One Beautiful Life

Hidden Treasure

In response to my questions I started the last post with, I want to share this: 

As a believer...

You are loved:   1 John 4:9-11
You are adopted:   Ephesians 1:5
You are accepted:   Ephesians 1:6
You are a child of God:   John 1:12
You are a joint heir with Jesus, sharing His inheritance with Him!   Romans 8:17, Ephesians 3:6
You are united with God and One Spirit with Him:   1 Corithians 6:17
You are a temple of God, His Spirit AND His life live inside you!   1 Corinthians 6:19
You are a member of Christ's body:   1 Corithians 12:27
You are a saint:   1 Corinthians 1:2, Ephesians 1:1
You are redeemed and forgiven:   Colossians 1:13,14
You are delivered from the power of darkness!   Colossians 1:13
You are a new creation because you are in Christ!   2 Corinthians 5:17
You are God's co-worker through belief and faith in Christ's name!   Mark 16:17, John 16:23,24, John 14:13-14
You have DIRECT ACCESS TO GOD!   Ephesians 2:18, Ephesians 4:16

And we are told/commanded/taught/reminded/warned: "Do not be conformed to this world, but BE TRANSFORMED by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God." Romans 12:2 

Please reread "who you are" again.  Please take time to look up the scriptures to SEE that God has said this about you AND that it is true.  Is this how we feel about ourselves each day?  Is this what we talk about when we gather as family and friends?  Is this what we strive for?  Is this what fuels us?  Is this what occupies our thoughts and time?  Is this what we praise and thank Him for?  Is this what we work for... to find "promotion" in?  Is this what makes us feel whole at the beginning and end of the day!?

And you have to know this:  As I share this with you... I am "resharing" it with myself!  The enemy tries to lie to me and take away my JOY in knowing WHO I REALLY AM!  He tries to "steal my joy" by telling me lies and distracting me away from the above truths!  He tells me I am "just a maid, just a house wife," and I can "choose" to accept those lies or I can denounce them and stay focused on the truth!  John 8: 31, 32  Speaking truth against the enemy, Satan, the devil, makes him run!  James 4:7

All of this ties into Ephesians 3!  "... that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ through the gospel... " (verse 6)  "and to make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery... to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the prinicipalities and powers in the heavenly places,"  (verses 9 and 10)

How many times do we just read over things and move on?  Often.  God's word is alive. (Hebrews 4:12) God's word is active.  God's word speaks to us.  God's Holy Spirit reveals mystery and knowledge from God's word to the one seeking it. (1 Corithians 2:10-13)  God's word is what builds our faith... grows it... secures it... empowers it.  (Romans 10:17, Micah 3:8)  God's word is the Holy Spirit.  (Ephesians 6:17)

This scripture says we are "fellow heirs."  That should stop us in our tracks!  What does it mean to be a fellow heir with Christ!?  What does it mean to be "partakers of the promise in Christ?"  Who is a fellow co-worker?  Who is a fellow brother at church?  It's the one you do something with... the one you work with and the one you worship with... you are in it together!  So we are heirs with Christ!  What is Christ an heir to...?

For one, Jesus, after he was crucified and resurrected, is seated at the right hand of God.  Mark 16:19, Romans 8:34
2.) Christ is an heir over all things and all things have been put under his feet: Hebrews 1:2 & Ephesians 1: 22
3.) He is head over all things to the church: Ephesians 1: 22
4.) He obtained a more excellent name than any other name: Hebrews 1:4 & Philippians 2:9
5.) At the name of Jesus every knee will bow: Philippians 2:10

How are we then fellow heirs to all this?  We look back to Ephesians 2. 

"1.) And you (believers) HE made alive (God made us alive), who were dead in trespasses and sins, (spiritually dead, seperated from God )in which you once walked according to the course of this world (worldly concerns, wordly goals, wordly identities, worldly pleasures), according to the prince of the power of the air, (Satan) the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience... we were "just as others" (verse 3)

"But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, (full of sin) made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised up up together(with Christ), and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus (we are seated with Christ)..."

So we are alive with Him, raised up with Him, and seated with Him, in the spiritual world.  Remember, there is a spiritual world all around us that our human eyes can not see.  (Ephesians 6: 12)  We can forget we are in it.  We can forget we are heirs with Christ in it!  We can forget to walk in it, pray in it, worship in it, LIVE IN IT! 

And you know what else...?  This is the part that thrills me beyond capacity!  We also inherited the NAME OF JESUS AND THE AUTHORITY TO USE IT!  This is when the "fellow" takes on all new meaning!  This is when "new creature" takes on all new meaning!  This is when "Life IN CHRIST" takes on all new meaning!  This is when Christianity takes on all new meaning!

Matthew 28:18  "Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and earth has been given to me.  Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them IN THE NAME of the FATHER and OF THE SON and OF THE HOLY SPIRIT... And surely I am WITH YOU ALWAYS, to the very end of the age."   The disciples were told to USE THE NAME... and there is AUTHORITY in the NAME.  By the disciples USING THE NAME... In this passage, God's power SAVES THE ONE ON WHICH IT IS USED!

Mark 16:17  "And these signs will accompany those WHO BELIEVE: IN MY NAME they will cast out demons, they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well."  Those who believe are again given the authority to USE THE NAME OF JESUS and HE will do mighty things through that!

Acts 3:6 "The Peter said, Silver and gold have I none: But SUCH AS I HAVE I GIVE THEE: IN THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST OF NAZARETH rise up and walk."  What did Peter have?  Not spiritual power.. not healing power... HE HAD THE NAME... HE HAD AUTHORITY TO USE THE NAME and IN THAT NAME IS POWER AND HEALING through CHRIST!  He also had the FAITH and BELIEF in the name.  He didn't just throw it around. He BELIEVED IN THE NAME AND THE ONE WHO IT BELONGED TO!

Where is Christ?  He is seated at the right hand and He dwells inside the believer.  Remember, put your spiritual eyes on and let your physical eyes die.  Christ is IN US!  Remember, we have been born again... into the spiritual world... God's world, Christ's world!  2 Corinthians 5:16, 17  1 Corithians 2:12

Galatians 3:27  "For as many of you have been baptized INTO CHRIST have PUT ON CHRIST."

I leave you with these promises today... statements... declarations... TRUTH.

John 16:23, 24  "And in that day (after Christ's death and resurrection) ye shall ask me nothing.  Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsover ye (believers) shall ASK THE FATHER IN MY NAME, HE will give it you.  Hitherto(before) have ye asked nothing IN MY NAME:(because Christ was here physically on earth, they were not using His name yet!) ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full." 
This is asking the Father IN THE NAME OF JESUS... prayer.

John 14:13-14  "And whatsoever ye shall ask IN MY NAME, that will I DO, that the FATHER MAY BE GLORIFIED in the Son.  If ye shall ask anything IN MY NAME, I will do it."  This is "asking in the name" or "using the name".

Ephesians 3:20 "Now to Him (God) who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us,(Christ) to Him be the glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen."

These powerful statements, these powerful truths, these powerful treasures are changing my life... they are "tranforming me by renewing my mind"... it's becoming a spiritual mind and less of a natural mind.  That is the key... the hidden treasure... we are spiritual beings, walking in a spiritual world, fellow heirs with a spiritual savior, standing against spiritual battles against a spiritual enemy, doing spiritual works and living by the power of the Spirit.

That's all for today.  I know it is a lot.  Did you see that in verse 10 of Ephesians 3, "the manifold wisdom of God" is being made known to the "rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms."  The angels are watching us live this out... and learning the "manifold wisdom of God"!  I couldn't help but mention that! 1 Corinthians 11:10 also mentions the angels... present at worship... learning our place and role... and the role of grace.  WOW!

Here is another one of my New Favorite Books:  If you want to know more about the above... I HIGHLY RECOMMEND YOU BUY IT!!!!!!!

I want to say again, this is what God is revealing to me... through His word and by books that bring all those scriptures together... written by people walking in this truth and transformed by it.  The two books I have mentioned are BASED ON SCRIPTURE and SCRIPTURE IS EVERYWHERE in them.  I check everything against the Word of God.  I research it even more.  I am by no means an expert... I am just sharing the amazing words that are changing my life.  I am being obedient to share it. How could I NOT!  But my views are yours to do with what you want... what God leads you to do.  I challenge you to study the scriptures and pray over them.  Stop between commas and ask the questions... then find the answers... they are in the WORD OF GOD.  I promise you... you will be changed... your prayer life will change... your view of the world and what's in it will change... your life will change, lives around you will change... you will be transformed!