Let's begin this study in prayer...
Psalm 40:1-3aI waited patiently for the Lord; He turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; He set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God.
In order to better understand and appreciate our new position as a
true born again believer in Jesus Christ (i.e. Christian), it would
be helpful for us to first recall our former position or situation.
I. OUR PAST POSITION
A. AS AN UNBELIEVER WE WERE SPIRITUALLY DEAD
In order to see this, let us read,
Ephesians 2:1-3
and furthermore,
B. AS GENTILES WE WERE ALSO WITHOUT HOPE
To see this, let us read,
Ephesians 2:11-12
Consequently, our eternal destination was,
C. THE LAKE OF FIRE
We find this to be the case when we read about the last great
judgment in,
Revelation 20:11-15
Note vs 15
Remember as an unbeliever we are dead and not in the book of life.
However, as a true born again believer in Jesus Christ we find that
God has changed all this. In order to see this, let us now explore:
II. THE POSITION OF THE TRUE CHRISTIAN (i.e. BELIEVER)
First of all we find that He has,
A. MADE US ALIVE IN CHRIST
To see this, let us return to the letter written to the Church
of Ephesus and read,
Ephesians 2:4-10
In other words He changed us and made us alive into a,
B. NEW CREATURE, A NEW PERSON
To see this, let us now drop down to,
Ephesians 2:13-18
Notice vs 15(b) "...to create in Himself one new man
out of the two."
In other words, "Anyone (Jew or Gentile) who is in Christ Jesus
is a new creature; the old has gone, the new has come."
(2 Corinthians 5:17)
In order to see this a bit more clearly, let us read,
Galatians 3:26-28
In fact what we really find is that we now actually have the Holy
Spirit living and dwelling within us. In other words,
C. WE ARE A TEMPLE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
To see this, let us first read a warning to those who would try
to or in fact destroy a Christian.
1 Corinthians 3:16-17
Notice vs 16
Awesome isn't it?
We take our second reading from the instruction for the Christian
to not engage in sexual immorality. What we find is that not
only is sexual immorality a sin but for a Christian it also
defiles the Temple of the Holy Spirit. To see this, let us read,
1 Corinthians 6:18-20
Notice vs 19
20(a) "...you were bought with a price
(namely the sacrifice of Jesus Christ)."
Now since we are a temple of the Holy Spirit, we also find that,
1. WE ARE A CHILD OF GOD
To see this, let us read how God views us when we received
His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ.
John 1:10-12
Now let us read,
1 John 5:19
As a child of God we also find that,
2. WE ARE SEALED AS GOD'S CHOSEN
To see this, let us read from,
2 Corinthians 1:21-22
We also find this promise given to us in,
Ephesians 1:13-14
QUESTION: What inheritance? What is this inheritance that I have
as a child of God that is guaranteed by the Holy Spirit?
Well, what we find is that,
D. WE HAVE AN INHERITANCE IN THE KINGDOM OF GOD
To see this, let us begin by reading what Jesus told His
disciples when He was preparing them for His return to Heaven.
John 14:1-3
And so we find that as a born again disciple of Jesus Christ, we
have an inheritance waiting for us. To see this, let us read,
1 Peter 1:3-5
Oh My! Oh My! Oh My!
Since the Bible tells us that we have an inheritance in the
Kingdom of God, we also find that as a new creation, a child of
God we no longer belong to the kingdoms and governments of this
world, but
E. OUR CITIZENSHIP IS IN HEAVEN
To see this, let us begin by reading,
Colossians 1:13-14
In order to receive a clearer understanding of these verses, let
us now read them as translated in the New King James:
"He has delivered us from the power of darkness and translated
us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have
redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins,"
QUESTION: What does this mean? I know that it means we are no
longer under the authority of the evil one but how does all this
relate to the earthly kingdoms and governments?
Well, it really goes back to what we had previously read with
respect to us being children of God. So let us go and reread,
1 John 5:19
So as a child of God, we find that,
1. WE ARE PILGRIMS, STRANGERS & ALIENS TO THIS WORLD
To see this, notice how the Holy Spirit addresses God's
chosen in,
1 Peter 1:1-2
And again in,
1 Peter 2:11-12
QUESTION: Who are the pagans? Right, the non-believers.
Notice the second part. However, even though we are strangers
& aliens to this world, we find that,
2. WE ARE NO LONGER STRANGERS & ALIENS TO GOD'S HOUSEHOLD
To see this glorious truth, let us read,
Ephesians 2:19-22
In other words,
3. OUR CITIZENSHIP IS NOW IN HEAVEN!
We find this clearly stated in,
Philippians 3:20-21
And so as a child of God, we find that our eternal
destination is no longer the lake of fire for our names are
now written in God's Book of life. Hence our eternal
destination is now to,
4. DWELL WITH GOD IN THE NEW JERUSALEM
To see this let us read,
Revelation 21:1-7
Pretty amazing isn't it? However, before we close we must also
realize that now that we are a child of God, a temple of the Holy
Spirit and that our citizenship is in heaven, we are now called to
live our earthly life in a manner worthy of this position. To see
this, let us read,
III. AN EXHORTATION
Colossians 3:1-17
Now in obedience to His Word, let us give our God and Father
thanks and praise by reading,
Psalm 103:1-22
Let's end this study in prayer...
Titus 3:3-7At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by His grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.
Read the book by John Sweet, Jr.
Send e-mail to John Sweet... Internet address is jsweetj@jsweetj.cnc.net Send e-mail to web page curator... Internet address is kenzy@kenzy.com
Home page for web page curator...