Note: Before I get into the message today, there has been a lot said recently around the question of whether or not tithing is something we should do as New Covenant believers. Basically, should we tithe under grace? I addressed this in a video yesterday. Here is the link if you have not seen it: https://youtu.be/jItdKbMcAQE.
Today we will continue our series entitled “God’s Grace & Our Faith.” We are looking at The Law given under Moses vs. the Grace provided by Jesus. Our primary scriptures are John 1:14 & 17. We have also been looking at the fruit of the Holy Spirit from Galatians 5:22,23. Let’s go back to those again today.
(John 1:14 New International Version)
The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
(John 1:17 New International Version)
For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
In this series, we studied parts of Galatians 3, 4, and 5. We studied Galatians 5:22,23 (the fruit of the Holy Spirit) for a couple of weeks. This morning I was led to move on to verses 24 and 25. Let’s read what the Apostle Paul said after listing the fruit of the Spirit.
(Galatians 5:24,25 The Passion Translation)
Keep in mind that we who belong to Jesus, the Anointed One, have already experienced crucifixion. For everything connected with our self – life was put to death on the cross and crucified with Messiah. We must live in the Holy Spirit and follow after him.
So what does this mean for you today? There are a few major nuggets we can glean from Galatians 5:24,25. For today I will focus on the first, which is that you died with Jesus. Your old life was put to death with Him on the cross.
1. Once you are Born-Again, you are dead in Christ, and I pray you get an understanding of this truth.
If you are Born-Again, you have already experienced crucifixion. The Apostle Paul said, “Keep in mind that we who belong to Jesus, the Anointed One, have already experienced crucifixion. For everything connected with our self – life was put to death on the cross and crucified with Messiah.” (Gal 5:24).
— If you are Born-Again, you were literally crucified with Christ (Gal 2:20). Your old man is dead. You are a dead man walking.
— The life you live now is the life Jesus died and was resurrected to give you.
— Just like Jesus was raised from the dead, you have been raised with Him. You don’t deserve it, but God has forgiven you of ALL your sin; He is not holding your faults or flaws against you, and He freely offers you the life He planned (from the foundations of the world) by His limitless grace.
— The enormity of God’s grace is often hard for us, as humans, to comprehend. But we must believe it by faith. So here is something you have to exercise faith to believe: everything connected to your old life was nailed to the cross with Jesus! If you believe that the liberating power of God’s grace will transform you for the rest of your life.
— If you can embrace the grace to die to your old life, the life you live (for the rest of your life) will be amazing because it will be the life God planned before the world began!
— Please stop judging your future by your past. Stop judging your future by your performance. Judge your future by God’s plans for you. Judge your future by God’s grace.
2. Jesus DIED for you so you can LIVE for Him!
In his letter to the believers in Corinth, the Apostle Paul said, “The love of Christ controls us, because we know that one person died for everyone. So all have died. He died for all so that those who live would not continue to live for themselves. He died for them and was raised from death so that they would live for him.” (2 Cor 5:14,15)
— Jesus died. We know that. But many Christians don’t understand that this means YOU died as well. You are dead to your old man. You are dead to human limitations. You are dead to your sin and flaws. You are dead to living your life by human performance alone.
— If you are Born-Again, you are not supposed to live THE SAME WAY you lived before you gave your life to Christ. Everything you lacked and every earthly limitation was crucified with Christ. You are now FREE to live the life God planned. This is truly AMAZING GRACE!
— God included you in the death of Jesus so He can include you in the resurrection of Jesus as well.
— Jesus was raised from the dead. Now that you are Born-Again, the Father gives you access to the same resurrection power.
— You are now FREE to live the life He birthed you to live. Free of the limits and flaws of your humanity. Free from the pain of your past. In Christ Jesus, are you truly FREE! Now it’s time for you to live like it.
— Jesus was raised from the dead, so you can live the remainder of your days honoring Him. Live your life in honor of His death!
3. Christ’s resurrection is your resurrection too!
In his letter to the believers in Colossae, the Apostle Paul said, “Christ’s resurrection is your resurrection too. This is why we are to yearn for all that is above, for that’s where Christ sits enthroned at the place of all power, honor, and authority! Yes, feast on all the treasures of the heavenly realm and fill your thoughts with heavenly realities, and not with the distractions of the natural realm. Your crucifixion with Christ has severed the tie to this life, and now your true life is hidden away in God in Christ.” (Col 3:1-3)
— If you are in Christ, then His resurrection has severed the tie you have to this life. You are no longer bound to the limits of this world. You are FREE to embrace God’s grace. And once you do, there is nothing you can’t do. Because there is nothing God can’t do, and He lives IN YOU!
— Jesus’ death was your death. His resurrection was your resurrection too! So now set your mind on the things above.
— Just like you can set the thermostat, set your mind to the “HEAVEN” setting and leave it there. Everything you see in heaven is what you can and should experience in this world.
— When you set your mind on the “HEAVEN” setting, Paul said you “feast on all the treasures of the heavenly realm and fill your thoughts with heavenly realities, and not with the distractions of the natural realm.” Paul was teaching us: a) to set our minds on the treasures of the heavenly realm, b) to fill our thoughts with heavenly realities, and c) to not allow ourselves to be distracted by the natural realm. Did you get that? God wants us to be so heavenly-minded that the natural realm seems like a distraction to our heavenly reality!
— God wants you to see yourself as dead to the limits of this present world. He wants you to NO LONGER see yourself as a mere human. He wants you to see yourself as someone who is “born from above.” Meaning that heaven is your home. You are in this world, Jesus said, but not of this world. You are walking around on the earth, but your reality is in heaven, and God wants you to bring heaven to the earth!
— God’s Kingdom has come. God wants you to have the faith to activate His will to be done in your life, on earth, as it is in heaven. Not because you deserve it. But because God blesses you freely, by His unearned grace.
— The grace of God gives you access to God’s best FREELY. You are now FREE to experience heaven on earth. Not because of You, but because of Jesus! That’s the gospel!
— God has provided the grace for you to experience His best on this planet. By grace, He has already translated you OUT OF the kingdom of darkness and into the Kingdom of His dear Son. By grace, God elevated you to heavenly places, and you are seated at the right hand of the Father, with Christ Jesus. By grace, God covered you with the blood of Jesus, He filled you with the Holy Spirit, and He called you according to His own purpose. God has done all of this by grace. The question now is: will you provide the faith to experience heaven on earth?
That’s enough for now.
Declaration of Faith:
Father, I am in Christ, and Christ is IN me. I was crucified with Jesus. His death was my death. His life is now my life. I am dead to sin, self, and every earthly limit.
I don’t judge my future by my past. I judge my future by Your grace. I live the life You birthed me to live.
Because of Jesus, I am FREE to become the man/woman You destined me to be.
Your Kingdom has come. You will shall be done, on earth, as it is in heaven, and it will happen through me! I am FREE to experience heaven on earth.
I am FREE to leave a mark in this world that will not easily be erased. And it has nothing to do with me, my performance, or my goodness. It has everything to do with You, Your Son, Your Spirit, and Your grace! This is how I know GREATER IS COMING FOR ME! I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper.
