Do you realize how extremely valuable you are because of the tremendous price paid for your redemption - - the precious Blood of Jesus, God’s beloved Son? If God considered you and me worth dying for - - isn’t He worth living for?
Does my lifestyle reflect the lavish riches of my inheritance? Eons ago the holy Trinity decided – planned – prepared the gifts that Jesus would put in His will to be bequeathed after His victorious death. Of course you know, if you are truly born again, that Jesus included you in His will. We need to find that will. Fortunately the Holy Spirit wrote it out for us and made it readily available to us.
Ephesians 3:1-14 – Your designation is no longer “sinner under sin’s dominion” because your identification has been changed to “saint (Galatians 5:1) free in Christ”.
Dr. Charles Stanley said vs.3-14 in the Greek is one sentence. I’m going to check out the will and discover what my inheritance includes.
REMEMBER – every bequest – every gift – every benefit and privilege – ours IN CHRIST JESUS.
The will was enacted on the Day of Pentecost and believers are the beneficiaries. IN HIM we have undeserved grace – every spiritual blessing – chosen by God to be holy and blameless for Himself (holy inwardly and blameless outwardly) – our adoption planned in love to reveal us as His own children – accepted in the Beloved – redemption, deliverance, forgiveness, salvation through His Blood – wisdom and understanding – to know the mystery of His will, plan and purpose – partakers (2 Peter 1:4) of the Divine nature – discernment of the times – confidence in our purpose and destiny. None of these riches could be ours if the Holy Spirit had not been restored to the human spirit and He actually indwells us. He Himself is our seal of protection against (Ephesians 4:30) judgment and punishment. He Himself is the (Ephesians1:14) guarantee of our inheritance. All of our riches are activated and living within us by the power of the Holy Spirit.
More priceless treasures bequeathed in the will are strewn throughout the N.T. and the gold miners will discover them with great joy. Christians who neglect seeking (Luke 11:10) will never know how rich they really are. In the light of knowing our wealth – are we foolish enough to live as spiritual paupers? We are no longer slaves to sin (Galatians 4:7) but heirs of God through Christ.
One day I was rejoicing in all the dividends from my inheritance and – on that very day – can you believe it – I blew it by my tone of voice and attitude! I knew that my confession was sincere and I had no doubt (1 John 1:9, 2:1) of God’s forgiveness. But still I was troubled though not by guilt. It seemed as if something was lacking in my confessing – something important – but something which eluded me. That night I had a dream and in the dream I was asked to write a note to a man who had accidentally caused harm. When I awoke in the night, the dream was vague and didn’t make sense – EXCEPT for the first few words I had been instructed to write in the dream. These words were insistent in my mind, “the suffering of the Holy Spirit” and there was a great heaviness upon me which I physically felt. For the remaining hours of the night I could not escape for the words and the pressure and I was unable to figure them out or work through them.
In the morning and through the day as I sought the Lord, particular thoughts and scriptures shed little glimmers of light but they didn’t come together to give me full and clear understanding.
So I went back to the beginning over 2000 years ago when God made Jesus to be sin (2 Corinthians 5:21) so that we could be made righteous. Because He paid my sin debt – don’t I have a righteousness debt? Now my thoughts are racing – falling over each other – and I am at the Cross. I am deeply moved as I realize more fully and personally than before – something about the PERSON Who is the Holy Spirit. He suffered very, very deeply when Jesus had to be cursed and abandoned to terrifying loneliness – anguish – beating – torture – mocking – spitting – agony – death. My thoughts are compelling me forward. Philippians 3:10 and Galatians 2:20 have always been very important to me but what do I truly know in my experience about the fellowship of Christ’s sufferings? A few more glimmers of light are coming. Fellowship is sharing and I fully understand for the Persecuted Church. Until persecution comes here – perhaps it will be fellowship in intercession for what breaks God’s heart. Grieve (Ephesians4:30) not the Spirit. To grieve is to sadden – hurt – wound someone. Why would I choose to sadden the One Who sealed me against the penalty of my sin? A little more light, but not enough. Quench (1Thessalonians 5:19) not the Spirit. How could I quench Him? A big flashing light. I quench my thirst by choosing to do something – something totally opposed to thirst – I drink. I quench the Spirit by choosing to do something – something that is totally opposed to the Holy Spirit – I sin. Read that last sentence again - - it is filled with horror.
Now it’s clear. We all know that an unsaved person will not end up in hell because of his sin. The one thing that qualifies a person for hell is a deliberate choice to reject God’s provision which is freely offered though extremely costly to Himself.
Now I consider myself and the spiritual riches lavished upon me. The Bible does not tell us to pray for the mind of Christ but we are told (1 Corinthians 2:16) that we have the mind of Christ. We are instructed to (Philippians 2:5) LET this mind direct our thoughts – words – actions – attitudes. God will not force us to think like Jesus or to abide in Him. I have to choose to take every thought captive to obedience to Christ and I “LET the mind”. How do I do that? Picture this - - somebody says something to me and I have a ready response to retaliate. But I check myself and LET the mind of Christ take me along this path. If I say that – how will it end – will it do any good – will it glorify God? What will I or those words accomplish? In just the few seconds it takes to ask myself those questions – another dynamite question comes to me. The Holy Spirit knows fully the horrendous cost of bringing my inheritance to me. Here’s the dynamite - - - have I let myself sink so low that grieving/quenching the Holy Spirit is less important to me than CHOOSING to give vent to the flesh??? Would that not be to neglect some aspects (Hebrews 2:3) of our so great salvation? I have been redeemed by the precious Blood of Jesus. Will my heavenly Father stand by and do nothing if I continually yield to the dictates of the flesh – while still presuming on the sacrifice of His beloved Son for protection and answers to prayer?
The Holy Spirit was there. He saw all the suffering Jesus endured in order to make me (Romans 8:37) more than a conqueror who would (1 Corinthians 15:57) live in victory. Of course I cause Him pain if I deliberately ignore the holy provision of Calvary.
If I truly seek the Lord, He will not kick me to the curb and be done with me. The gracious Holy Spirit will patiently lead me (John 16:13) into all TRUTH – glorious truth – liberating truth – victorious eternal truth.
I need to remember that when I choose to sin – the sin itself is not the worst thing I do. Just as an unsaved person rejects Jesus Christ - - the worst thing I do – is to reject the provision of Jesus Christ and do it my way. One disobeying God on the way to hell and one disobeying God on the way to heaven.
I can’t get Ephesians 1 out of my mind and I don’t want to - - and look - - MORE LIGHT.
If we trust – obey – live (vs. 3-14) in the riches of our inheritance in Christ we are being fitted and equipped to be His inheritance not only in this age and world but (vs.21) in the age and world to come. What kind of inheritance does Jesus deserve??? We pray that the eyes of our hearts will be flooded with light (vs.18) so we can grasp the arresting truth that God has made US the inheritance of our risen Lord and how rich and glorious is HIS inheritance - - then we will understand (vs.19, 20) how absolutely essential is the working of His mighty resurrection power within us – in order for Him to achieve His inheritance. Can we begin to truly – deeply – way-of-life see the hope of our calling? Let’s look at the calling of Jesus. He left the dominion – authority – power – praise – worship – adoration of all heaven in order to come to earth for rejection – abuse – betrayal – torture – lashing – spitting – mocking – nails hammering Him to a cross and being scorned as He hung there. What was the HOPE of His calling? WE ARE!!! How can we get our minds around that? Our inheritance (vs.11) is in Christ. His inheritance (vs.18) is in us. How then can we (vs.6) live to the praise of His glory?? Definitely never in our own strength BUT (again vs.19-20) the same almighty Holy Spirit Who raised Christ from the dead indwells us to make real incarnate Deity – which is – Jesus living His victorious resurrection life in and through us by the power of the Holy Spirit.
I am overwhelmed. I wish there was a greater word than “AWE” because awe doesn’t seem adequate to even begin to describe the plan – purpose and love of God. I know I want progressively ever-deepening intimacy with and knowledge of the Triune Godhead.
The poise and serenity of the life hid with Christ in God (Colossians 3:3) comes from (John 15:4,7) abiding in Jesus. If I say that in my present circumstances I cannot abide – my focus and understanding are totally wrong. The circumstances are God’s business and the abiding is my choice. Wherever God has placed me – there is no situation – no condition – no circumstance in which I cannot abide in Jesus. To live the lavish spiritual lifestyle provided by the immense wealth of my inheritance – all I have to do is CHOOSE TO LET this mind – and continue to ABIDE in Jesus, my Saviour, my Master and my Lord. Every choice has consequences and obedience always brings (John 14:27) peace and (John 15:11) joy.
Another bonus - - - as long as I “let this mind” – I have peace of mind.
It only takes my choice to obey
To release all God’s power on my behalf
I know this paper is more lengthy than most – but as I was scribbling some notes for myself on Repentance – I felt the pressure to include them here.
REPENTANCE THAT IS GENUINE
After I confess why do I still feel troubled and experience no change? I can tell God I’m sorry that I have sinned again – self-pity, not repentance. I can feel terribly bad and embarrassed because somebody knows I sinned – damaged pride and injured ego, not repentance.
(1 John 1:9) – IF WE CONFESS God forgives and cleanses from all unrighteousness. That takes more than words. How can God cleanse from something – anything which I have not surrendered? If I’ve failed again and confess – even while knowing I will not give up that habit – indulgence – relationship – I speak false words to God with no repentance.
REPENTANCE (in the Greek) has 2 aspects (Dr. Charles Stanley)
1) Genuine heart-sorrow that I have sinned against God!
2) A change of mind and a change of attitude and behaviour – a commitment to obey God in the enabling power of the Holy Spirit.
What about several verses like (John 3:16) which says to believe for salvation – forgiveness etc. and doesn’t mention repentance? To believe in Jesus can be merely an intellectual assent - - not much more than believing true history.
BELIEVE (in the Hebrew) has 2 aspects
1) To put faith – trust in Jesus
2) A genuine desire for a new life
If I call myself a Christian and there is no change in my behaviour and lifestyle - - am I truly born again and sealed by the Holy Spirit? It seems to me – no genuine repentance – no genuine salvation which is the very Life of Jesus lived in and through me. Eternal Life – God’s Life (1 John 5:11).
When the prodigal son said (Luke 15:18) I have sinned, I will arise and go. He was still in the “pig pen” – that was not repentance (vs.20) was when he arose and went – change of mind and behaviour.
No, (Matthew 21:29) I will not work in the vineyard, but later repented and went – changed mind and behaviour.
Yes, (Matthew 21:30) I’ll go but did not. Lip service without substance – religion without reality. Pharisees.
Our relationship with the Lord Who paid so much because of His incomprehensible love for us should be such that we have no desire to sin and to grieve the Holy Spirit. This does not mean that we never sin – we can all be tripped up or caught off guard. But our life will not consist of daily confessing the same sin over and over. Remember – genuine repentance includes surrender.
True repentance is the drainage ditch along the highway of holiness.
The following thoughts came early one morning and dug deep into my soul. Jesus took my sin and made it His own. He took my guilt and made it His own. Then – before holy God – it was JUST that He took my punishment and made it His own. Never forget (2 Corinthians 5:21) the eternal SO THAT we might be made the righteousness of God IN HIM because He paid in full.
How could I not have deep heart-sorrow when I sin against my incredible Saviour – my Lord and my God???
