DISCIPLES OF JESUS MINISTRY

TAKE HOLD OF WHO YOU ARE IN CHRIST IN

YOUR INNER MAN

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

kleXronomia

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-bespoiled,

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!