Wearing Your Helmet

Our women's Bible study group just finished "The Armor of God" presented by Priscilla Shirer, and I can say without reservation that it was truly one of the best Bible studies I've ever done.  I learned so much throughout the study, but one thing that particularly stood out to me was the lesson on the "Helmet of Salvation" from Ephesians 6:17.  You see, the helmet of salvation is our identity in Christ and our enemy seeks to create strongholds in our thinking that keep us from walking in our identity in Christ.  He prefers us to be crippled by self-doubt and grief over who we wish we were, instead of relishing who we really are in Christ.  He endeavors to keep us from doing what the Bible instructs us to do which is to be, "renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new self [ie: helmet of salvation], which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.." (Eph 4:23,24).

God calls us to renew our mind according to His truth, and then adapt our behavior to align with that truth.  God's truth is the Bible and once we come to salvation, we are to adapt our behavior to align with scripture.  Once a person comes to salvation in Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit comes to dwell within them, giving them the desire and ability to be obedient to God's instructions.  Our enemy wants to keep us from doing this at all costs, therefore his kingdom of darkness expends great effort at poisoning our thinking with negative thoughts and unhealthy patterns of imagination to cripple our ability to clearly detect the leading of God's Holy Spirit.  It is the helmet of salvation--knowing and walking in our identity in Christ-- that protects our minds from receiving and rehearsing the enemy's lies.  It is the helmet of salvation that keeps a committed Christian from backsliding into the slimy pit of worldliness or from wandering into the weedy pasture of religiosity-- two extremes that are mutually devastating to a Christian's walk of faith.

So why are there so many Christians walking in disobedience, worldliness and religiosity?  Because our enemy is a great storyteller, always eager for us to listen to his version of truth.  That is why scripture tells us to "Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you." (James 4:7).  To submit to God, you must agree with His truth.  To resist the devil, you have to not only stop listening to his stories, but you have to refute his lies with God's truth.  When Jesus was tempted in the desert, Satan told Him three grand tales, all three of which appealed either to Christ's flesh (stones becoming bread), His pride (worldly kingdoms will be Yours), or His faith (throw Yourself down from this ledge).  But all three times Christ refuted Satan's lies with the truth of God's word-- Jesus quoted scripture.  That is the example we have been given to "resist the devil" by our Lord and Savior.  So today, I am sharing 55 scriptures from the "Armor of God" study that testify to who we are in Christ.  These are 55 scriptures to be tucked into your helmet of salvation and used to "resist the devil".

My Inheritance And Identity In Christ

I am a child of God:  "But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name.." (John 1:12)

I have peace with God:  "Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.." (Rom 5:1)
The Holy Spirit lives in me:  "Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?" (1 Cor 3:16)
I have access to God's wisdom:  "But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him." (James 1:5)
I am helped by God:  "Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need." (Heb 4:16)
I am reconciled to God:  "And not only this, but we also exult in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation." (Rom 5:11)
I am not condemned by God:  "Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." (Rom 8:1)
I am justified:  "Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.." (Rom 5:1)
I have Christ's righteousness:  "For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous." (Rom 5:19); and "God made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God." (2 Cor 5:21)
I am Christ's ambassador:  "Therefore we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making His appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ: Be reconciled to God." (2 Cor 5:20)
I am completely forgiven:  "..in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins." (Col 1:14)
I am tenderly loved by God:  "The LORD appeared to him from afar, saying, 'I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore I have drawn you with lovingkindness.'" (Jer 31:3)
I am the sweet fragrance of Christ to God:  "For we are to God the sweet aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing." (2 Cor 2:15)
I am a temple in which God dwells:  "Do you not know that you yourselves are God's temple, and that God's Spirit dwells in you?" (1 Cor 3:16)
I am blameless and beyond reproach:  "..yet He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach-- if indeed you continue in the faith firmly established and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the gospel that you have heard.." (Col 1:22,23)
I am the salt of the earth:  "You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its savor, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men." (Matt 5:13)
I am the light of the world:  "You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden." (Matt 5:14)
I am a branch on Christ's vine:  "I am the true vine, and My Father is the keeper of the vineyard... I am the vine and you are the branches. The one who remains in Me, and I in him, will bear much fruit. For apart from Me you can do nothing." (John 15:1,5)
I am Christ's friend:  "No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not understand what his master is doing. But I have called you friends, because everything I have learned from My Father I have made known to you." (John 15:15)
I am chosen by Christ to bear fruit:  "If anyone does not remain in Me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers. Such branches are gathered up, thrown into the fire, and burned." (John 15:6)
I am a joint heir with Christ, sharing His inheritance with Him:  "And if we are children, then we are heirs: heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ--if indeed we suffer with Him, so that we may also be glorified with Him." (Rom 8:17)
I am united to the Lord, one spirit with Him:  "But he who unites himself with the Lord is one with Him in spirit." (1 Cor 6:17)
I am a member of Christ's Body:  "Now you are the body of Christ, and each of you is a member of it." (1 Cor 12:27)
I am a saint:  "Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To the saints in Ephesus, the faithful in Christ Jesus.." (Eph 1:1)
I am hidden with Christ in God:  "For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God." (Col 3:3)
I am chosen by God, holy and dearly loved:  "Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience." (Col 3:12)
I am a child of the light:  "For you are all sons of the light and sons of the day; we do not belong to the night or to the darkness." (1 Thess 5:5)
I am holy, and I share in God's heavenly calling:  "Therefore, holy brothers, who share in the heavenly calling, set your minds on Jesus, the apostle and high priest whom we confess." (Heb 3:1)
I am sanctified:  "For both the One who sanctifies and those who are sanctified are of the same family. That is why Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers." (Heb 2:11)
I am one of God's living stones, being built up in Christ as a spiritual house:  "..you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ." (1 Pet 2:5)
I am a member of a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's own possession and created to sing His praises:  "But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's own possession, to proclaim the virtues of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.  Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy." (1 Pet 2:9,10)
I am firmly rooted and built up in Christ:  "..rooted and built up in Him, established in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness." (Col 2:7)
I am born of God and the evil one cannot touch me:  "We know that anyone born of God does not keep on sinning; the One who was born of God protects him, and the evil one cannot touch him." (1 John 5:18)
I have the mind of Christ:  "'For who has known the mind of the Lord, so as to instruct Him?' But we have the mind of Christ." (1 Cor 2:16)
I may approach God with boldness, freedom and confidence:  "In Him and through faith in Him we may enter God's presence with boldness and confidence." (Eph 3:12)
I have been rescued from Satan's domain and transferred into the kingdom of Christ:  "He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of His beloved Son.." (Col 1:13)
I have been made complete in Christ:  "And you have been made complete in Christ, who is the head over every ruler and authority." (Col 2:10)
I have been given a spirit of power, love and self-discipline:  "For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power, love, and self-control." (2 Tim 1:7)
I have been given great and precious promises by God:  "Through these He has given us His precious and magnificent promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, now that you have escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires." (2 Pet 1:4)
My needs are met by God:  "And my God will supply all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus." (Phil 4:19)
I am a (princess) in God's kingdom:  "But to all who did receive Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God.."  (John 1:12); and "For at just the right time Christ will be revealed from heaven by the blessed and only almighty God, the King of all kings and Lord of all lords." (1 Tim 6:15)
I have been bought with a price, and I belong to God:  "Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore glorify God with your body." (1 Cor 6:19,20)
I have been adopted as God's child:  "He predestined us for adoption as His sons through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of His will.." (Eph 1:5)
I have direct access to God through the Holy Spirit:  "For through Him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit." (Eph 2:18)
I am assured that all things are working together for good:  "And we know that God works all things together for the good of those who love Him, who are called according to His purpose." (Rom 8:28)
I am free from any condemning charges against me:  "What then shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us!" (Rom 8:31); and "Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." (Rom 8:1)
I cannot be separated from the love of God:  "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?" (Rom 8:35)
 I have been established, anointed and sealed by God:  "Now it is God who establishes both us and you in Christ. He anointed us, placed His seal on us, and put His Spirit in our hearts as a pledge of what is to come." (2 Cor 1:21,22)
 I am confident that the good work that God has begun in me will be perfected:  "For I am confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will continue to perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus." (Phil 1:6)
I am a citizen of heaven:  "But our citizenship is in heaven, and we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ.." (Phil 3:20)
I am a personal witness of Christ's:  "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." (Acts 1:8)
I am God's coworker:  "As God's fellow workers, we urge you not to receive God's grace in vain." (2 Cor 6:1; and "For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, God's building." (1 Cor 3:9)
I am seated with Christ in the heavenly realm:  "And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus.." (Eph 2:6)
I am God's workmanship:  "For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance as our way of life." (Eph 2:10)
I can do all things through Christ, Who gives me the strength I need:  "I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength." (Phil 4:13)

 

Lady With The Pink Hair

I met a lady with pink hair today.  Her kids started at my kids' school several weeks ago and I saw her for the first time last week....and I saw her pink hair.  Most of us like to think we don't judge each other, but we all do it.  So, it's really not a matter of who judges and who doesn't, it's more like a matter of who confesses to it and who doesn't.  Our minds are hardwired to evaluate and analyze, it is inherent to human nature.  So naturally, when I see someone with fluorescent pink hair my mind is going to begin to evaluate and analyze this thing that seems out of the ordinary.  And that is perfectly acceptable because that is what my mind was created to do.  However, what is not acceptable is for me to transcend from objective evaluation into subjective judgment.

You see, I cannot judge the lady with the pink hair because the lady with the pink hair has a story.  We all do.  The first thing that came to my mind when I saw her was when I colored my own hair candy apple red and bleached an inch of the tips blonde.  I was in my mid-twenties and I suppose it was a statement to the world as to how comfortable I was in my own body, as to how confident I was about my own identity.  Only looking back, am I able to see and admit to the reality that on the inside I was still trying to figure out who I was and where I belonged.  I was yelling about my confidence on the outside, while doubts whispered and lurked within.  But I cannot project my story onto the lady with the pink hair because she has her own story. 

I've come a long way since my mid-twenties and while I would be tempted to think that she and I now have very little in common, I had the pleasure to find out today that we actually have quite a lot in common.  You would not think she has a yard full of chickens like I do.  You would not think she has names for her chickens or her own pair of rubber boots that she wears out into the muddy chicken yard like I do.  You would not think that the lady with the pink hair would have the same feelings about the influence of cable television on her children as I do.  When she told me today that they do not have cable television, I was thrilled to find a kindred spirit.  She loves her chickens and she loves her kids....just like I do.

I cannot judge the lady with the pink hair because that is not what Christ calls us to do. Christ calls us to love.  He calls us to disciple.  He calls us to be His hands and His feet.  He calls us to listen to each other's story, and then to share and celebrate His story.  I love you lady with the pink hair.  I love you even though I don't know you because that is what Christ calls us to do.  I hope you are as beautiful on the inside as you are on the outside.  I hope that we can be friends and I hope that I can hear your story.

"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another.  By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." (John 13:35)

"...for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart." (1 Samuel 16:7)

The Pitiful Bush

As God continues to minister to me about faithfulness and seasons, He gave me a visual understanding in my spirit's eye.  He showed me a bush.  But the one He showed me was no burning bush, it was a grubby little stump.  Actually, it was more like a pitiful bouquet of sticks.  At least, that's what it appeared to be at first.  As God showed me the pitiful, dormant bush, He then showed me the bush being planted.  The bush was planted in rich, dark soil, but it still appeared like a dead bunch of sticks protruding above the surface.  And it stayed that way for a long time. 

But what God showed me next, was that despite the meager appearance of the bush above the surface of the soil, there was a lot going on underneath the soil where I could not see. Despite the bush's scraggly appearance, it was indeed alive.  However, all the energy and life that was within the bush was being used to form an intricate root structure within the soil.  As long as the soil was maintained and the bush was regularly watered, the root foundation of the bush continued to thrive below the surface of the soil.  And even though above the soil the appearance of the bush remained spindly and scraggly for quite a while, one day it inevitably began to change.  One beautiful day, those scraggly pitiful sticks above the ground began to show the evidence of what had been taking place below the ground all that time.  It didn't happen overnight and the first signs of change were mere nubs that began to protrude from the wad of sticks sticking up from the ground, but over time, those little nubs transformed into glossy green leaves.  As the bush matured, one day another set of nubs began to appear on it, and over time, those nubs transformed into delicious, ripe fruit.

What God communicated to me is that most of us would have just looked at that pitiful bush, assumed it to be dead and never bothered with maintaining the soil or watering it.  Some may have given it a tug or two to see if it still had a root structure, then maybe would have watered it for a while, but would have given up after a short time when they weren't seeing any results.  We are a very "results-oriented" culture.  We want microwave and drive-thru results when it comes to our spiritual efforts.  Leonard Ravenhill once said about prayer, "We want to sow radish seeds, but reap a forest of redwoods."  How true is that in our own lives? 

Jesus promises that if we abide in Him we can't help but bear fruit, "I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing." (John 15:5).  Jesus is the rich, dark soil of our spiritual lives, therefore when we abide in that fertile soil we are able to grow an intricate root structure that will not only tether us to the foundation of Christ, but will also provide the strength we need to weather even the worst of storms that take place above the soil.  The deeper the root system, the stronger the tree.  When you see a tree blown over from a bad storm, you see that the only roots that were holding it in were the ones at the surface.  To weather the storms of life and to weather the storms of persecution, trial and tribulation, you gotta have some deep roots.  And deep roots take time to grow.

"Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him." (James 1:12)

"And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up." (Gal 6:9)

I Covet

Sin is sneaky.  I think many people expect the kingdom of darkness to attempt its work in their life by obvious or grandiose means, but they would be deceived....which is the whole point of deception.  To say that the enemy of our souls is a master at his craft would be a gross and negligent understatement.  We are told in no uncertain terms in the first verse of Genesis Chapter 3, that the "NACHASH (serpent) was more ARUM (crafty, shrewd, cunning, subtle) than any living creature God made on the earth."  We are told from the beginning, that the enemy of mankind is unmatched in his craft of deceit by any fleshly being in existence.  Which means his whole method of operation is to deceive undetected as long as he can.

The Apostle Peter tells us to, "Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour." (1 Pet 5:8).  The enemy of our souls never sleeps and neither do his henchmen.  The whole purpose of their existence is to seek ways to tempt and ensnare.  Which means that if they can't get you to sin outwardly, then they will look for ways to get you to sin inwardly. 

Which brings me to my point:  I hate my kitchen. 

Let me explain---

I love to watch home renovation shows.  But I became aware that as I watched those shows, my dissatisfaction with my kitchen grew.  As I watched those shows, my admiration for the wonderful home transformations began to transition into an anxious longing to have those transformations for myself.  My admiration and appreciation for the innovation and beauty of those home transformations began to morph into me coveting those transformations in my own life and circumstances.  Watching those shows and hating my kitchen is not a sin, but indulging in dissatisfaction and covetousness, is.  We know that covetousness is a sin because it is one of the Ten Commandments.  But dissatisfaction is also a sin because we are told that God will supply all our needs:
"But my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ." (Phil 4:19)
"And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed." (2 Cor 9:8)

When God led the Israelites out of Egypt, He promised them that He would supply all their needs, yet they still complained.  We are told in no uncertain terms how God feels when He meets our need and we indulge in a complaining spirit:

"And when the people complained, it displeased the LORD: and the LORD heard it; and his anger was kindled; and the fire of the LORD burnt among them, and consumed them that were in the uttermost parts of the camp." (Numbers 11:1).

When we complain, when we indulge in dissatisfaction and when we covet, we are doing two things that are displeasing to the Lord:

1.  We are telling Him that He is not trustworthy meet our needs
2.  We are telling Him that what He has already given us isn't good enough

The sins we commit on the inside, in our attitudes and thoughts, are the kind of sins that typically go unnoticed in our lives.  Especially the subtle snake of dissatisfaction, which always gives birth to covetousness.  For some it could be dissatisfaction with the way they look, giving birth to coveting the body shape and seeming beauty of other women.  For others it could be dissatisfaction in their marriage, giving birth to coveting the seemingly blissful relationships they see on t.v., read about in books or see in movies.  And for others it could be dissatisfaction with their car, their job, their church, their kids, or any other "non-perfect" thing in their life.  The enemy of our souls can work wonders with even the tiniest seed of dissatisfaction.

We are told at Proverbs 4:23 to, "Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life."  We must truly guard our heart at all times, because at all times the enemy of our soul is prowling about, seeking a way in.  Seeking a way to devour our joy.  Seeking a way to devour our faith in God's promises that He will supply all our needs.  Seeking a way to devour our contentment, fulfillment and satisfaction in the needs that God has already met in our life.

"Rest in the LORD and wait patiently for Him." (Psalm 37:7)

"Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from Him." (Psalm 62:5)

"I wait for the LORD, my whole being waits, and in his word I put my hope." (Psalm 130:5)

"Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they?" (Matt 6:26)

Brook Cherith

In 1 Kings Chapter 17, we are told of the prophet Elijah and how God instructed him to go to a brook named Cherith on the other side of the Jordan River.  God told him that he would have water to drink from the brook and that ravens would bring him food to eat every morning and every evening.  The two things God told Elijah were:
1.  What he needed to do
2.  That God would supply his needs 

The two things Elijah was not told were:
1.  Why

2.  For how long

When I think about this story, it reminds me how much farther I have to go in my spiritual growth.  I imagine what it must have been like for Elijah, to go to the brook in obedience and just sit there and wait, and to do so in the faith that those ravens would show up every day.  I imagine myself sitting there every morning and evening, scouring the sky for any signs of the ravens and, more importantly, my breakfast and dinner.  I imagine myself sitting there throughout each day, twiddling my thumbs during the time between breakfast and dinner.  I imagine me wondering if I heard God correctly?  I imagine me getting frustrated with God at His silence.  Surely He could mercifully give me a few words of communication as the hours painfully tick by, after all, I showed up didn't I?  I obeyed You Lord, You could at least acknowledge that I'm here.  A thumbs up.  Something.  All the while, forgetting that God already told me everything I needed to know, which is what I'm supposed to be doing and that He would supply all my needs.

For all intents and purposes, it would appear to us that Elijah's time at the brook accomplished no real purpose.  After all, the only thing he did during his time at the brook was sit there and wait.  No crossword puzzles, no Sudoku, no newspaper.  To make matters worse, we are told that the brook eventually dried up.  I imagine my horror at watching that stupid brook grow smaller and smaller each day, growing more and more frantic with God's silence each day.  Being tempted to get irritated with God, asking Him why He would lead me to this place and allow such torment?  After all, I obeyed didn't I?  And watching my only source of water slowly dry up was my reward?  Thanks a whole bunch, Lord.

We are told that Elijah didn't hear from God again until the brook had dried up.  The silence of God wasn't broken until Elijah's resources ran out.  Yet still, Elijah waited.  He didn't search for another source of water.  He didn't try to look for his own solution to his problem.  God had told Elijah to go to brook Cherith and he made up his mind that he would stay there until he died if he had to, rather than disobey or doubt God. 

After Elijah's seemingly unfruitful waste of time at brook Cherith, God next instructed him to go to a widow's house in Zarapheth, "I have commanded a widow there to provide for you." (1 Kings 17:9).  Elijah obediently went to the widow's house, only to find out that she had one handful of flour and a few tablespoons of oil left for her and her son to share.  When I think of myself in this situation, the first thing that comes to mind is, "Well, so much for plan 'B'.  Where next Lord?  The mouth of an active volcano?"  But it is here that I realize the purpose for Elijah's time at the brook.

For God to use you as a source of strength and guidance for others, you must die to your own strength and reasoning.  Only then can the Holy Spirit-- the true source of all strength and all wisdom-- flow freely through you and pour out into the lives of others.  During the time Elijah spent at the brook, he learned not only how to wait on God, but he also learned how to rely on God and God alone, and how to hold on to His promises regardless of his circumstances, "for we walk by faith, not by sight" (2 Cor 5:7). 

 

Unless it is God working through us, any attempt at trying to be a source of strength for others becomes an unbearable burden. And because Elijah had endured the time at brook Cherith, he was spiritually mature enough for God to use him as a source of strength and guidance for the widow at Zarapheth.  When she tells Elijah that she and her son are going to eat what little they have left and then wait for death, he tells her, "Do not fear." (1 Kings 17:13). 

He said, "Do not fear..", and he meant it.  He was able to say "Do not fear...", and stand firmly upon it.

I want that kind of faith.  I want to be a source of strength and guidance for others.  And to have that kind of faith, and for God to operate through us as a source of strength and guidance for others, we have to endure our own brook Cherith.  We have to learn how to be obedient to what God tells us to do and not question why or for how long.  We have to make up our mind that we are committed to Him even until death, if that's what it takes.  The death of our own reasoning and the death of our own strength.

More Than An Afterthought

We were created for intimate, eternal fellowship with God, to be a temple of glory for which God to reside and interact.

"Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them.." (Rev 21:3)

Read that verse again.....because that is the sole purpose of creation itself.  Even angels were created for mankind, "Are they not all ministering spirits, sent out to render service for the sake of those who will inherit salvation?" (Heb 1:14).  Scripture says that those whom are saved in Christ are spiritually seated with Him in heaven, "..and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.." (Eph 2:6).  We are co-heirs with Christ to the kingdom of God, "The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him." (Rom 8:17).  And what is Christ heir to?  All of creation.  "For God has put all things in subjection under His feet.” (1 Cor 15:27).  Scripture tells us that there will come a time when those in Christ will even judge the angels, "Or do you not know that the saints will judge the world? If the world is judged by you, are you not competent to constitute the smallest law courts? Do you not know that we will judge angels?" (1 Cor 6:2,3).  Are you starting to grasp the magnitude of spiritual riches and glory that God offers us through Christ?  Are you starting to comprehend what people are saying "no" to, when they deny Christ?

I've said this before and I will say it again because it's something we need to fully understand:  human beings are the apex of all creation.   I know many people to which this notion is utterly preposterous.  So many have been robbed of the joy and reverence that comes with the understanding of God's immeasurable love for us.  I will admit, sometimes it makes me uncomfortable because it's too much and I simply don't know what to do with it.  When I try to grasp God's immeasurable love for me, it makes me uncomfortable in my sin.  One thing I've learned over the years is that the closer I get to God, the more aware I become of my own sin.  The closer I draw to God, the more His light shines in my own life exposing the things within me that are contrary to His holy nature.  Our sin cannot hide from God.  The strange thing is, as I become more aware of my own wretchedness and need for salvation, instead of shrinking away in shame, I feel irresistibly drawn to Him.

We are all guilty of taking God's love for us for granted, each and every one of us, me included.  God literally moved heaven and earth to ensure that I would have a path to salvation through Jesus Christ so that I could spend eternity with Him.  He was thinking about me when He did that.  He was thinking about you too.   Yet there have been so many wasted days in my life, where God was more like an afterthought, rather than my purpose. 
Yet, I have always been His purpose.  I was His purpose from the inception of all creation.  And so were you.  We've never been, we are not, nor will we ever be an afterthought to God.

Have The Funeral

"Therefore I urge you, brothers, on account of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God, which is your reasonable service [your true and proper worship].  And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect." (Rom 12:1,2)

Because we are saved by God's grace, the Apostle Paul says our "reasonable service" to God is to live lives that are pleasing to Him, making every effort not to conform to this world.  Paul says that coming out of the world and living our lives according to God's word is how we worship Him in our daily lives. 

We are not to conform to this world because the prince of this world is Satan, and not only does this world reflect his image in all obviousness and subtlety, he is a master at appealing to our flesh.

We are not to seek the things of this world:

"Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth." (Col 3:2)

"But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness.." (Matt 6:33)

We are also not to conform to this world because scripture tells us we are not of this world, we are sojourners and aliens here because we are seated in heavenly places with Christ Jesus: 

"Beloved, I exhort you as aliens and sojourners, to abstain from fleshly desires, which war against your soul.." (1 Pet 2:11)
"And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus.." (Eph 2:6)

Although in Jesus we have been granted victory over Satan, we can't outwit him and many of us are in bondage to him without even realizing it.  Many brothers and sisters in Christ are frustrated in their spiritual walk, discouraged, depressed and defeated, not understanding why they can't seem to move ahead in their relationship with Christ.  Not realizing that they are watching the same T.V. shows and listening to the same music they did before they got saved.  Not acknowledging that they are harboring anger and resentment, still hanging on to roots of bitterness or prejudice.  Not realizing that although they may have come to the cross, they aren't picking it up and carrying it.  Or misunderstanding "carrying their cross" as meaning to suffer through the inevitable ups and downs of their life.  Jesus said that we would have trouble (John 16:33).  That's not carrying your cross.  Jesus said that carrying your cross is to deny yourself,  "If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me." (Matt 16:24).  Coming to the cross, is salvation.  Picking it up and carrying it, is sanctification.  Sanctification matters to God.

Scripture says that when we are saved, we become new creatures.  We are told that the old passes away and all things become new, but many Christians are living in spiritual defeat because they don't want to let go of the old.  "Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come." (2 Cor 5:17)

Scripture says our identity is to be in Christ, yet many Christians define who they are by the things of this world.  "For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ." (Gal 3:27).  God's love for us is so consuming, that He doesn't want to share us with anyTHING or anyONE.  He created us in His image and He is jealous of that image.  When that image reflects more of the world than it does of Him, we are not giving God our reasonable service.  God tells us that all we do, should glorify Him: 

"Whatever you do, do all to the glory of God" (1 Cor 10:31) and

"And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him." (Col 3:17).

I want all my brothers and sisters to get what I'm trying to say here:  The whole point of being born again, means that the old "you" MUST DIE,  "For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God." (Col 3:3)

When you are born again, you gotta have the funeral for the "you" that was defined and identified by the things of this world,  " ..knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him.." (Rom 6:6).  The Bible calls that process "sanctification".  That's what Jesus means when He says that to find life, we must lose it (Matt 16:25 & 10:39).  Many Christians are trying to find their life in Christ while still hanging onto their old one.  The only way we can carry our cross is to approach it with empty hands.

Let us humble ourselves before our holy God and ask Him to point out anything in our lives that may be serving as a stumbling block to our spiritual growth.  Then let us ask for His grace to deny ourselves, take up His cross and follow Him.