O wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from the body of this death? (Romans 7:24)

The reason why Christians are miserable and not experiencing more abundant life is because they don't know how to get victory over that problem. The very moment you begin to trust in something other than the Cross of Christ for your sanctification, for your victory, for your everyday life and living, it is as if you are going straight to where your old man was buried, digging that old man back up, and strapping him to your shoulders. And what was dead will creep into that which is life, and it will destroy you and kill you.

Jesus told Peter to come. Peter began to walk on the water (this portrays the more abundant life of blessings). But the very moment he got distracted and turned his eyes off of Christ onto the waves, "the waves of life" began to crash around him and he began to sink. Just like us! When the Believers Faith is not maintained exclusively in Christ and the Cross of Calvary where the victory was won (The Blood of Jesus, i.e., The Finished Work), we begin to sink.

The good news: There is therefore now (immediate victory) no condemnation (guilt) to them which are in Christ Jesus (Christ alone; the victory He accomplished on the Cross of Calvary - not Christ and my works), who walk (how you live your life) not after the flesh (trusting and depending on self), but after the Spirit (the Holy Spirit works through and between Christ the Cross). (Romans 8:1)

Thank you Lord Jesus, you save me from wrath, and daily makes me pure. Amen

Pastor Gabriel Swaggart - JSM

Well, the Holy Spirit tries to deliver folks from the wretched old man, but as long as they cling to trusting ultimately in their own merit for salvation -- they are still dead and know nothing of the new creature He died to create in us.

Jimmy and Gabe are certainly not going to do it for you. They are still trapped in their wretched body of death.

Faith that is not placed and maintained exclusively in Christ and the Cross, i.e., The Finished Work, i.e., The Blood of Jesus (Romans 8:2), cancels out the grace of God in your life that the Cross of Christ achieved for you (1 Cor. 1:17; Gal. 2:21). Christ is become of no effect unto you (Gal. 5:4).

The Cross of Christ is as necessary for sanctification as it is for salvation (1 Cor. 1:18).

The Apostle Paul makes it very clear in Romans 8:10 that the physical body, mind / intellect, and the heart (which is evil - Jeremiah 17:9) has been rendered helpless because of the original sin; consequently, the Believer trying to overcome by willpower presents a fruitless task. Only the Holy Spirit can mortify the deeds of the flesh and make us what we ought to be (Romans 8:13). This means we cannot do it ourselves. Once again, He performs all that He does within the confines of the Finished Work of Christ (Romans 8:2).

If a Christian will and their efforts to live for God is in anything except Christ and the Cross, i.e., Finished Work, The Blood of Jesus (Romans 8:2), Satan can override your will and force you to do things you don't want to do and trying not to do (Ephesians 6:12). Jesus said deny yourself and pick up your cross and follow me (Luke 9:23).

Remember our bodies are dead and useless to God. The heart is prone to wander away from God's love and eat from "The Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil." The reason why the body is dead is because of the effects of the fall has made us totally incapable of yielding spiritual obedience on a regular basis (Jeremiah 13:23). So there must be a source outside of myself that helps me to enter into sanctification which is the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:13).

JSM

God has chosen to operate His work from the basis of faith. "The Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus" (Romans 8:2) is God's prescribed order of victory for the Believer over sin, the world, the flesh, and the Devil. This means that the Believer must place and maintain proper Faith the size of a mustard seed exclusively in Christ and the Cross of Calvary, i.e., The Finished Work, i.e., The Blood of Jesus, where the victory was won so that His life would be lived through you. This gives the Holy Spirit the legal means to help and do what is needed to be done in the Believers life because the Believer is glorifying Christ, God's beloved Son in whom He is pleased. You are now operating in the spirit. No Believer can fix the flesh with the flesh. All fruits that are added to the leaves of the Believer most be done by the Holy Spirit or you enter the works of the flesh (Gal. 5:19-21).

JSM

"The cross" as a simple term used to represent the finished work of Christ is appropriate, though perhaps overused at times. "The Cross" as the object of faith is idolatry. It too closely resembles the pagan's foolish prayer to a block of wood in Isaiah 44.

The truth is that the cross was merely the instrument of Christ's execution. In light of Who Jesus Christ is, and what He accomplished through His death and resurrection, the cross itself is insignificant. Use it as a synecdoche, but don't ever let it take the place of Christ Himself. Our faith is rightly placed in a Person, not a figure of speech, and not a block of wood.

No one is saved by works, only by Jesus Christ. No one who claims to believe ahs does no works of God has no faith at all.

We are saved by the grace of God………….do not use this as an excuse to sin or to teach others to sin.m All blessings in Jesus Christ.

If you are saying that you walk in the Spirit all of the time, I don't buy it. I do know that Christ's death on the cross has covered any sin that I commit as far as my eternal destination is concerned, but I still do sin more than I should.

Are you condemning them to hell now too?

"as long as they cling to trusting ultimately in their own merit for salvation"

What part of a works-based salvation are you having trouble with? Are you saying they are saved?

Wow, you really don't understand what you read, do you??? The OP never stated it in that context, never implied that was salvation. No wonder you're so confused, you also eisegete things into other writings other than Scripture as well!

Uh, I guess you need to get out of your shell and find out stuff. Perhaps you are unaware that the Swaggarts teach a works-based salvation?

Perhaps you should be addressing MessageOfTheCross and find out why he constantly posts drivel from Jimmy Swaggart.

Coming from one who continually promotes idolatry, this is rich.