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Psalm 8:3-6 “When I consider thy heavens, the work of
thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; What is
man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou
visitest him? For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and
hast crowned him with glory and honour. Thou madest him to have dominion
over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all [things] under his feet:”
We are spirit beings fashioned in the very likeness of
God Himself, who is the Father of all spirits. We are a unique species
of creature that possesses divine attributes and characteristics. We can
think, feel, and communicate with God and with one another. We have been
given dominion over all of creation and the Lord wants us to freely
enjoy His many gifts, as He intended from the very foundation of the
world.
Man was formed to be the center of God’s attention. He
crowned us with honor and glory like His own. He imparted many of His
own characteristics and attributes to us, so that we could commune with
Him on a regular basis. There was never meant to be a separation between
God and man. Our Creator purposed to be with us for all of eternity, and
to provide all of our spiritual and temporal needs in abundance.
Our lives can be demonstrations of His divine
benevolence, if we are focused and determined to be all that the Lord
wants us to be. We need not depend on anything other than God for our
life source; it is His Holy Spirit breathed into us that sustains our
being. He created all the universe for our good pleasure. He wants us to
be fully alive – healthy, happy and prosperous – and in intimate
fellowship with Him at all times.
Micah 7:7 “Therefore I will look unto the LORD; I
will wait for the God of my salvation: my God will hear me.”
However, sin interrupts that relationship, and man has a
natural tendency towards evil and disobedience. We cannot rebel against
God and expect to remain close to Him. When we sin, we subject ourselves
to Adam’s curse and we lose touch with our blessings. We become cold,
callous and indifferent towards Him and to one another. We put ourselves
at risk for condemnation and permanent separation from our God.
It is not the Lord’s intent that any man perishes. He is
loving, merciful and compassionate and stands ready to forgive us for
all of our mistakes. However, none of us can be righteous in our own
strength. All of us have fallen short of the glory of God and missed the
mark. We are flawed and imperfect, no matter how hard we try to be
otherwise. We must repent and renounce all our sins and seek to be
reconciled with Him.
We desperately need salvation to restore us to right
standing with our Creator. We cannot hope to survive any other way.
Unless we are in close relationship with our God, we will be destroyed.
He will hear all of our pleas for deliverance and show Himself strong on
our behalf. The Lord will not permit us to disappear off the face of the
earth. He has developed a plan to redeem us from all of our sins and set
us totally free.
John 3:16-17 “For
God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that
whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that
the world through him might be saved.”
The Lord’s eternal redemption plan for all of mankind is
perfect, lacking nothing. If we believe that He sent us salvation
through Jesus Christ, we are born again in our spirit man and receive
the free gift of eternal life. Temptation and sin, disease and death no
longer reign over us. Our right standing with the Lord is restored to
its original state and we will live forever in the presence of almighty
God Himself.
He regards us as His very own sons and daughters. We are
actually seated with Christ in heavenly places at the right hand of God.
We are joint-heirs with Jesus to all the promises for righteousness.
There is no good thing that the Lord will withhold from us. He will meet
all of our needs in abundance and protect us from all harm. One day very
soon, He will even gather us into the everlasting Kingdom of God on this
earth.
If we reject the truth for any reason, we are already
condemned in our own rebellion. We cannot plead ignorance either. The
Gospel is being preached all over the world and every man, woman and
child has an equal opportunity to receive it, be converted, saved and
baptized in Jesus’ name. The Lord has made certain that no one will
perish for lack of knowledge; the truth is being made readily available
to everyone.
We must make the life-changing choice to repent of all
of our sins and follow Jesus Christ or be eternally punished. We cannot
have it both ways. Faith in Christ is an “all or nothing” proposition.
We either choose to believe in the Son of God and accept Him as our
personal Savior, or we will perish. We will be permanently excluded from
God’s Kingdom, and have our share in the lake of fire with all the
wrongdoers.
Mankind Needs A Savior
1John 4:9 “In this was manifested the love of God toward
us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we
might live through him.”
There is bad in the best of us, and good in the worst of
us. None of us can boast that we are totally sin free. All of mankind
needs a savior. The Lord sent His only Son, Jesus Christ, to the earth
realm, so that all men would have the opportunity to be saved. He was
God in every respect, yet He took on a human form and became one of us,
so we could be redeemed from our sin through His efforts.
Christ treated our sin debt as if it were His very own.
He suffered and died a horrible death, so that we would not have to do
the same. He became a curse for us, so that we could be blessed and
restored to our right standing with God for all time. Through our faith
in Him, we can overcome all evil in our own individual lives and take
dominion over the entire earth, as we are meant to do.
Jesus was the total sacrifice that was required to
appease God and satisfy all the requirements of the Old Testament Law
that specified death as a penalty for sin. Not only did He die for us,
but He also rose again from the dead, conquering sin, death and the
grave once and for all. Because of His obedience on our behalf, we have
inherited the free gift of eternal life. All we need do is believe.
If we do accept Christ as our Lord and Savior and
confess Him as such before God and man, we will be saved. All things
will be possible for us; we actually become new creatures in Christ and
our sinfulness is no longer an issue with God. When He sees us, He sees
the righteous Blood of Jesus Christ and accepts us as His beloved. We
become His very own sons and daughters for all of eternity.
Luke 19:10 “For the Son of man is come to seek and to
save that which was lost.”
None of us is righteous in our own strength. We have all
fallen short of the glory of God and inherited iniquity from our
ancestors. We need to be restored to our right standing with God. The
only way to the Father is through the cross of Jesus Christ. We must
accept Him as our Lord and Savior and be baptized with water and the
Holy Spirit. If we do, we are born again and eligible to enter into
God’s presence.
Our lives will change as never before. Our minds will be
renewed in the truth and our behavior will be transformed until it
becomes holy and perfect, just as God is holy and perfect. This process
of regeneration takes time and effort on our part. We must repent of our
sins and relinquish all selfishness. We should follow all of God’s
commandments to us, walk in love and imitate the laid down life of Jesus
Christ.
We will soon discover that we are new creatures in
Christ, and nothing remains the same. We will be more interested in
spiritual things than in the world. We will seek to serve God and our
fellow man. We will be given eternal callings, so that we can be all
that we were meant to be from the very foundation of the world. The Lord
will imbue us with divine power and authority, so that we can overcome
all evil with good.
Isaiah 12:2 “Behold, God [is] my salvation; I will
trust, and not be afraid: for the LORD JEHOVAH [is] my strength and [my]
song; he also is become my salvation.”
The Lord loves us with a deep, abiding love. He
developed a perfect plan for the eternal redemption of all mankind. He
sent His very own Son, Jesus Christ, into the world, so that all men
might be saved through Him. Christ came to teach us the ways of God and
to offer up His very own life as a penalty for our sin guilt. Jesus did
not come to condemn mankind, but to redeem us from all of our iniquity
once and for all.
He was perfect in every way, yet He actually became sin
for us and took on all our sin debt as if it were His very own. Christ
died an agonizing death just for us, so that we would not have to be
separated from God ever again. He was the only perfect sacrifice that
could be made in atonement for all of our transgressions. Because of
Him, we receive the gift of eternal life and become eligible to enter
into the Kingdom of God.
We need not ever fear that we will ultimately be
destroyed for our sinfulness. Through salvation in Jesus Christ, we have
been set free to inherit innumerable blessings in this life and in the
Kingdom to come. We are actually joint-heirs with Jesus to all the
promises of God. Our covenant relationship with Him has been restored to
its original state. When the Lord looks at us He sees His very own,
beloved sons and daughters.
There is no good thing that He will withhold from those
who love Him and walk in His ways. He will bless us with good health,
long life and prosperity. He will answer all of our prayers for
ourselves and for others. He will protect us from all harm and assign
ministering angels to defend us from all evil. He wants to fellowship
intimately with us, and take an active interest in the most minute
details of our everyday lives.
Romans 8:29 “For whom he did foreknow, he also did
predestinate [to be] conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be
the firstborn among many brethren.”
There is no longer a separation between God and man. We
are united once again, as we were from the very creation. We have all
our rights and privileges restored to us. We have been given the entire
earth and everything in it for our pleasure. The Lord looks at us and
sees the righteousness of Christ Himself, who was the firstborn of many
brethren. We are treated as His very own, beloved sons and daughters.
The Lord does not have a long list of rules and
regulations for us. He is not interested in dead religion that keeps us
in bondage of any kind. Rites and rituals, pomp and ceremony do not
impress Him in any way. Sacrificial homage is not what the Lord
requires. He is interested in a personal relationship with each and
every one of us. He seeks the inner man of the heart that is meek and
humble, contrite and sincere.
Our God desires that we share our innermost thoughts and
feelings with Him. He is ever ready to hear from us, and quick to
respond to any needs that we might have. He is not mocked; He can
readily spot a phony. If we are critical and judgmental of others or
proud and arrogant, the Lord will reject us. Nothing evil or defiling
can ever enter into His presence and He will turn His back on those who
are worldly.
If we pursue a deep, personal relationship with our
Creator and His Son, Jesus Christ, we will eventually become holy and
perfect, just as God is holy and perfect. We will grow and develop in
all spiritual maturity and embrace our eternal callings, as we are
divinely destined to do. We will serve the Lord and His people with joy
and gladness and rescue many others who are still lost in darkness and
deception.
1John 2:2 “And he is the propitiation for our sins:
and not for ours only, but also for [the sins of] the whole world.”
It is not the Lord’s will that any man perishes for lack
of knowledge. Christ died to save all of mankind from their sins, once
and for all. He is the Redeemer of the entire world. All men, women and
children who believe in Him will be saved to eternal life. There is no
one too incorrigible that the Blood of Jesus Christ cannot save him from
condemnation.
There is a full number of souls that are predestined for
salvation. Their names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. Christ
will draw them to Himself and nothing will deter Him in reaching all
those who are called by His name. However, we must cooperate with our
redemption and be willing to repent of all known sin, and be born again
and baptized.
We have all fallen short of the glory of God. There is
nothing that we can do in our own ability to avoid death as the penalty
for our sin. Unless we accept Christ as our Lord and Savior, we will be
relegated to die. However, if we do believe in Him and all that He did
for us, we will live forever and be eligible to enter into His
everlasting Kingdom on earth.
The terms of the law have been satisfied in their
entirety with Christ’s death on the cross. There is no longer a sin debt
to be paid by mankind, unless we refuse to believe in Him and
deliberately keep on sinning. If we fully repent, believe the truth, and
turn towards the Lord, we will be saved. There is no other way that a
man can be reconciled to God.
The Plan For Our Reconciliation
2Corinthians 5:19 “To wit, that God was in Christ,
reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto
them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.”
Jesus Christ was God made man for our express benefit.
He was with the Father from the very foundation of the world and He has
all the attributes and characteristics of almighty God Himself. There
was only one way that our Creator could restore us to right standing
with Him after the fall of Adam. That was to take on a human form, and
serve as our substitute in death, reconciling us to Himself.
Our Lord and Savior was obedient to the law which
stipulated death as a penalty for all iniquity. He was without sin of
any kind, but He became sin for us. He offered up His own life, and
suffered a horrific, agonizing death just to atone for our disobedience.
Had He chosen to forego His own personal suffering, we would still be
estranged from God and required to die for our own sin guilt.
However, Christ loved us so much that He went through
all that He did, so that we would not suffer the same fate. He restored
us to right relationship with God, so that there need never be a
separation between us ever again. Man has all of his rights and
privileges returned to him. The Lord even blots out all of our
sinfulness from His memory and regards us as His very own sons and
daughters.
There is no good thing that He will withhold from those
who love Him and walk in His ways. He will generously bless us in this
life and in the Kingdom to come. He will take vengeance on all of our
enemies and recompense us for anything that we have lost or had stolen
from us. The Lord will vindicate us before both men and angels, and make
our names a praise on the earth for all of eternity.
Hebrews 2:17 “Wherefore in all things it behoved him
to be made like unto [his] brethren, that he might be a merciful and
faithful high priest in things [pertaining] to God, to make
reconciliation for the sins of the people.”
Christ came to this earth to be a mediator between God
and man. Even though He was God, He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and
born of a woman, flesh and blood in every way. He actually became one of
us, so that He could teach us His ways and provide us with eternal
redemption. He willingly suffered, died and was buried, so that our sin
debt was cancelled, and we could be reconciled with God.
We have become joint-heirs with Jesus Christ to all the
promises of righteousness. We will reign in this life and in the Kingdom
to come. If we imitate the laid down life of Jesus, we will develop His
very own characteristics. We will receive gifts and callings that enable
us to serve the Lord in power and authority. We will deliver all mankind
from its bondage to sin and evil and baptize many in Jesus’ name.
There is no reason that anyone should perish. The Gospel
of peace is being preached throughout the entire world. Salvation is
available as a free gift to all men, women and children who desire it.
There is no one too incorrigible that the Blood of Christ cannot save
him from destruction. The Lord extends His love, mercy and compassion to
each of us. We must tell all mankind the good news and set them free!
Ephesians 2:4-7 “But God, who is rich in mercy, for
his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins,
hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) And
hath raised [us] up together, and made [us] sit together in heavenly
[places] in Christ Jesus: That in the ages to come he might shew the
exceeding riches of his grace in [his] kindness toward us through Christ
Jesus.”
The Lord sought us out even when we were steeped in sin
and evil, darkness and deception. It was His deepest desire to be
reconciled with man. He granted us unmerited favor and sent His very own
Son to redeem us from our iniquity. The Lord wants every man, woman and
child to be saved from their sins, so that He can be in intimate
fellowship with us, as was planned from the foundation of the world.
Jesus always intercedes for us with His Father. We can
ask anything in His name, and know that we will have all of our requests
answered. There is no good thing that the Lord will withhold from us. He
will bless us extravagantly and provide all of our needs in abundance.
We have inherited great and precious promises for our faith, and we are
seated with Christ in heavenly places at the right hand of God.
We can approach the Lord now from a very favorable
position. He will hear all of our prayers and communicate with us on an
intimate basis. He will reveal our divine destinies to us, so that we
can partner with Him in saving others. Very soon now, He will gather us
to be with Himself for all of eternity in the everlasting Kingdom of
God. We will dwell in His actual presence and enjoy His companionship.
The Lord will meet all of our needs in abundance and
take vengeance on all of our enemies. He will vindicate us before both
men and angels. He will boast of us to all creation as His very own sons
and daughters and take an active interest in all the details of our
lives. Our God will make certain that we have peace and prosperity,
health and longevity, safety and security, joy and freedom for all of
eternity.
Romans 5:15 “But not as the offence, so also [is] the
free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the
grace of God, and the gift by grace, [which is] by one man, Jesus
Christ, hath abounded unto many.”
Adam sinned in the Garden and sealed our fate. Through
his transgression all of mankind was condemned to spiritual and physical
death as a penalty for sin. However, through one man’s perfect and total
obedience, we have been redeemed for all time. We now have grace with
God. Our sin debt is forever cancelled and our relationship with Him has
been fully restored. He sees us as His very own sons and daughters and
He will bless us, as He had intended to do from the creation of the
world.
Christ not only died to save us from our sins, but He
also brought us life in abundance to the overflow. We are going back to
the Garden of Eden with no downside this time. Very soon now, He will
gather us to be with Him in His everlasting Kingdom on the earth and we
will be blessed beyond all of our imaginings. There will be peace and
prosperity, safety and security, joy and freedom for all time. Our
bodies will even be changed to be like His very own. We will be
impervious to disease, decay and death.
We will live forever in the presence of almighty God
Himself. He will boast of us to all creation and supply all that we need
to be happy, healthy and prosperous. We will lack no good thing for all
of eternity.
All evil will be destroyed and nothing that is defiling
will ever harm us in any way. We will dwell together in love and unity
as brothers and sisters. All men will be righteous and know the Lord.
The Kingdom of God will be our eternal legacy and we will share in
Christ’s very own honor and glory.
Confession Unto Righteousness
Romans 10:10 “For with the heart man believeth unto
righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”
If we believe that Jesus Christ was indeed the Son of
God who came into the world to save us from our sins with His death on
the cross, then we should confess Him before God and man. Faith without
works is futile, and we must take a stand for the truth. Christ lived a
perfect life on this earth; willingly died for us as our substitute; and
then was raised from the dead. Because of Him, we have inherited eternal
life.
Our salvation is now complete. We are actually new
creatures in Christ and we should be baptized as an outward sign of the
inward change to our spirit man. Water baptism signifies that we are now
dead to sin and alive to righteousness. We should also pray for the
baptism in the Holy Spirit, and the Lord’s very own Spirit will permeate
our very being. We will have our minds renewed and our behavior
transformed.
No longer subject to the power of sin, we can be all
that we are destined to be in the Lord. His Holy Spirit will convict us
of any wrongdoing and strengthen us so that we can avoid temptation. We
will eventually be able to overcome the world, our flesh and the devil
and become Christ-like in our thoughts words, and actions. We will
embrace our eternal callings and serve the Lord and His people with joy
and gladness.
Acts 4:12 “Neither is there salvation in any other:
for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we
must be saved.”
Our faith is an “all or nothing” proposition. If we are
truly sincere and repent of all our sins, we will be saved. There is no
way that mankind can be totally redeemed from its sins and restored to
right standing with God, other than through a sincere belief in Jesus
Christ and confession of Him as Lord and Savior. We must also establish
a personal relationship with our Lord and imitate His laid down life.
We should follow all of His commandments to us and
sanctify ourselves of all carnality and selfish soul ambitions. We
cannot deliberately violate any of God’s moral absolutes and remain sin
free. Sin is sin, and it requires payback; we cannot purposely rebel and
hope to be saved to eternal life at the same time. We should walk in
love and righteousness, just as Jesus did, and strive to be holy and
perfect.
Through the power of Jesus Christ’s name, we can become
all that the Lord intended for us to be from the very foundation of the
world. He was the firstborn of many brethren. We are the sons of God and
we have eternal destinies to fulfill. He requires our help in ushering
in His eternal Kingdom and we cannot ever compromise our righteousness
in any way. All men will be looking to us as godly examples.
Philippians 2:11 “And [that] every tongue should
confess that Jesus Christ [is] Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
We are literally the Body of Christ on the earth – His
hands, feet and voice – and we will glorify Him in all that we think,
say and do. We will fulfill our divine destinies, and help to usher
heaven itself into the earth realm in the Kingdom of God. Every knee
will bow and every tongue proclaim that “Jesus Christ is Lord over all
of creation.” We will be known as the people who are called by His holy
name.
We will share our faith with others and preach the
Gospel of the Kingdom of God throughout the entire world. We will
baptize many in the name of Jesus Christ and bring in the full, end-time
harvest of souls.
We will work miraculous signs and wonders to attest to
the divine power and authority that has been given us. We will heal the
sick, cast out demons and even raise the dead back to life once again.
We will speak to all world governments and challenge
them to establish principles of fairness, justice and equality in
dealing with their people. We will abolish all oppression and eliminate
all wars, violence and conflict between men. We will restore peace,
order and stability on the earth and prepare the entire world for heaven
to be ushered in. Nothing will be impossible to us if we do it in
Christ’s name.
We will renew all of creation according to the express
will of God. Plants and animals will soon be in full harmony with one
another and subject to man, as they were in the Garden of Eden. We will
speak to the climate and regulate it, so that it is always temperate and
predictable. All forms of pollution will be totally reversed, and there
will be no more natural disasters that cause devastation and
destruction.
We will take back the earth and everything in it for our
Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and prepare the hearts of all mankind to
receive their King. Men will either believe the truth or perish in their
rebellion. Christ will destroy all the ungodly and their ungodliness in
the wrath of His coming. He will bind Satan and all his minions in the
bottomless pit and banish all wrongdoers to the eternal lake of fire.
Delivered From The Power Of Evil
Galatians 1:4 “Who gave himself for our sins, that he
might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of
God and our Father:”
Ever since the fall of Adam, it has been our heavenly
Father’s express will that mankind be restored to its original
innocence, so that He could be in intimate fellowship with us once
again. But none of that was possible because we were inherently weak and
sinful. He developed a perfect plan for our redemption. He sent His very
own Son, Jesus Christ, to the earth to teach us His ways and to deliver
us from all evil.
There is no greater love than the love, mercy and
compassion that the Son of God showed for mankind. He came to this earth
as a mere man, yet was perfect and sinless in every way. Jesus Christ
willingly laid down His own life, so that He could be our substitute. He
suffered the penalty of death for the sins of the whole world. Christ
delivered us from the power of sin and brought us life in abundance to
the overflow.
We are now righteous by the Blood of Jesus Christ, and
by that alone. We should no longer have a sin consciousness; we have
been restored to right standing with God. We can approach Him without
shame, guilt and condemnation. He views us as His very own sons and
daughters, and we are entitled to all the blessings for righteousness.
He will supply our needs and take an interest in all the details of our
lives.
Colossians 1:13-14 “Who hath delivered us from the
power of darkness, and hath translated [us] into the kingdom of his dear
Son: In whom we have redemption through his blood, [even] the
forgiveness of sins:”
We were once lost in our sins and relegated to death as
eternal punishment for them. We were without hope; under the curse of
spiritual darkness; and subject to the power of all the evil that
surrounds us. Nothing that we could do in our own right could help us
break free; restore our original relationship with almighty God; and
redeem us in His eyes. All mankind was doomed to devastation and
destruction.
Christ took on the curse for us, so that we could be
eternally blessed. He actually became sin and then suffered its penalty
of death. With that one perfect act of obedience, He has delivered us
from all forms of evil. We have been redeemed from all our sins, and we
are covered by His precious Blood. When God looks at us, He views us as
being righteous and we have been translated into His everlasting
Kingdom.
We can approach the throne of grace from a very
favorable position. We are actually seated with Christ in heavenly
places at the right hand of God. We simply make our needs known to our
Father and He is faithful to make certain that they are met in
abundance. We have inherited great and precious promises for our
righteousness. There is no good thing – spiritual or temporal – that He
will ever withhold from us.
Eternal life is now within our grasp, and no one can
steal our birthright from us. We will inherit the everlasting Kingdom of
God plus all of it many benefits, together with our Lord and Savior,
Jesus Christ. Our bodies will be changed in their very essence, so that
we are impervious to disease, decay and death. We will dwell in love,
peace and unity with one another in the holy presence of almighty God
Himself.
1John 5:18-20 “We know that whosoever is born of God
sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that
wicked one toucheth him not. [And] we know that we are of God, and the
whole world lieth in wickedness. And we know that the Son of God is
come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is
true, and we are in him that is true, [even] in his Son Jesus Christ.
This is the true God, and eternal life.”
When we are born again in Christ, we become new
creatures in Him. We repent of all our sinfulness and renounce it for
all time. We take a strong stand against evil and thwart all of the
devil’s efforts to tempt and oppress us. The enemy cannot harm us unless
we open the door to him by deliberately sinning. If we submit ourselves
to God and resist the devil, he will flee from us.
Our Lord and Savior actually lives in us by faith. He is
our role model for righteousness and godliness. We should imitate His
laid down life and serve others just as He did. We are seated with Jesus
Christ in heavenly places at the right hand of the Father. We have been
given divine power and authority to conquer all evil with good, and
rescue all of mankind from destruction.
We should preach the Gospel with power and conviction
and urge others to repent of their sin and be baptized in Jesus’ name.
Very soon now, the Lord will gather us to Himself for all eternity. We
must prepare the hearts of men to dwell with our God. No evil will be
permitted in His presence. We will have to overcome the world, our flesh
and the devil in the days to come.
A Defeated Foe
1John 3:8 “He that committeth sin is of the devil;
for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of
God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.”
Jesus came to this earth as mere man; He was human in
all respects, just as we are. Yet He was totally sinless and pure in all
that He thought, said and did. His righteousness was beyond reproach and
His obedience complete. He willingly went to the cross as our
substitute. He laid down His own life just for us, so that we could
receive eternal life and be reconciled with almighty God once and for
all.
He also overcame all evil with good. Christ was tempted
of the devil just as we are, yet victorious in every way. He stripped
Satan of all his power and authority in this world with His victory over
sin, death and the grave. He restored man’s dominion over all things on
the earth back to those who believe in Him and walk in His ways. We need
not ever fear that the devil will overpower us; he is already a defeated
foe.
Believers will reign in this life and in the Kingdom to
come. We are totally victorious through Jesus Christ, His very own kings
and priests. We can do all things in His name and conquer all that is
evil and defiling. We will take back the earth and everything in it and
change the fate of all mankind, as we are destined to do. We will
operate in divine power and authority to implement God’s express will in
this world.
Colossians 2:14-15 “Blotting out the handwriting of
ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it
out of the way, nailing it to his cross;[And] having spoiled
principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing
over them in it.”
Our Lord and Savior not only redeemed us from all of our
sins, but He also recouped power and authority in this world from Satan,
the enemy of our souls. He made an open show of the devil for all of
creation to see when He went to the cross. Jesus triumphed over all evil
with His glorious resurrection from the dead, and gave dominion on the
earth back to mankind before He went to be with His Father.
Jesus Christ has given us a divine commission. He wants
us to complete His ministry in this world. He will endue us with His
very own anointing power to take back the earth and everything in it for
the Kingdom of God. We will preach the Gospel with real conviction and
win many souls to the Lord. We will heal the sick, cast out demons and
raise the dead back to life, just as Christ once did.
We will challenge all human governments and enforce
Kingdom principles of fairness, justice and equality. We will advocate
for the weak and innocent and eradicate all forms of oppression and
exploitation that keep men in bondage to those who are despotic. We will
eliminate all poverty in this world system and redistribute the wealth
of the universe, so that no human being lacks any of his basic needs.
The Body of Christ will correct the imbalance that
exists in all of nature. We will command harmony in the plant and animal
kingdoms and cause all predatory activities to cease. We will take
control of the climate, so that it is always temperate and predictable.
There will be no more natural disasters that cause devastation and
destruction. We will renew the entire earth and reverse effects of
pollution.
Romans 8:37 “Nay, in all these things we are more
than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that
neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor
things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other
creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in
Christ Jesus our Lord.”
We are more than conquerors through all that Jesus
Christ did for us. The Lord no longer looks on us as being wicked and
unrepentant. We do not share in Adam’s guilt, nor are we held
accountable for our own iniquity. We have been washed clean in the Blood
of Christ and we can overcome the world, our flesh and the devil. We are
joint-heirs with Him to great and precious promises for righteousness.
We are the sons and daughters of almighty God and nothing will be
impossible to us.
The devil is a defeated foe and we will destroy all
demonic strongholds that cause men to walk in darkness and deception. We
will preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ and set others free from their
bondage to sin and evil. We will work miracles, signs and wonders in His
name and relieve the pain and suffering of all mankind. We will prepare
the earth and everyone in it for the return of Christ to rule and reign.
He will destroy all evil in the wrath of His coming and bind Satan in
the abyss.
Heaven itself will soon come to the earth realm and it
will be our eternal legacy. The Lord will actually come and take up
residence with His people. We will be blessed beyond all our
expectations with peace and prosperity, health and longevity, safety and
security, joy and freedom. Christ will rule as a righteous King, and
make certain that we are always happy, healthy and content. The Kingdom
of God will be idyllic – the perfect environment for both God and man to
forever enjoy.
The Light Of The World
John 1:9-10 “[That] was the true Light, which lighteth
every man that cometh into the world. He was in the world, and the world
was made by him, and the world knew him not.”
The world was in chaos and confusion, ignorance and
deception many times in the past. The Lord realized that men needed
guidance and direction and He sent His very own Son to teach us His ways
and save us from eternal damnation. Jesus Christ was God Himself, made
man for our express benefit. He came to bring the light of God to a
darkened world, so that all mankind could know the truth and be set
free.
Unfortunately, He was scorned and rejected by many in
His day. Even though He worked miraculous signs and wonders for the
benefit of others, He was still considered to be an impostor. The Jewish
religious leaders doubted that He was indeed the Son of God, as He
purported to be, and derided Him. Only a select few recognized His true
identity; followed His teaching; and gave Him the respect that He
deserved.
Christ was sentenced to death by the very people that He
came to save. They were steeped in wickedness and rebellion, lacking
knowledge and understanding. Had they known that He was their Messiah,
they would have rallied to His cause and spared Him from an ignominious
death as a criminal. As it was, Jesus was still eminently successful in
His mission; He redeemed all of mankind from their sins for all time.
His light still remains, even thousands of years later.
We, who walk in it, know that we serve the one, true living God. If we
are faithful to our Lord, we will be glorified with Him one day in the
very near future. We will be appointed kings and priests of God and even
judge both men and angels. Christ will share His Kingdom with us, and we
will rule and reign with Him over all the nations of the world for all
eternity.
John 3:19-21 “And this is the condemnation, that
light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light,
because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the
light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.
But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made
manifest, that they are wrought in God.”
Christ was the perfect Lamb of God, who died as the
sacrificial victim for all our sins and transgressions. He willingly
laid down His own life on this earth, so that we could be spared the
suffering and pain of death as a penalty for our iniquity. He became sin
for us and took on its entire curse, so that we could be blessed for all
of eternity, according to the will of His Father.
He was totally obedient unto death and redeemed all of
mankind – every man, woman and child – in the process. Christ overcame
sin, death and the grave, so that we could also overcome it in our own
personal lives. He gave us freedom to be all that the Father has
intended us to be from the very creation. We are restored to our right
standing with God through no effort on our own.
However, many will still choose to reject Him, as they
once did. They will be condemned to permanent punishment for their
ignorance and rebellion. It is so simple for man to be saved to eternal
life. All that we need do is believe in Christ and appropriate His
righteousness as our own. If we do, our lives will be radically changed
and we will become the sons of God Himself.
We must resist the darkness and all it signifies. Our
evil deeds must be exposed to the light of Christ, so that sin and
rebellion no longer have a hold on us. Once we realize that what we are
doing offends our God and hurts others and ourselves, we will be
persuaded to change the direction of our lives. We will seek repentance
and faith in Christ, and be translated into His kingdom of light.
John 8:12 “Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying,
I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in
darkness, but shall have the light of life.”
Darkness still threatens to overtake us if we are not
vigilant. We should be in the world, but not of it. If we believe in
Jesus Christ and all that He accomplished on our behalf, we will be
delivered from darkness to light. Jesus came to teach us God’s way of
doing things. If we walk in love and keep all of the Lord’s commandments
we will always remain sin free and in right standing with God.
If we should ever make mistakes and fall short of His
glory, we can sincerely repent and be forgiven once again. However, we
cannot ever deliberately sin and expect God’s mercy. He is fair and
just, but He cannot abide evil. He expects us to be uncompromisingly
righteous under all situations and circumstances. We have been bought
with a dear price – the Blood of His only Son, Jesus Christ.
We should imitate the laid down life of Christ and
strive for holiness and perfection, just as God is holy and perfect. We
will soon dwell with Him for all of eternity, and our righteousness will
have to be above and beyond reproach. His Holy Spirit will convict us of
all sin and lead us into spiritual maturity, so that we can be all that
the Lord has intended for us from the very foundation of the world.
Jesus Sent Us The Holy Spirit
John 14:16-17 “And I will pray the Father, and he
shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;
[Even] the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it
seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth
with you, and shall be in you.”
If we have repented of all our sins, been born again
through our faith in Jesus Christ, and been baptized in His name, we are
also eligible to receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit. We can pray and
ask the Lord to send His very own Spirit to us and He will always honor
our prayer. His Holy Spirit will be breathed into us, so that it
permeates our entire being, leaving us comforted and strengthened in our
spirit man.
The Holy Spirit convicts us of sin and leads and guides
us into all truth. He endows us with supernatural traits and abilities
that are like those of God Himself. He imparts spiritual fruit to us
that will enhance our relationships with God and with others. If we
accept our eternal callings and divine destinies, we may also be given
spiritual manifestations that enable us to serve the Lord and His people
in powerful ways.
We might be given the gift of spiritual tongues, so that
we can communicate with God on a more intimate level. Perhaps we will
receive revelation, so that we have deeper insights into the mysteries
of our faith. We could prophesy and be given words of wisdom or words of
knowledge to share with others. We may be able to work various miracles
in Jesus’ name or minister healing and deliverance to His people.
Galatians 5:22-25 “But the fruit of the Spirit is
love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness,
temperance: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ's
have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in
the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.”
When we are baptized in the Holy Spirit, our lives
change as never before. We acquire the attributes and characteristics of
almighty God Himself. He dwells in us in our spirit man, and we dwell in
Him as His beloved sons and daughters. There is no longer a separation
between us. His Holy Spirit binds us together, so that we think like God
thinks; say what He says; and do what He asks us to do.
The fruit of the Spirit will manifest in our lives as we
grow and mature in the Holy Spirit of God. Our love will be authentic,
and we will have supernatural joy and peace in all of our situations and
circumstances. Our faith will be increased as we learn to trust the Lord
for all His provision. We will imitate the laid down life of Christ
Himself, and become good, gentle, meek, temperate and longsuffering.
Our personal relationship with God will be enhanced, so
that we have increased intimacy with Him. He will empower us to serve
Him in ways we may have only dreamed were possible. We will become
humble servants of all mankind and share our faith, so that others can
be set free and saved to eternal life. We will learn to walk in the
Spirit instead of our flesh and accomplish great feats for the Lord.
We will usher in the Kingdom of God and change the fate
of the entire world, as we are destined to do. Mankind will be delivered
from the enemy and their bondage to sin. We will establish Kingdom
principles of fairness, justice and equality as the norm. There will be
peace, order and stability on the earth, as the Lord has always desired.
Men will dwell in harmony with one another and with God.
1Corinthians 2:12 “Now we have received, not the
spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know
the things that are freely given to us of God.”
The baptism of the Holy Spirit will change our lives, so
that we are fully empowered to live out our divine destinies and
function just as Jesus Christ did during His ministry. We will have
God-given power and authority to destroy all evil, and take back the
entire earth for the Kingdom of God. Nothing will be impossible to us,
if we walk in the Holy Spirit rather than in our flesh.
We will speak to world governments and challenge their
leaders to treat their constituents with the dignity and respect that
they deserve. We will actively work to eliminate all wars, violence and
conflict in our human relations. We will establish peace, order and
stability on the earth, and prepare the hearts of men for the return of
Jesus Christ to rule and reign in His everlasting Kingdom.
All of nature will be subject to man again, as it once
was in the Garden of Eden. We will make certain that the plant and
animal kingdoms are compatible with each other and that all predatory
activities cease. We will speak to the climate and regulate it, so that
there are no more natural catastrophes that ever threaten mankind and
cause widespread devastation and destruction to the earth.
We will set godly examples and baptize many souls in the
end-time harvest. We will heal the sick of all their afflictions. The
blind will see; the deaf will hear; and the lame will walk. We will cast
out demons in Christ’s name and deliver men from their oppression and
bondage to sin. We will even raise the dead back to life once again, so
that they can join us in the eternal Kingdom of God.
Walking As Christ Walked
John 6:45 “It is written in the prophets, And they
shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and
hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me.”
We are indeed privileged to have had Christ visit the
earth and teach us God’s way of doing things. We have no excuse for
ignorance; the Gospel messages are resplendent with wisdom and
revelation. We have been well schooled in God’s motives and methods. Now
we must apply the teaching that we received and walk just as Christ
Himself walked the earth.
Our Lord and Savior focused His teaching on faith, love
and obedience. He taught us that we must believe in God and totally
trust in His provision for us. He also stressed the importance of our
love for God and for one another. We should love the Lord with our whole
heart, mind, soul and strength, and accord Him all of the deference and
the respect that He deserves.
We are without excuse when it comes to loving others, as
well. Jesus reminded us that we must love one another, as He loved us.
He insisted on peace and unity among His followers. In fact, we must be
at peace with all men wherever possible, and treat them, as we would
wish to be treated. We should walk in love at all times, and be obedient
to God’s will for us.
There are many who are still lost in their sin, darkness
and deception. We should share our faith and make the free gift of
eternal life available to them, so that they can also be set free, as we
have been. We cannot just rest on our laurels and expect the Lord to do
all the hard work. We have received eternal callings that will impact
the future of the entire human race.
We must preach the Gospel with power and conviction and
baptize new believers in Jesus’ name. We should heal all those who are
sick and afflicted. We must cast out demons and set men free from all
oppression and bondage to sin and evil. We will even raise the dead back
to life once again, so that they can join us in the everlasting Kingdom
of God.
Matthew 5:17 “Think not that I am come to destroy the
law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.”
If we are born again, baptized with water and the Holy
Spirit, we are brand new creatures in Christ. Sin no longer reigns over
us in any way. We are the sons and daughters of almighty God with divine
destinies. We must sanctify ourselves of all our carnality and selfish,
soul ambitions. We cannot ever deliberately violate any of the Lord’s
moral absolutes or we run the risk of eternal condemnation and
punishment.
Christ did not come to abolish the law in any way; He
came to fulfill it. He taught us to love God and one another and
stressed the importance of keeping all the commandments. We cannot
transgress the law of love and hope to remain in right standing with
God. Love is the basis for the Ten Commandments. God is consummate love
itself. Whoever wishes to be in a relationship with Him must be loving
at all times.
If we imitate the laid down life of Christ Himself and
walk in love and obedience just as He did, we will be totally righteous.
Christ always ministered unselfishly to the needs of others, and we are
called to do the very same thing in our service to the Lord. If we wish
to be masters of all men, we must first be their servants. There is much
to be done, and few who will respond in the critical days that lie ahead
of us.
Mark 16:15-18 “And he said unto them, Go ye into all
the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth
and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be
damned. And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall
they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take
up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them;
they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.”
Jesus taught us God’s ways and gave us a divine
commission to fulfill before He returns to us to rule and reign. If we
believe in His name and sanctify ourselves of all known sin, we will be
empowered to walk as He walked on the earth. We are to resume His
ministry and do the things that He did to serve others. We should preach
the Gospel of the Kingdom of God, and set men free from their bondage to
sin and evil.
We should also heal the sick of all their afflictions
and cast out demons in Christ’s name. We can even raise the dead back to
life once again. We have been given divine power and authority over all
the works of darkness and we must defeat Satan once and for all time. We
should take back the earth and everything in it, so that the everlasting
Kingdom of God can be brought here in all its glory without further
delay.
Nothing will in any way be impossible to us, if we are
consecrated and dedicated to the Lord’s eternal redemption plan.
Almighty God will back us up in all that we do, and assign legions of
ministering angels to assist us in our efforts on His behalf. We will
overcome all evil with good, as we are divinely destined to do. The fate
of the entire world will be positively affected because of our
willingness and obedience.
Isaiah 61:1 “The Spirit of the Lord GOD [is] upon me;
because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek;
he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the
captives, and the opening of the prison to [them that are] bound;”
The Lord, Jesus Christ, came to this world on a mission
from almighty God Himself. He was imbued with divine power and authority
to do good and release mankind from its bondage to sin. The Lord was
with Him in all that He did to minister to others. He preached the
Gospel, proclaimed liberty to the captives and delivered men from
demonic oppression.
We are the Body of Christ on the earth – His hands, feet
and voice – to all of mankind. We should resume Christ’s ministry where
He left off and function just as He did. There are many souls that still
have to be gathered in the end-time harvest before the Kingdom of God
can come to this earth. We will have to preach the Gospel with genuine
conviction.
There can be no strife and division among us if we are
to serve the Lord as we are destined to do. We must learn to perceive
all men under the shed Blood of Jesus Christ and treat them with dignity
and respect, just as we would wish to be treated. We should strive to
correct all social injustice; eliminate all wars, violence and conflict;
plus abolish poverty and lack.
If our brother or sister is in need of any kind, we
should be quick to alleviate their pain and suffering. We should feed
the hungry, visit the sick and imprisoned and minister to the poor among
us. Each of us can do something to help meet the needs of others. We
can give of our time and talent, so that there is never anyone who goes
without basic necessities.
We can put our faith into action and change the fate of
all mankind. We have divine destinies to fulfill as the sons and
daughters of almighty God. We should be His spokespersons on the earth
and share our faith, so that no one perishes. We should heal the sick,
cast out demons and even raise the dead back to life once again, as
Jesus Christ has commissioned us.
Matthew 28:18-20 “And Jesus came and spake unto them,
saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye
therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the
Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe
all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway,
[even] unto the end of the world. Amen.”
Believers have received divine power and authority from
Jesus Christ to operate just as He did. We must resume His ministry
where He left off, so that the Kingdom of God can be brought to this
earth realm as quickly as possible. We should embrace our divine
destinies, so that we can become all that we were intended to be from
the very foundation of the world.
We are extensions of Jesus Christ Himself – His
ambassadors of peace on the earth. We must do the same things that He
once did, so that the Lord’s eternal redemption plan for all of mankind
can be consummated. The Lord is relying on us to partner with Him in
setting matters straight in this world. We should preach the Gospel to
men, women and children in all the nations.
If we share our faith with others, they will be set
free. We will deliver them from the power of darkness and all bondage to
sin. We will baptize all those who desire salvation and teach them God’s
way of doing things. No one will perish for lack of knowledge in the
truth. Christ will be with us in all that we do and be glorified in His
people who are called by His name.
John 17:18 “As thou hast sent me into the world, even
so have I also sent them into the world.”
The Lord’s eternal redemption plan calls for mankind to
assist Him in the restoration of all things. Our God desires that we
rise up in our divine destinies and take back the earth and everything
in it for His everlasting Kingdom. We cannot be doubtful or afraid or
important work will remain undone. We will have to appropriate our God
given power and authority.
The Body of Christ will change the fate of the entire
world, if we are diligent to do all that the Lord asks of us in the
critical days to come. He will have us challenge all human governments
to make certain that they are fair and just to others. There will be no
more oppression or exploitation of God’s people. All men will be treated
with the dignity and respect that they deserve.
We will prepare the hearts of mankind for Christ’s
return to the earth. Those who remain stubborn and rebellious will be
excluded from His Kingdom and have their share in the lake of fire with
all evildoers. However, those who choose love and righteousness as a way
of life will be gathered into the very presence of God, and He will
boast of us as His sons and daughters.
There will be peace and prosperity, safety and security,
health and longevity, joy and freedom in the Kingdom of God. No evil
will ever come near us or harm us in any way. The Lord will take
vengeance on all of our enemies and vindicate us before all of creation.
He will also generously reward those who have been faithful to serve Him
in bringing heaven to the earth.
We will be kings and priests of God and share in
Christ’s very own honor and glory. We will judge both men and angels and
enforce Kingdom principles of fairness and justice. We will rule and
reign with Christ over all the nations of the world and have the heathen
for our inheritance. We will teach all men how to dwell as brothers in
love, peace and unity with one another.
Topics for Discussion
1. Mankind Needs A Savior
2. The Lord’s Plan For Our Reconciliation
3. Confessing Christ As Lord And Savior
4. Delivered From The Power Of Evil
5. The Light Of The World
6. The Baptism Of The Holy Spirit
7. Walking As Christ Walked