This morning we continue our series entitled, “Refined Focus”, with an emphasis on “Focusing on God’s Finished Work”. We started looking at God’s finished work two months ago. So far we have focused on several Biblical characters, but starting with this message we shift our focus to YOU. We have learned by looking at others, but now we will learn by looking at self.
The Apostle Paul said, “God has made us what we are. In Christ Jesus, God made us new people so that we would spend our lives doing the good things he had already planned for us to do.” (Eph 2:10 ERV).
So what does this mean to you today? Let’s see, as we seek to glean a few golden nuggets from today’s text.
1. You were made a new person in Christ Jesus.
a) If you are Born-Again, you were made new in Christ. Everything is new. The Bible says, “God has made us what we are. In Christ Jesus, God made us new people…”.
b) Once you are Born-Again you are a new man, in an old body, and the only thing holding you back is your old mindset. As your mind is renewed you learn how to live like the person you already ARE in Christ.
2. When you are Born-Again you are (for the first time in your life) the person God designed you to be.
a) The Bible says, “God has made us what we are. In Christ Jesus, God made us new people…”. If you are Born-Again, then you are, right now, the person God destined and designed you to be.
b) Up to the point when you were Born-Again you were living your life as the person you became without God. The moment you were Born-Again everything changed. You may not discern it, but everything changed. You may not understand it yet, but everything changed. You may not know how to embrace the change or walk in the change, but everything changed! In an instant, God’s Spirit took up residence inside of you and His presence positions you to be the person He planned for you to be, before the world began. Your task is to now learn how to live like who you already are in Christ.
3. God made you new so you could do what He planned (from the foundations of the world) for you to do.
a) The Bible says, “God has made us what we are. In Christ Jesus, God made us new people so that we would spend our lives doing the good things he had already planned for us to do.”
b) From the moment you are Born-Again, God wants you to spend the rest of your life doing the “good things” He planned for you to do before the world began.
c) Learning about God’s finished work is about learning to walk in what God already planned. Instead of trying to get God to move, you learn to enjoy what He has already done.
d) While you are not saved BY good works, you were saved FOR good works. There are specific things God sent you to the planet to do and He expects you to spend your life doing them! You are here on assignment!
We will stop here for today.
Closing Confession: Father, this is a season of refined focus for me. I bring my life into focus in 2016. I am ready to die to the person I became on my own, so I can live as the person You destined me to be. I die to ME, so You are free to live through me. I die to my old man. I die to my old mentality. I live to my new life. I was not saved BY works, but I have been saved FOR works, and I declare that I will spend the rest of my life doing what You sent me to the planet to do! I am here on assignment and I will complete my assignment before I die. I will not die because I am sick. I will not die because of an accident. I will only die when I am DONE! When You Father can look down on me and say, “Well done my faithful servant. Well done!” I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper.
