No matter how much you can reduce sin, you cannot remove it, yourself!
We need God's justification because righteousness cannot be attained by law-keeping.
God glorifies Himself in His church, because of the great work He has done in Christ to redeem our lives. Even heartaches, weakness, even failures or sins cannot stop Him from being faithful to love us and give us purpose.
The price God paid for us, we could never pay. His redemption of us from the bondage of sin is a great and powerful treasure.
God tells us of the great treasure we have in Christ, so that we are not led astray to value this world over our spiritual treasure!
Ephesians can teach us to treasure what God has given us in Christ above what we see in this world. (cf. Matt 6:19-21)
What we know, expect, and believe about our God is expressed in our prayers.
One of the functions of prayer is to bring us to acknowledge and understand the work of God in His Son, Jesus, our Great High Priest.
Under law, as that which condemns sin, we find only bondage and futility. In order to have freedom and life, we must find and hold to the gospel of Christ and His Promised Spirit for freedom/life (Gal 5, 6).
Jesus can offer us rest (Matt 11:28-30), because He is our Rock, our Refuge, our Salvation. We find and acknowledge to our souls the nature of our God which meets our every need (Psa 62).
Prayer is one way we come to Jesus, and Jesus is the way we get to God. Prayer helps us consider Him above trusting self.
We have more than a physical reality to secure our hearts and spirits. In Christ, we have a spiritual reality that is always encouraging, motivating, and inspiring.
Bondage to sin under law and freedom from sin in Christ are key points of Galatians.
God spoke in the past in many parts and ways, but in these last days His message to us is found in His Son. It can really help us to see Him as our Faithful High Priest (Heb 1:1-2; 12:2).
We have confidence, confidence in the person and priesthood of Christ Jesus. We should encourage one another with this truth. (Heb 3, 4, 5, 7, 9, 10)
Sin makes slaves out of sinners, and what it uses as power over the sinners may surprise you!
All that we offer God, must come to God through Jesus, our merciful, faithful, and great, High Priest (Heb 5:1; 4:14; 10:21).
What happens in prayer helps us engage the work of God in Christ Jesus on our behalf.
God gives us opportunities in prayer. One of the biggest is confidence, not confidence in prayer, not confidence in self, confidence in the work of Christ and the faithfulness of our God!
David and Paul prayed for deliverance or protection from evil and violent men (Psa 140:1; 2 Thess 3:2).
