Bible Study: I am Loved and Accepted Completely in Christ Part 6

Hi Everyone

Here’s the next part of the “Who I am in Jesus Christ - I am Loved and Completely Accepted in Christ”.   This is Part 1 of “Set Free by His Love”

Do access and listen to the audio of this lesson to get the most of it.

And as always, as you have been blessed, please to share the blessing.

Chris

Set Free by His Love 1: Set Free from the Sting of Death

What’s the worst thing that can happen to you?

For the unsaved, death is the worst thing that can happen.

The same should not be so for us Saints.  Jesus our Lord has set us free from the sting of death.

1 Corinthians 15:50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption. 51 Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed— 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 54 So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” 

55 “O Death, where is your sting? 

O Hades, where is your victory?” 

56 The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord. (NKJV)

Death for the unbeliever has a big sting called sin.  Sin will separate them from God forever!  Death for the believer holds no sting, for we are no longer in sin, nor are we under the law.  The law has been fulfilled by Christ:

Matthew 5:17 “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. (NKJV)

No More Sting, Only Glory!

The day we die is the day the glory of God in us is revealed in its entirety!

Romans 8:18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. 19 For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. (NKJV)

When we die in Christ, there will be a revelation of the glory that is in us.  The glory was given us in the form of the Holy Spirit (John 17:22), the same glory as Jesus, will be revealed!

1 Peter 5:1 The elders who are among you I exhort, I who am a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that will be revealed: (NKJV)

We are partakers of the glory revealed!  Indeed this glory which is in Christ is in us.

1 Peter 1:6 In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, (NKJV)

How is faith tested?  Faith is tested when we are faced with circumstances where we can either react in the flesh or in accordance to God’s Word and His promises.  It takes our will to choose to act in accordance to the Word in the face of a trial – e.g. to love someone instead of reviling because we know that God loved us first at great cost while we were still sinners.

The trials will always challenge the Word of God.  Flesh always challenges Spirit (Galatians 5:17).  If we have little knowledge of the Word in us, it will be a walkover by the flesh over the Spirit.  This is why the Lord had said in Hosea 4:6 that we perish for the lack of knowledge.

2 Corinthians 4:16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. 17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, (NKJV)

The more the Spirit wins, the more we have an eternal weight of glory.  This is why we count is all joy in the face of trials, the testing of our faith in the Word of God (James 1:2).

Death is Actually Gain…

For us who are born-again, death really ought to be the best thing that can happen to us!  Death has no more sting and instead of separation that we were guaranteed under the Law, to us who believe is given eternity with the Lord!

Philippians 1:21 For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain. 22 But if I live on in the flesh, this will mean fruit from my labor; yet what I shall choose I cannot tell. 23 For I am hard-pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better. 24 Nevertheless to remain in the flesh is more needful for you. (NKJV)

For Paul, dying to him is actually a good thing, for he is fully aware that being with Christ is far better.  The only reason he still stays is not because he is hanging onto life for the pleasures that life bring.  No, the pleasures of Heaven will make pale any pleasure we might think will gain this side of Heaven.  He stays simply because there is fruit in his labour.

Death is gain.  Life is about bearing fruit!

Life is for Bearing Fruit

2 Corinthians 3:18 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord. (NKJV)

Far beyond the ticket into heaven, coming into a relationship with the Lord entails us realising the full potential that we were made for by the Spirit of God.  God loves us so much He accepts us as we are.  The same God loves us too much to leave us as we are.  We need to come into contact with Him all the time in His Word, and see the worth we have in Him.  We see glory in the mirror of the Word, because truly He is in us and when we continue to see our identity in Him, we go from glory to glory.

Fact is, we become who we spend the most time with.  Looking at God in us, the hope of our glory, transforms us. David said

Psalm 17:15 As for me, I will see Your face in righteousness; I shall be satisfied when I awake in Your likeness. (NKJV)

When we start to see who we really are in the spirit, with Holy Spirit in us, we start to become who He meant for us to be.  We start to exude His fragrance, show His glory to those around.

The Word is seed and seed when grown properly always produces fruit.  The is what life is all bout – getting to know God and His love more and more through the Word that we might be filled with His fullness, reflecting His glory to a lost and dying world that needs Him.  In this we will find satisfaction in life.

So What’s the Worst?

What’s the worst thing that can happen to you?

a. Die – If we do, we go to be with the Lord

b. Live – Continue to discover your New Creation, the Spirit Man in you, who is one with God, the Holy Spirit. Reflect God’s glory and bear fruit in the process.

We can’t lose for winning!  However, the worst thing we can happen to us as Christians is if we don’t grow in Him, don’t come to know Him more and more and fail to realize anything about what He has already made us to be in the finished work of the Cross.  Then we would lives that are way below the calling intended by God.  Life here will then be about fulfilling our dreams here on earth, assuaging the needs of our five senses.  Trust me, this will be the worst experience possible as a Christian.  Truly, we need to realize that it is only dying that we live.

His love has set us FREE from the sting of death.  We are blessed with every spiritual blessing today. Don’t let the little things in life send us into circles.  Don’t allow the cares of the world, the deceitfulness of riches and the pleasures of life keep us on a merry-go-round, choking the Word and not allowing it to grow and bear fruit.

Bible Study: I am Loved and Accepted Completely in Christ Part 5

Hi Everyone

Here is “I Have His Mercy” -  the next part of the "Who I am in Jesus Christ" study, under the topic of "I am Loved and Accepted Completely in Christ".

You can access the audio by clicking this.   

Do share it as you are blessed!

Chris

I Have His Mercy

How many of us are still leading lives trying to make sacrifices for our sins? Perhaps we are

• Trying to feel better than someone else because of what (we think) we do for God
• Doing “Christian” things so that we feel God’s approval
• Dealing with a sense of God’s disapproval and a desire to run and hide when we sin or feel like we fall short

If so, we need to understand more of His mercy for us.

Who’s the One Making You Guilty?

Is it the Holy Spirit’s role to convict us of sin and make us feel all guilty?  Put it this way, any feeling that makes us want to hide from God is NOT from God!  God always covers our shame – from making skins for Adam and Eve, to the best robe for the Prodigal Son, to the Blood of Jesus Christ.  But didn't Jesus say that the Holy Spirit convicts of sin?

Let’s take a closer look at that passage of scripture:

John 16:8 And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: 

See?  Sin, righteousness and judgment.  They were right… no wait, look close at the verses following…

9 of sin, because they do not believe in Me; 

He is not convicting us of sins anymore but only one sin – the sin of unbelief in Christ as the Redeemer.  Unbelief is the only sin today that will send a man to hell.

10 of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more; 

Righteousness, because Jesus will have gone to the Father to plead our case with His precious blood.  We are made righteous in Him (2 Cor 5:21). 

11 of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged. (NKJV)

Judgment, that the ruler of this world (that’s not you or me for sure) is judged.  The judgment is not about us, but about the devil.  He is the ruler of this world.  He is the one who kills, steals and destroys (John 10:10).

In fact, the verses that follow are so in line with the name Jesus gives the Holy Spirit, the Helper, the Comforter (John 14:16)

John 16:12 “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. 13 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 tell us things to come that we might be prepared.

14 He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you. 15 All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you. (NKJV)

He will glorify Jesus, taking what is Jesus’ and declaring it to us!  This is the finished work of Jesus, that we may lay hold of eternal life (1 Tim 6:11), lay hold of that for which Christ laid hold of us (Philippians 3:12).  All the goodness and the glory that Jesus had comes into us in the form of the Holy Spirit.

On the other hand…

The Devil - The Accuser

We see clearly from scriptures that the devil has aptly been given the title of “the Accuser of the brethren”.

Revelation 12:10 Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, “Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down. (NKJV)

So we need to be clear about who gives the guilt and who gives the forgiveness.  There is a case for being brought to repentance, the chastising of the Spirit, but that always brings about repentance and a deeper walk with God, not a turning away to run and hide.  We see this in the book of Acts where the devout Jews being preached to at Pentacost realized that they had crucified their long-awaited Messiah.

Acts 2:37 Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?” 38 Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. (NKJV)

This is the heart of God – to draw His children to Him, not cast them away.  Anytime we have feelings of running away from God, rest assured these are not from God, but from the Accuser.

God Always Desires Mercy

Since the day of our Father’s pained question to Adam: 

Genesis 3:9 Then the Lord God called to Adam and said to him, “Where are you?” (NKJV)

He has sought to have this relationship restored.  The heart of God desires relationship, not appeasement:

Hosea 6:6 For I desire mercy and not sacrifice, And the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings. (NKJV)

We see this again in the story of the Prodigal Son:

Luke 15:20 “And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. (NKJV)

For those who believe in Him and in the finished work of Jesus, the best worship we can give is a right heart and giving heed to the word.

Matthew 15:8 ‘These people draw near to Me with their mouth, And honor Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me. 9 And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’ ” (NKJV)

From Adam and Eve…

God’s desire from DAY 1 is mercy.  God’s treatment of Adam and Eve in sending them out of the Garden was for mercy:

Genesis 3:21 Also for Adam and his wife the Lord God made tunics of skin, and clothed them. 22 Then the Lord God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of Us, to know good and evil. And now, lest he put out his hand and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever”— 23 therefore the Lord God sent him out of the garden of Eden to till the ground from which he was taken. (NKJV)

Adam was now a fallen man.  In eating of the tree, he would live forever in this fallen state!  Sickness, disease, lack, confusion, strife and every other evil was on its way and living forever in such a state would be unthinkable.

See also how God treated Cane after he killed Abel?

Genesis 4:13 And Cain said to the Lord, “My punishment is greater than I can bear! 14 Surely You have driven me out this day from the face of the ground; I shall be hidden from Your face; I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond on the earth, and it will happen that anyone who finds me will kill me.” 15 And the Lord said to him, “Therefore, whoever kills Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold.” And the Lord set a mark on Cain, lest anyone finding him should kill him. 16 Then Cain went out from the presence of the Lord and dwelt in the land of Nod on the east of Eden. (NKJV)

Cain for sure had a twisted view of God already, like many of us who might imagine God as the old man with a lightning bolt about to strike who He pleases.  God did not drive him away.  In fact, God put a mark on his head for mercy’s sake, that he might not be killed.  Yet Cain did not understand this, and guilt drove him to leave God’s presence.

Jesus Showed Great Mercy

God’s mercy always sets people free.  We see in the Gospel of John how our Lord treated the adulterous woman brought before Him:

John 8:1 But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. 2 Now early in the morning He came again into the temple, and all the people came to Him; and He sat down and taught them. 3 Then the scribes and Pharisees brought to Him a woman caught in adultery. And when they had set her in the midst, 4 they said to Him, “Teacher, this woman was caught in adultery, in the very act. 5 Now Moses, in the law, commanded us that such should be stoned. But what do You say?” 6 This they said, testing Him, that they might have something of which to accuse Him. But Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground with His finger, as though He did not hear. 7 So when they continued asking Him, He raised Himself up and said to them, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.” 8 And again He stooped down and wrote on the ground. 9 Then those who heard it, being convicted by their conscience, went out one by one, beginning with the oldest even to the last. And Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. 10 When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her, “Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?” 11 She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said to her, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.” (NKJV)

Jesus, God the Father and the Holy Spirit are not the accusers.  It was the devil, or men used of the devil, who were accusing her.  Jesus showed mercy, but knows that sin is detrimental to us.

Sin has consequences.  Sin will prevent you from living out the victorious life Jesus died for you to have.  It won’t send you to hell anymore, but it will keep you bound and trapped.  You will miss out on the rewards.  You will miss out on the hope of your calling!

If we don’t feel like sin is making us miss out on a lot today, it is because we don't realize our hope of calling (Eph 1:18) and are not expecting to live a victorious, meaningful life for the Lord.  It means we don’t know what we were made, and more importantly, what we were saved for.

I want to be careful of every area more and more that my life may be victorious to glorify the Lord.

Mercies Daily Sets Us Free

Mercy sets you free like a net to a trapeze artist!

Psalm 23:6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the Lord Forever. (NKJV)

Psalm 103:17 But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting On those who fear Him, And His righteousness to children’s children, (NKJV)

Ephesians 2:4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), (NKJV)

1 Peter 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, (NKJV)

We don’t get to the hope when we don’t depend on His mercy, on His love for us.  When we depend on our own strength, because we think we messed up, we don’t get to take advantage of this living hope.

Come Boldly to Mercy

Hebrews 4:16 Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. (NKJV)

Don’t act out of fear of God’s anger for He does not see us in anger, but in mercy.  Mercy triumphs over judgment (James 2:13) and perfect love casts out all fear (1 John 4:18).  Come all who are weak and heavy burdened. Get rest.  Guilt is not rest.  Fear is not rest.  Come to Him and cast your cares on Him.

1 Peter 5:6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, 7 casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you. (NKJV)

How do we humble ourselves under God’s hand?  His solution is in the Word!  Believe in the Word and trust Him to take care of it all!

Matthew 11:28 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 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. 30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” (NKJV)

Those who constantly feel the need to perform, to appease God, are heavy burdened and have no rest.  He gives us rest. 

If our lives are heavy and burdened, we need to come to Him and depend on His mercy!