For anyone that has been following the news there are a growing number of stories that speak of the persecution of Christians. For many, such articles seem surreal, they remain so far removed from our current peaceful existence that we find no reason to try and relate, let alone guard ourselves from similar violation. But what if trouble does come near our door? Must we fall victim to the plans of a corrupt and tyrannical world system? Should we yield ourselves over to those that would gladly bring harm to us or to those we love? Of course the answer is “no” but we must also gain some perspective on how Jesus saves us from unwarranted trouble. Only when God’s people stand in Christ do we let Jesus be the one that decides our fate. Let’s consider a couple of valuable truths that make victory possible.
Dwelling with the Most High
When we got saved the authority of Jesus was given to us through a personal connection with the Savior. Jesus became our standard in life and faith and His rule became our source of authority.
Ephesians 2:6-7 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7 in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.
Seated with Christ means two things; one it means we have ceased from our own works in order to live our Christian life through Him. Jesus has provided us a full and rich alternative to a life once subject to corruption.
Secondly it means that we have gained a spiritual position in Christ that is raised above the dictates of a fallen world. We can literally hold on to the perspective that we are raised above and held in the hollow of God’s hand. In fact the Greek definition for “salvation” amounts to “deliverance, preservation and safety”.
Now that should help us choose God’s favor. From this regal place of authority we can conclude that the kingdoms of this world are under our feet. However there is one thing that stops us from living in that place of total victory; it has to do with our dependence on our old man’s ways; let me explain.
At one time humanity received a commission from God to be fruitful and take dominion, and this was a good thing. The intent was for man to be a steward of God’s creation which gave him freedom to be a sovereign over the physical land (Sovereign means that no one stands between him and God). However as man sinned and lost connection with God, his natural ability to take dominion became corrupt. Left to his own devices he became a slave to the god of this world and was made subject to death.
As believers this should concern us for one reason. Even though we have been invited to rest in the kingdom and partake of all that is victorious in Christ, the dividing line between success and failure depends on the choices we make. The Apostle Paul helps us understand what we should be choosing; he says;
Romans 8:5-6 (NIV) Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace.
Now don’t get me wrong, we are still creatures born of the flesh and live out our days while deciding what’s best for body, soul and spirit. However when we received the free gift of God it was an invitation to be governed by the indwelling Holy Spirit. In that environment the flesh responds to righteousness and our sinful ways begin to fade; that is if we want them to fade.
When the flesh still rules in compromise it reveals an open door to unwanted advances. Think of it this way; those that pick up the sword die by the sword; or more to the point those that pick up the flesh are prone to suffering because of the flesh. So quite often the thing we call persecution is simply a matter of having created an open door to an outside attack. You name the unwanted encounter; it’s a sure thing that it rides on the coat tails of some past indiscretion.
For the record, the way every stronghold is formed is based on a free will choice to be owned and then governed by the presence of a demonic power.
Under the influence of sin other people are able to notice the spiritual sign on our foreheads that reads “open for business”. In this way some will approach us wanting to join the party, some will want to crash the party; while the wise will seek to run away from us. Resolving fleshly points of compromise remains a valuable first step in limiting unwanted persecution. This comes about as we confess our sins and align ourselves with the victory Jesus afforded us at the Cross. Take a look at all the benefits provided us when Jesus died on the Cross /christian-news/2022/07/the-purpose-driven-death-5-2609358.html .
Beyond clearing the slate of a compromised way of life, we need to know that persecution can still come to those that have a pure heart. But even here we are not ill equipped to respond. The ministry of Jesus on our lives can set at bay added trouble as we speak the truth in Christ. What we want to capture is an understanding that victory is very much tied to our confession.
Romans 10:9-10 That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart a person believes and so is justified, and with the mouth he confesses and confirms salvation.
In the Greek, the word “confess” is “homologeo” and is defined as: saying the same thing as another, i.e. agreeing with; conceding to confess, declare; professing to declare openly, speak out freely; praising and celebrating. Other scriptures that bring forth the same truth are: Mat. 10:32, 1 Tim. 6:12, Heb. 13:15, 2 Cor. 4:13. The emphasis on agreement with God is alive throughout the scriptures, and if we want, it can be alive within each one of us.
We bring this to light to make a point; so much of the ministry of Jesus relies upon the spoken word. Prayer remains verbal, many of the gifts of the Spirit depend on a verbal response, and certainly the ascension gifts rely upon the spoken word for results. Most notably we too are learning that strongholds crater when we declare victory in Christ over the flesh, the world and the Devil.
continued at When Persecution Comes Calling | Beyond Science | Before It's News
Dwelling with the Most High
When we got saved the authority of Jesus was given to us through a personal connection with the Savior. Jesus became our standard in life and faith and His rule became our source of authority.
Ephesians 2:6-7 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7 in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.
Seated with Christ means two things; one it means we have ceased from our own works in order to live our Christian life through Him. Jesus has provided us a full and rich alternative to a life once subject to corruption.
Secondly it means that we have gained a spiritual position in Christ that is raised above the dictates of a fallen world. We can literally hold on to the perspective that we are raised above and held in the hollow of God’s hand. In fact the Greek definition for “salvation” amounts to “deliverance, preservation and safety”.
Now that should help us choose God’s favor. From this regal place of authority we can conclude that the kingdoms of this world are under our feet. However there is one thing that stops us from living in that place of total victory; it has to do with our dependence on our old man’s ways; let me explain.
At one time humanity received a commission from God to be fruitful and take dominion, and this was a good thing. The intent was for man to be a steward of God’s creation which gave him freedom to be a sovereign over the physical land (Sovereign means that no one stands between him and God). However as man sinned and lost connection with God, his natural ability to take dominion became corrupt. Left to his own devices he became a slave to the god of this world and was made subject to death.
As believers this should concern us for one reason. Even though we have been invited to rest in the kingdom and partake of all that is victorious in Christ, the dividing line between success and failure depends on the choices we make. The Apostle Paul helps us understand what we should be choosing; he says;
Romans 8:5-6 (NIV) Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace.
Now don’t get me wrong, we are still creatures born of the flesh and live out our days while deciding what’s best for body, soul and spirit. However when we received the free gift of God it was an invitation to be governed by the indwelling Holy Spirit. In that environment the flesh responds to righteousness and our sinful ways begin to fade; that is if we want them to fade.
When the flesh still rules in compromise it reveals an open door to unwanted advances. Think of it this way; those that pick up the sword die by the sword; or more to the point those that pick up the flesh are prone to suffering because of the flesh. So quite often the thing we call persecution is simply a matter of having created an open door to an outside attack. You name the unwanted encounter; it’s a sure thing that it rides on the coat tails of some past indiscretion.
For the record, the way every stronghold is formed is based on a free will choice to be owned and then governed by the presence of a demonic power.
Under the influence of sin other people are able to notice the spiritual sign on our foreheads that reads “open for business”. In this way some will approach us wanting to join the party, some will want to crash the party; while the wise will seek to run away from us. Resolving fleshly points of compromise remains a valuable first step in limiting unwanted persecution. This comes about as we confess our sins and align ourselves with the victory Jesus afforded us at the Cross. Take a look at all the benefits provided us when Jesus died on the Cross /christian-news/2022/07/the-purpose-driven-death-5-2609358.html .
Beyond clearing the slate of a compromised way of life, we need to know that persecution can still come to those that have a pure heart. But even here we are not ill equipped to respond. The ministry of Jesus on our lives can set at bay added trouble as we speak the truth in Christ. What we want to capture is an understanding that victory is very much tied to our confession.
Romans 10:9-10 That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart a person believes and so is justified, and with the mouth he confesses and confirms salvation.
In the Greek, the word “confess” is “homologeo” and is defined as: saying the same thing as another, i.e. agreeing with; conceding to confess, declare; professing to declare openly, speak out freely; praising and celebrating. Other scriptures that bring forth the same truth are: Mat. 10:32, 1 Tim. 6:12, Heb. 13:15, 2 Cor. 4:13. The emphasis on agreement with God is alive throughout the scriptures, and if we want, it can be alive within each one of us.
We bring this to light to make a point; so much of the ministry of Jesus relies upon the spoken word. Prayer remains verbal, many of the gifts of the Spirit depend on a verbal response, and certainly the ascension gifts rely upon the spoken word for results. Most notably we too are learning that strongholds crater when we declare victory in Christ over the flesh, the world and the Devil.
continued at When Persecution Comes Calling | Beyond Science | Before It's News
