn’t wash Peter’s feet, there could be no communion between them. Therefore, washing feet has to do with fellowship with God.

John 13:8 (ESV) 8 Peter said to him, “You shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no share with me.”

Jesus said we could not have communion with Him without the washing of water. Water symbolizes the Word of God, and the Lord said that the disciples were cleansed by His word.

(Ephesians 5:26)…that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word…

(John 15:3) Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you.

When we confess the word of Christ, we are washed by water. Thus, confession of sin must always come with confession of the gospel.

This washing of the feet is not related to salvation. The Lord didn’t say to Peter, "If I don’t wash you, you have no part in Me." Instead, He did say, "If I don’t wash you, you have no part with Me."

"In Me" refers to salvation, while "with Me" refers to communion and fellowship. This means that, after being saved, we can still have problems in our fellowship with God.

John 13:8-10 (ESV) 8 Peter said to him, “You shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no share with me.” 9 Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!” 10 Jesus said to him, “The one who has bathed does not need to wash, except for his feet, but is completely clean. And you are clean, but not every one of you.” 

The Lord said that those who have already bathed need not bathe again. Bathing here refers to salvation. The blood of Jesus has already washed us, but we still need to be washed daily by the water of the gospel Word.

Sin doesn’t change our position before God, but it can still hinder our communion. We need to be washed by water. It’s not a confession that washes us clean of sin but the blood of Jesus. Through the blood, we have already been completely clean and bathed, but there are still times when we need to wash our feet from the dirt of sin with the confession of the gospel. If we don’t wash our feet, the Lord says we can’t have fellowship with Him.

Now, have faith to believe God is able and He willing.

Ephesians 3:17-21 (ESV) 7 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

20 Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.