Power in Christ Jesus

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Knowing our legal rights in the household plays a key role in renewing our mind to the Word of God. The more we understand who we are, what we are entitled to and how we are to utilize this gift of holy spirit that we have been given the better able we are to renew our  minds to the Word of God. God says that we are redeemed, justified, sanctified, made righteous and we have the ministry of reconciliation committed unto us. These are our sonship rights and the Word of God explains them.

Redemption

We have been redeemed by Jesus Christ and made joint-heirs with him. This allowed God to give us His seed, holy spirit, when we believed and accepted Christ as our lord. Before Adam and Eve sinned God had conferred to them dominion over the earth:

Genesis 1
:26 And God said, 
        Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: 
        and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, 
        and over the fowl of the air, 
        and over the cattle, 
        and over all the earth, 
        and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.?

When Adam and Eve sinned the legal rights to the dominion of the earth was transferred to the devil. The devil declares that he has them in Luke 4, if he didn't have them Jesus Christ would have called him on the carpet about them.

Luke 4
:5 And the devil, 
        taking him up into an high mountain, 
    shewed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time.
:6 And the devil said unto him, 
        All this power will I give thee, 
            and the glory of them: 
        for that is delivered unto me; 
        and to whomsoever I will I give it.

Man needed redeemed, bought back. God had a plan from the beginning and that was the Messiah, Jesus Christ. He needed a man to complete the law and sacrifice himself for all of mankind and that man was Jesus Christ, God's only begotten son. Man is body and soul and when he believes Romans 10:9 and 10 he receives spirit from God. Jesus Christ was born body and soul and God gave him spirit when he was baptized by John. Jesus Christ could accomplish the law because he had perfect blood and the life is in the blood (Leviticus 17:11). God had created seed in Mary and the blood is formed because of that seed. We are full partakers of flesh and blood but not Jesus Christ. That is why he could live a perfect life, he was not tainted by the sinful blood of Adam.

Hebrews 2
:14 Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, 
    he also himself likewise took part of the same; 
        that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, 
            that is, the devil;

Jesus Christ had the flesh of man but he had perfect blood because of the seed God created in Mary when she believed and said, "Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. . . ." Luke 1:38.  See also "That We May See and Believe" for further elaboration on "take part" and "partake."

Jesus Christ is our redeemer. We have been redeemed, bought back from the adversary, we now have the dominion over the earth and all that is in it. We are heirs of God and joint-heirs with Jesus Christ, we have God's incorruptible seed born within us. If you didn't know you had these legal rights you could never use them.

Righteousness

Romans 5
:19 For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, 
    so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.

Righteousness is the freedom from sin. We have been freed from the sin of Adam.

:21 But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, 
    being witnessed by the law and the prophets;
:22 Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: 
        for there is no difference:

Adam was the disobedient one, Jesus Christ the obedient. God made us righteous; we can't get better than that.

I Corinthians 1
:30 But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, 
    who of God is made unto us wisdom, 
    and righteousness, 
    and sanctification, 
    and redemption:

This was done for us, we no longer have to try to do it ourselves by the law. Because of Jesus Christ we have wisdom, we are redeemed, we are sanctified and made righteous.

Philippians 3
:9 And be found in him, 
        not having mine own righteousness, 
        which is of the law, 
        but that which is through the faith of Christ, 
    the righteousness which is of God by faith:

The keeping of the law could make one righteous, but only one could keep the law completely. We no longer have to try, Jesus Christ died for us so that we could be made righteous by faith, by believing. When we believe and make Jesus Christ lord in our lives and believe that God raised him from the dead we are no longer under the law.

Justified

To be released from the penalty of sin.

Romans 4
:25 Who [Jesus Christ] was delivered for our offences, 
    and was raised again for our justification.

Romans 5
:1  Therefore being justified by faith, 
    we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:
:2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, 
    and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

Because we believe God and received salvation we are justified. We don't have to pay the price for sin, Jesus Christ already has.  In the old testament they would offer sacrifices according to the law for their sins. But . . .

Romans 3
:20  Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: 
    for by the law is the knowledge of sin.

You cannot justify your flesh in God's sight by keeping the law.

:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
:24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:
:25 Whom [Jesus Christ] God hath set forth to be a propitiation [payment] through faith in his blood, 
    to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;

We are made righteous, freed from sin, and justified, freed from the penalty of sin.

Romans 5
:1  Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:
:2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, 
    and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
:3 And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: 
        knowing that tribulation worketh patience;
:4     And patience, experience; 
        and experience, hope:
:5     And hope maketh not ashamed; 
            because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.
:6  For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.
:7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: 
        yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die.
:8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, 
        while we were yet sinners, 
    Christ died for us.
:9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, 
    we shall be saved from wrath through him.

Because we are justified, freed from the penalty of sin, we are saved from the wrath, the tribulation in Revelation, the end times when all those that didn't believe are sentenced to eternal death. When you are justified you no longer pay for your sins, it has been done for you.

Sanctified

Sanctified, hagiazo, means to be set apart. When you are born you are of this world, just body and soul and when you are born again you are complete with spirit, soul, and body which makes you separate from the rest. God separates you making you His own.

The following verses are Paul the Apostle telling King Agrippa of his encounter with Jesus Christ.

Acts 26
:15 And I [Paul] said, 
        Who art thou, Lord? 
    And he said, 
        I am Jesus whom thou persecutest.
:16   But rise, and stand upon thy feet: 
            for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, 
                to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, 
                    and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee;
:17           Delivering thee from the people, 
                    and from the Gentiles, 
                unto whom now I send thee,
:18           To open their eyes, 
                and to turn them from darkness to light, 
                and from the power of Satan unto God, 
                    that they may receive forgiveness of sins, 
                    and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.

Paul, from the beginning, was sent to the Gentiles so he could open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, deliver them from the power of Satan unto God so that they could receive forgiveness of sins and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in Christ Jesus. All of those that believe on Jesus Christ, make him their lord and believe that God raised him from the dead are sanctified. Well folks, that pertains to us as well.  When I learned the Word and believed my eyes were opened, I no longer walked in darkness, I could see the light of God's Word. And, I know I have been delivered from the Power of Satan, he no longer has any right over me.

I Corinthians 6
:11  . . . but ye are washed, 
        but ye are sanctified, 
        but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, 
            and by the Spirit of our God.

Once you received that holy spirit from God you are washed, sanctified (set apart), and justified. When you are sanctified you are no longer of this world, you belong to God now.

Ok, so what do we do with it after we've got it?

 

Continued Next Week . . .