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 1:20] and we have been grafted into Israel [Romans 11:17,18], but we don't have to earn them anymore. We are redeemed from the curse of the law—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 obeyed.
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 some churches [the ones that aren’t preaching poverty] 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?'
‘For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich.’ [2 Corinthians 8:9]
The Greek words in the verse are all referring to physical wealth and destitution—not some vague spiritual blessing! Look it up for yourselves!
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 in many cases, 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!
How about healing? The Word makes it very clear that we are healed, already, by the scourging [wounds, stripes] of Jesus!
‘But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the chastening for our well- being fell upon Him, and by His scourging we are healed.’ [Isaiah 53:5]
‘and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed.’ [1 Peter 2:24]
Yet we know many Christians bound by sickness and disease.
Image Correction
Start to imagine yourself like the Bible says you are. You're just 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 let’s not forget 1 John 4:17:
‘By this, love is perfected with us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment; because AS HE IS, so also are we in this world.’
Remember…His works were finished from the foundation of the world! [Hebrews 4:3]
Jesus said that He and the Father would come and make their abode—their dwelling—in the ones that love Him. Resident in us, in all miracle-working power.
Consider this Holy Spirit written prayer…
‘For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God.
Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.
Now THAT’S blessed!
Hallelujah!
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Read Agree With Him, Let’s Pretend, Stop Begging—It’s Inside, Finished, That Which Has Been Will Be
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