Jim Bucci

Jim Bucci is a man with a passion for God and a desire to bring God’s word of the New Covenant and his grace to the church and to the lost alike. After receiving a B.A. in History from the Pennsylvania State University, Jim went on to ministry school where he completed his A.A. in Practical Ministry from Brownsville Revival School of Ministry in Pensacola, Florida. Upon concluding Bible College in 2001, Jim served an internship at Brownsville Assembly of God. He recently has concluded 7 years in youth ministry at Christ Community Church in State College, Pennsylvania. Jim currently travels regionally and internationally to minister under the anointing of the Holy Spirit. He has entered into a season where God is opening doors for him to travel and speak at churches, youth conferences, and outreaches. Jim has a heart to deliver the Word of the Lord in a way that each listener encounters God’s personal and transforming power.

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

How can we NOT be under Law? 2

In my last post I began raising the question that if a believer is no longer under the rules, regulations, and punishments of the Old Covenant(Law) how is he to live a victorious life in the atmosphere of freedom in the New Covenant.  In other words, if God is no longer relating to me based on my performance, my sins have been paid for, and they're not being held against me what is keeping me from using this freedom to run into sin and selfishness?
Knowing that we are but flesh, it would be irresponsible for God to leave us in a state of absolute freedom and rest without making provision for us to live as children of the Most High. In Heb 8 v10 it states that in the New Covenant God writes his laws on our hearts and minds.  Ezekiel prophesied "...I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh" (36:26) We must remember that when we got saved we were reborn into a new creation(2Cor 5:17).  Our old sinful nature was crucified with Christ(Gal 2:20)(Rom 6:5-6) and we were resurrected with a new nature(Rom 6:4-5) that has the ways of God written on it.  This new nature desires the things of God and is wired to act, speak, and think in line with the ways of God.  I've heard it said that if you have a house with plumbing and electrical problems and you bulldoze the house then an expert builder builds you a new one you won't have plumbing and electrical problems anymore.  This is why Jesus said unless one is born again he can't see the kingdom of God.  We were dead in trespasses and sins(Eph 2:1)and when we're born again God the master builder crucifies the sin nature and rebuilds us a brand new perfect creation in our spirit with the DNA of heaven written in it.  This is why the father can look at us and call us righteous, holy, and blameless, despite our obvious flaws and shortcomings.  After I got saved when I acted like I did before salvation it was unsatisfying and just felt wrong.  My new nature was and is bothered whenever I sin.  Nobody has to tell me anything I just know that this behavior doesn't jive with me anymore.   Now many times I overrode, and still do sometimes override my new nature and sin and act in ways that I shouldn't. However, the longer I walk with the Lord and rest in his grace I notice greater and greater victories and changes.  Paul said in Philippians not that he was perfect, but he pressed on(Phl 3:12-14).
If this is true and believers have new natures that instinctively want to please God and walk in his ways, then why do we struggle with sin and so often fall short.  First, I'd like to point out that any true believer struggles with his sin.  No matter how addicted to or how much he enjoys his sin, deep inside he doesn't want it or at the very least doesn't want to want it.  His new nature knows that he is living in a way beneath who he truly is.
Also, we still have an unrenewed soul and body.  When we got saved and our spirits were regenerated to perfection, our bodies looked the same and we still carried some of the old mindsets and emotions.  This is why Romans 12 says to renew our minds.  We are not to let sin reign in our mortal body, but present ourselves to God as those alive from the dead(Rom 6:12-13) I believe the challenge of believers is to catch our beliefs, mind, will, and emotions up to our holy, righteous, perfected spirits.

Friday, April 16, 2010

How can we NOT be under Law? 1

      The fact that a believer is no longer under the Law, is one of the most challenging revelations I've had in my study of grace.  My whole life I've known the 10 commandments and heard countless sermons on them.  They're in every church and obviously they are good(the world would be a much better place if everyone held God in his rightful place, and no one lied, stole, etc).  So when I read scripture after scripture like "...you are not under Law, but under grace"(Rom6:14), "...you were made to die to the Law through the body of Christ"(Rom 7:4), "...the law is not made for a righteous man..."(1Tim 1:9), and the book of Hebrews which is a discertation on how the Old Covenant is weak, obsolete, and replaced by the New, it almost seems heretical.
     However, like anything else, a deeper study reveals truths that put everything in context and bring clarity to the scriptures.  First of all, how can Paul make these statements which would seem to be contrary to other scripture, especially the Old Testament?  Briefly put, Jesus was born under the Law to redeem us who were under it(Gal4:4-5), lived a perfect life(Heb4:15), became a offering for sin, fulfilled the requirement of the Law(Rom8:3-4), canceled our sin debt taking it out of the way (Col2:14), made us the righteousness of God(2 Cor 5:21) and we now have peace with him(Rom5:1).
     So does being free of the Law and not having to perform under it for God to accept me (Gal 5:1)give licence to sin like so many who oppose the grace message claim?  Won't sin run rampant if we're no longer under the rules and regulations of the Law, with no wrath of God to scare us into obedience(Rom 4:15), just a heavenly father with unconditional love?  Can a believer live life with such freedom and maintain a godly lifestyle?  Paul addressed the same questions(which makes me think I'm on the right track) in Romans 6:1-2) he wrote "Are we to continue in sin that grace may increase? May it never be. How shall we who died to sin still live in it?"  and in Galatians he wrote "Don't turn your freedom into an opportunity the flesh, but through love serve one another"(5:13).  In fact Paul credits grace not Law with instructing us in the ways of godliness(Titus 2:11-12) and enabling us to labor abundantly for the Lord (1 Cor 15:10).
more to follow