Immanuel Revisited

Isaiah 7:14 “All right then, the Lord himself will give you the sign. Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel (which means ‘God is with us’).”

What does “God with us” mean for us today?

Last December I wrote a study entitled Immanuel.  This year I want to revisit the topic of Immanuel from a more personal perspective.  I pray this blesses you as you think about “God with you” today.

As I was praying this morning I began to reflect on Immanuel with me.  I want to share some of those reflections with you. 

A. Immanuel keeps His promises

To begin I want to share an Immanuel moment from Scott’s life.  4 years ago while Scott was in his prayer time he heard the voice of God telling him that “next year” he would have a son.  Scott hid this Word in his heart and waited.  A year later I became pregnant.  Scott boldly announced that we would have a son. Upon further inquiry he told me that God had told him about our son the year before.  

When I went to my first prenatal appointment we were blessed to have a Christian doctor.  We told her our story and she began to get excited with us.  I was 44 at the time and that alone was a risk factor for many potential issues.  During her exam she discovered a huge blood clot in my cervix.  This ruptured causing a huge amount of bloody mess.  She was a resident and needed to go confer with her supervisor.  After the door closed we heard her crying in the hallway.  She had been so excited with us only seconds earlier, now she was certain I was miscarrying. 

After conferring with her supervisor we were rushed to the hospital for an ultrasound.  As we sat in the waiting area, I held Emma’s hand (she was 13 at the time) and reassured her that everything was ok, while inside I was crying out to Immanuel, reminding Him of His promise to Scott. 

The ultrasound revealed a strong heart beat and everything looked normal.  With much relief we went home rejoicing!  Over the next few weeks we had a few more scares with unexplainable bleeding; however, as you know Samuel was born on December 4, 2012.  His birth was not without its own share of complications, resulting in an emergency C-section; however, Immanuel had kept His promise!!

Deuteronomy 7:9 (NLT) Understand, therefore, that the Lord your God is indeed God. He is the faithful God who keeps his covenant for a thousand generations and lavishes his unfailing love on those who love him and obey his commands.

B. Immanuel provides

I had a high risk pregnancy with Samuel.  I had advanced maternal age, gestational diabetes, and high blood pressure.  These factors coupled with increasing pain caused me to really begin praying for release from God’s call to our teaching jobs at Mesilla Valley Christian Schools.

To back up a bit, for about three years both Scott and I had felt a tug on our hearts to be in full time church ministry.  We had been working with the youth at our church and I had been ministering to women.  We had prayed over that time but hadn’t felt released from MVCS.  So when I got pregnant this seemed like a perfect time to change careers.  An additional confirmation that this was the time for a change came when the school told Scott that due to budget constrains his hours were being cut back to 6 hours per week in the fall.  After much prayer we felt God releasing us and telling us to begin seeking Him about our future ministry in earnest. 

Scott has two Master’s degrees and we assumed that it would be easy for him to find a job in one of those fields.  Sitting here today after 3 ½ years I can tell you that obviously God had other plans.  Scott has applied for 1000+ jobs.  God hasn’t opened the door for any of them. 

God has provided Scott with two part time jobs and our family with a part time job to help pay our bills.  We have never gone without food, clothing, utilities, phone, etc.  Every month God miraculously meets our needs and even our wants sometimes.  My kids are not lacking anything they need.  Our life style is not the same as it used to be, however, we are closer as a couple and a family then we were before.  We have learned that “things” are not really important and are enjoying DIY a lot. 

I won’t act like I have never worried about our needs being met, however, after 3 ½ years I can honestly say those times are few and far between.  And when they do come it is not because God has not provided or I even think that He won’t provide, no, they come when I try to figure it out on my own.  When I try to “help” God figure things out I begin to worry and if this goes unchecked it ultimately leads to fear. 

                                                                                          

The Scripture tells us:  And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:19 (NLT))

It also says: Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6-7 (NIV))

Over these past few years Immanuel has consistently provided for all of our needs and when I take my cares to Him in prayer and allow Him for figure it out I have peace that no one, the devil included, can take away.  Immanuel always provides!

C. Immanuel opens doors

As I have already said, Scott and I felt called to full time church ministry.  We love working with youth and I feel called to minister to women.  Over the years we have ministered in these areas in our local church.  When we left MVCS we were looking to move away from New Mexico.  We assumed that we would find a position as senior pastors or youth pastors and I would work in the women’s ministry department (positions that were already established). 

In October 2014 Scott was hired by a contracting company to be a lay chaplain at Yakima Training Center in Yakima, WA.  Because we thought we were moving we began attending a church pastored by our adopted parents/mentors so our children (and usJ) could spend as much time with their Pop and Geema as possible before we left New Mexico. However, dDue to the government shut down, the contract fell through and we were left with a house full of boxes and no job.  That door was definitely closed.

God had a plan.  In January of this year our pastor returned home from his Christmas trip to Alaska.  He told us that He felt God was telling us to seek Him for what to do now.  We had been waiting on the Lord, per His instructions at the beginning of our journey (leaving MVCS).  Now we were instructed to seek for what to do “now”. 

We both began to pray and God told me to begin Eleutheria Ladies Fellowship.  I was hesitant to begin because I still thought we were moving away from Las Cruces.  I hated to begin something then have to drop the ball, so to speak, by leaving.  However, after putting it off for two weeks I really felt God telling me to get moving.  I knew that if He opened the door He knew what He was doing.  I met with our pastor and he was both supportive and enthusiastic about this ministry.  He told me the church was behind me as would support me in any way necessary, but that I was to follow God’s lead and that the church would not dictate how the ministry was to be run.  This was liberating for me, as I had never ministered in a position where I could “be me”.  I have always ministered in positions where I had to “fit” in the mold already set by someone else. 

So in February ELF was established. It has been exciting to see ladies come together and let their guards down; to be vulnerable before each other and God.  We have seen God perform miracles when we prayed, we have grown together as a group and I have watched individual ladies (myself included) change, becoming more like Christ. 

While I was breaking ground in women’s ministry with ELF, God was speaking to Scott about establishing a youth ministry at our church.  He wrote up a job application and submitted it along with his resume to our pastor.  After much discussion he was brought on the church staff as Youth Pastor.  This ministry too is grass roots.  Our beautiful pastor’s wife has been heading up the youth of our church for a number of years and doing a wonderful job! However, it has recently been a Sunday morning class with no additional meeting time.  Add to that, she also teaches the younger children on Sunday mornings as well so her time is divided. 

Scott has established a Sunday night youth service in which we dig deep into the Word and work on discipleship with our young people.  We are seeing lives changed and our young people learning what it means to be a disciple of Christ. 

1 Thessalonians 5:24 (NASB) Faithful is He who calls you, and He also will bring it to pass.

Immanuel opens doors where He leads.  He who calls us is faithful!! 

These reflections are only the tip of the iceberg of all the things God has done in our lives over these past few years, however, they give a bit of insight into who Immanuel is in our lives.  I want to challenge you today to reflect on who Immanuel is/has been in your life in 2015.  Maybe you can make a list of all the ways He has been “God with you” and then take a few minutes to thank Him for His faithfulness.  If we are honest with ourselves He has always been there and come through for us.  It may not have been when or how we thought it should have been but Immanuel has never failed us once!!!  Isaiah 9:6 “For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”  Immanuel, God with us!!!!

Great Expectations

Luke 18:27(NIV) Jesus replied, “What is impossible with man is possible with God.”

I recently heard a friend say that she needed to lower her expectations.  That got me thinking about expectations in general. 

Often we have expectations for ourselves that are way too high and our failure to reach them leaves us feeling unhappy and miserable.  Or perhaps we have such low expectations for ourselves that we reach them with no problem but walk through life feeling unfulfilled and dissatisfied with our life.

We might have expectations for our children. Maybe we want our children to perform in a certain way, get all A’s, excel in a sport, play a musical instrument, or attend a certain college.  If we were honest we all have some of these in the back of our minds, however, the reality is that there may be a good reason why our children cannot meet these expectations.  Possibly they were born with a handicap or learning disability.  Perhaps they are not coordinated enough to play sports. They might enjoy painting or drawing rather than music.  Or maybe they feel drawn to technical/trade school and don’t want to attend college at all. 

In each of these situations we might need to lower or change our expectations to meet the needs, abilities, passions, or desires of our children.  We might feel disappointed, however, because we love them and want what is best for them we will willingly (hopefully) provide them the opportunities to see their desires and goals come to pass even if it is not what we envisioned for them.   

Another area of expectations is with our spouse.  This is an area where the enemy works overtime.  He tries to convince us that we deserve better than we are getting from our spouse.  He draws our attention to other people and how they treat their spouse or others.  He tells us we would be better off looking somewhere else to find our needs met or our desires fulfilled. 

Sometimes our expectations are too high in our marriage as well.  We need to look honestly at our spouse and his personality.  Are the things we expect within the realm of his personality or are we expecting him to become someone he is not?  Are the things we expect personal preferences or are they really important to the functioning of our home and better for our relationship? Could we meet our own expectations that we place on him? Are we meeting his expectations? 

The list of areas where we might have unfulfilled expectations can go on:

1. Parents

2. Siblings

3. Employers

4. Co-workers

5. Church

6. Pastor

7. Friends

8. Etc….

I want us to focus on one final area where we have expectations: God

Our theme verse Luke 18:27 tells us that nothing is impossible with God.  Yet as believers we often have very low expectations of God.  Yes, we receive the gift of salvation provided for us by the death and resurrection of Christ, sometimes we pray for healing or for God to get us out of a jam, we may even say we believe God will provide for our needs, but what do we really expect from God?

The Bible is full of promises God has made for those who believe.  Do we really believe them?  Do we expect God to stand by His Word?  Do we believe we can claim the promises and see them fulfilled?

I. The Promises (not an exhaustive list!! J)

A. God hears us and answers when we pray according to His will.

1 John 5:14 (NIV) This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.

B. God will supply all our needs.

Philippians 4:19 (NLT) And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.

C. God has good plans for our life.

Jeremiah 29:11 (NLT) For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.

D. God will keep us from falling (giving into sin, walking away from Him, living for our flesh).

Psalm 37:24 (NLT) Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the Lord holds them by the hand.

E. God’s power will come through for us.

2 Corinthians 12:9a (NLT) “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.”

F. God will take care of us.

1 Peter 5:7 (NLT) Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.

G. God will help us escape/ overcome temptation.

1 Corinthians 10:13 (NLT) The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.

H. God will give us good things, withholding no good thing.

Psalm 84:11 (NLT) For the Lord God is our sun and our shield. He gives us grace and glory. The Lord will withhold no good thing from those who do what is right.

I. God will direct our path.

Proverbs 3:5-6 (NLT) Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.

J. God will help us succeed.

Proverbs 16:3 (NLT) Commit your actions to the Lord, and your plans will succeed.

K. God sees our needs and is prepared to meet them.

Matthew 6:31-32 (NLT) 31“So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ 32 These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs.

II. Expectations vs. Faith

How often do we pray but not really believe our prayer will be answered?  We say we believe because that is what a Christian is supposed to say, however, when we look deep in our hearts our faith is weak.  This is due to low expectations.  We know God answers the prayers of some people, but we don’t expect Him to answer our prayers.  We wish He would, however, wishing and faith are two different things. 

If we believe God is who He says He is we will expect Him to keep His Word.  If we truly expect God to fulfill His promises we will have faith to believe that our prayers will be answered. 

III. Great Expectations

While we might need to lower our expectations of ourselves and others we need to increase our expectations of God; placing our faith and confidence in the One who is Faithful and True!

Numbers 23:19 states: God is not human, that he should lie, not a human being, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill? (NIV)

God has never failed to fulfill His promises.  We can read the Bible cover to cover and never find one instance where God failed His people.  I promise you that if you expect God to keep His Word, He will.  He is not going to ruin His perfect record by failing you!!

Finish the Job!!

1 Samuel 17:51 Then David ran over and pulled Goliath’s sword from its sheath. David used it to kill him and cut off his head.

In 1 Samuel 17 we read about Goliath, a giant, who stood over 9 feet tall.  Goliath was a Philistine, a nation of people who were enemies of the Israelites; God’s people. 

1 Samuel 17: 8-11, 16 Goliath stood and shouted a taunt across to the Israelites. “Why are you all coming out to fight?” he called. “I am the Philistine champion, but you are only the servants of Saul. Choose one man to come down here and fight me! 9 If he kills me, then we will be your slaves. But if I kill him, you will be our slaves! 10 I defy the armies of Israel today! Send me a man who will fight me!” 11 When Saul and the Israelites heard this, they were terrified and deeply shaken. 16 For forty days, every morning and evening, the Philistine champion strutted in front of the Israelite army.

Goliath taunted the army of Israel day and night.  The Israelites were afraid of him and hid behind rocks and in their tents whenever he came out.  There was no one in all the Israelite army who was willing to go up against this giant. 

As 1 Samuel continues we read that Jesse sent David to visit the camp of the Israelite army.  David took provisions for his brothers and gifts for their commanders.  He was to check on his brothers and then to take word back to Jesse.

As David was talking with his brothers Goliath came out.  When the Israelite army saw him they ran in fright.  Those standing near David began telling him how Goliath came out every day asking for someone to fight him and defying the armies of Israel. After inquiring about the reward to be paid to the one who fought the giant and being taunted and ridiculed by his brothers, David was taken to King Saul.  He told the king that he would fight Goliath. 

1 Samuel 17: 32-37 “Don’t worry about this Philistine,” David told Saul. “I’ll go fight him!” 33 “Don’t be ridiculous!” Saul replied. “There’s no way you can fight this Philistine and possibly win! You’re only a boy, and he’s been a man of war since his youth.” 34 But David persisted. “I have been taking care of my father’s sheep and goats,” he said. “When a lion or a bear comes to steal a lamb from the flock, 35 I go after it with a club and rescue the lamb from its mouth. If the animal turns on me, I catch it by the jaw and club it to death. 36 I have done this to both lions and bears, and I’ll do it to this pagan Philistine, too, for he has defied the armies of the living God! 37 The Lord who rescued me from the claws of the lion and the bear will rescue me from this Philistine!”

It is important to note here that David is not relying on his own strength but on the strength and faithfulness of God!!

We know from reading further that David went up against Goliath with 5 smooth stones he picked up from the brook and a sling shot.  After hitting the giant in the head with a stone and knocking him unconscious, David finished the job. 1 Samuel 17:51 says, Then David ran over and pulled Goliath’s sword from its sheath. David used it to kill him and cut off his head.

In our lives we all face giants. We may face giants of worry and fear, giants of sin and bondage, giants of doubt and discouragement, giants of pride and self-centeredness, giants of anger and bitterness, etc.  Whatever the giant, the reality is this; Christ has paid for our freedom.  He has made the way for us to live free from the bondage of the giants the enemy sends to attack our lives. 

Often we are able to knock the giant down and receive momentary relief.  We often try to defeat the giant through our own strength and will power.  These are temporary fixes and will not bring us the freedom Christ paid for. 

We must be like David and once the enemy is knocked down we must cut off his head; relying on God’s strength and faithfulness not our own strength!!

Let me give an example: If the giant we are facing is worry and fear then we must learn to take our thoughts captive. When worry and fear rear their ugly head we must refuse to give in to their lies and deception.  We have an entire Book full of promises about God’s ability and desire to provide for all our needs and to take care of us.  There is not one thing that we face or one thing the enemy can throw at us that God cannot or will not see us through. 

If we choose each time to resist the enemy’s lies we can cut the head off the giant of fear and worry, if however, we choose to dwell on the lies and begin to try to figure things out for ourselves we give the enemy power in our lives and the “knocked down” giant will get up and fight against us again.  He will try to trap us and hold us in worry and fear.

Another example, if God is dealing with us about our thought life (a huge giant in many believers’ lives) and what we put before our eyes (i.e. movies, books, T.V. shows, etc.) then we must learn to take every thought captive and we must rid our home and our lives of everything God reveals to our hearts.  If we do and we refuse to continue watching and reading things that negatively feed our thought life, we cut the head off of the giant.  If however, we have a few favorite movies, books, or T.V. shows that we continue to hold onto and watch, justifying them for any reason, we have only momentarily knocked down the giant and he will rise again to re-bind our hands and feet in his chains of bondage. 

The only way to be totally free is to make a clean break from those things that feed the giant in our lives.  The awesome thing about this is that we never have to do this in our own strength. 

Philippians 4:13 (NLT) tells us, “For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.”

In Zechariah 4:6 (NIV) God told Zerubbabel, “‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the Lord Almighty.”

Whatever giant you are facing today, let us be like David and cry out to God and ask Him for His strength to resist the enemy.  Believing Him for the strength to not only knock down the giant but to cut off his head as well.  Stop feeding the giant and cut off his head!!

I Am Righteous

Romans 1:18-3:20 describe for us the fallen, helpless condition of mankind.  There is no hope or any way man can redeem himself from the curse of the law.  Romans 3: 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

Romans 3:21-26 shows us the way for mankind to become righteous and will be our primary text for this study. 

Romans 3:21-26 (NLT) 21 But now God has shown us a way to be made right with him without keeping the requirements of the law, as was promised in the writings of Moses and the prophets long ago. 22 We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are.

23 For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. 24 Yet God freely and graciously declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. 25 For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood. This sacrifice shows that God was being fair when he held back and did not punish those who sinned in times past, 26 for he was looking ahead and including them in what he would do in this present time. God did this to demonstrate his righteousness, for he himself is fair and just, and he declares sinners to be right in his sight when they believe in Jesus.

I. God’s Righteousness (vs. 21-23)

A. Jesus is righteous – 2 Corinthians 5:21 (NIV) God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

B. God revealed His righteousness through Christ - Galatians 4:4 (NLT) But when the right time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman, subject to the law.

C. God’s righteousness comes to us through faith – Romans 3:22a (NLT) We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. We trust, meaning we put our confidence in Christ to forgive our sins, make us right with God, and to give us the power to live in faith. 

D. Righteousness is offered to all –Romans 3:22b And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are.  Settling our account (justification) with God is offered to everyone.  No distinction is made between Jew or Gentile, rich or poor, educated or uneducated, bond or free.  All are offered this amazing gift.

E.  No one is righteous apart from God - Romans 3: 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. James 2:10 (NIV) For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it. Romans 3:10 (NIV) As it is written: “There is no one righteous, not even one.”

II. God’s Grace (vs. 24-25a)

A. Justification - Romans 3:24-25 (NASB) being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus;

Webster’s Dictionary defines justification as: the act, process, or state of being justified by God; the act or an instance of justifying:  vindication.

Justification means to acquit, or to put in the right, to declare righteous. It is the opposite of condemnation.

The picture here is of sinful man being guilty and standing before the righteous judge.  We deserve the death sentence, eternal separation from the Holy God, however, when we come with repentant hearts, God applies the payment made by Jesus on the cross and pronounces us “acquitted!” We are justified (just as if we never sinned) because Jesus took our place and carried our sin upon Him on the cross. 

B. Grace - God justifies sinners “as a gift of His grace,” not because of who they are or anything they have done. (Sermon Central: GOD’S RIGHTEOUSNESS THROUGH FAITH IN CHRIST by Dennis Davidson)

C. Redemption - to ransom or to pay the price to free slaves or prisoners of war. Mark 10:45 (NLT) For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.” 

Jesus already ransomed all mankind, however, it is man’s choice whether to renounce sin and accept that ransom or not. 

Born in 1954 in Los Angeles, California, Patty Hearst is the granddaughter of William Randolph Hearst, founder of the Hearst media empire. On February 4, 1974, at age 19, Patty Hearst was kidnapped by members of the Symbionese Liberation Army. Not long after, she announced that she had joined the SLA and began participating in criminal activity with the group, including robbery and extortion. Hearst was captured by the FBI in September 1975, and the following year, she was convicted of bank robbery and sentenced to 35 years in prison. (http://www.biography.com/people/patty-hearst-9332960)

Her father paid millions of dollars for her release. The ransom had been paid and Patty could have escaped but she did not want to escape.

III. God’s Righteousness Demonstrated (vs. 25b-26)

The cross was a public demonstration of God’s righteousness.  Jesus went to the cross to pay the ransom for sinful, guilty man.  The sins of all who had/will ever live needed to be paid for.  Throughout the ages, man has reaped what he sowed, however, from the beginning no one had ever received the full punishment for the sins they committed.  God was not condoning their sin; He was waiting for the appointed time, the death of Christ on the cross, to demand the payment for the sins of all mankind.  

Christ’s death paid for past, present, and future sins.  None were left out.  His death was the once-for-all payment required by our holy, just God. 

IV. Conclusion

To be made righteous, all that is required of us is to believe in Jesus Christ as our Savior; to accept His free gift of salvation and redemption.  The ransom has been paid, our freedom assured; the choice is ours.

We, as born again believers, are righteous in God’s eyes.  Our penalty has been paid.  When condemnation rears its ugly head, we need only point the enemy to the cross and the moment we received Christ’s free gift of salvation and he has to slither away because he has no leg to stand on (pun intended! J)

I Am a New Creation

I. New Creation not Remodeled Creation - 2 Corinthians 5:17 (NIV) Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!

London businessman Lindsay Clegg told the story of a warehouse property he was selling. The building had been empty for months and needed repairs.

Vandals had damaged the doors, smashed the windows, and strewn trash around the interior.

As he showed a prospective buyer the property, Clegg took pains to say that he would replace the broken windows, bring in a crew to correct any structural damage, and clean out the garbage.

“Forget about the repairs,” the buyer said. “When I buy this place, I’m going to build something completely different. I don’t want the building; I want the site.

Compared with the renovation God has in mind, our efforts to improve our own lives are as trivial as sweeping a warehouse slated for the wrecking ball. When we become God’s, the old life is over (2 Cor. 5:17).

He makes all things new. All he wants is the site and the permission to build. (Ian L. Wilson. Cited online at http://www.bible.org.)

II. New Owner- Ephesians 2:12-13 (NIV) Remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

Before salvation we were under the control/ownership of the enemy.  When we came to Christ we become the possession of God. 

A. “Under New Ownership” - When we see this sign it means that the business is now owned by a new owner.  The old owner no longer has authority to say how the business is run.  He is no longer in charge.  The new owner now dictates how the business is handled, how the money is spent, and which employees are retained; he is now in complete control of the business. The same is true when our lives are transferred from the enemy to God through salvation.  Satan will put up a fight and try to convince us that he is still in control; however, this is not true.  God is now in control of our lives.  The enemy has no say.  We are “under new ownership.”  Romans 14:8 (NIV) If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.

B. Bought with a price -1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (NIV) Do you not know that your bodies are temples 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 honor God with your bodies.

God paid a high price to purchase our freedom from the enemy.  He is now the owner of our lives.  We are no longer bound to sin or the enemy.  We are free from the law of sin and death.  Free to live as new creations.

III. New Relationship - Ephesians 2:12-13 (NLT) In those days you were living apart from Christ. You were excluded from citizenship among the people of Israel, and you did not know the covenant promises God had made to them. You lived in this world without God and without hope. But now you have been united with Christ Jesus. Once you were far away from God, but now you have been brought near to him through the blood of Christ.

A. Peace with God - Romans 5:1 (NLT) Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us.

B. Adopted into God’s Family - Romans 8:15-17a (NLT) So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, “Abba, Father.” For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children. And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory.

IV. New Direction – Matthew 7:13-14 (NLT) “You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way. But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it.

A. Our destiny is heaven - John 14:1-3 (NIV) “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. 2 My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.

B. We receive eternal life - John 10:28 (NIV) I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand.

V. New Desires - Galatians 5:24 (NIV) Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

A. Saint Augustine - There is a story about Saint Augustine following his conversion where he passed by one of his former mistresses on the street.    Seeing him walk by she yelled after him, “Augustine, it is I!”    Without turning back Augustine replied, “Yes, but it is no longer I!” (https://desiremercy.wordpress.com/2013/05/28/no-longer-i/)

B. John Wesley - John Wesley said, “When a person comes to Christ for salvation there ought to be a very present, visible, undeniable change!” (Copied from Sermon Central)

C. 2 Corinthians 5:17 (NIV) Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!

Our desires will change when we become new creations.  The things that once drew our attention and our hearts will change.  We will now desire to please and serve God rather than the enemy and our flesh. 

VI. New Behavior - Ephesians 5:8 (NIV) For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light.

A. Put off old self – Ephesians 4:22 You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires;

B. Put on a new attitude – Ephesians 4:23 to be made new in the attitude of your minds;

C. Put on a new self – Ephesians 4:24 and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

D. Put off falsehood – Ephesians 4:25 Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body.

E. Put off bitterness (anger unchecked and unresolved leads to bitterness) – Ephesians 4:26-27, 31 “In your anger do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27 and do not give the devil a foothold. 31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.

F. Put off stealing – Ephesians 4:28 Anyone who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with their own hands, that they may have something to share with those in need.

G. Put off unwholesome talk – Ephesians 4:29 Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.

H. Put on kindness and compassion – Ephesians 4:32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

VII. Conclusion

God does not remodel our lives.  When we come to Christ, God doesn’t just sweep up the dirt, pull down the cob webs, paint the walls, and wash the windows; He completely tears down our old life and creates an entirely new one.  We are now living as new creatures.  Let us not allow the enemy to lie and deceive us into thinking that we are still our “old” self.  Our old man will try to rise again and lead us into sin, however, God is now the owner of our lives and His Word is Law!  If we listen to the leading of the Holy Spirit, God’s property manager, we will be able to overcome the lies of the enemy and of our flesh.  We will be able to walk as new creations.  Everything God creates He pronounces as Good! (Genesis 1) You are a good creation!!!

I am a Citizen of Heaven

Philippians 3:20 (NLT) But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior.

1 Peter 2:9 (NLT) But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light.

As believers it is important for us to understand that we are not citizens of this earth but our citizenship is in heaven. 

I. Role of Citizens of Heaven (1 Peter 2:9)

A. A chosen people

1.  God chose each of us to be citizens in His kingdom.  Before the world was formed God handpicked each of us.  Ephesians 1:4 (NLT) Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes.

2. Jesus chose the least likely to be his disciples.  In Bible times a Rabbi would only choose the best and the brightest to invest in.  He would not accept anyone who he did not find “worthy.” 

When Jesus chose his disciples He chose:

a. Peter, James, John, and Andrew –fishermen

b. Phillip, Bartholomew, Thomas, James (son of Alphaeus), Thaddaeus, Judas Iscariot (nothing is known about their occupations)

c. Matthew – Tax collector

d. Simon – a member of the Zealots

These men were obviously not thought of as the best and brightest of their day or they would have studied under rabbis.  The fact that they were in the “family business” or another occupation implies that they had been passed over for rabbinical training. 

Jesus was the greatest Rabbi to every walk on the earth and yet he chose these “less than desirable” men to be the ones to who he entrusted the future of the Church.  Wow!  How awesome is it to think that as citizens of heaven we too have been entrusted with the future of the Church!!

3. In the kingdom of God we are all made worthy/qualified by salvation through Christ.

Colossians 1:12 (NIV)and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light.

B. Royal Priesthood

We have a priestly responsibility today.  It is not just something we will do in the future when we rule and reign with Christ.  We need to operate as priests now to prepare for our roles in the future. 

1. Priests responsibilities

a. Priests have access to God that others don’t have.  The lost do not have the same access to God as believers do.  You may be questioning this statement but it is true. 

We have been given promises that we can stand on as believers. The unbeliever is not given these promises. 

We can call on God for help in our times of trouble, with certainty that, because we are children of God He will answer us. Unbelievers don’t have the assurance that God will assist them in their troubles because they are not His children. 

As believers we are assured of a future in heaven; eternity with God.  The unbeliever is assured of eternal separation from God.

b. The priest ministers to others. Our responsibility here on earth is to minister to those around us whether lost or found (saved).  We are called to be the hands and feet of Christ on this earth. 

c. We are representatives of the Kingdom of God.  It is our responsibility to lead the lost to Christ.  We were given a commission along with the first disciples to witness. 

Matthew 28:19-20 (NLT) Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

C. Holy Nation

1. Holy - 1 Peter 1:15 (NLT) But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy.

a. Our holiness comes from Christ.  Isaiah 64:6 (NLT) We are all infected and impure with sin. When we display our righteous deeds, they are nothing but filthy rags. Like autumn leaves, we wither and fall,     and our sins sweep us away like the wind.

b. Staying holy is our choice.  Isaiah 35:8 (NLT) And a great road will go through that once deserted land. It will be named the Highway of Holiness. Evil-minded people will never travel on it. It will be only for those who walk in God’s ways; fools will never walk there.

When we come to Christ in repentance His blood removes our sins.  Once our sins are under the blood we are free from the punishment for those sins.  The struggle we all face is choosing to walk in holiness; choosing to live our lives free from the stains of sin.  When we willfully sin we are choosing to walk out from under the blood and protection Christ provided through His death and resurrection. 

If we were automatically eternally holy, Peter would not have admonished us to be holy in everything we do. The good news is that once we decide to walk in holiness the Holy Spirit begins to guide our steps and to influence our choices.  We must be obedient to His voice, however, we will never be asked to walk in holiness alone.  He is always there to lead and guide.

2. Holy Nation- 1 Corinthians 12:12 (NLT) The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body [nation]. So it is with the body of Christ.

We are all one nation as believers in Christ.  In Nehemiah 3 we read the account of the rebuilding of the wall in Jerusalem.  The chapter is divided into 11 sections.  Each section lists the names of family leaders and the sections of the wall each family was working on.  Around then entire wall one family lined up next to another family and so on.  They whole community worked together, side by side, to complete the rebuilding.

The same holds true for us today.  We must be united as one body, working together for the cause of Christ. We need each other in order to walk through this life; remembering our citizenship is in heaven, but our journey takes place in this fallen world. 

God has called us to carry each other’s burdens and to lend a hand wherever it is needed.  Galatians 6:2 (NIV) Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.

This doesn’t mean we get so burdened down with the cares of others that we struggle to live our own life, however, it does mean that we encourage and pray for each other’s needs.

D. God’s very own possession

1. Bought with a price. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (NIV) Do you not know that your bodies are temples 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.

After the creation of the world, God created man.  He provided him with everything he would need to enjoy a full and happy life.  However, sin entered the picture and that perfect place became a place of bondage for Adam and Eve.  They were then sent out to live in this fallen, sinful, broken world.  Choices they made affected the rest of their lives and ours as well. 

God however, had a plan to redeem mankind and to restore us to right relationship with Himself.  This sacrifice came through the shed blood of Christ.  The price for our salvation was the death of the one and only Son of God.  Imagine being God and being forced to watch as your plan unfolded.  Your most dearly love child goes to his death on a cruel cross, mocked and despised by the very ones you sent him to save.  The price to reclaim us as His own was very high indeed!!

2. God’s possession

When I go shopping I don’t buy things I like usually. If I am going to spend money I want to be sure that I get things I love.  My possessions are things that have value and importance to me.  During this past 3 ½ years we have downsized a lot. We have had most of our belongings packed in boxes for over a year.  I can tell you that while I have lived without the things in the boxes, I miss them!!  I love our family pictures, our nice dishes, our pots and pans (we have a few out and I broke into a box of baking pans recently!) I love my down comforter and my jewelry (dug this out just the other day.  Been a long time since I had my earrings!)  I know this all sounds trivial but try going without the things us use and enjoy every day and you might feel differently. J

My point in all of that is to show us that we hold things dear to our hearts for different reasons.  My possessions might not mean a thing to you; however, they are precious to me.  We are God’s possessions.  He holds each one of us dear.  We are precious in His sight. 

The fact that God holds us dear should trump the opinions others have about us.  As citizens of heaven and members of God’s family we are precious to our Heavenly Father!!  We are loved, cherished, provided for, and protected by the greatest Father anyone could ever have. 

We are citizens of the greatest Kingdom ever: The Kingdom of God. We are citizens of Heaven!!!

I am Free in Christ

I. Freedom

In Galatians, Paul writes about our freedom.  He talks about Christ’s death making us free from fear and providing us with a lasting forgiveness and restoration through the knowledge that we are not just free on the day of our salvation, but our freedom is eternal.  When Jesus died and rose again, the payment he made was not temporary like the sacrifices offered to God in the Old Testament.  It was a one-time, total, and complete payment.   

John 8:36 So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free.

If Jesus sacrifice provided for our total freedom why then are so many Christians walking around in chains?  Why are many believers walking around in prison garb? 

II. Exodus

For more than 400 years the Israelites had lived in slavery in Egypt.  400 years, think about that. If a generation is 40 years, they were in bondage for 10 generations.  Approximately every 40 years new parents gave birth in slavery, thus their children were born as slaves.  The first generation after the death of Joseph were the great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great grandparents of those who finally left Egypt.  Some believe in that time period a generation was 100 years that is still 4 generations of children born into slavery.  That is more than enough!!!

Sadly, I know children who were born into slavery in my life-time.  Children born to the unsaved are born into slavery every day, but sadly, children born to Christians living in bondage are also born into slavery. 

I am one of those children. My parents were both slaves to sin and under bondage to the enemy when I was born.  Sadly, my father was born into slavery and to this day still walks in some measure of it.  It breaks my heart to watch the cycles in his life.  He has never known the freedom that comes from Christ. 

III. Free Slaves

I know this subheading sounds odd, but bear with me and it will make sense in a moment.  Let’s look at Exodus for a few minutes. 

A. Exodus 2 (Life of Moses-first 80 years)

B. Exodus 3-4 (God calls Moses)

C. Exodus 5-12 (God deals with Pharaoh and Egypt)

D. Exodus 12-14 (Israelites leave Egypt)

E. Exodus 14 (Egyptians pursue the Israelites and are destroyed)

F. Exodus 15 (Israelites complain and turn against Moses and Marah)

G. Exodus 16 (Quail and Manna)

Exodus 16:1-3 ¹Then the whole community of Israel set out from Elim and journeyed into the wilderness of Sin, between Elim and Mount Sinai. They arrived there on the fifteenth day of the second month, one month after leaving the land of Egypt. ²There, too, the whole community of Israel complained about Moses and Aaron.

³“If only the Lord had killed us back in Egypt,” they moaned. “There we sat around pots filled with meat and ate all the bread we wanted. But now you have brought us into this wilderness to starve us all to death.”

Only one month has passed since Exodus 12, when the Israelites left Egypt.  They had been slaves for 430 years and now after only a month of freedom they begin looking back and longing for their slavery again.  It makes my heart sad to think that empty bellies was all it took for them to lose sight of the freedom that God had provided and to forget the promises He had made to Abraham about the Promise Land.  In only 30 days they went from being totally free to being free slaves. 

IV. Free Slaves Described

Isaiah 1:18 (NLT) “Come now, let’s settle this,” says the Lord. “Though your sins are like scarlet, I will make them as white as snow. Though they are red like crimson, I will make them as white as wool.”

Isaiah 6:7 (NLT) He touched my lips with it and said, “See, this coal has touched your lips. Now your guilt is removed, and your sins are forgiven.”

2 Peter 1:3 (NLT) By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence.

Based on the Scriptures above, when we come to God through Christ and accept His free gift of salvation we not only receive forgiveness and pardon, but we are also given everything we need to live lives of freedom; godly, holy lives.

I ask again, why then are so many Christians living in bondage?  Look at Galatians 5:1 It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. (NIV)

Put simply, freedom is our choice.  The Galatian church had received the gift of salvation and had also been given all they needed to live godly lives; however, they had allowed heretics to enter their fellowship and to preach bondage through strict adherence to the Law, as well as teaching that one needed to be circumcised in order to receive salvation.  Paul admonishes the Galatians to stand firm in their freedom and not become burdened again with the yoke of bondage/slavery. 

Looking back at Exodus we see that the Israelites had been given their freedom as well, however, their continual looking back and longing for Egypt kept them in slavery.  They were unable to enjoy the blessings of freedom because of the pull Egypt had on their hearts. 

When all we’ve known in our lives is slavery it is often difficult to break free.  We might feel unsure about how life will look, feel, or be when we are free.  We might struggle to see that any other life could be possible; however, God has provided our freedom.  We must choose to grasp hold of it and walk in the freedom provided. 

Freedom is not just repenting and turning away from our sin one time, it is a daily choice to be so full of the Spirit that there is no room for sin and bondage again.  I’ve known many people who have kicked a drug or alcohol addiction only to return to it once they were out of rehab.  Why?  Because freedom is not only about getting out from under the bondage to sin, but about staying out from under that bondage. 

The problem is that too often we will get free and then fail to rely on the Holy Spirit to stay free.  We begin enthusiastically walking with Christ, but when trials come or things get hard, we turn back to our slavery as if it was our source of salvation to begin with. 

Staying free requires that we lay down our will and desires and allow God to fill us with His Spirit of power and strength.  We must daily (sometimes hourly or momently) cast down our flesh with its sinful desires and purposes.  We must yield to the Spirit’s lead and obey His voice rather than the voice of our flesh or the enemy. 

We were made free in Christ, now the decision is ours. Will we stay free? Or will we give in to sin and stay in bondage to our past?  Will be fight the battle until we see the face of Christ in heaven or will we grow weary in well doing? 

Galatians 6:9 promises us that we will reap a harvest of blessing (freedom) if we don’t give up.  “So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.”

What will you choose?