Abundant Living Series

What is the True Reality?

Read Time:  11 Minutes

We always have choices. We can believe and live what God says or the world (Satan). We can feed our minds the Word and live in it, or the world. We can speak words of edification, exhortation, and comfort or spew forth negatives and hurtful words that are words of destruction that tend toward tearing down the Word in people minds, oftentimes unintentionally.

The first reality that we need to internalize, know beyond a shadow of a doubt that it is true, is what God has done and how it affects us.

Ephesians 1
: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:
:4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world,
    that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:
:5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself,
    according to the good pleasure of his will,
:6 To the praise of the glory of his grace,
        wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.
:7 In whom we have redemption through his blood,
        the forgiveness of sins,
        according to the riches of his grace;

God is the one who did this. We did not do anything to deserve being blessed with all spiritual blessings. God has great love for us and longs to see us do well. So much so that He sent His son who willingly did the Father's will and endured great pain and suffering so that we could be bought back from the adversary. As a result we don't have to walk according to the course of this world. (Eph 2:2). God chose us and made us His children. Being a child of God has great privileges. This is the reality. We have been redeemed, paid for, and brought back into the family of God. We are no longer out in the cold.

Family has its privileges,  the children are given information that outsiders cannot know.

Ephesians 1
:15 Wherefore I also,
        after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus,
        and love unto all the saints,
:16 Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers;
:17 That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory,
    may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:

This is truth and true, we have the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him. You must know that this is true and look to God for Him to teach you. Know that this is a reality.

:18 The eyes of your understanding being enlightened;
    that ye may know what is the hope of his calling,
    and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,

Since you are born again you now have spiritual understanding. You are also being prayed for that your understanding is enlightened that you may know what is the hope of His calling, and what is the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, for we are part of the family. We can expect God to reveal His Word to us. If you are not looking for something chances are you won't see it.

What else are we to know?

: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,

Verses 17 - 21 contain four figures of speech calling our attention to specific points that is evident in the Aramaic. Antimeria is used four times. Antimeria is the exchange of one part of speech for another; in this case it is the exchange of a noun for an adjective or adverb, bringing emphasis to the phrase. Metonymy is also used; it is the change of one noun for another related noun,  which is then emphasized. Anthropopatheia is the ascribing of human attributes to God,  emphasis is on the diversity and greatness of God. Polysyndeton, "many ands," is present in the last verse calling attention to each word in the list to be considered carefully. Here are the five verses from the  Aramaic Peshitta New Testament Translation by Jan Magiera with the figures noted and emphasized words bolded.

:17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory [antimeria-glorious Father],
    would give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in his knowledge
:18 and [that] the eyes of your hearts [metonymy] would be enlightened,
        so that you would know what is the hope of his calling
        and what is the wealth of the glory [antimeria - glorious wealth] of his inheritance in the holy [ones]
:19 and what is the abundance of the greatness [antimeria - great abundance] of his power in us,
        in those who believe,
    according to the working of the might [antimeria - mighty working] of his power.
:20 [This is] he who worked in Christ
    and raised him from the dead
    and seated him at his right hand [anthropopatheia] in the heaven,
:21 higher than all rulers
    and authorities
    and powers
    and lordships
    and higher than every name that is named, [polysyndeton]
    not only in this world,
    but in the coming [one] also.

Read through the verses again, notice the bolded words. Verses 17 - 20 are constructed to give God the glory for all that He has done and given. Verses 20 and 21 makes sure we know that Christ is seated at the right hand of God signifying power, authority and blessing,[20]  above all rulers, and authorities, and powers, and lordships, and higher than every name that is named, each one singularly important for us to know, [21] because . . .

:22 And hath put all things under his feet, [synecdoche]
    and gave him to be the head [hypocatastasis] over all things to the church,
:23 Which is his body, [metaphor]
    the fulness of him that filleth all in all.

Figures used: synecdoche - transfer of part for a whole; hypocatastasis - a declaration that implies the resemblance or representation, comparison by implication; metaphor - representation, declaring one thing is (or represents) another, or comparison by representation.

This whole section magnifies the greatness of God and His abundance and power, defeat of anything against the body, and the position of Christ and ultimately the Body of Christ (us) over everything in this world and that which is to come. It's like neon sign material here! Take this in, repeat it daily.

We are part of the body of Christ. Everything that is under Christ's feet is under ours, he is the head over all to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him that fills all of the members of the body of Christ with all that God gives in the gift of holy spirit. All of us individually and as the body of Christ filled to the fullest with all God gave. You cannot get any fuller - that is the reality.

We have a choice. We are part of the Body of Christ; we are now spiritually enabled. Being part of the Body of Christ and having holy spirit within has great significance and importance. Our choice is to walk spiritually or according the flesh, believing the lies Satan, the adversary, would propound.

Romans 8
:8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.
:9 But ye are not in the flesh,
        but in the Spirit,
        if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you.
    Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ,
        he is none of his.
:10 And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin;
    but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.
:11 But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you,
    he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies
    by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.
:12 Therefore, brethren, we are debtors,
        not to the flesh,
        to live after the flesh.
:13       For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die:
            but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.
:14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
:15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear;
        but ye have received the Spirit of adoption,
            whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
:16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:
:17 And if children, then heirs;
        heirs of God,
        and joint-heirs with Christ;
    if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.
:18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

To live after the flesh is to live according to the world, believing what the world has to say about you. "You are not good enough." "You eat this so you are going to get that." "Diabetes runs in my family so I must be at risk." "Everyone else is losing their job, I fear that I am next." "I am powerless to do anything about my finances, I guess I'm just going to have to go without." "I must exaggerate the facts; otherwise I'm a nobody and no one will listen to me." THESE ARE ALL LIES!! God has made you righteous and sanctified you; He has made you His child giving you the right to stand in His presence, and has set you apart from the world. You are a joint-heir with Christ! That holy spirit that you have, it quickens, makes alive, your mortal body; expect it. Unleash the power of the holy spirit by speaking the truths of God's Word, the holy spirit makes your body alive. The more than abundant life is yours. You are an ambassador, He dresses you to the nines. The light of God's Word shines in your eyes, the words you speak have impact.

God's holy spirit in you is the reality. Walk in that newness of life. It is up to us to look to God for understanding. It is God in Christ in you, practice the presence of God. When a friend is with you and you are not listening they could have given you the best advice ever but you will not heed it because you were not listening. You must look to God in all that you do. A relationship is fostered by a conversation with both participating. God has taken the first step. You are going to know Him by reading His Word. This can't be the only time you open your Bible, it just can't be!

 Colossians 2
:6 As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord,
    so walk ye in him:
:7 Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith,
        as ye have been taught,
    abounding therein with thanksgiving.
:8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit,
        after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world,
        and not after Christ.

God is very clear, since you have received Christ Jesus as your lord walk in him, put on the mind of Christ. It is Christ in you, recognize that. Be rooted and built up in him and established in the faith. Your foundation must be Christ and the Word of God. As you feed yourself the Word and believe it you become rooted, unmovable; built up, like a strong building; and established in the faith, made sure or firm. Abound in thankfulness, a thankful heart is not murmuring and disputing. And beware, God would have not said this if it was not a threat, do not let anyone entice you away from the Word with the lusts and reasonings of the world.

The reason being:

:9 For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.
:10 And ye are complete in him,
        which is the head of all principality and power:

Realize where we stand! We stand in Christ in the Body of Christ. We are complete in Christ; complete is pleroo, given full measure, nothing lacking. And Christ is the head over all principality and power which is Satan and his host.

:11 In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands,
    in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ:
:12 Buried with him in baptism,
    wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God,
        who hath raised him from the dead.
:13 And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh,
    hath he quickened together with him,
    having forgiven you all trespasses;
:14 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us,
        which was contrary to us,
    and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;
:15 And having spoiled principalities and powers,
    he made a shew of them openly,
    triumphing over them in it.

The circumcision was a reminder to Abraham of the covenant God made with him that he would be the father of many nations and that God would be their God. (Genesis 18) We now have the covenant because of the holy spirit we received by the power of God, that power which we believe in when God raised Jesus Christ from the dead. We were uncircumcised and dead but now we are made alive, quickened, and the trespasses against us, the sin of Adam, is removed by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. And that spoiled the principalities and power and exposed Satan and triumphed over him. Satan is defeated! That is the reality. You cannot  let anyone or anything talk you out of this truth.

All things contrary to us are now exposed. The battle is spiritual, live spiritually. Practice the presence of God. Look always to Him and He'll direct your path. Look unto Him, he will give you the desires of your heart. We now live under God's grace and mercy, there is nothing we can do to earn the gift of God or the abundance He has earmarked for us. We simply open our hands and our hearts and receive.

When you are conscious of the perfect redemption from Satan's dominion, you will walk with the success Jesus had during his ministry and more.

Daily we must remind ourselves that:

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