Revival Today Devotional Tuesday, December 9th 2014 YOU HAVE ALL THINGS IN CHRIST (Part 1) “Therefore let no one boast in men. For all things are yours: whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas, or the world or life or death, or things present or things to come--all are yours.” (1 Corinthians 3:21-22 NKJV) Under the Old Covenant, receiving, experiencing or enjoying God’s blessing is contingent or dependent upon obedience to the terms of the covenant. Under the Law, the people of Israel have to perform or do the works of the Law in order to earn God’s favour and blessings. Whenever they fail to perform according to the terms of the covenant, they come under the curse of the Law. This is because the Old Covenant is purely a performance-based covenant. The Scripture affirms that the Old Covenant is work or performance-based. Deuteronomy 28: 1 Now it shall come to pass, if you diligently obey the voice of the LORD your God, to observe carefully all His commandments which I command you today, that the LORD your God will set you high above all nations of the earth. 2 And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, because you obey the voice of the LORD your God. 15 But it shall come to pass, if you do not obey the voice of the LORD your God, to observe carefully all His commandments and His statutes which I command you today, that all these curses will come upon you and overtake you. (NKJV). Also in Leviticus 26: 3 If you walk in My statutes and keep My commandments, and perform them, 4 then I will give you rain in its season, the land shall yield its produce, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit. 5 Your threshing shall last till the time of vintage, and the vintage shall last till the time of sowing; you shall eat your bread to the full, and dwell in your land safely. 15 and if you despise My statutes, or if your soul abhors My judgments, so that you do not perform all My commandments, but break My covenant, 16 I also will do this to you: I will even appoint terror over you, wasting disease and fever which shall consume the eyes and cause sorrow of heart. And you shall sow your seed in vain, for your enemies shall eat it. 17 I will set My face against you, and you shall be defeated by your enemies. Those who hate you shall reign over you, and you shall flee when no one pursues you. (NKJV). The New Covenant, unlike the Old Covenant, is not a work or performance-based covenant, but a faith-based covenant. Under the New Covenant in the blood of Jesus Christ, God’s blessings are graciously bestowed upon the New Covenant believers, not based on their good works or performance, but on their faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ. The Scripture amply attests to the truth that the New Covenant believers are blessed purely on the basis of their faith in Christ Jesus and His finished work of redemption. Ephesians 1: 3 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, 4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, 5 having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, 6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He has made us accepted in the Beloved. (NKJV). This scripture above aptly reveals that believers were chosen, accepted and blessed in Christ before the foundation of the world. Apparently, not according to their fasting and prayer, or according to their tithing and generous giving, or according to their good works and obedience to God’s law, but simply according to the good pleasure of God’s will and to the praise of the glory of His grace. Also in 2 Peter 1: 2 May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. 3 His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, 4 by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, that through these you may escape from the corruption that is in the world because of passion, and become partakers of the divine nature. (RSV). This scripture also buttresses the truth that God has given or granted to the New Covenant believers all the things they would need in life. As a believer in Christ, you now have in your born-again spirit all the spiritual, emotional, physical or material blessings you will ever need in your life. God has anticipated all your needs and in His wisdom He has placed the provisions in you in Christ (Phil. 1:6, Eph. 1:18). The born-again believers are heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, not based on their works, but purely based on their faith in Christ Jesus. God’s favour and blessings are simply God’s gracious gifts or bestowments on those who put their faith in His Son, Jesus Christ. The Scripture states in Galatians 4: 4 But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. 6 And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, Abba, Father! 7 Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ. (NKJV). Also in Romans 8: 16 The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs--heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together. (NKJV). As a joint heir with Christ, you have equal rights with Christ to all things that belong to God. Christ owns everything, for He is the “heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds.”(NKJV). Therefore, as a joint heir with Christ, you lack nothing that is good, for all things are now yours. The Scripture attests to this awesome truth in 1 Corinthians 3: 21 Therefore let no one boast in men. For all things are yours: 22 whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas, or the world or life or death, or things present or things to come--all are yours. 23 And you are Christs, and Christ is Gods. (NKJV). All things are yours in Christ and through Christ the very moment you became born-again through faith in Christ. Your salvation or adoption as a son into God’s family is purely by grace through faith in Christ and His finished work of redemption. By virtue of your adoption as a son into God’s family, you have become a joint heir with Christ Jesus, the Firstborn in God’s family, who owns everything. This is purely by grace through faith. It is the gift of God! The Scripture testifies: “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.” (Eph. 2:8-9 NKJV). “And if by grace, then it is no longer of works; otherwise grace is no longer grace. But if it is of works, it is no longer grace; otherwise work is no longer work.” (Rom. 11:6 NKJV). Sadly, many believers today who totally believe and agree with the Scripture that their salvation or adoption as sons into God’s family is purely by grace through faith alone in Christ Jesus and His finished work are however striving and seeking to earn, merit or deserve God’s love, acceptance, favour or blessing through their performance or works - many days fasting and prayers, tithing, giving, or sowing financial seeds. Apparently, they are like the foolish Galatians who having begun in the Spirit (by faith in Christ) later sought to continue and be made perfect in the flesh (by the works of the Law). (Gal. 3:1-5). It is sad but true that many born-again believers today still don’t know and understand that God is not dealing with them as He dealt with the Old Testament saints, according to the terms of the Old Covenant. As a result of their ignorance, they are always passionately striving to serve God and give to God according to the stipulations or regulations of the Mosaic Law with the motive of earning, deserving, or meriting God’s blessings. Unfortunately, many ministers of God today still don’t discern, recognize or understand the vast differences between the Old Covenant and the New Covenant in the Bible. Consequently, they mix the two unequal covenants together while preaching or teaching, thereby confusing God’s people and subjecting them to the terms or regulations of the Old Covenant which God has abolished in its entirety. The Scripture amply teaches that the Old and the New Covenant cannot be successfully mixed together (Luke 5:36-39). They are not of the same nature, purposes, and terms. While the Old Covenant is based on works, the New Covenant is based on grace. While the Old Covenant is according to the Mosaic Law, the New Covenant is according to faith in Christ. While the Old Covenant is of the letter, the New Covenant is of the Spirit. While the Old Covenant is the ministry of condemnation, the New Covenant is the ministry of righteousness. While the New Covenant was established on the people’s promises to perform according to the terms of the covenant, the New Covenant was established on better promises, God’s promises to perform or fulfil His Word with oaths (Exo. 24:1-8, 2 Cor. 3:5-10, Heb. 8:7-13). God has abolished the Old Covenant in its entirety. God is no longer dealing with men based on the Mosaic Law, or according to their works or performance, but only according to their faith in Christ. Therefore, you don’t need to impress, appease, influence, motivate, persuade or compel God to love, accept, favour and bless you by your performance or good works. You are loved, accepted, favoured and blessed by God in Christ by putting your trust in Christ for salvation. The Scripture clearly states in Hebrews 8: 6 But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, inasmuch as He is also Mediator of a better covenant, which was established on better promises. 7 For if that first covenant had been faultless, then no place would have been sought for a second. 8 Because finding fault with them, He says: Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah-- 9 not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they did not continue in My covenant, and I disregarded them, says the LORD. 13 In that He says, A new covenant, He has made the first obsolete. Now what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away. (NKJV). Beloved, we are in the days of a New, Better and Superior Covenant which Mediator is not man, but God Himself. You are no longer under a performance-based covenant. You don’t need to earn anything by your performance or works, for all things are already yours in Christ. You don’t need to strive or seek to be blessed, for you are already blessed in Christ. You don’t lack anything; you have everything in Christ. The Scripture states in Galatians 3: 7 Therefore know that only those who are of faith are sons of Abraham. 8 And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel to Abraham beforehand, saying, In you all the nations shall be blessed. 9 So then those who are of faith are blessed with believing Abraham. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you are Christs, then you are Abrahams seed, and heirs according to the promise. (NKJV). In Christ you are blessed with believing, not performing, Abraham! How then do you draw from, appropriate and enjoy the blessings you have in Christ? Find out in the second part of this piece! Prayer: My Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for blessing me in Christ with everything that I need in this life. Dear Holy Spirit, teach me how to appropriate all things that are mine in Christ and through Christ, in Jesus’ name. Amen. -Written by Jegede Sunday E. Enrol today for a FREE Online Discipleship Course @ theschoolofdiscipleship.org.uk Subscribe to receive our daily devotional in your inbox @ heraldsofrevival.org/daily-devotional/ Download & Listen to our audio teachings @ heraldsofrevival.org/allaudio/ Subscribe to Jegede Sunday E.s Channel on YouTube @ https://youtube/channel/UCytU1Nzx6cajBBv1rBUj3Xg
Posted on: Tue, 09 Dec 2014 11:14:36 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015