2Corinthians 5:17-18 (Amplified) says, "Therefore, if any person is (ingrafted) in Christ Jesus (the Messiah) he is a new creation (a new creature altogether); the old (previous moral and spiritual condition) has passed. Behold, the fresh and new has come. But all things are from God, Who through Jesus Christ has reconciled us to Himself (received us into favor, brought us into harmony with Himself) and gave to us the ministry of reconciliation (that by word and deed we might aim to bring others into harmony with Him)."
In John 3:3 (Amplified) Jesus said, "I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, that unless a person is born again (anew, from above) he cannot ever see (know, be acquainted with, and experience) the Kingdom of God." John the Baptist said this in John 3:27 (Amplified), by inspiration from the Holy Spirit, "A man can." receive nothing (he can claim nothing, he can take unto himself nothing) except it has been granted to him from Heaven (a man must be content to receive the Gift which is given him from Heaven); there is no other source."
It's easy to forget that everything we see in this natural world, first came into being by the Spirit and Word of God. There is no other source. We've been born-again "from above," and are like Jesus said in John 17:16 (Amplified), "Are not of this world." Even though we "know" this and actually confess this, I'm not sure we truly understand it. Our being born-again, doesn't just mean that we "go to Heaven when we die." Going to Heaven is undoubtedly the greatest thing any person can imagine, but we must realize that we are citizens of Heaven now.
Our lives, health, prosperity, citizenship and family are all "from above." 2Corinthians 5:20 (Amplified) says, "So we are Christ's ambassadors." We are representatives of Heaven, on this earth. We are no longer simple, natural, mere men, but we are God's family here on this earth. Even though we claim to know this, we still walk as mere men and women.
We are governed only by the Kingdom's Laws, while walking here on earth. As ambassadors from a different Kingdom, we have diplomatic immunity here on earth. In Matthew 18:18 (Amplified) Jesus stated, "Truly I tell you, whatever you forbid and declare to be improper and unlawful on earth, must be what is already forbidden in Heaven, and whatever you permit and declare proper and lawful on earth must be what is already permitted in Heaven." The King James Version says it like this, "Whatever you bind on earth must be what is bound in Heaven, and whatever you loose on earth must be what is already loosed in Heaven." Luke 13:11-13 (Amplified) says, "And there was a woman there who for eighteen years had an infirmity caused by a spirit (a demon of sickness). She was bent completely forward and utterly unable to straighten herself up or to look upward . And when Jesus saw her, He called (her to Him) and said to her, Woman, you are released from your infirmity. And He laid (His) hands on her, and instantly she was made straight, and she recognized and thanked and praised God."
The King James Version reads the above scripture, "Jesus said to her, Woman! I loose you from your infirmity." The sickness or demon this woman had, must have been, "Whatever you loose on earth, must be what is already loosed in Heaven." If sickness wasn't already loosed in Heaven, then what Jesus told His followers in Matthew 18:18 concerning "binding and loosing," must have been untrue. We don't seem to understand that authority given to us, through our union with Jesus and our new birth. We use very little of our authority in Jesus, here on earth. Jesus said in Luke 10:19-20 (Amplified), "Behold! I have given you authority and power to trample upon serpents and scorpions, and (physical and mental strength and ability) over all the power that the enemy (possesses); and nothing shall in any way harm you. Nevertheless, do not rejoice at this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are enrolled in Heaven."
When we truly understand that we are even now, citizens and family of Heaven, we can walk in this authority while on earth. We've been taught so many things we "must do," in order to walk in this realm with God and we've overlooked the privilege of being born-again from on High. There's nothing we need to do, in order to be His children and heirs. The only thing we're required to do, is believe in what He has done. The Faith Message has been misunderstood by the Church. We're only required to believe in His Promises.
Inspired by the Holy Spirit, Paul wrote about the Father of our faith (Abraham) in Romans 4:21-22 (Amplified) saying, "Fully satisfied and assured that God was able and mighty to keep His Word and do what He had Promised THAT IS WHY his faith was credited to him as righteousness (right standing with God)." One might ask, "What did Abraham do that it was 'credited to him as righteousness?'" Abraham simply believed God's Promises. What else did he do? Nothing!
We are only required to believe in God's Word of Promise. We don't need to struggle or try to be righteous before Him, we must only believe in the righteousness He gave us in Jesus. All of God's Promises to us, depend upon our ability to believe what He said. This isn't a list of things we must do (like in the Law), but is only believing what He said. If one man believes, then that the Promise is his. If another person doesn't believe, then he will not appropriate the Promise, because of his unbelief. Hebrews 11:1 (Amplified) tells us, "Now faith is the assurance (the confirmation, the title deed) of the things (we) hope for, being the proof of things (we) do not see and the conviction of their reality (faith perceiving as real fact what is not revealed to the senses)."
We've struggled and cried for the Promises of God to be made manifest in our lives, while Hebrews 11:1 says that "Faith is our assurance of these things." We've been told that "God uses these things to teach us," "God is holding back these things," and "Some kind of sin is preventing these things from you." We've been fed a false gospel, in place of Truth in these matters. We must do like Abraham did and simply believe that what God Promised, He is also able to perform. Our inheritance is already ours, by faith in what He said. It's not by works or crying or by Law, but simply by faith.
The entire Promise of salvation, must be appropriated by faith in Jesus Christ. "Those who believe, will be saved and those who do not believe, will be damned," according to Mark 16:16. The entire Gospel of Salvation doesn't depend on God, because He has already given His Promise. It depends on us, to either believe or not to believe His Promise. God so Loved the world, that He gave His Son Jesus. His part is already completed. Our part is to believe in what He has done. This is true for every Promise God has made to us. We must accept by faith, what His Grace already done and then to receive it by His Word.
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