I want to talk about who we are in Christ and remind you of some of the promises in the Word that we can stand on as believers. The Bible has a lot to say about the believer and the unbeliever.
In this lesson I want to focus on the born-again believer. In order to have the Holy Spirit dwelling in you, you need to be born-again! In today’s society it seems like anyone who claims to be religious or belongs to a religious group is called a Christian--not so. According to Jesus only those who are born–again are Christians. Check it out in the Word of God in John chapter 3, you don’t have to take my word for it.
******* As Christians we are empowered by the Holy Spirit. *******
If you can’t accomplish what the Lord has called you to do with the power of the Holy Spirit within you then you are not doing your part and you’re probably not walking in the Spirit. Or possibly you don’t know what your calling is. There is no greater power than the power of the Holy Spirit. The Word says that our bodies are the home of the Holy Spirit, or the temple of the Holy Spirit. Think about it, is there anything impossible for the Holy Spirit to accomplish through our lives? No!
Remember this, "God doesn’t always call the equipped but He always equips the ones He calls." And don’t forget this, "unless the Lord builds the house ye labor in vain that build it."
The Bible says that we dwell in the heavenly’s right now. As believers Paul said our citizenship is in heaven and that is what we should focus on, not on earthly things. Think about what is most important to you. The Bible says, "where your treasure is, their will your heart be also. Read Luke 12:34
Romans 8: 37 says, "we are more than conquerors through him who loved us." What do you think that means?
Think about this, we receive everything that the good Lord has for us and we don’t deserve it and we didn’t do anything to obtain it. It is like we accomplished our own salvation and everything that goes with it, but we actually didn’t nor could we.
In Ephesians 2: 8,9, it says, "it is by grace you are saved through faith and it is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God not of works lest any man should boast." Which means that we can do absolutely nothing to obtain our salvation. There is only one thing that you have a choice in, and that is whether you will receive this free gift of salvation or not. Think of this, you can only come to Jesus when God draws you! You can only repent of sin when the Holy Spirit convicts you and you respond with godly sorrow, which comes only from the Lord. So if you think you can receive this gift by any others means you are just kidding yourself.
Don’t be deceived, bad company corrupts good character and so does false teaching.
Jesus conquered sin and death and the grave for us but we receive all the benefits from what He did. Think about what this really means in your life and mine. What bothers me is that many believers don’t even seem to be excited about it.
This reminds me of the ten lepers that were healed and only one returned to
thank and praise Jesus and he was a foreigner, a Samaritan. Jesus said in Luke 17: 11–19, "were not all ten cleansed where are the other nine. Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?"
Jesus came to His own but His own received Him not. Let’s not follow their example. Let’s praise the Lord and be thankful for who He is, and what He is and what He has done and also for what He is going to do in our lives. Remember the Lord causes all things to work together for good in the lives of a true believer. Praise God!
God says in Jeremiah 29: 11, "I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper
you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."
Now I want you to think about this and get excited because we are the redeemed of the Lord. The Bible says let the redeemed of the Lord say so. This is not just a song we sing in our praise time in our comfortable pews when we are in church, no, it is so much more than that. We need to have a heart of praise and thanksgiving every day. We need to be excited about our salvation.
Think about the last time you were really excited about something, a time when
you were just bubbling over with joy. Now think about the last time you were that excited about your salvation and your relationship with the Lord. Your relationship with the Lord should be the most exciting thing that has ever happened to you. We need to be overjoyed about our relationship with the Lord and all that He has done in our lives. If you are, then notify your face more often so others will see your joy and seek to have it for themselves.
The Bible says in I John 4:4 that, "greater is He that is within us then he that is in the world." That is something to be excited about. The Holy Spirit in us makes it possible for us to do all the things that God has planned for us. The Bible says, "we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us." Check it out in Philippians 4:13. This means that whatever God’s will is for your life you can accomplish it with the Lord’s help. Praise God!
God’s Word says, "no weapon formed against us shall prosper." Isaiah 54:17 The Bible says, "when the enemy comes in like a flood the Spirit of God will raise a standard against him." Isaiah 59:19 We are sons and daughters of God. Check out Galatians 3:26–29. The Word says, "we have the mind of Christ and that we are covered by the righteousness of Christ."
John 1:12 also says, "but as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name." We have everything we need to live a victorious life in Christ.
Now that you have all this information march on and be victorious in the Lord.
As God’s children we are not condemned, we have the power of the blood of Jesus in our lives to cleanse us of all sin and to break the power of sin in our lives. Praise God! We also have the power that is in the name of Jesus to come against Satan to make him flee along with all his demon helpers when they are striving against us. None of them can stand against us when we apply the name of Jesus with faith. Some day, at the name of Jesus, every knee shall bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father whether they want to or not and I don’t think that many will want to but they will have no choice. Add this to the power of God the Father and God’s Holy Spirit we have all the power we need to overcome in this life. Jesus promised us that we would have tribulations and troubles in this world but just like He overcame the world when He walked on earth with all the power we have in us we can overcome the world also! Praise the Lord!
See if you can fill in the blanks without looking. It would help you if you memorized these verses. God bless you and have a great day.
1. Luke 12:34 "where your _______________ is, there will your _______________be also."
2. Romans 8: 37 "we are more than _____________________through him who loved us."
3. Jeremiah 29:11 "I know the _____________ I have for you, plans to ____________ you and not to __________ you, plans to give you _____________ and a_________________."
4. 1 John 4:4 "greater is He that is ____________ us then he that is in the___________."
5. Philippians 4:13 "we can do _______ things through ____________ who strengthens us."
6. Isaiah 54:17 "no weapon formed against us shall _____________________."
7. Isaiah 59:19 "when the ________________ comes in like a flood the Spirit of God will raise a standard __________________ him."
8. 1 Corinthians 2:16 "we have the ________________ of Christ"
9. John 1:12 "but as many as received him, to them gave he _____________to become the sons of God, even to them that ___________________ on his name."
10. 2 Corinthians 5:17 "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a __________ creature: old things are _______________ away; behold, _________ things are become new."
11. Psalm 103:12 our ____________________ from us.""As far as the ________ is from the___________ , so far hath he removed
12. Ephesians 2:10 "For we are his______________________, created in Christ Jesus unto ______________ works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
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