What's your inner image? Are you struggling to find the magic key that unlocks God's blessings? Trying to make the mark, to be good enough to actually receive the promises of God now, in the earth? Feeling frustrated, blocked on every side?
What you've got is an inner image problem. One nurtured by erroneous teachings and pervasive cultural thinking, to be sure, but a problem nonetheless.
Let's get back to biblical basics. If you've been born again, you're already forgiven, already delivered, already an overcomer...already blessed.
Made Righteous...Already
We've been made the righteousness of God in Christ [2 Corinthians 5:20]. By His doing we are in Christ Jesus, Who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption...[1 Corinthians 1:30,31]. Crucified with Him, buried, raised up together with Him and seated with Him in the heavenly places [Galatians 2:20; Ephesians 2:5,6; Colossians 2:12-14].
Do you see yourself as more than a conqueror, called to reign in life, doing the works of Jesus? [Romans 8:37; 5:17; John 14:12]
Picture Him at the tomb of Lazarus...before calling him out of the grave, Jesus said "Father, I thank you that You have heard Me. I knew that You always hear Me...” [John 11:41, 42].
1 John 4:17 says '...as He is, so are we in this world.'
This spiritual state of being one Spirit with the Lord [1 Corinthians 6:17] is an accomplished fact. We are already seated with and in Him in heavenly places. We are already forgiven, for sins past, present and future. Our confession of them cleanses our bodies and minds, but the spirit within is Jesus—always righteous, always perfect, full of grace and glory.
New Covenant
As the Church of God, the Body of Christ in the earth, we need to stop thinking like Old Covenant people. Yes, all of the promises of the Old Covenant are fulfilled for us in Christ, all are 'yes' in Him [2 Corinthians 11:20] but we don't have to earn them anymore. We are redeemed from the curse of the law, because Jesus became that curse for us so that we could receive the blessings of Abraham [Galatians 3:13,14]. The curse of the law was, in essence, what happened to you if you failed to obey the law. The blessings were what you got if you did obey.
Jesus took the curse for us—we get the blessings because we're in Him, the very seed of Abraham! To the Father, we look like Jesus—we've already perfectly fulfilled all the law, and are already blessed with every spiritual blessing in Christ [Ephesians 1:3].
One of the blessings of Abraham was great wealth—in most churches, we're told that it's okay to be comfortable, but God forbid that we aspire to great wealth!
I've got news for you...it's already ours! It's our birthright! Romans 8:32 says 'He Who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?'
Another one of Abraham's blessings was that his descendants [us] would possess the gates of their enemies [Genesis 22:17]. Jesus told his disciples, when they were not even born again, that they had authority over all the works of the devil! But we, the very body of Christ in the earth, live defeated lives, always struggling against unseen foes that we assume are far more powerful than we!
Image Correction
Start to imagine yourself like the Bible says you are. You're like Jesus—in fact, you are Jesus in the earth! Your old, nasty self was crucified with Him, and you've been reborn, one Spirit with the Lord! You are, individually and collectively, the Body of Christ. Called to reign in life! Correct that old inner image and refuse to listen to anything contrary to the Word of God, no matter who or what it is! You are not under the Old Covenant--you are a new creature in Christ! Old things have passed away! [2 Corinthians 5:17]
Instead of wondering 'Can He, will He [fill in the blank] for me?' thank Him for what He's already done! His word is settled forever [Psalm 119:89] and He has decreed you blessed! He has already said 'Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus...' [Romans 8:1] He has already declared you accepted in the Beloved! [Ephesians 1:6] Strengthened with all power in your inner man! [Colossians 1:11]
And when you consider that Jesus said that He and the Father would come and make their abode—their dwelling—in the ones that love Him...the mind reels!
