When you here the phrase "Living the Dream" it is mostly used to
describe ones success or personal achievement(s) that has made their
life what they had hoped (dreamed) it would be. The Bible reveals two
kinds of life and although there are several Greeks words for life, we
will look at the two that are used the most to describe the life of
mankind . The first word is "psuche" which means "natural human life"
and the other word is "zoe" which means "life as God has it; everlasting
life or eternal life." Most Christians tend to only see life from the
natural perspective. This is very unfortunate, because those who only
see life from the natural are robbed of the truth that sets us free.
Jesus made some incredible remarks pertaining to life (zoe). Here are just a few; John 5:24 "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and
believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come
into judgment, but has passed from death into life. John 10:10 "...I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly." John 14:6 "Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life." The apostle John tells us, John 20:31 "...these are written that you may believe that Jesus is
the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His
name."
Observing these few scriptures we see that the believer is not to muddle
through life here on earth struggling in the natural kind of life.
Believers are to enjoy the abundant "life as God has it." What does this
mean? It means living the dream. One day, before we let Christ enter
our life, we were all living in the natural realm of life. We were
spiritually dead and did not understand that we were partakers of the
fallen nature that was ruled by our flesh. We did not understand that
man's fallen nature is the very nature of Satan. (John 8:44) We did not
realize that all sin, misery, sickness or as the apostle Paul reveals,
the works of the flesh (Galatians 5:19-21) were working death in us. But
the time came when God began to draw us to His Son (John 6:44) and we
confessed the Lordship of Jesus and received Him as Savior.
Even though many people have received Christ as Lord and Savior, a
serious problem still exists in their life. Today, most Christians still
equate sickness, disease, financial struggles, premature death and so
on as a part of the Christian life. Many Christians blame God when these
things come upon themselves, a loved one or someone they know? Many
Christians see these things as part of God's sovereign plan for their
life? Honestly, does this sound like "life as God has it?" Does this
sound anything like what Jesus or John said in the above scriptures?
Think about what they both said, "that they may have life (zoe), and that they may have it more abundantly."..."that believing you may have life (zoe) in His name."
When one confesses the Lordship of Jesus Christ and accepts Him as
Savior, God immediately gives life as He has it, eternal life. Think
about it from another perspective, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things
have passed away; behold, all things have become new. Now all things are
of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has
given us the ministry of reconciliation." (2 Corinthians 5:17-18)
Your spirit is made a new creation. This is an actual transformation of
your old fallen, fleshly, satanic nature into the nature of God or "life
as God has it." Now you can certainly allow the old nature to have
place, but in God's eyes, it has been wipe completely out "old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new." (PTL)
As New Creation we are no longer sinners, beggars or even servants, but
sons and daughter of the Living God. (John 1:12, Romans 8:16, 1 John
3:1) Look at what Jesus says, "If you then, being evil, know how to
give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is
in heaven give good things to those who ask Him." (Matthew 7:11) Now
let's think about this logically. If you were a parent who had only one
child, would you want your child to have a life of sickness and misery?
If you were a parent and had two or more children, would you want one
of them to enjoy a good life and the others to struggle with sickness or
misery? What about if one of your children did something that you did
not approve of, would you want sickness or misery to come upon them as a
means to correct them or change their character? Absolutely not to all
of these questions!!!
Our hearts should break when we hear church leaders talk about our heavenly Father as a
loving God (He most certainly is) who allows sickness and misery to be
upon His children. That He allows sickness and misery to come upon His
children as some mysterious blessings. That He uses sickness and misery
as a way to discipline His children. That sickness and misery is one of
His ways to either draw His children closer to Him or some sort of
training tool to grow their faith. Jesus said, "Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed." (John
8:36) So, if you have received Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior,
then you are free to live the rest of your life right here on planet
earth experiencing "life as God has it", free of sickness, disease,
financial struggles, premature death, misery and so on beginning now. "Jesus said to him, "If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes." (Mark 9:23) This means YOU!!! (Hallelujah)
Showing posts with label Eternal Life. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Eternal Life. Show all posts
Monday, May 4, 2020
Tuesday, March 29, 2016
That's Life
In 1966 singer/actor, Frank Sinatra, recorded the song "That's Life." Here is the first stanza of the song; "That's life (that's life), that's what all the people say, you're ridin' high in April, shot down in May, but I know I'm gonna change that tune when I'm back on top, back on top in June." But what kind of life is there when you are on top one moment then go to the bottom the next? Actually, it is the only type of life that the world can provide, because it is based on a system that is completely corrupted by Satan. Jesus tells us, "The thief (Satan) does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy..." (John 10:10) Living life steeped in the world is why so many people are on a roller-coaster ride which never seems to end. They have bought into the world system so much and even though they sometimes feel hopeless and even hurt, they still believe that this is life. But is it?
When Jesus walked on the earth as the Son of Man, He introduced a new type of life that no one had ever been exposed to. He put it this way, "...I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly." (John 10:10) What was this life? The Greek word here for life is, Zoe. It means eternal life, God's life, life as God has it. This new kind of life is the very nature of God. It has the ability to produce certain changes that can literally be seen in ones life. When one confesses the Lord Jesus Christ and takes Him as Savior, God's life immediately enters. Almost at once, you can see it in a person's habits. You can hear it in their speech. It changes ones conduct. It corrects bad habits and forms new ones and even causes ones countenance to radically change.
It is essential to the believers life to come to understand the depths of God's life in us. The Apostle Paul tells us, "For if because of one man's trespass (lapse, offense) death reigned through that one, much more surely will those who receive overflowing grace (unmerited favor) and the free gift of righteousness reign as kings in life through the one Man Jesus Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One)." (Romans 5:17 AMP) This means that every one of us who has been born again has received the life of God and has come into a kingly state. We are accepted by God to reign as kings in the realm of life. We are no longer slaves in the realm of spiritual death, but we have passed out of death, that is, Satan's realm, into the realm of life. Paul states it this way, "He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love." (Colossians 1:13) Man was never made to be a slave. He was made in the image and likeness of God to reign as a king.
Man was created on terms of equality with God, and he could stand in God's presence without guilt, condemnation or inferiority. Psalm 8:4-6 points to this very specifically, "What is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of man that You visit him? For You have made him a little lower than the angels, and You have crowned him with glory and honor. You have made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands..." The phrase, "For you have made him a little lower than the angels" is key to understanding how God created man. In the Hebrew word angels is Elohim, which is also the name given to God as Creator and Judge. So, a literal translation of this phrase is, "For you have made him a little lower than God." Incredible! That means God has made us as much like Himself as he possibly could. He made us the same class of being that He Himself is. He made man with an intellect of such caliber that he could name every animal, vegetable, and fruit, and give them names
that would describe their characteristics.
Let's look at this in creation. "And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being." (Genesis 2:7) The Hebrew word translated "breath" is the same word translated "spirit" all through the Old Testament. In other words, God took something of Himself, which was spirit, the life of God, and put it into man. This is why Romans 5:17 is a verse of scripture that we need to get into our heart. God made man to rule as a king over the works of His hands. This should bring all believers to a revelation bringing an end to the weakness, we're just lowly sinners saved by grace, or beggars before a Holy God, message.
Although man lost his place, his dominion and authority over all the works of God's hand by high treason, it does not mean that he is without it forever, on the contrary. The Lord Jesus Christ came into this world, God put on flesh to restore mans position. The Apostle John tells us, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God...And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth." (John 1:1, 14) Now on the grounds of what the Lord Jesus Christ did (that is, His substitutionary sacrifice), God is able to redeem us from our sins and through faith in Jesus Christ is able to impart to us His very nature, eternal life, His very own life. (1 John 2:25) God has adopted everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord and has placed us into His own family, so that we can call Him Father. (Romans 8:15-16)
The Apostle Paul tells us, "For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named." (Ephesians 3:14-15) In the new birth, we are brought into union with Jesus Christ. Unfortunately, far to many believers only think that new birth is simply the forgiveness of sin. They don't know about the intimate union that we have in Christ. Jesus tells us of this very thing, "I am the vine, you are the branches." (John 15:5) The union that the believer has with Christ through the new birth has bestowed upon us the lost dominion and authority man had in the Garden of Eden.
Look what Paul tells us concerning this very thing, "Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?" (1 Corinthians 3:16) The Apostle John says it this way, "That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life, the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us, that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. And these things we write to you that your joy may be full." (1 John 1:1-4)
I want to challenge you to read scriptures like these and speak them aloud. Right now say, "I am the temple of the living God. I've got God the Holy Spirit living in me. I have the God kind of life in me. I have fellowship with the Father and the Son." Some of these great Bible truths released from the lips of faith will release us, and enable us to dominate and reign in life as kings through Jesus Christ. Grace and peace be with you...
When Jesus walked on the earth as the Son of Man, He introduced a new type of life that no one had ever been exposed to. He put it this way, "...I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly." (John 10:10) What was this life? The Greek word here for life is, Zoe. It means eternal life, God's life, life as God has it. This new kind of life is the very nature of God. It has the ability to produce certain changes that can literally be seen in ones life. When one confesses the Lord Jesus Christ and takes Him as Savior, God's life immediately enters. Almost at once, you can see it in a person's habits. You can hear it in their speech. It changes ones conduct. It corrects bad habits and forms new ones and even causes ones countenance to radically change.
It is essential to the believers life to come to understand the depths of God's life in us. The Apostle Paul tells us, "For if because of one man's trespass (lapse, offense) death reigned through that one, much more surely will those who receive overflowing grace (unmerited favor) and the free gift of righteousness reign as kings in life through the one Man Jesus Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One)." (Romans 5:17 AMP) This means that every one of us who has been born again has received the life of God and has come into a kingly state. We are accepted by God to reign as kings in the realm of life. We are no longer slaves in the realm of spiritual death, but we have passed out of death, that is, Satan's realm, into the realm of life. Paul states it this way, "He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love." (Colossians 1:13) Man was never made to be a slave. He was made in the image and likeness of God to reign as a king.
Man was created on terms of equality with God, and he could stand in God's presence without guilt, condemnation or inferiority. Psalm 8:4-6 points to this very specifically, "What is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of man that You visit him? For You have made him a little lower than the angels, and You have crowned him with glory and honor. You have made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands..." The phrase, "For you have made him a little lower than the angels" is key to understanding how God created man. In the Hebrew word angels is Elohim, which is also the name given to God as Creator and Judge. So, a literal translation of this phrase is, "For you have made him a little lower than God." Incredible! That means God has made us as much like Himself as he possibly could. He made us the same class of being that He Himself is. He made man with an intellect of such caliber that he could name every animal, vegetable, and fruit, and give them names
that would describe their characteristics.
Let's look at this in creation. "And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being." (Genesis 2:7) The Hebrew word translated "breath" is the same word translated "spirit" all through the Old Testament. In other words, God took something of Himself, which was spirit, the life of God, and put it into man. This is why Romans 5:17 is a verse of scripture that we need to get into our heart. God made man to rule as a king over the works of His hands. This should bring all believers to a revelation bringing an end to the weakness, we're just lowly sinners saved by grace, or beggars before a Holy God, message.
Although man lost his place, his dominion and authority over all the works of God's hand by high treason, it does not mean that he is without it forever, on the contrary. The Lord Jesus Christ came into this world, God put on flesh to restore mans position. The Apostle John tells us, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God...And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth." (John 1:1, 14) Now on the grounds of what the Lord Jesus Christ did (that is, His substitutionary sacrifice), God is able to redeem us from our sins and through faith in Jesus Christ is able to impart to us His very nature, eternal life, His very own life. (1 John 2:25) God has adopted everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord and has placed us into His own family, so that we can call Him Father. (Romans 8:15-16)
The Apostle Paul tells us, "For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named." (Ephesians 3:14-15) In the new birth, we are brought into union with Jesus Christ. Unfortunately, far to many believers only think that new birth is simply the forgiveness of sin. They don't know about the intimate union that we have in Christ. Jesus tells us of this very thing, "I am the vine, you are the branches." (John 15:5) The union that the believer has with Christ through the new birth has bestowed upon us the lost dominion and authority man had in the Garden of Eden.
Look what Paul tells us concerning this very thing, "Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?" (1 Corinthians 3:16) The Apostle John says it this way, "That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life, the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us, that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. And these things we write to you that your joy may be full." (1 John 1:1-4)
I want to challenge you to read scriptures like these and speak them aloud. Right now say, "I am the temple of the living God. I've got God the Holy Spirit living in me. I have the God kind of life in me. I have fellowship with the Father and the Son." Some of these great Bible truths released from the lips of faith will release us, and enable us to dominate and reign in life as kings through Jesus Christ. Grace and peace be with you...
Monday, April 6, 2015
The Need for a Mediator
Now that resurrection Sunday 2015 has been celebrated, let us live everyday never forgetting where we came from and mostly let us never forgot what Christ did for us. Due to the fall of man in the Garden, all mankind has paid the price for Adam's act of treason, "just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men." (Romans 5:12) Man has lost his approach to God and is described by Paul as "without Christ...having no hope and without God in the world." (Ephesians 2:12) Think about this. Man without Christ is hopeless, Godless, and in the world where Satan has the power of death. (Hebrews 2:14)
To take this sorrow even further, man is described as having become a partaker of Satan's nature. He is not only a subject of Satan politically, but he is vitally united with him. Jesus pointed this out to the Pharisees when they feverishly tried to defend their self-righteousness, "You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it." (John 8:44)
Job had a startling encounter that also reveals man's state without a mediator before God, "Now a word was secretly brought to me, and my ear received a whisper of it. In disquieting thoughts from the visions of the night, when deep sleep falls on men, fear came upon me, and trembling, which made all my bones shake. Then a spirit passed before my face; the hair on my body stood up. It stood still, but I could not discern its appearance. A form was before my eyes; there was silence; then I heard a voice saying: Can a mortal be more righteous than God? Can a man be more pure than his Maker?" (Job 4:12-17)
This is the age old problem. This is the eternal problem that has confronted the thinking man of all ages. Can mortal man be justified or acquitted before God? Shall fallen man be pure in the presence of his Maker? Job also paints a graphic picture of an aged man on his death-bed facing eternity and the approach of judgment. Job continues and speaks out of the agony within his soul. "Now my days are swifter than a runner; they flee away, they see no good. They pass by like swift ships, like an eagle swooping on its prey. If I say, ‘I will forget my complaint, I will put off my sad face and wear a smile, I am afraid of all my sufferings; I know that You will not hold me innocent. If I am condemned, why then do I labor in vain? If I wash myself with snow water, and cleanse my hands with soap, yet You will plunge me into the pit, and my own clothes (self-righteousness) will abhor me." (Job 9:25-31)
Job knows that he cannot face God, for God is not mortal and He is not under the bondage and guilt of sin as Job is. Job then utters the saddest words that ever fell from the lips of a human. "There is no mediator between us, who may lay his hand on us both." (Job 9:33) In other words, there is no Mediator between man and God who has a legal standing with God and at the same time can sympathize, understand and represent man. This is Job's cry for a mediator. But it is not the cry of Job alone. It is the age old cry of man, who in vain has worked hard to sooth their guilty sin laden conscience by creating various religions and or acts of the flesh. Some of the ways man has tried to appease his conscience come in the form of so called Christian cults such as Russelism, Mormonism and Christian Science. Others such as, eastern religions of idolatry, human and animal sacrifices and the beating of the flesh. Worshipers of Satan as well as others who go about committing murder and mayhem in the name of Allah which are considered good works.
All of these twisted means are an attempt to get right with God. However, even in all of these things, God's character has not changed and man's fallen nature is still the same. Man today can no more approach God without a Mediator than he could throughout his entire history. Some men will even tell us that if they live a good moral life, that this is all God can require of them, and that if there is a heaven they have as much right to it as those who trust in the merits of Jesus of Nazareth, the one and only Mediator. Paul tells us, "For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time." (1 Timothy 2:5-6) Peter tells us, "Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved." (Acts 4:12)
Only the people who have welcomed Jesus Christ as Savior and have received the life that He brings from God have an assured confidence that they can once again can approach God without guilt, condemnation or inferiority. Let no one deceive you. It is only by the grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ alone that one can, "...come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need." (Hebrews 4:16) "...and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ." (1 John 1:3) The writers of the Bible all teach one great truth, "Man needs a Mediator." Today, scholarship if it is scholarship, knowledge if it is real knowledge, should lead all minds to the same goal. "How then can man be righteous before God? Or how can he be pure who is born of a woman?" (Job 25:4) As with Job, it is still the cry of the human heart, man needs a Mediator and that Mediator is Jesus Christ the Son of the Living God.
Please take some time to ponder the words written here. There are people that you know who need Jesus the Mediator. He is the only one who can set people free from the guilt of sin. He is the only one whose sinless blood has paid in full the crimes of humanity. He is the only one who came to give life and give it abundantly. Never forget what He has done for you. So, now go and tell another person the Good News, Jesus is alive and "this is the promise that He has promised us, eternal life." (1 John 2:25) PTL...
To take this sorrow even further, man is described as having become a partaker of Satan's nature. He is not only a subject of Satan politically, but he is vitally united with him. Jesus pointed this out to the Pharisees when they feverishly tried to defend their self-righteousness, "You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it." (John 8:44)
Job had a startling encounter that also reveals man's state without a mediator before God, "Now a word was secretly brought to me, and my ear received a whisper of it. In disquieting thoughts from the visions of the night, when deep sleep falls on men, fear came upon me, and trembling, which made all my bones shake. Then a spirit passed before my face; the hair on my body stood up. It stood still, but I could not discern its appearance. A form was before my eyes; there was silence; then I heard a voice saying: Can a mortal be more righteous than God? Can a man be more pure than his Maker?" (Job 4:12-17)
This is the age old problem. This is the eternal problem that has confronted the thinking man of all ages. Can mortal man be justified or acquitted before God? Shall fallen man be pure in the presence of his Maker? Job also paints a graphic picture of an aged man on his death-bed facing eternity and the approach of judgment. Job continues and speaks out of the agony within his soul. "Now my days are swifter than a runner; they flee away, they see no good. They pass by like swift ships, like an eagle swooping on its prey. If I say, ‘I will forget my complaint, I will put off my sad face and wear a smile, I am afraid of all my sufferings; I know that You will not hold me innocent. If I am condemned, why then do I labor in vain? If I wash myself with snow water, and cleanse my hands with soap, yet You will plunge me into the pit, and my own clothes (self-righteousness) will abhor me." (Job 9:25-31)
Job knows that he cannot face God, for God is not mortal and He is not under the bondage and guilt of sin as Job is. Job then utters the saddest words that ever fell from the lips of a human. "There is no mediator between us, who may lay his hand on us both." (Job 9:33) In other words, there is no Mediator between man and God who has a legal standing with God and at the same time can sympathize, understand and represent man. This is Job's cry for a mediator. But it is not the cry of Job alone. It is the age old cry of man, who in vain has worked hard to sooth their guilty sin laden conscience by creating various religions and or acts of the flesh. Some of the ways man has tried to appease his conscience come in the form of so called Christian cults such as Russelism, Mormonism and Christian Science. Others such as, eastern religions of idolatry, human and animal sacrifices and the beating of the flesh. Worshipers of Satan as well as others who go about committing murder and mayhem in the name of Allah which are considered good works.
All of these twisted means are an attempt to get right with God. However, even in all of these things, God's character has not changed and man's fallen nature is still the same. Man today can no more approach God without a Mediator than he could throughout his entire history. Some men will even tell us that if they live a good moral life, that this is all God can require of them, and that if there is a heaven they have as much right to it as those who trust in the merits of Jesus of Nazareth, the one and only Mediator. Paul tells us, "For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time." (1 Timothy 2:5-6) Peter tells us, "Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved." (Acts 4:12)
Only the people who have welcomed Jesus Christ as Savior and have received the life that He brings from God have an assured confidence that they can once again can approach God without guilt, condemnation or inferiority. Let no one deceive you. It is only by the grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ alone that one can, "...come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need." (Hebrews 4:16) "...and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ." (1 John 1:3) The writers of the Bible all teach one great truth, "Man needs a Mediator." Today, scholarship if it is scholarship, knowledge if it is real knowledge, should lead all minds to the same goal. "How then can man be righteous before God? Or how can he be pure who is born of a woman?" (Job 25:4) As with Job, it is still the cry of the human heart, man needs a Mediator and that Mediator is Jesus Christ the Son of the Living God.
Please take some time to ponder the words written here. There are people that you know who need Jesus the Mediator. He is the only one who can set people free from the guilt of sin. He is the only one whose sinless blood has paid in full the crimes of humanity. He is the only one who came to give life and give it abundantly. Never forget what He has done for you. So, now go and tell another person the Good News, Jesus is alive and "this is the promise that He has promised us, eternal life." (1 John 2:25) PTL...
Monday, March 23, 2015
I Am What I Am
The Apostle Paul says of himself, "But by the grace of God I am what I am..." (1 Corinthians 15:10) Paul tells us that it is by the favor of God that he is all that he is. All of his success; all of his ability; all that he is can be traced to God alone. In other words, Paul no longer identifies himself as Saul of Tarsus, his old nature, but as an Apostle, not called and appointed by man, but by God himself, the new nature. (Galatians 1:1) Paul was in tune with God. He further tells us, "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me." (Galatians 2:20)
This is a very powerful scripture and it is important for believers to comprehend its fullness. As it was with Paul, it is the same for the believer. How we formerly identified ourselves no longer applies. We are to identify ourselves with Christ. For instance when a person is asked to describe themselve, they usually mention race, religion, cultural background or social distinctions. But Paul was not associating himself with those things anymore, although he did mention these things to show where he came from. (Philippians 3:5-6) This did not mean that he was not a Jew in the natural sense, but now the overriding factor in his life was his identification with Christ. His identity was no longer determined by his physical heritage, social standing or racial distinctions. It is the same with every believer. Our identity lies in the fact that believers are all children of God, we are in Christ and Christ is in us.
Although we can be thankful for our physical heritage, we must be far more grateful for our spiritual heritage in Christ. The significance of this highly essential truth cannot be overstated. When a person becomes born again, they are completely forgiven and are immediately given a new nature, the very nature of God (Ephesians 4:24; 2 Peter 1:4) Furthermore, Paul tells us, "For we are His workmanship, (masterpiece) created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them." (Ephesians 2:10) Believers are now citizens of heaven (Philippians 3:20) Peter tells us that believers, "...are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy." (1 Peter 2:9-10)
Unfortunately, many people have had a very difficult childhood. Many are raised in a dysfunctional family. Their identity and perception of themselves were formed and programmed into their minds through the natural orders of this world. But for many, even when they receive the gift of eternal life through faith in Jesus Christ, and are elated with this good news, generally, are never led away from associating with the old self. They are never brought to a place of seeing themselves how God the Father truly sees them. They tend to struggle in this new life as a Christian not knowing this simple but very important truth, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new." (2 Corinthians 5:17) They are no longer products of their past, but made completely new in Christ. Note, "...old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new." Not renovated, not patch up, not a hybrid, but are completely made new, a new creation like Christ Himself.
So, how can one come to the place of being set free from their past and live a victorious life in Jesus Christ. The Apostle Paul tells us, "And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God." (Romans 12:2) Believers are to be transformed (metamorphosed) by the renewing of their mind. Renewing the mind does not come naturally. There is no delete button that erases the past programming of the mind. We have to consciously come to know God's Word so that we can truly understand and know who we are from God's perspective. This does not come by-way-of intellectual knowledge, but by applying faith in the integrity of God's Word, that is, believing and acting on what God says in His Word. Of course to believe and act on God's Word requires revelation.
The renewing of the mind is a process. Changing the old way of thinking that has been constantly rehearsed in the mind does not go away because we wish it away. Knowing who we are in Christ and knowing how the Father sees us is not theology or theory nor the power of positive thinking. It come by-way-of a revelation of truth (God's Word) through the Holy Spirit and then exercising faith in this new revealed knowledge. Reason being, a persons faith will not exceed the revelation that they have.
If you are struggling with your past, who you were before you became born again, then all you need to do is, "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!" (Matthew 7:7-11) God has some wonderful things that He has for you. All you need to do is believe and receive them, "Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them." (Mark 11:24) PTL
This is a very powerful scripture and it is important for believers to comprehend its fullness. As it was with Paul, it is the same for the believer. How we formerly identified ourselves no longer applies. We are to identify ourselves with Christ. For instance when a person is asked to describe themselve, they usually mention race, religion, cultural background or social distinctions. But Paul was not associating himself with those things anymore, although he did mention these things to show where he came from. (Philippians 3:5-6) This did not mean that he was not a Jew in the natural sense, but now the overriding factor in his life was his identification with Christ. His identity was no longer determined by his physical heritage, social standing or racial distinctions. It is the same with every believer. Our identity lies in the fact that believers are all children of God, we are in Christ and Christ is in us.
Although we can be thankful for our physical heritage, we must be far more grateful for our spiritual heritage in Christ. The significance of this highly essential truth cannot be overstated. When a person becomes born again, they are completely forgiven and are immediately given a new nature, the very nature of God (Ephesians 4:24; 2 Peter 1:4) Furthermore, Paul tells us, "For we are His workmanship, (masterpiece) created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them." (Ephesians 2:10) Believers are now citizens of heaven (Philippians 3:20) Peter tells us that believers, "...are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy." (1 Peter 2:9-10)
Unfortunately, many people have had a very difficult childhood. Many are raised in a dysfunctional family. Their identity and perception of themselves were formed and programmed into their minds through the natural orders of this world. But for many, even when they receive the gift of eternal life through faith in Jesus Christ, and are elated with this good news, generally, are never led away from associating with the old self. They are never brought to a place of seeing themselves how God the Father truly sees them. They tend to struggle in this new life as a Christian not knowing this simple but very important truth, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new." (2 Corinthians 5:17) They are no longer products of their past, but made completely new in Christ. Note, "...old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new." Not renovated, not patch up, not a hybrid, but are completely made new, a new creation like Christ Himself.
So, how can one come to the place of being set free from their past and live a victorious life in Jesus Christ. The Apostle Paul tells us, "And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God." (Romans 12:2) Believers are to be transformed (metamorphosed) by the renewing of their mind. Renewing the mind does not come naturally. There is no delete button that erases the past programming of the mind. We have to consciously come to know God's Word so that we can truly understand and know who we are from God's perspective. This does not come by-way-of intellectual knowledge, but by applying faith in the integrity of God's Word, that is, believing and acting on what God says in His Word. Of course to believe and act on God's Word requires revelation.
The renewing of the mind is a process. Changing the old way of thinking that has been constantly rehearsed in the mind does not go away because we wish it away. Knowing who we are in Christ and knowing how the Father sees us is not theology or theory nor the power of positive thinking. It come by-way-of a revelation of truth (God's Word) through the Holy Spirit and then exercising faith in this new revealed knowledge. Reason being, a persons faith will not exceed the revelation that they have.
If you are struggling with your past, who you were before you became born again, then all you need to do is, "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!" (Matthew 7:7-11) God has some wonderful things that He has for you. All you need to do is believe and receive them, "Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them." (Mark 11:24) PTL
Monday, October 6, 2014
I Did Not Know I Had That
Did you ever take a particular amount of money and intentionally put it aside for some reason, but forgot that you did it and also where you put it? I know I have and probably many of you have done the same. However, sometime later, you decided to do some extended cleaning or maybe just going through some personal items and found the money that you had put away and in your surprise you thought, "Where did that come from" or "I did not know that I had that."
Interestingly enough, you really cannot say "Where did that come from" or "I did not know that I had that" because you actually had the money. The only issue is, the money did not do you any good because you did not know you had it. Although this is something that happens in the natural, for many the same thing happens to them in the spiritual. When it come to spiritual things the thinking is, "If the Bible says it, it is automatically mine." This is only true to a point. The Apostle Paul states, "For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us." (2 Corinthians 1:20) Yes, the promises of God through Christ belong to believers, but have believers exercised faith to receive them, or are they only hidden somewhere in the Word of God.
God has given us His Word so that we would take the time to discover what we have been given through our faith in Jesus Christ. A good example of this would be eternal life. A person can have eternal life because one day they confessed with their mouth and believed in their heart the Lord Jesus Christ and not really know depths of eternal life. Their thinking maybe, "Thank you Lord that I am saved and now when I die I'll go to heaven." This is true, but you will not enjoy the reality of eternal life in this life because you do not know its depths or what it is suppose to do for you.
Many of the lyrics in our hymns and songs today speak of eternal life as a destination and not an instant transformation of ones old nature to the new nature in Christ. "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation." (2 Corinthians 5:17-18) This is the miracle of becoming born again. The Apostle Paul is not talking about ones body or soul, he is talking about the spirit, "the hidden man of the heart." (1 Peter 3:4)
According to scripture, Jesus came to earth for many reasons, "to seek and saved that which was lost" (Luke 19:10); "To bear witness of the truth" (John 18:37); "To give His life a ransom for many" (Mark 10:45) and so on. But He also came for another incredible reason that many have not come to understand nor walk in the reality of, "I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly." (John 10:10) The word "life" here is the Greek word, "Zoe." That is the God kind of life; eternal life. The reality is, the moment that one is born again, God imparted His very nature into our human spirit. We are in Christ. Christ is in us. We have the nature of God. We have the life of God.
The Apostle Paul tells us, "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me." (Galatians 2:20) Notice that Paul tells us how to fully come to the understanding of and how to take advantage of the believers new life, eternal life, in Christ. We are to live by faith in Christ. In other words, what God says in His Word is one hundred percent true. It does not change with time because He does not change (Malachi 3:6; Hebrews 13:8) and we can put our faith in the integrity of His unchanging Word and not only understand what abundant life in Christ is, but also live in it in this life.
In short, living in abundant life is believing on and acting upon God's Word no matter what the circumstances of life may try to dictate, especially when they are contrary to God's Word. The Apostle Paul tells us how he lived in Christ, "For I, however I am placed, have learned to be independent of circumstances." (Philippians 4:11 TCNT) We can experience the abundant life that Jesus gave His life for, by exercising our faith and as Paul did, "learn to be independent of circumstances." It really isn't as difficult as it may seem, if we can remember as Paul, "I can do everything in the strength of Him (Christ) who makes me strong." (Philippians 4:13)
Interestingly enough, you really cannot say "Where did that come from" or "I did not know that I had that" because you actually had the money. The only issue is, the money did not do you any good because you did not know you had it. Although this is something that happens in the natural, for many the same thing happens to them in the spiritual. When it come to spiritual things the thinking is, "If the Bible says it, it is automatically mine." This is only true to a point. The Apostle Paul states, "For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us." (2 Corinthians 1:20) Yes, the promises of God through Christ belong to believers, but have believers exercised faith to receive them, or are they only hidden somewhere in the Word of God.
God has given us His Word so that we would take the time to discover what we have been given through our faith in Jesus Christ. A good example of this would be eternal life. A person can have eternal life because one day they confessed with their mouth and believed in their heart the Lord Jesus Christ and not really know depths of eternal life. Their thinking maybe, "Thank you Lord that I am saved and now when I die I'll go to heaven." This is true, but you will not enjoy the reality of eternal life in this life because you do not know its depths or what it is suppose to do for you.
Many of the lyrics in our hymns and songs today speak of eternal life as a destination and not an instant transformation of ones old nature to the new nature in Christ. "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation." (2 Corinthians 5:17-18) This is the miracle of becoming born again. The Apostle Paul is not talking about ones body or soul, he is talking about the spirit, "the hidden man of the heart." (1 Peter 3:4)
According to scripture, Jesus came to earth for many reasons, "to seek and saved that which was lost" (Luke 19:10); "To bear witness of the truth" (John 18:37); "To give His life a ransom for many" (Mark 10:45) and so on. But He also came for another incredible reason that many have not come to understand nor walk in the reality of, "I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly." (John 10:10) The word "life" here is the Greek word, "Zoe." That is the God kind of life; eternal life. The reality is, the moment that one is born again, God imparted His very nature into our human spirit. We are in Christ. Christ is in us. We have the nature of God. We have the life of God.
The Apostle Paul tells us, "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me." (Galatians 2:20) Notice that Paul tells us how to fully come to the understanding of and how to take advantage of the believers new life, eternal life, in Christ. We are to live by faith in Christ. In other words, what God says in His Word is one hundred percent true. It does not change with time because He does not change (Malachi 3:6; Hebrews 13:8) and we can put our faith in the integrity of His unchanging Word and not only understand what abundant life in Christ is, but also live in it in this life.
In short, living in abundant life is believing on and acting upon God's Word no matter what the circumstances of life may try to dictate, especially when they are contrary to God's Word. The Apostle Paul tells us how he lived in Christ, "For I, however I am placed, have learned to be independent of circumstances." (Philippians 4:11 TCNT) We can experience the abundant life that Jesus gave His life for, by exercising our faith and as Paul did, "learn to be independent of circumstances." It really isn't as difficult as it may seem, if we can remember as Paul, "I can do everything in the strength of Him (Christ) who makes me strong." (Philippians 4:13)
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