DISCIPLES OF JESUS MINISTRY

                                                                        

 Joh 1:12-13
12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name:
13 who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

As sons of God, each believer has a spiritual position in Christ. Jesus Christ finished a perfect work, and as a result, every believer may claim that which is rightfully his in his Lord Jesus Christ.

1Co 3:16 Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?

Have you got that? We are the temple of God and the Spirit of God indwells us. WOW!


Eph 2:1-6
1 And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;
2 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:
3 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.
4 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)
6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:

As Christian's our rightful position spiritually is "seated together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus." A higher position of fulfillment is impossible: nothing is higher and nothing is more dignified than being seated in the heavenly places in Christ. As believers, we are "in Christ," and thus we have all of the rights, privileges and responsibilities of sons of God.

Col 1:27
27 To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:


God's Word declares that it is "Christ in you, the hope of glory." Not only are we "seated in the heavenly places in Christ," but it also says that it is "Christ in you, the hope of glory."
Eph 1:19-23
19 And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power,
20 Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places,
21 Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come:
22 And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church,
23 Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.

It was the power of God that raised Jesus Christ from the dead.
It was the power of God that seated him in the heavenly places.
It was the power of God that set him far above all principality and power….
It was the power of God that put ALL things under his feet.
If we are part of his body, then all things, too, are under our feet spiritually.

Eph 1:1-3
1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus:
2 Grace be to you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:

Because of God's Grace, we are "blessed with all spiritual blessings in the heavenly places in Christ!" Why don’t we begin to accept what God has made us to be in Christ? We are seated in the heavenlies!
We are blessed with all spiritual blessings! What more would God have to give to convince His children of their position in Christ? He has no more to give, because all has already been given.
If God did not mean "seated in the heavenly places in Christ", then why did He say "seated in the heavenly places in Christ?" If God did not mean "far above all principality and power," then why did He say "far above all principality and power?" If God did not mean "Christ in you, the hope of glory," then why did He say "Christ in you, the hope of glory?" Could it be that we the church have rationalized God's words and substituted our own words in thinking about our spiritual position.


Eph 1:4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love,

We have been chosen by God to be Holy, He chose us even before the foundations of the world.

Eph 1:13 -14
13 In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise,
14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.

In Him, having believed, we were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance.

Rom 6:11-14. 11 Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts.
13 And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God.
14 For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.

We are to reckon ourselves dead to sin, for sin no longer has dominion over us, we should flee from temptations to sin, giving ourselves over to our Lord. When we do sin we should repent. WE ARE NOW ALIVE IN CHRIST.


Col 3:1-4 1 If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God.
2 Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.
3 For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4.When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory

We are raised with Christ, we are to seek the things above for our Lord is seated at the Father’s right hand and we have been raised with Him. We have died to our old man and have been hidden with Christ in God. At the time of the Second Coming we the bride, will appear with Him in glory (Another verse to dispel a post-tribulation viewpoint) As Christians we have experienced a radical change of spiritual environment and this should affect our whole mode of life. Having been raised with Christ, we now move in a new sphere.
Normal human ambition sees things in terms of this world. But we have been raised with Christ and should see things from an eternal perspective, and so should want our lives on earth to be reflect the pattern of life seen in the glorified Christ...to “seek those things which are above” is to aim at emulating the characteristics of the Christ in glory’


What about our former position?

1 Cor 2:14
14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

The god of this world, Satan, controls the realm in which the natural man lives. bound in his position in life.
The realm in which we have our rightful position is not subject to the earth, it is in the heavenly places in Christ who is far above all on earth! A believer may choose to think that he is still earth-bound, but it is not true. He has a new spiritual position in Christ and that is "seated in the heavenly places in Christ."

Eph 2:1-3
1 And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;
2 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:
3 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.
We also once walked as men of this world. We also once walked limited to the five senses. We also once walked as belonging to this world. We also once walked according to the course of this world, because we had no other way to walk until we were born again. The new birth for man places him in an entirely different position. The Holy Spirit indwelling the believer that makes him no longer the property of this world, but, indeed, the property of God.

1Jo 5:4 For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.

We are overcomers because we born of God. He obtained a complete triumph over him “who rules the darkness of the world,” and laid the foundation for a victory by his people over all vice, error, and sin.


Joh 10:10 The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.

We are to have life more abundantly. Yep, our lives are to be more abundant!


Heb 12:22 -24. 22But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels,
23 to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect,
24 to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel.

We as believers the writer to the Hebrews says are already living in Heaven (Mount Zion) so that earth is more a foreign land to us.

Eph 2:18-22
18 For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.
19 Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God;
20 And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;
21 In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord:
22 In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit. .
Under the former rulership of this world, we had access to nothing. Bound to this world, we had no way of going anywhere! Now, we have access directly to the Father. We are no longer strangers and foreigners to the heavenly realm we are citizens! Citizens have full rights and privileges.
Not only are we fellow  citizens and of the household of God, but we have become the habitation of God through the spirit. We, as the church, are the living habitation of God

Eph 3:17-21
17 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,
18 May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height;
19 And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.
20 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,
21 Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.

Now that we have seen our position in Christ as sons of God, then it is time to benefit from it by living Christ-like lives and walking in the Spirit. We are now able to understand in part the love of Christ and be filled with all the fullness of God. That would be a task impossible for the natural man. That was unheard of in our former spiritual position. It can be a reality to the born-again believer when he lives a Spirit –filled life and claims his own spiritual position.
As sons of God, seated in the heavenlies, our standard is no longer to be
"the course of this world", but our new standard is "exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us." This is the standard of living for one who is seated in the heavenly places in Christ. This is our new banner of life. This is our rightful place in the spiritual realm. This is our spiritual position. We are to be seated in the heavenly places in Christ.

Praise God we’re related to Him

 

1Pe 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
1Pe 1:4 to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you,
1Pe 1:5 who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
1Pe 1:6 In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials,

By the grace of God we are saved. God has given us a new, spiritual life that enables us to live in new dimension from the one of our physical birth allowed. to a living hope. We are a new creation in Him.

2Co 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

κληρονομία
klēronomia
klay-ron-om-ee'-ah
From Strong’s G2818; heirship, that is, (concretely) a patrimony or (generally) a possession: - inheritance.

1:4 The Greek word translated inheritance here suggests both a present and a future reality. God has already determined what we will one day experience in its totality. Note that Peter says that one of two reasons why God has given us new life in Jesus Christ (v. 3) is to receive this never-to-end, never-to-be-spoiled, and never-to-lose-its-special-attraction inheritance. reserved: At this point, Peter must have thought back to our Lord’s expression of unconditional commitment to Him as expressed in John 14:1–4 after revealing the prophecy of Peter’s denials (Believer’s Bible Commentary)

Gal 3:29 And now that you belong to Christ, you are the true children of Abraham. You are his heirs, and now all the promises God gave to him belong to you.

We Are kept, our position in Christ is assured, once we are saved, we are kept by the power of God. Although we may suffer trials in this life we may rejoice because of the Hope that is in us.
God in His wisdom revealed through His Son our relationship with the Father …past, present ,and future!

Praise God we’re related to Him …

§ through grace … we’re no longer debtors!
§ through death … we’re no longer bound by it!
§ through life … we’ve received a new nature, the old has passed away!
§ through citizenship … our home is not of this world!
§ through the Gospel … we’re stewards of the Good News; we’re ambassadors for the Prince of Peace and Reconciliation!
§ through blood … we’re so glad to be a part of the family of God!
§ through hope … we’re heirs of the King!