Last week in part one of this study, we saw how the heart of God is not for religion or even dutiful service, but for genuine intimate relationship. We also saw how this relationship with God is integral and necessary for good service, since without the foundation of receiving love from God, every work is a dead work. Today as we continue with part two of our study, we are going to see the contrast between the behaviors of different people as they encounter the truth of God. How the truth of Jesus can and should affect us, and we will see what the heart of Jesus for everyone is, even if they do not realize it.
What you say matters. Your words may seem insignificant, but they carry more weight and power than you can possibly imagine. Yet many times I hear believers describe in graphic and sometimes gruesome detail the victories which they perceive that the enemy is having in their lives and even in their bodies, and it is precisely because they do not understand the power of their words; and as a result, they do not realize the ground which they are giving-up to the enemy. That's why in this study today, we will be examining the power of what we say, the words that we speak, and what the Bible says about it all. This is not new-age philosophy, but it is Bible fact and truth from the Word of God.
This is a foundational study today. Now please do not be put-off by the word “foundational”. Because there are many people who when they hear this word they think that it is going to be boring or that God does not have anything for them to learn here; but we are doing this today because as believers in Christ, we are supposed to be living the supernatural life, yet many of us are still in bondage; but Jesus Christ has paid to get us out of bondage and into freedom. God is a miracle-working, almighty covenant-keeping God, and it is when we trust in Him and release to Him fully that we begin to see these things in our lives. So in this study, we are going to be exploring this truth and how to obtain victory and live the abundant life which Jesus has come to give us.
Have you ever listened to people in church during a casual conversation? Many times what I have heard is not them talking about the victories that they are having in Christ, but instead they are talking about what the devil is doing in their lives. I often hear things such as “Oh, that old devil, he's just having a hey-day in my life.”, “he's just sifting me as he sifted Job.”, or “I guess I'm just his target this week.” These are not statements of victory, and they are not even truly scriptural for the kind of life that we as believers should be living in Christ Jesus today. That's why in this study, we will be examining what the Bible says regarding our reality today in Christ, and the truth of the defeated status of the enemy. By exposing the common lies being propagated among believers and shining the light of Christ on how utterly beaten the enemy truly is, we will be able to have confidence against the devil, instead of fear.
Ask a group of believers how they see themselves and you will likely receive many different answers... Ranging from “I'm just a dirty rotten sinner saved by Grace.”, “I'm just a sheep following the Shepherd, to “I'm just a servant”. While all of these things have a certain element of truth, they all fall short of what the Bible says is our true identity in Christ, and it is this realization of this identity that can enable us to operate in the victory and authority which Christ has given to us. If we are not sure of our identity, we can never truly live with authority. A Police officer who is not aware of his identity will never make use of his authority to arrest criminals – even though the power has been given to him. Likewise, we as believers have been given authority from God Himself, but if we are not sure of our identity, we will never be able to make use of that power. So this is what we will be studying today.
There are so many things in life vying for our attention. Every new product every new item carries with it a promise of making our lives better, easier and more fulfilling. However the excitement of that new thing is always short-lived – usurped when the next new thing comes along... electronics that were new last month are already obsolete this month. Nothing of this world ever lasts. However there is one – one person – who can give us true fulfillment, not just a temporary satisfaction, but a permanent fulfillment that totally completes us in every way. Today we will be studying how this is so, and how to receive this provision of Jesus Christ into our lives, so that we will not be searching or be entangled by the things of this world any longer.