Jesus sent the twelve disciples out and "...He gave them power over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease."
(Matthew 10:1) In doing so, Jesus knew that as ambassadors for Him,
they would come in contact with some hostile people. Concerning this, He
tells them, “Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves." (Matthew 10:16) So what does it mean to "be wise as serpents?"
Jesus was using a serpent as an example because they are cunning.
(Genesis 3:1) He tells his disciples, they needed wisdom in the midst of
a world that would seek to take their lives. However, we also need to keep in mind that there are two type of wisdom.
The Apostle James tells us, "Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom. But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth. This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic. For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there. But
the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle,
willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and
without hypocrisy." (James 3:13-17) So, naturally, we will be
talking about "the wisdom from above," the Wisdom from God. But why
would Jesus not tell them to use the knowledge that they had received
while listening to His words and while observing His actions? Surely,
they must of acquired much knowledge being with Jesus day and night.
Wisdom shows
us how to use knowledge effectively. For instance, people know it is
not good to smoke, but they smoke just the same. They know it is not
good for their body to stay up late at night, get little sleep day in
and day out, yet they do it anyway. They
know they should not make a glutton of themselves, nor eat or drink
certain things, yet they do it with little regard. They know that they
should not exceed the speed limit on the highway and yet, with no regard,
they do this also. They know, but they are not using their
knowledge. Why? Are they being obstinate? Is it that they just don't
care? Could it be that they enjoy the adverse consequences that come
with such neglect or poor behavior? No, not at all. They simply lack
wisdom. If they were wise, they would cut out all these things that they
know are or could be harmful. So, with that said, let's look at the
Word of God spoken through Solomon...
"Wisdom
calls aloud outside; She raises her voice in the open squares. She cries
out in the chief concourses, at the openings of the gates in the city
she speaks her words: "How long, you simple ones, will you love
simplicity? For scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate
knowledge." (Proverbs 1:20-22) These are strong words, but also a
warning that we should listen and adhere to. If we know something, such
as shown in the examples above, and refuse wisdom to use the knowledge
that we have, then we are fools and we hate knowledge. Notice, what Wisdom continues to say, "Because
I have called and you refused, I have stretched out my hand and no one
regarded, because you disdained all my counsel, and would have none of
my rebuke. I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your
terror comes, when your terror comes like a storm, and your destruction
comes like a whirlwind, when distress and anguish come upon you." (Proverbs 1:24-27)
Just
observing the few examples above, we can see why so many believers
struggle in life. They know but they refuse wisdom and reject the
counsel that wisdom brings and therefore will deal with calamity and the
storms, distresses and anguish of life that could have been avoided,
simply by adhering to wisdom's "...rebuke..." and letting the "words of wisdom be known to you." (Proverbs 1:23) When wisdom is rejected we also see in the time of calamity, "Then
they will call on me, but I will not answer; They will seek me
diligently, but they will not find me. Because they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the Lord. They would have none of my counsel and despised my every rebuke. Therefore they shall eat the fruit of their own way, and be filled to the full with their own fancies. For the turning away of the simple will slay them, and the complacency of fools will destroy them.
(Proverbs 1:28-32) Could this be a reason why so many believers
struggle with sickness, disease, financial woes and broken
relationships? Could this be a reason why we see very little expressions
or experiences of God's Kingdom, Power and Glory in His church and
among believers?
Although this may sound hard, there is wonderful news. Wisdom also say, "But whoever listens to me will dwell safely, and will be secure, without fear of evil.” (Proverbs 1:33) PTL! Solomon goes on to tells us, "My son, if you receive my words, and treasure my commands within you, so that you incline your ear to wisdom, and apply your heart to understanding; Yes, if you cry out for discernment, and lift up your voice for understanding, if you seek her as silver, and search for her as for hidden treasures; Then you will understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God. (Proverbs 2:1-5) So, not one believer has to ever struggle in this life having knowledge but not applying wisdom " For the Lord gives wisdom; From His mouth come knowledge and understanding." (Proverbs
2:6) I want to encourage you to finish reading and meditate on all of
Proverbs chapter two. In it you will find some wonderful promises that
the Lord has for those who diligently seek wisdom.
Finally, I want to leave you with this encouraging word also from God through Solomon, "My son, give attention to my words; Incline your ear to my sayings. Do not let them depart from your eyes; Keep them in the midst of your heart; For they are life to those who find them, and health to all their flesh."
(Proverbs 4:20-22) Can we just imagine the abundant and successful life
that we can live now in this life, if we were to have a greater love
for God's Word? If we seek after God's Wisdom, we are actually seeking
after God Himself. Remember what the Apostle John tells us concerning
the Word, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." (John 1:1) "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 1:14) To have a love for God's Word is to love God. He and His Word are one. "For there are three that bear witness in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one." (1 John 5:7) So, let us daily seek after God, "For the Lord gives wisdom; From His mouth come knowledge and understanding." Amen...
Monday, March 4, 2024
Wisdom From Above
Monday, February 26, 2024
Do You Understand
Isn't it interesting, how a misunderstanding can cause so many problems.
To misunderstand is nothing more than a failure to understand something
correctly. Instead of drawing a wrong conclusion or applying wrong
actions, a misunderstanding can be avoided simply by finding out the
facts. For believers, the Bible is the place where we can look to and
find indisputable facts, because the Word of God is indisputable.
However, in saying that, the church has been in many disputes when it
comes to interpreting God's Word. There are two ways that we can
understand and interpret God's Word. One is through our own intellect.
However, the Apostle Paul tells us, "...We know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffs up..." (1
Corinthians 8:1) The knowledge that Paul is referring to is
intellectual understanding. The intellect is the vehicle where most of
our knowledge is acquired, but it is limited, because it cannot operate
without the five senses. This is also known as sense knowledge or mental
assent. Notice that Paul says that this kind of knowledge "puffs up" that
is, makes one proud and or arrogant. It is this type of knowledge that
has brought numerous erroneous doctrines into the church, which for
many, has reduced Christianity to a faithless, powerless religion.
The other
type of knowledge is revelation knowledge which Paul reveals in his
epistles numerous times and in numerous ways. This is the type of
knowledge that believers should strive for, because it is spiritual.
Revelation knowledge does not rely on the five senses, therefore, it far
exceeds intellectual knowledge. Paul tells us, "making mention of
you in my prayers: that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of
glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the
knowledge (precise and correct knowledge) of Him." (Ephesians 1:16-18) "For this reason we also, since the day we
heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be
filled with the knowledge (precise and correct knowledge) of His will in all wisdom and spiritual
understanding." (Colossians 1:9) However, to come into revelation
knowledge, first and foremost, believers must allow the Holy Spirit do
His work, "However,
when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all
truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears
He will speak; and He will tell you things to come." (John 16:13) Secondly, believers must exercise faith, "By faith we understand..." (Hebrews 11:3)
We can say that faith is
like a tender plant. It cannot stand the harsh winds or the torrential
down pour of sense (intellectual) knowledge or it is neutralized. Faith
must feed continually on the Word of God and then grows by acting on
that Word. Simply reading the Word, meditating on the Word, will not
build faith. It will, however, build a capacity for faith. Faith will
only grow when God's Word becomes a part of our daily conduct, our daily
speech and our daily actions. The word faith appears in the King James
Version of the Bible two hundred forty three time. Two time in the Old
Testament and two hundred forty one times in the New Testament. As we
can see, faith is an important element that should be a major part of
the believers daily life. In fact, "without faith, it is impossible to
please God" (Hebrews 11:6) and yet faith is one of those subjects that
has been so misunderstood, that most ministers today do not want to
teach or preach about it.
However, as faith grows, Satan's dominion over the believer wanes. Circumstances that life brings are less formidable. As ones faith grows, fear is destroyed and you
begin to possess your rights in Christ. You eventually possess the
things that you have merely hoped for in the past. For instance, at one
time you hoped for money to pay a bill, now by faith you have it. The
reason why many believers do not possess the things that are freely
theirs in Christ, is, although they may say that they agree with God's
Word, they simply have not acted upon it. They have merely taken an
intellectual approach to it, that is, they have mentally assented to it.
When believers not only agree with God's Word but also act upon it,
they reach the place where they no longer hope for things, but look up
and say, "Father, I thank you that I am what you say I am, your child.
(1 John 3:1) I thank you that your Word is true (John 17:17). I thank
you that you do not lie (Numbers 23:19). I thank you for the things that
I have asked for in Jesus Name." (Mark 11:23-24) What you once mentally
assented to, you now possess, because believing is possessing.
Next, we see that faith
grows in the atmosphere of confession of the Word. We are not speaking
of confession of sin. It is our confession of what God's Word declares
as to what we are in Christ, what Christ is in us, and how the Father
truly sees us. Continuous confession of God's Word becomes a living
thing in our hearts and minds. Just as the Word from Jesus' lips could
rule the sea, the winds, sickness, disease and even death, so God's Word
spoken from our lips will have the same effect. Every time we break the
silence caused by fear with an open confession of the integrity of the
Word, and act on the Word, we destroy the very roots of fear and
unbelief in our lives. Fear and unbelief grow with confession, in the
same manner as faith grows with confession. For instance, if you
confess that you are sick, unbelief grows in you. If you confess that
"by His stripes you are healed" faith grows.
So, let us not misunderstand. God's Word works when spoken through faith filled lips. His Word declares, "You will also declare a thing, and it will be established for you; So light will shine on your ways." (Job 22:28) "My covenant I will not break, nor alter the word that has gone out of My lips."
Psalms 107:20 "Forever, O LORD, Your word is settled in heaven." (Psalms 119:89) "You have magnified Your
word above all Your name." (Psalm 138:2) "The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever." (Isaiah 40:8) "So
shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to
Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in
the thing for which I sent it." (Isaiah 55:11) "Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass
away." (Mark 11:31) "So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." (Romans 10:17) "For the word of God is living and powerful." (Hebrews 4:12) Grace and peace to you from God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ.
Monday, February 19, 2024
In Him
There is an issue that has damaged many people's lives in today's
societies that deals with identity, it's called "identity thief."
Identity thief is defined as "the fraudulent acquisition and use of a
person's private identifying information, usually for financial gain."
There is also another issue that deals with ones identity found within
the world of psychology, called "identity crisis." This has been defined
as "the failure
to achieve ego identity during adolescence; a period
of uncertainty and confusion in which a person's sense of identity
becomes insecure." Both of these identity issues are the result of a
satanically influenced, fallen world.
In the Garden of Eden, God made man in His own image and likeness.
(Genesis 1:26) However, when Adam sinned against God, he actually lost
his identity.
He had now taken on the identity of his new father, Satan. Jesus clear
reveals this in one of His confrontations with the religious leaders
during His ministry on earth as the Son of Man, "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) Adam as the representative of all humanity has caused the
entire human race to take on this fallen satanic nature, identity. Jesus warns us
today, "The thief (Satan) does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy..." (John 10:10)
From the fall, man is now faced with a stolen identity which has led
him into an identity crisis. Although man lost his identity, God has
made a way for him to once again be identified with his Creator, God
Himself, through faith in Jesus Christ.
What fallen man does not comprehend and many believers have not found,
is that the spirit is who we really are. The body is not the real
person, it is merely the vehicle in which the spirit lives. The soul
(mind, will and emotions) is also not the real person but simply the part of mankind that uses the five senses to accrue information to operate in the natural realm. Simply remove one
of the five senses, and the mind loses its ability to learn and grow. If
all five senses are removed, the mind is rendered completely useless.
The Apostle Paul tells us, "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..." (2 Corinthians 5:17-18) The Apostle Peter tells us, "...that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature..." (2 Peter 1:4) Man could not be a partaker of God's divine nature (God is Spirit, John 4:24), if man were not recreated.
As a sinner, man is called "the old man" (Ephesians 4:22), who cannot
approach God (Ephesians 2:12-13) except through Christ. However, when
one comes to Christ, he/she receives a new identity. He
become a new man. (Ephesians 4:24) God has recreated him. The old man
has stopped being, and the new man has taken its place. The o1d man was
born of the spiritually dead satanic nature. The new man is born of the
very nature of God the Father. The believer no longer needs to identify
with the old nature, because God has recreated a new one. The identity
crisis is over. The stolen identity has been restored. Man in Christ is
returned to his true identity, a partaker of the divine nature.
Think about this; the old creation had no standing with God. The new
creation in Christ, can now stand in the
Father's presence as though sin had never been. As Paul reveals, the new
creation man has become the righteousness of God in Christ. (2
Corinthians 5:17) This is why it is so imperative to develop the
recreated human spirit, through the Word of God, (Romans 10:17), so the
believer can know his identity in Christ. 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, "it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me." Paul
no longer identifies himself with his old sinful nature, but identifies
himself with his new recreated nature, that of Jesus Christ.
Way
to often from pulpits, believers hear how they are nothing more than
sinners. This is the cause of many believers having an identity crisis.
As we see in the scriptures above, the recreated person in Christ is
just that, in Christ, not in the devil. "God has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love." (Colossians 1:13) "For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God." (Colossians 3:3) How can a person be delivered from darkness and be hidden in Christ if he or she were a sinner? "To declare that the Lord is upright; He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him." (Psalm 92:15 - also see John 7:18)
It is unrighteousness (sin) that keeps people from God. If believers
were still sinners, then they would not be permitted in the presence of
God. However, the writer of Hebrews says, "Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need." (Hebrews 4:16)
The
fact is, Christ became as we were, so that we might become as He is. He
died so that we could live. (John 10:10) He was made sin, to make us
righteous. (2 Corinthians 5:21) He became weak, to make us strong.
(Philippians 4:13) He suffered shame, to give us glory. (John 17:17) He was condemned, so we could be justified. (Romans 5:1) He was made sick, so we could have health and healing. (1 Peter 2:24) He
was forsaken by the Father and went to Hades, in order to take us to
heaven. (Acts 2:27) In Christ the believer finds his/her new and true identity. So let us no longer be rob of who we truly are and know "...as He is, so are we in this world." (1 John 4:17) PTL!!!
Monday, February 12, 2024
It Starts With The Heart
For centuries man has put much effort trying to understand the human
mind and behavior. Birthed out of the combination of philosophy and
biology this has come to be known as psychology. Although it is somewhat
difficult to capture everything that psychology encompasses, the
simplest definition of psychology is that it is the study of the human
mind and human behavior. Research in psychology seeks to understand and
explain thought, emotion, and behavior. However, it is limited due to
one simple fact. The human soul, that is, the mind, will and emotions,
became corrupted by sin at the fall of Adam in the Garden, effecting the
human mind and behavior in a negative, destructive, depraved manner.
However, the destructive nature of sin did not stop with the soul, it
completely corrupted the entire human himself, spirit, soul and body, "Then the Lord saw
that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every
intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually." (Genesis 6:5)
Even after the fall of Adam we see the gross destruction that one human brought upon another. "Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, and said, “I have acquired a man from the Lord.” Then she bore again, this time his brother Abel. Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground. And in the process of time it came to pass that Cain brought an offering of the fruit of the ground to the Lord . Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat. And the Lord respected Abel and his offering, but He did not respect Cain and his offering. And Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell." (Genesis 4:1-5)
Notice, Cain became very angry. Anger is considered a secondary emotion
because people tend to resort to anger in order to protect themselves
from or cover up other vulnerable feelings. A primary feeling is what is
felt immediately before one feels anger. Anger is defines as a strong
feeling of annoyance, displeasure, or hostility. Next, we see the
results of what the mind can produce if anger is not immediately dealt
with, "So the Lord said to Cain, "Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? If
you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin
lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over
it." Now
Cain talked with Abel his brother; and it came to pass, when they were
in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed
him." (Genesis 4:6-8)
We
see in the above scripture that not even the Almighty, All Wise God of
Heaven in His intervention was able to convince Cain to change his
thinking, his mind, which would have changed his behavior. It is apparent that Cain's mind was
already fixed by anger that eventually produced a horrific action. The
murder of his own flesh and blood brother. As we can see in this
example, the mind has been so corrupted with sin, how can one even think
that a science that deals with the corrupted mind is able to produce
any true positive and lasting results, especially when we see that Cain
would not change his mind even when God Himself intervened. Cain's mind
was so corrupt, I believe if a psychologist showed up on the scene to
try and reason with Cain, there most likely would have been two murders.
So, what is the solution to truly fix the human mind and behavior?
It is not mind over matter, it is not
doing good works, it is not even delving into religion although these
things in and of themselves may be considered good things. However, it
is not any of these things. It is "New Birth"
through faith in Jesus Christ, period! Why? Because new birth is not
mental, but spiritual. Psychology has to do with the mind, and the new
birth has to do with the "hidden man of the heart," (1 Peter 3:4) or
the spirit of man. Understand, man is in God's class of being, "Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness." (Genesis 1:26) "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 yourself, and You have crowned him with glory and honor. You have made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet." (Psalm 8:4-6)
When man was created in the Garden he was made in the image and likeness
of God, that is he was created as a spirit being with a soul in a body,
because God is a Spirit. (John 4:24) Man was created so that, by
partaking of God's nature, he might become a child of God. If man was
simply a physical being, then he would not have receive God's nature,
thereby, making him nothing more than a mental being. He had to be a
spirit being, an eternal being, who would live as God lives. Man was created so that he could be the companion and associate of God
Himself. As we saw in Psalm 8, God gave man authority over creation,
that is, the laws of nature as well as over every living thing. If we
were to study the gospels, the ministry of Jesus, we would find that the
same authority that Adam had was also given to Jesus. We would see in
the gospels such things as Jesus walking on water, changing water into
wine, restoring broken, maimed bodies, calming the sea and raising the
dead.
Before Adam fell in the Garden, during his fellowship with God, his
spirit ruled him. His soul and body were subject to his spirit. But,
when he sinned, his spirit was enveloped by his flesh (Genesis 6:4),
that is, the combination of his soul and body. He became spiritually
dead, took on the satanic nature and his spirit became subordinate to
his flesh, that is, his five senses. Adam was then driven from the
presence of God and became a partaker of a Satan corrupted world. In
this new world system he had to see clearly and hear keenly, or an
animal could take advantage of him and he could lose his life. His taste
must tell him what was good to eat. His touch must tell him whether or
not an object was hot or cold, sharp, rough or smooth. His wisdom and
knowledge would no longer be tied to God, but his education would be
gained through his five senses. Man's spirit lost contact with God. His
body became mortal, that is, subject to death.
This is the condition in which Jesus found the human race when He left
eternity and broke into time and space to introduce the Father to fallen
man for the purpose of restoring man back to God (2 Corinthians 5:18-19). So, as we can clearly
see, psychology has no ability to truly fix the human mind or behavior,
because the mind can only be transform when the "hidden man of the
heart" receives new birth. Jeremiah said it this way, "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; Who can know it?" (Jeremiah 17:9) Without the renewing of the heart, new birth,
the mind remains corrupted and under the sway of a satanically
influenced world (1 John 5:19). So, do not be surprised when people who have not
experienced new birth say and act the way they do. Where they are quick
to seek out psychologists and or psychiatrists hoping to find relief. It is simply fallen man trying to be fixed by fallen man. Jesus said, "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30). Grace and Peace be with you through Christ our LORD...
Monday, February 5, 2024
Seated With Christ
The climax of the meritorious work of the Lord Jesus Christ is His glorification, that is, "the seating of the Lord at His (Father Gods) right hand in the heavenly places, far
above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name
that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come." (Ephesians 1:20-21) This came about after
Jesus had been made sin with our sin; after He had paid the penalty for
our sin; after He had suffered unimaginably in spirit, soul and body,
all of this, so that the demands of justice against humanity could be met and paid in full. Once this was
accomplished, then Christ was raised from the dead. We may know these
facts but the good news is, we were raised with Him and seated with Him,
"But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus." (Ephesians 2:4-7) This was not our doing, but the Father's. The Father declares we are seated together with Christ. PTL
God the Word became flesh, a man (John 1:14); He identified Himself with
the human race (Philippians 2:6-8); He became the substitute for the
entire human race (John 3:16); He delivered the human race from the
authority of Satan (Colossians 1:13); After He has conquered Satan,
death, hell and the grave (Revelation 1:18), He arose from the dead; was
reunited with His physical body (Acts 2:27); carried His blood into the
Most Holy Place in heaven (Hebrews 9:12); He then sat down at the right
hand of the Majesty on High making redemption eternal, comprehensive and available to the entire human race. We have the God Man seated at the
Father's right hand as our advocate, (1 John 2:1), our mediator, (1
Timothy 2:5), our representative, our intercessor before the Father.
(Hebrews 7:25) This is the crowning event of redemption. Jesus seated
at the Father's right hand, and is the head of the new body, the Church.
It's no wonder that the Apostle Paul proclaims, "Blessed
be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with
every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ." (Ephesians 1:3)
Not only are we seated in the highest position in the universe with Christ, we are also blessed with every spiritual blessing that is necessary to maintain our place as members of His glorious body and live life abundantly through Him. In the mind of God, every believer is in Christ now. When we go to the
throne of Grace in prayer, it is as though Jesus Himself were going
there, for we go in His Name. The Apostle Paul tells us, "For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God." (Colossians 3:3) Every believer is hidden from the adversary, but we are visible to the Father. The writer of Hebrews says, "For
Christ has not entered the holy places made with hands, which are
copies of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the
presence of God for us." (Hebrews 9:24)
Jesus is
at the right hand of the Father as our representative, as our Lord, who
gave Himself for us. If Christ sat down at God's right hand, it is
because the Father
accepted Him and accepted what He did for all humanity, especially every believer. The fact that He is
seated there is the seal of our acceptance in the beloved. (Ephesians
1:6) This should cause us to see that our Redemption is a completed,
eternal, finished thing. So, let us not get caught up in the worry and
anxiety that the world would try to conform us to, but let us exercise
our faith in the integrity of God's Word and know that as Christ is, "far
above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name
that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come" (Ephesians 1:21) so we are also for we are in Him as we can see, "the Father has put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all." (Ephesians 1:22-23) PTL...
Monday, January 29, 2024
Life More Abundantly
The expression "Living Large" is described as, "Living an extravagant
lifestyle." Naturally, this refers to a worldly concept that is solely a
self-indulgent lifestyle. But for believers, if we were to think of
what Jesus did for us through His death, resurrection and glorification,
we to would come to realize that in Christ we too are "Living an
extravagant lifestyle." This does not insinuate that as the world we are
to be self-indulged, but truly thankful that all Christ is and has, is
ours. Jesus tells us, "I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. However,
when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all
truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears
He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you. All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you." (John 16:12-15)
Notice, "All things that the Father has are Mine...He will take of Mine and declare it to you."
The Apostle Paul tells us some wonderful things concerning what the
Father has given to Christ, Christ has given to the Holy Spirit and the
Holy Spirit has given (made all these things available) to believers. "For
you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you
received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.” 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 8:15-17) Paul continues, "He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?" (Romans 8:32) You might ask, "How could this be so?"
One of the things that bears witness to what Paul tells us is the resurrection
of the Lord Jesus Christ. His resurrection is the proof of Satan's
defeat, man's redemption, which gave the Father the legal right to make
the believer a new creation. (2 Corinthians 5:17) Ephesians 1:7 also
bears witness with this fact, "In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace." Christ has made redemption both eternal and available to all who confess Him. The
moment one is born again, redemption is immediately ours and Satan's
dominion over us ends. Redemption has nothing to do with us, it is
according to the riches of His grace. We were crucified with Him, died
with Him, were buried with Him, suffered with Him, were justified with
Him, were made alive with Him, conquered Satan with Him, were raised
together with Him and are now seated with Him. (Romans 6; Ephesians 1-2) Hallelujah!!!
The resurrection of
Jesus is proof of our victory over the adversary. It is not theory, but
fact that cannot be denied. Every person who confesses Jesus as Lord
and takes Him as Savior, in the mind of the Father is a victor over the
adversary. Unfortunately, so few of the Father's children have seen this
mighty truth, that is, our victory was in the victory of Christ. When
Jesus broke the power of death, Satan and sin, His victory became our
victory. The Apostle Paul tells us, "If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God." (Colossians 3:1) In the mind of the Father it was our translation, our deliverance, "from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love." (Colossians 1:13)
I believe that the greatest message of our perfect victory over the adversary is found in Ephesians 1:19-23 "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, far
above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name
that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come. And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all."
The same power that resurrected Christ and united Him with His dead body
to reanimate it and fill it with immortality is also in the believer.
Look at the wonderful Word from God through Paul to us, "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." (Ephesians 3:20) We
are more than conquerors (Romans 8:37) because of the life of God that
was imparted to us in the new creation. It is the power of God unveiled
in the resurrection that shook the foundations of hell. Today, when
believers know that they were raised together with Christ, when they
know they are victors in every situation and over every circumstance
they may find themselves in, then they know the fact that God has lifted
us far above all rule, authority, power and dominion, not only in this
age, but in that which is to come.
The Father gave Christ who is the head of the body to be master over all
the forces of the universe. Because we are His Body, the church,
therefore, God has put all things in subjection under the believer's
feet. Jesus gave to the believer a legal right to the use of His Name.
(Mark 16:17) He actually gave all believers the power of attorney so that in the
Name of Jesus every demon and every power should obey that Name when
spoken from the lips of the believer. There isn't anything too hard for
God. (Luke 1:37) God's ability is the ability that He gives to us, so
His resurrection
is the proof of our right to reign over Satan and demons. He was raised
because He had conquered Satan in our stead, so that we should no
longer live in fear, condemnation, guilt or inferiority of the unseen
forces of darkness.
This is great news. This is why we can consider ourselves as "living
large." We do this by God's grace and our faith in Jesus Christ. We do this knowing
that "we can do all things through Jesus Christ." (Philippians 4:13) We do this knowing that “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.” (Mark 9:23) And we do this knowing "If God is for us, who can be against us?" (Romans 8:31) So let us live large. Let us "be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might." (Ephesians 6:10) Let us live large by grace through faith in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.. It is "in Him we live, move and have our being." (Acts 17:28)
Monday, January 22, 2024
Born From Above
In the Garden of Eden, God gave Adam a command, "Then the Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it. And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” (Genesis 2:15-17) In saying "you shall surely die" literally means "dying you shall surely die." In other words, in eating from the tree "of the knowledge of good and evil" Adam
would experience death in two realm, first the spiritual realm then the
physical. In the spiritual realm, his sin cut off his ability to
communion with God and he became dominated by his body and soul, that
is, the flesh. (Genesis 6:3) We also see this in the physical realm,
after he ate of the tree, his physical body lived another 930 years
(Genesis 5:5).
When Jesus met with Nicodemus, He made a very interesting statement, "Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit."
(John 3:5-6) The key here is found in verse six. There is a distinction
between the flesh (body and soul) and the spirit. Notice, "that which is born of the Spirit is spirit." In other words,
the human spirit is born (born again) of God's Spirit. After Adam fell,
all people were now spiritually dead and were in need to be born of
God's Spirit. In order for this to happen, God would have to reverse
what Adam did. As believers, we know this was accomplished through Jesus
Christ. But how?
Isaiah 53:9 tells us, "And they made His grave with the wicked, but with the rich at His death..." However,
in the Hebrew the word "death" is plural, deaths. This indicates that
Jesus died both spiritually and physically. Isaiah also tells us, "...And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all." (Isaiah 53:6) The Apostle Paul tells us, "For He (God) made Him (Jesus) who knew no sin to be sin for us..." (2 Corinthians 5:21) God made Jesus sin with our sin. Paul tells us, "For the wages of sin is death..." (Romans 6:23) We know that Jesus
was sinless, (Hebrews 4:15) so it was not His physical death that gives
humanity the right and privileged to be born again of the Spirit, but
His spiritual death that paid the price and now provides "...the gift of God, eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans
6:23) Keep in mind that Jesus was fully human. It was not the Holy
Spirit in Him that became sin, but Jesus' human spirit.
The Apostle Paul tells us, "knowing
this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin
might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin."
(Romans 6:6) The old man (the old spiritually dead, satanic nature) is
dead, so let it be dead and live in the newness of life. Paul tells us, "For
if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly
we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection." (Romans 6:5) "even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved)." (Ephesians 2:5) "And
you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your
flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all
trespasses." (Colossians 2:13) Here we witness the miracle of the eternities which took place in the depths of hell where Jesus was "Justified in the Spirit," (1 Timothy 3:16) where Jesus was, "...put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit." (1 Peter 3:18)
How it must have shaken the foundation of hell when they saw Him made alive breaking the bonds of spiritual death, "I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death." (Revelation 1:18) The Father said of Jesus after He was made alive, "You are My Son, today I have begotten You." (Psalm 2:7; Acts 13:33) Paul reveals, "And
He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the
firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence."
(Colossians 1:18) Jesus Himself was the fist to be born again and has
now opened the door of redemption to all to become as He is. PTL
Paul tell us, "Jesus was delivered up because of our offenses, and was raised because of our justification." (Romans
4:25) In hell God declared Jesus righteous and alive and at the same
time counted us righteous and alive also. We are now new creations, (2
Corinthians 5:17) His sons and daughters. (1 John 3:1) The moment we
accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior, new birth became a reality in us and "our old man was crucified with Him," it died. Jesus tells us, "I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly." (John 10:10) So let us say goodby to the old man, and live in the fullness of the new abundant life in Christ Jesus.