Identity + Promise + Faith = Mind Renewal unto Transformation

Jesus said he was going to prepare a place for us so we can be with him. I think it’s safe to call that place Heaven, would you agree? What is that place like? What is Heaven like?

Take a minute and think about that before you finish reading this article.

For real, think about Heaven, where Jesus is walking around right now…

I’m a pastor, so teaching doctrine properly is important, but I want to suspend doctrine for a minute and just think about some things.

Jesus Is At Work

When I think about Jesus preparing a place for us, it makes me think of his prayer “your will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.” It’s something he wants for us.

I think about what the garden of Eden must have been like, in all its perfection. I think of what it would have been like to see Jesus transform and openly speak with Moses and Elijah. It makes me think of all the supernatural encounters with angels ordinary men and women in the Bible experienced.

It makes me think Jesus must want us to experience Heaven if he’s going through the process of preparing it for us. Like…right now, maybe he’s walking around Heaven inspecting things to make sure they’re just right for you. Maybe he’s walking with your loved ones that have gone before you and they’re excited for you to see what he’s prepared for you. Maybe they’re giving him insight into what you like, helping him make everything just right. WOW!!!

I don’t necessarily have a doctrine for that but I do know he’s preparing a place for us, and it’s fun to think about what it will be like.

Continuing on that same path, I think of these passages that instruct us on what to think about…

Colossians 3:1 Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 3 For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.

Ephesians 4:17 Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds. 18 They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart. 19 They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity. 20 But that is not the way you learned Christ!— 21 assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, 22 to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, 23 and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, 24 and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.

Philippians 4:4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. 5 Let your reasonableness (fairness) be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; 6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. 9 What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.

Why is there so much focus on your thoughts? Why is there so much instruction on what to think about?

Because as a man thinks in his heart, so is he (Proverbs 23:7a). Because you are transformed by renewing your mind (Romans 12:2).

You do what you think. You attract to you what you think about. Your thoughts determine your emotions which drive choices. Your life is shaped by what you think.

How you think and what you think about are the main factors in the current condition of your life. So if you want an area of your life to change, you first have to start by changing how and what you think in that area.

Practical Application

Pick an area of life you want to change and walk through this process…

1. Identify the area

2. Admit the truth to yourself about that area, good or bad

3. Identify an aspect of the great exchange in Jesus that applies to that area

   1. For example; he died so I can live, he became sin so I can become righteous, he was judged so I can be free, he took on my sorrows so I can have his joy, he took on my disease so I can be healed, he faced temptation so I can overcome sin, he fulfilled that Law so I won’t be judged for righteousness, he became poor so I can be rich

4. Believe the good report of the results of the Gospel for you

5. Think about yourself as Colossians 3 says, your old life id dead and you’re now alive in Christ.

6. Hold the new reality in your heart, mind, and emotions until you become persuaded that your situation can change for the better. Think about it from Heaven’s perspective that it’s already true of you.

7. Be patient and don’t lose ground in your heart through fear and worry

We are to live in the newness of the spirit. It is possible because Jesus died for us, in Him we are dead to sin and death. But how do we live in it? How do we walk by faith and confidence in him and his faithfulness!! Through mind renewal, just like Abraham. Abraham didn’t consider his infertile body or the deadness of Sarah’s womb, he considered the promise God made.

What promise of God are you considering? What promise of God, that may seem impossible, are you more persuaded of than your current situation?

As we have faith, as we have confidence, we engage in mind-renewal and experience transformation. By remaining patient under tribulation but also walking in love. By casting down imaginations that tell us that God’s promises aren’t for us.

Test Yourself to See If You’re Persuaded of God’s Promise

Think of a promise that relates to your life. You probably already know one, but if you don’t, take a moment and find a promise in the Bible that relates to your situation. Google can find one for you if you don’t know where to look.

Once you have that promise, say it out loud. For example, “I am free from the power of sin.” Or “God gives me the power to get wealth.” Or “The joy of the Lord is my strength.” After you say it out loud, see how you feel inside. Notice if God’s promise feels true for you, or if you feel doubt and unbelief.

IMPORTANT!!

If you feel doubt and unbelief, think about Jesus walking around in Heaven, preparing the perfect place for you. Set your mind above where he is in Heaven, King and Lord of all. He’s paying attention to every detail so it’ll be just right for his brothers and sisters - you and me. He’s excited for Heaven, for all of us to be together. Notice his face, he wants to give you eternal life and take away all the pain and sorrow. He wants to show you what he’s prepared for you.

Now, you probably have no doubt believing that you will have no lack, disease or sorrow in Heaven. I dare you to believe that Jesus wants the same quality of life for you now and is seeking to prepare that kind of life for you, right here, right now.

Yes, we still have these bodies that crave sin if we let them, those bodies are still subject to death, but remember all those instructions on what to think about. Remember that your transformation lies within your mind-renewal. Remember that he’s a good father who will not give you stones if you ask for bread.

The real issue is that you may think change only happens when you get your behavior right. But it’s just the opposite, when you get your thinking right, everything else lines up, from the inside out. His spirit is like a seed within you, growing into kingdom life through you. His will is to build Heaven for you. Dare to dream and believe that God has good things for you in this life and is preparing them for you, even as you read this.

Sit back, relax, and believe.

Listen to the full series Living in the Power of Righteousness

God Performed Spiritual Surgery On You So You Can Have A New Life

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.””

— Romans 1:16-17

The Gospel is Powerful in 2 Ways

1. THE INFORMATION OF THE GOSPEL: It’s incredibly wonderful information to know that God is no longer holding your sins against you and offers the free gift of righteousness and eternal life by grace through faith in Christ. But it doesn’t stop there, there are results of believing this truth.

2. THE RESULTS OF BELIEVING THE GOSPEL: The results of believing the Gospel are even better. He removes your old heart and gives you a new one that knows how to hear and follow him. God places his spirit in you. You become a new creature in Christ. After those things, you are actually righteous and holy because of the work of the spirit in you. You are empowered with graces to bless others. You are qualified for all the blessings of Abraham. God will never leave you or forsake you. He’ll lead and guide you into truth and blessing. The list just goes on and on.

Check out these resources that expound on your new creation identity and the promises that are now available.

The Good news that you are no longer obligated to God through law should be good enough news to your heart that you naturally obey him by faith. Obedience from the heart is still impossible without receiving a new one. God needed to perform surgery and make you a new kind of creature.

He cut out your diseased heart/nature and put in a new one, a spiritual heart transplant, if you will. He didn’t just cut out the disease, he replaced it with new living tissue, with eternal life flowing through it.

He gives you righteousness, so he can give you a new heart, so you can receive grace and live by faith in the freedom of the spirit.

I’ll talk more about what it means to “live by faith” in an upcoming article, for now, let’s look closer at this spiritual surgery God performed in you.

Romans 2:25 For circumcision indeed is of value if you obey the law, but if you break the law, your circumcision becomes uncircumcision. 26 So, if a man who is uncircumcised keeps the precepts of the law, will not his uncircumcision be regarded as circumcision? 27 Then he who is physically uncircumcised but keeps the law will condemn you who have the written code and circumcision but break the law. 28 For no one is a Jew who is merely one outwardly, nor is circumcision outward and physical. 29 But a Jew is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter. His praise is not from man but from God.

Paul is speaking to people familiar with the Law and the ritual of circumcision given to Abraham. His point in this passage is that circumcision of the flesh is good but something else needs to happen for a person to live in the newness of spirit that he’s trying to explain to them. He elaborates in his letter to the Colossians.

Colossians 2:11 In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, 12 having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead. 13 And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, 14 by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. 15 He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.

The word “flesh” in the phrase “body of flesh” is the Greek word SARX. Sarx has two applications. It refers to your physical body (flesh) AND it refers to the nature of man. God cut away your old nature and replaced it with the righteousness of Christ. You truly are a new creature!!

New Heart / New Life

It is absolutely vital that you know the effects of believing the Gospel, i.e. you get a new heart. You don’t have two natures fighting in you. You don’t have a black dog and a white dog barking at your heels in you. You are the righteousness of God in Christ! You are no longer a sinner by nature, you are a cleansed and justified child of the living God!

Jesus didn’t die to open the door to Heaven for you. He didn’t die for you and then say “I hope you make it.” He did something in you to ensure your eternal salvation, he changed you.

Knowing the Gospel isn’t just knowing that Jesus died for you, it’s knowing and living in the power of its effects. Those effects are your new life in him. The results of believing the Gospel are largely overlooked by most Christians. Too many Christians don’t understand what God did in them when they were born again.

I’m convinced that if more believers actually believed in the power of the spirit in them we would be a much more effective influence for his kingdom in this world. We would live in the power of this new life. We would see his blessings manifest more often in our lives.

I want that! I want to experience the promises of this new life, don’t you?

Unfortunately, your body still remembers what it’s like to be dead and enslaved to sin, but if you can renew your mind to the new work that God has done in you, you will actually be a slave to righteousness and obey God by faith from the heart. Don’t worry, he’ll supply enough grace to do so. He doesn’t supply grace for you to obey, obedience is just the byproduct, he supplies grace for you to live in the new kind of life he provides.

I want to help you do more than just know the Gospel, I want to help you live in the power of its results! Please stay tuned to this series for practical ways to live by faith in the newness of life that God offers in Christ.

Listen to the complete series Living In The Power of Righteousness

Obey God By Yielding to Him as an Instrument of His Righteousness

God has always wanted you to obey him. His 613 Laws demand it but only FAITH can produce the kind of obedience that God really wants.

Obedience from the heart pleases God. Obedience that is the fruit of a responsive heart to his love is what God wants. God is pleased with the kind of obedience that seeks to preserve the freedom he offers in Christ. God is n0t impressed with obedience that is rooted in rule-keeping, his heart is after those who have been transformed by his love and now only desire to bring glory to his name.

The good news is, God gave you a new heart that has the capacity to actually obey him in this way, by faith.

Faith is this - God said it, I believe it, now I’ll make decisions in agreement with it.

Faith says…
”God said sin produces death, God said I’m dead to sin in Christ, God says there is more grace available than opportunities for sin, so I believe it. Now I yield myself to his inner strength, as an instrument in his hands. I receive his life-giving love in my heart and rise above the lure of sin.”

That pleases God much more than the kind of obedience that says, “God said I must obey, if I don’t he will punish me, therefore I must obey.”

Instruments of Righteousness

Obedience never produces or earns righteousness. In fact, faith-based obedience is the fruit of a heart that understands that righteousness is a free gift through faith in Christ.

“When you know just how forgiven you are you will want to live in a way that honors God’s mercy.”

When you know just how forgiven you are you will want to live in a way that honors God’s mercy.

When you truly grasp the transformative power of the Gospel of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ, you will yield your heart to his influence and only seek to live in a manner worthy of the gift he’s given.

The legalistic mind-set would agree with this in theory but not in practice. The moment you mess up, the Pharisee no longer sees obedience through the lens of faith but works. Maybe you hold yourself under legalistic judgment, Maybe when you mess up you feel like you’re further away from God or he’s displeased with you.

Faith-righteousness doesn’t make allowances for sin, it understands that the new creature in Christ is dead to sin.

Romans 6:1 What then shall we say? Shall we continue in sin so that grace may increase? 2 Certainly not! How can we who died to sin live in it any longer? 3 Or aren’t you aware that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? 4 We therefore were buried with Him through baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have been united with Him like this in His death, we will certainly also be united with Him in His resurrection. 6 We know that our old self was crucified with Him so that the body of sin might be rendered powerless, that we should no longer be slaves to sin. 7 For anyone who has died has been freed from sin.

To be dead in Christ means your old man that had a propensity toward sin was removed. You are dead to sin and its effects because you now have eternal life. Your physical body will still die but the real you, the eternal spiritual you is no longer subject to sin. And to the degree you believe in your mind that you are a new creation, you can yield to God’s power in your heart and rise above the craving for sin in your physical body.

Let me say it another way, the aspect of your being that craved sin by nature was removed and it died, now you’re a new creation that doesn’t naturally crave sin.

Colossians 2:9 For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, 10 and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority. 11 In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by PUTTING OFF THE BODY OF THE FLESH, by the circumcision of Christ, 12 having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead. 13 And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, 14 by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross.

King James Version says it this way in verse 11 “putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ”

This is the true fulfillment that Abraham’s foreskin circumcision foreshadowed. This single verse is absolutely massive for the believer. Cutting away the body of sin means your fallen, sinful nature has been removed. God performs a circumcision in your inner man, cutting away your old heart, which is your old nature and replaces it with a new heart, therefore making you complete in Christ.

The word “flesh” in the phrase “body of flesh” is the Greek word SARX. Sarx has two applications. It refers to your physical body (flesh) AND it refers to the nature of man.

God cut away your old nature and replaced it with the righteousness of Christ. You truly are a new creature!!

You can obey God, not because you have to, but because you naturally want to!!

Romans 6:15 What then? Are we to sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! 16 Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness? 17 But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, 18 and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness. 19 I am speaking in human terms, because of your natural limitations. For just as you once presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness leading to sanctification. 20 For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. 21 But what fruit were you getting at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. 22 But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Because you are righteous in Christ, yield yourself to God’s inner power and live in such a way that brings glory to his name and peace to your heart.

Stay tuned for next week’s blog, I’ll send you a practical process to yield yourself to God that can set you free from sin forever!!

Listen to the complete series Living In The Power of Righteousness

Jesus Went Through Hell and Back For You

Did Jesus go to hell after he died on the cross?

King David, Peter and the Apostle Paul confirm he did. King David prophesied about it, Peter clarified those prophecies and Paul addressed it in his teachings.

Let me clarify what I mean by “hell.”

Jesus did not go into the Lake of Fire, he went into a place called Hades, which is typically translated as “hell.” The place or realm these three men referred to is called several things in scripture.

• Hades (Greek) - Acts 2:27 - Hades is translated as “hell” in the KJV

• Sheol (Hebrew) - Psalm 116 - Also translated as “hell” in the KJV

• The lower parts of the earth (the grave) - Ephesians 4:9

• Other references include “the grave,” “the pit” and “places desolate of old.”

All of these are the same place/realm. Hades, Sheol, the grave and the lower parts of the earth are all words and descriptions for the “realm of the dead” or the holding place for the wicked that are awaiting judgment.

The Lake of Fire is something different. Again, Jesus did NOT go into the Lake of Fire. The eternal lake of fire was created for fallen angels, the beast of Revelation and those who worship it. It will also be the place where unsaved souls perish at the final judgment. Also…Death, Hades and the grave are all cast into the Lake of Fire at the final judgment, so they can’t be the same place.

What Did Jesus Experience In Hades?

There are two different perspectives on Jesus’ experience in the grave.

One says Jesus went into the grave to take the keys of death and hell away from the devil. “Take the keys” means to take authority over.

The other perspective acknowledges the first perspective as true, but acknowledges a period of suffering in the grave before his resurrection. “Did the Messiah suffer in the grave?” is the big question. To some, it’s not essential, but I believe it's an integral part of theology to get right.

Both perspectives understand the messiah overcame the enemy and stripped him/them of any and all authority. Every Christian believes Jesus died and passed through the grave; the only debate is whether or not he suffered in the grave. I submit that he did, and here’s why.

I’ll use Psalm 16 and Acts 2 as my text.

In Acts 2, Peter explains that the Holy Spirit has been poured out as Joel prophesied. He then quotes Psalm 16 and explains its context. Peter explains that King David prophesied about the Messiah in Psalm 16. Peter explains that David is still dead, so the words he’s prophesying are not ABOUT the Messiah but are indeed the words OF the Messiah.

Peter clarifies that Psalm 16 is the words of the Messiah, not just words about the Messiah.

So if Psalm 16 is the words of the Messiah, he is describing firsthand what he experienced in his death. Not just what he experienced but where he experienced it. The point I’m making is not just that Jesus passed into the grave, but he passed into the grave after becoming sin and experienced the death that you, as a wicked person, should have experienced.

Jesus didn’t just die and then go and take the authority over Hades away from the enemy and gain victory over death; he first suffered what you would have suffered in the grave without salvation. Jesus, as a human, had to face and conquer everything a human would have experienced, including suffering in the grave. He was separated from His Father so you never have to be, if your faith is in Christ.

Read Psalm 16 for context:

1 {Michtam of David.} Preserve me, O God: for in thee do I put my trust.

2 O my soul, thou hast said unto the LORD, Thou art my Lord: my goodness extendeth not to thee;

3 But to the saints that are in the earth, and to the excellent, in whom is all my delight.

4 Their sorrows shall be multiplied that hasten after another god: their drink offerings of blood will I not offer, nor take up their names into my lips.

5 The LORD is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup: thou maintainest my lot.

6 The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places; yea, I have a goodly heritage.

7 I will bless the LORD, who hath given me counsel: my reins also instruct me in the night seasons.

8 I have set the LORD always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.

9 Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest in hope.

10 For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.

11 Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.

The locational context is in the grave, not on the cross. Some say these are the words of the Messiah while he was on the cross, but the grammar doesn’t support that. This is post-death but pre-resurrection.

Why is this important?

It’s first essential to properly exegete these passages for the integrity of theology. Secondly, it’s important because you see the depths to which your God went to remove anything that could ever possibly separate you from him. There is not one thing remaining that exists which can rear its head and separate you from him if you trust in Christ as your righteousness.

It’s as if Jesus not only went into prison, but he also took the authority of the guards that would have held you there, and he served your sentence for you, so there is no longer a judgment against you that would have sent you to prison to begin with.

Jesus had to become your sin so you could become righteous, and just as Jesus had to be cursed so you could be blessed with eternal life, Jesus had to go into the grave as that sin and curse to experience that realm’s punishment as well.

Even though Jesus passed into the grave as your wicked self, he still trusted God’s promise to him that he would rule and reign forever from his right hand, that he would be a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek, and that he would sit at God’s right hand as God made every enemy his footstool. Those promises couldn’t be fulfilled if Jesus were dead; Jesus had to believe in God to receive and inherit those eternal promises, which was the calling and mandate of the Messiah. To become sin, to be cursed and experience the full penalty, even eternal separation from God in hades, but he trusted his father until death, hades, the grave, and the enemy could no longer hold him. The faith of Jesus, in his father’s promises, was indeed stronger than death.

Praise the living God!

I actually feel like I explained these powerful truths in this sermon better than in this article. Watch the video above, starting around 14:00, for a more thorough explanation of these passages.

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Establish Your Heart In What Christ Endured For You

52 Things Jesus Did For You eBook

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Have a Swig of Righteousness for Your Thirsty Soul

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.”

— Jesus - Matthew 5:6

How does righteousness satisfy your soul?

Your soul craves emotional and spiritual drink. The body craves physical drink. When your soul is thirsty and you try to quench it with physical or emotional drink from the world, you’ll always be unsatisfied. But if you drink of spiritual drink when your soul is thirsty, you will always be satisfied.

The world has plenty of physical and emotional stuff to drink, water, wine, juice, whiskey, as well as fear, worry, temporary relief, and possibly even temporary happiness. But the thirst always comes back. Righteousness is the only thing that can satisfy a soul.

Your soul doesn’t thirst after righteousness because it’s never drank it. The soul doesn’t crave righteousness because it’s necessarily carnal or evil - your soul thirsts after righteousness BECAUSE it knows how satisfying it is.

Righteousness is a state of existence before God. You are at peace with God because of the work of Christ. When you are afraid or feeling condemned, and you remind yourself that you’re accepted by God because of Christ and it brings peace, you’ve just taken a healthy swig of righteousness. You’ve drunk from the preexisting truth that you’re ok with God, and that brings peace, which settles the soul rather than generates fear.

Did you follow that process?

As you reassure your soul that you’re loved and accepted by God because of Christ, you are confessing the truth that Jesus’ atonement on your behalf was enough for your forgiveness and righteousness. That sets you free from the fear of judgment and allows you to choose grace and live under its power.

Thirsting after righteousness isn’t when you recognize that you’re a dirty sinner and you need to be cleansed, thirsting after righteousness happens because your soul needs a little reminder of who you really are in Christ.

Drinking of righteousness is when you get ahold of yourself in the midst of sin or failure and snap out of it, back into an awareness of God’s love for you to the point that grace energizes you and you break out of sin’s grip.

When you’re tempted, you need to take a deep swallow of righteousness, by reminding yourself that Jesus was tempted in all ways like you are yet without sin and you allow his victory to empower you over sin.

Let Christ’s Suffering Serve As A Reminder That You’re Forgiven And Can Drink Of His Righteousness At Any Moment

Hebrews 12:1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. 4 In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.

When you’re being persecuted for your faith, being tempted to give in to sin, questioning your salvation or trying to find the motivation to minister to others, you can follow this pattern…

Here’s the pattern based on Hebrews 12:1-4

1. Remember the great men and women of faith.

2. Keep in mind they simply believed what God told them he was going to do.

3. Make sure you are trusting that God will be faithful to what he said he would do for you.

4. You can keep trusting what he said he would do by remembering what Jesus already did.

5. What did Jesus do? Endured persecution, faced temptation to the point of sweating blood because it brought him joy to die for you to be a child of God.

6. Acknowledge Jesus as Lord and King, acknowledge your place in him and live from the power of that identity.

Verse 4 is the key to personalizing God’s love for you and engaging his power that works in you. Before Jesus was arrested, blood seeped from his pores because he was fighting his flesh. Jesus didn’t want to endure the cross and face separation from his father, but it brought him joy to think of you in his family so he submitted and became obedient to the death of the cross. Jesus despised the shame of the cross but he loved the results of it, which was inheriting you as his family member.

Luke 22:39 Jesus went out as usual to the Mount of Olives, and his disciples followed him. 40 On reaching the place, he said to them, “Pray that you will not fall into temptation.” 41 He withdrew about a stone’s throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed, 42 “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” 43 An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. 44 And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.

Jesus resisted his flesh to the point of bleeding through his skin. “In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.” But Jesus did, to destroy the power of sin and death over mankind. This is an encouragement for us because Jesus faced the greatest temptation we can face, as a man, and won! We can stand in his victory by walking through the pattern I outlined above from Hebrews 12.

I pray that you take the time to personalize Christ’s time in the garden as he wrestled against temptation. See your own struggles in his battle, see your victory in his victory, see your resurrection as a new creature in his triumph over sin, death, Hades and the grave. He conquered everything that could be held against you and removed it as far as the east is from the west, now live in the power of his spirit.

Practical Application of Being Satisfied by Righteousness

One way righteousness satisfies is when you live in it rather than giving in to sin, whether it be a physical action, emotional sin or drawing away from faith in God’s Word. For the record, anything not of faith is sin.

I don’t know if you have ever faced and conquered addiction or maybe had success in stopping a bad habit, but it’s incredibly satisfying and rewarding.

To see an opportunity for sin coming, feel the temptation in your flesh but choose to walk away and not give in may be difficult. But on the other side is satisfaction. You feel good about yourself when you make a good choice, and that’s ok. It’s ok to be proud of yourself. You’re not boasting in your own salvation but you feel good that you walked worthy of the holiness you’ve been given, and he gets the glory. This becomes a source of power for you and creates a new track record for your own self-image.

You are more powerful than you realize, you just need to make a habit of drinking from your righteousness when life gets hard. The more you do so, the easier it gets. Before long you find yourself living a light, holy, righteous and sin-free life because you’ve acknowledged Christ’s victory as your own and connected with the power of his resurrection within you.

Listen to the complete series Living In The Power of Righteousness