BENEFITS GOD GIVES BELIEVERS THROUGH CHRIST!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

TUESDAY DECEMBER 29, 2020.

SUBJECT: BENEFITS GOD GIVES BELIEVERS THROUGH CHRIST!

Memory verse:  "And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son." (First John 5 vs 11.) 

READ: Ephesians 1 vs 17 - 19; Colossians 1 vs 12 - 14:

1:17: That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him,
1:18: the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints,

1:19: and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power,

Colossians 1:12: Giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:
1:13: He has delivered us from the power of darkness and  conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love,
1:14: in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.

INTIMATION:

The benefits that God gives all believers through Christ include: (1) He has enabled us to share in His inheritance; (2) He has rescued us from Satan’s kingdom of darkness and made us His children; (3) He has brought us into His eternal kingdom; (4) He has purchased our freedom from sin and judgement with His blood; and (5) He has forgiven all our sins. 

Before we believed in Christ, our nature was evil. We disobeyed, rebelled, and ignored God (even at our best, we did not love Him with all our heart, soul, and mind). The Christian, however, has a new nature. God has crucified the old rebellious nature (Romans 6 vs 6) and replaced it with a new loving nature (Colossians 3 vs 9 - 10). The penalty of sin died with Christ on the cross. God declared us not guilty, and we need no longer live under sin’s power. God does not take us out of the world or make us robots—we will still feel like sinning, and sometimes we will sin. The difference is that before we were saved, we were slaves to our sinful nature; but we are free to live for Christ (see Galatians 2 vs 20). 

Through our believe in Christ we have been adopted as children of God: “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to children of God, to those who believe in His name.” (John 1 vs 12.) Those who “received Him” and “believed in His name” were given the privilege of becoming the sons of God. Receiving and believing did not constitute one as a son of God, it only gives one the privilege. Receiving and believing we’re only conditions upon which one must move into doing that which God requires to become a son of God, “For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ” (Galatians 3 vs 26 - 27). 

Now, as children of God we are heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ in His inheritance: “And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.” (Romans 8 vs 17.) The obedient son of God inherits what the Father has promised for His sons. When we put on Christ in baptism, we belong to Him and are Abraham’s seed. We are heirs “heirs according to the promise” (Galatians 3 vs 29).

True believers have been translated from darkness to light, from slavery to freedom, from guilt to forgiveness, and from the power of Satan to the power of God. We have been rescued from a rebel kingdom to serve the rightful King. And they are to live eternally with Him. Our conduct should reflect our new allegiance. 

The Scripture says, “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence.” (Ephesians 1 vs 7.) Redemption means Christ setting sinners free from slavery to sin and Satan, and revealing of the righteousness of God that comes to man through faith in Jesus Christ. This belongs to all those who acknowledge Christ as Savior and confess him as their Lord. The death of Jesus points to two wonderful scriptural truths—redemption and forgiveness. Through His death, Jesus paid the price to release us from slavery to sin. Forgiveness of our sins was granted on the basis of the shedding of Jesus’ blood—He died as a perfect and final sacrifice.

Prayer: Abba Father, thank You for all You wrought for us in Christ. Guide me appropriately, O Lord, that I may in complete obedience to as to earn all the benefits of the believer in Christ p, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!