God at Work In Us

During a particular encounter that Jesus had with a group of Pharisees, He said to them, "For 
laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men...All too well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition." (Mark 7:8-9) This brought Jesus to tell them, "...making the word of God of no effect ..." (Mark 7:11) This provokes a question for believers today. "Do we also make the Word of God of no effect by failing to enter into our privileges that the Father has provided us through Jesus Christ?" The Holy Spirit through the Apostle Paul reveals, "And what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places." (Ephesians 1:19-20)

Is it not true that God worked in Christ and provides an answer to every need and demand of the believer's life? Is it not true that redemption covers absolutely every need of mankind? The answer is yes to both questions. Therefore, should it not be wrong for us to live in spiritual weakness when there is grace to meet every need? Far too many believers have unconsciously put a premium on weakness, and talk about unbelief, doubts, and fears as though they were the typical way of life for the believer. The Holy Spirit through the Apostle John reveals, "But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God." (John 1:12-13)

The Holy Spirit through the Apostle Paul tells us, "The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ." (Romans 8:16-17) Because we are sons and daughters of God almighty, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, it would seem as though it were wrong for a believer to confess weakness and failure. Look what David tells us, "The Lord is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; Of whom shall I be afraid?" (Psalm 27:1) So, if God is the strength of my life, if He comes into my life and imparts Himself to me, then I have the strength of God!

John reveals, "You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world." (1 John 4:4) Believer, "You are of God!" "You are born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God." He is a part of you. He has imparted His own nature to you. (2 Peter 1:4) Not only that, but He has actually come into your body
and now lives within you. (1 Corinthians 3:16) He has the same power today that He had when He raised Jesus from the dead. Therefore, every believer has a right to His strength and ability.

God is the strength of the believers life, and He is with us now. His life is our life; His strength is our strength. No wonder the Apostle Paul said, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." (Philippians 4:13) There is limitlessness to Paul's wonderful statement. This does not only mean physical strength, it also means the ability to meet any kind of need. When Jesus said, "But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you..." (Acts 1:8) A more literal translation would be, "You shall receive the ability of God, when the Holy Spirit has come upon you." 

Again, the Apostle Paul tells us, "that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man." (Ephesians 3:16) If your "inner man" is made strong, then it only stands to reason that the outer man will respond to that strength. In other words, the strength of God for the inner man is the strength of God for the physical man. Therefore, we have the God given ability to enjoy the very fullness of our privileges in Christ. The Apostle Paul goes further and says, "and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power." (Colossians 2:10) The believers relationship through new birth has brought each one of us into absolute union with God. Paul also tells us, "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)

The new creature is made according to God and His very nature, "and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness." (Ephesians 4:24) It is God's nature, God's life, which is imparted to our recreated spirit. We are actually members of the body of Christ, physically and spiritually, "Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ?" (1 Corinthians 6:15) "For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s." (1 Corinthians 6:20) Based on these truths, it is absolutely wrong for any believer to consider or think of themselves as being weak and useless. God planned that every believer should be filled with the Holy Spirit, and that the Spirit's ability should dominate our life.

So, with these thing said and in the presence of grace, that is, God's ability at work in us, let us never again talk about, confess or even think that we are empty or weak when every believer can be filled with all the fullness of God. (Ephesians 3:19) Finally, "Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen. (Ephesians 3:20-21) 

Our Father Has No Favorites

It should be a great comfort to our heart to know that our Heavenly Father has no favorites, (Acts 10:34; Romans 2:11) and that all of His children have their own place in His heart. Let's look at the wonderful things that believers have in Christ as seen in Jesus' prayer for all who would become His disciples. "I do not pray for these (the apostles) alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me." (John 17:20-23)

Notice the grammar, "that they" be one with each other in the same manner the the Father and Son are One; "that they" be one with the Father and Son; "that they" all share together the same glory that the Father gave to the Son; "that they" all be made perfect in one. Finally, notice, that the Father loves all His children with the same level of love that He loved Jesus. Absolutely no favorites, but all believers are on the same level plain with the Father and Son. PTL. Due to these facts, every believer has the right to enjoy the same redemption. The work that the Father accomplished in Christ absolutely destroyed the power of the enemy, and now redeems every person who will confess Jesus Christ as Lord and receive Him as Savior into a complete, full, lacking nothing, redemption.

Everyone has the same righteousness. No one has a better righteousness, or more righteousness, but all have God's righteousness. (2 Corinthians 5:21) Righteousness comes through the new creation. (2 Corinthians 5:17, 21) When we are born again, we receive the life and nature of God, the Father. (John 10:10; 2 Peter 1:4) It is God's very nature in us that makes us righteous. Again, there is not one of His children that has more of His righteousness than another. All who receive His nature have come into His family and are recognized as the sons and daughters of the great Father, God, (1 John 3:1), and everyone has the same rights in the family.

Each one may have different gifts, callings, or ministries, but they do not make him/her any dearer to the heart of the Father. Everyone has the same love nature, the same great Holy Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead. Everyone has a right to the same kind of fellowship with the Father and the Son. (1 Corinthians 1:9; 1 John 1:3) Everyone has a right to the use of the Name of Jesus to deliver people from the dominion of Satan, to cast out demons and to heal the sick. (Mark 16:17-18) Everyone has the right to every promise of God. (2 Corinthians 1:20) Our Father has no favorites. If you have not known this, I pray that you will ask the Lord for a deep revelation of this wonderful truth. This will open the door to a closer, more intimate fellowship with the Father, resulting in a sweeter and richer life. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you...