The Superior Man in Christ

Beloved, learn to rest assured in the promises of God for "without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him" (Hebrews 11:6). "Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised)" (Hebrews 10:22-23). So how do you see yourself as a born again? Bible says "ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that you should show forth the praises of Him who hath called you out of darkness into His marvellous light" (1 Peter 2:9). What matters in life is not how people see you but how you see yourself. The quotation we just read tells you how God sees you.

You shouldn't be moved by what people say about you; after all, it doesn't change your nature in Christ. The question now is: How do you see yourself? God says you're an overcomer, more than a conqueror, a victor, anointed for good works, His workmanship, an ambassador, a package of power and thousands of others. Remind yourself of who you are everyday until you become so very conscious of yourself and are consumed by your real nature. Forget about sin; it has no power over you because the seed of God dwells in you. 1 John 3:9 assures us that "Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for His seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin because he is born of God." God has made His abode in you and now you're incapable of practicing sin, as bitter water and sweet water can't come out of the same fountain. It's not your nature to sin. Know who you are and live it out. However, if you commit sin, He is faithful and just to forgive you and cleanse your soul from unrighteousness (1 John 1:9).

Take your mind away from fear. It's not in your nature to fear, for God has not given you the spirit of fear, but one of power, love, and a sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7). You don't need to worry or be afraid for your future - His thoughts toward you are thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope (Jeremiah 29:11). You don't need to be afraid at night - a thousand shall fall at your side and ten thousand at your right hand but it shall not come near you (Psalm 91:7). Fear no one! You don't need to bother about your needs - the Lord is your Shepherd, you shall not want (Psalm 23:1). You don't need to worry about your supplies - all things are yours (1 Corinthians 3:21) and My God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:19). God has handled everything that concerns you to perfection; glory to His Name forever!

"And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them" (Ephesians 2:1-10).

As a child of God, you're justified! "Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus" (Romans 3:24). King David lived under the Old Testament, but because he was also a prophet of God he had insight into God's plans. He prophetically described the blessedness of the justified man in Psalm 32:1-2: "Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile." What's so special about this man? The justified man is a blessed man. There's something about him, some supernatural unseen elixir that causes him to prosper everywhere he goes. I tell you, there's something so special about the man who's born again. See that kind of beauty in all believers; it's real! Abraham believed God and walked with Him with a sincere heart, and the Bible says his faith was accounted to him for righteousness. He was justified by faith (Romans 4:7- 9).

As a result, the blessing of God followed him everywhere he went. He became so wealthy that many people became afraid of him. Wealth just seemed to follow him everywhere. In Genesis 13:14-15 the Lord blessed him and said, "...Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward: For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever." Therefore, it's no wonder that he was called 'possessor of heaven and earth' (Genesis 14:19). This is just too big! David looked ahead and saw a people who didn't work for it but were declared justified by Almighty God. He saw that circumcision no longer bothered God because it was no longer done by human hands but by God Himself. He looked and saw this generation - the Church of Jesus Christ - and it includes you and me, Hallelujah! You're justified because you believe in Jesus; period! You're at peace with God and you're Abraham's seed by faith.

Therefore "...if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise" (Galatians 3:29). So that's why we say we're a blessing because we're descendants of Abraham. We're the just in Christ. "Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified" (Galatians 2:16). As believers, the Spirit in us conquers the flesh. Jesus said, "Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak" (Matthew 26:41). The Lord Jesus rebuked His disciples for not being able to stay awake to watch and pray with Him for just an hour, and He said, "the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak."

So many people have held on to these words of the Master as an excuse for their weaknesses, saying, "Even Jesus said the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak." They have misunderstood it totally; the Lord made that statement, not as a matter of fact, but as a matter of regret. He made that statement just before He went to the cross. Now we have received the quickening Spirit of God, the flesh might be weak but the Spirit of God in us conquers the flesh. We're the supermen; full of the Holy Ghost! Your flesh should not rule you anymore; your spirit should rule over your flesh instead! Any man who is controlled by his flesh is carnal and cannot please God (Romans 8:7-8), but he that is ruled by the Spirit is a son of God. Don't dwell on the fact that your flesh is weak because it will cause you to do things you know are wrong and blame your flesh for it. Rather, meditate on the strength of the Spirit in you. Don't speak words that put you down anymore.

Look in your Bible and see that God has lifted you to the highest place there is - at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power. God's Word has lifting power. The more you look in the Word, the more you become like what you see. Now you shouldn't say, "The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak." Rather say, "I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me," Hallelujah! This ought to be your attitude; be filled with it. No matter the circumstance, learn to be daring. "Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling" (Philippians 2:12). It's painful to see so many people who don't really know what it is to be a Christian. You must understand that a man is not a Christian just because he says he is.

You see, it's possible to be born again and still be living the life of a sinner. It means you can be living the life of a spiritual prisoner though you're born again. They're bound without doing anything about it and say they're Christians. When you look into the Bible, you'll see glorious things about the Christian. However, some Christians look at their lives with regret, saying, "I can't see the fulfillment of God's Word in my life." That's a blunder! You're not supposed to wait for God to fulfill His Word in your life. I wish every single one of God's children would understand this truth in a moment of time! The Lord Jesus said, "And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force" (Matthew 11:12). We could infer from what the Lord Jesus said that the fulfillment of God's promise in our lives is not up to God, but us. That's why Paul the Apostle said we should work out our salvation.

You've got to get on your faith and act your faith! You've got to declare it allowed to yourself such that you allow your spirit to be soaked in that reality. It's up to you and me to bring God's Word to pass in our lives. If you want to be what God says you are, have what He says is yours, and do what He says you can do, you must be daring! You must be daring enough to work the Word in your life. God's Word never fails; it always produces results. That's our assurance! You must be bold enough in the face of any challenge or situation and prove God's Word is true. You can change hopeless situations around to prove the reality of the Word of God. The Word of God is living. "And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified" (Acts 20:32).

Most people in the world today are behaving as though they're of the world. They don't know that "the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever" (1 John 2:17). You're not of the world and you've got to understand this. Jesus said "...ye are not of the world... I have chosen you out of the world" (John 15:19). A born-again, Spirit-filled Christian is not among the masses. He's been chosen out of the world and its system. If you're a Christian and you find yourself assenting to the idea that you're one of the masses, then you don't know who you are! You have to realize that nobody has ever helped the masses since the creation of the world. The Bible says the rich ruleth over the poor (Proverbs 22:7); that's a law! That's why I feel sorry for folks who count themselves among the masses. If you're born again, you're the king's kid; financial prosperity is yours; success is your birthright; you're born for the top and distinguished for greatness! You're chosen and separated!

You're a king and a joint-heir with Christ, for you're Abraham's seed! It doesn't matter where you are in your life right now or how deep in the valley you think you are, if you would dare to believe the Word of God and act upon it, if you would dare see yourself the way God sees you and call yourself what He calls you, your situation will change in a moment of time! You see, it's a slap on God's face for you to count yourself among the masses when God has already declared in His Word that everything He owns belongs to you. It's sad! You say, "Things are more expensive now than they used to be!" Well, that shouldn't bother you because the higher the prices, the greater your supply. Hallelujah! Our source is of God, with whom there is no shortage. No matter the circumstance, we have a Father who totally cares for our well being. Remember this: you're not the poor trying to be rich; you're the rich discovering how rich you are.

Bible says all things are yours; already yours! If you allow this truth to take a hold of your spirit, it will completely change your financial status. You have a divine inheritance and your name is inscribed on it. It's been signed, sealed and delivered to you. You're not a nobody, nor are you a speck in the dust. You are known of God. Learn not to live by the world system of life. "And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God" (Romans 12:2). Let the Word of God have the final say in everything you do. "For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich" (2 Corinthians 8:9).

Finally, "For in Him the whole fullness of Deity (the Godhead) continues to dwell in bodily form [giving complete expression of the divine nature]. And you [a]are in Him, made full and having come to fullness of life [in Christ you too are filled with the Godhead - Father, Son and Holy Spirit - and reach full spiritual stature]. And He is the Head of all rule and authority [of every angelic principality and power]" (Colossians 2:9-10, AMP). This scripture means that in Christ, we are also full of the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit. It says we've reached a full spiritual stature. Reflect on what I've shared with you and your life will never be the same.

God bless you!