Jesus didn’t die just so we could spend eternity in heaven. He also died so we could have ‘life and life more abundantly’ (John 10:10). When you got “born again”, the Holy Spirit–the same spirit that raised Jesus Christ from the dead, came to dwell in you. However, getting ‘born again’ is like signing up for a gym membership. You’ve joined, but you won’t see results unless you use the equipment. If you are only going to show up to the gym once a week, you’re not going to see much improvement. If you work out every day, you will soon begin to see results. Your muscles will gain definition and strength. Likewise, if you stop working out, you will gradually begin to lose your muscle tone. Effort = Results.
Similarly, when you get ‘born again’, you need to start using God’s equipment (the Bible) in order to get results. In order to develop the ‘spiritual muscles’ that are necessary to live a victorious Christian life, you need to spend time 1. learning what God’s word says and 2. speaking His word over your circumstances.
Getting ‘born again’ and not learning God’s word, is like being a gym member who never works out. This is the unfortunate reason why the average Christian fails to prevail in spite of life’s inevitable challenges. Don’t be a flabby, ‘membership-only’ Christian! Make it a point to learn God’s word, speak it over your life, and manifest God’s glory. Let your life be an example of the victory of life in Christ.
For instance, when you have a problem, don’t fall into the trap of begging God to come to your rescue. He has done His part. Your part is to 1. thank Him for providing the solution to your problem (found in His word) and 2. speak His word over your situation. God’s word tells us that ‘He (the Holy Spirit) who is in you, is greater than he that is in the world’ 1 John 4:4). In other words, don’t be a ‘Dorothy’, the character in the Wizard of Oz, who was unaware of the power she possessed all along to get back to Kansas, simply by clicking the heels of her ruby slippers together and repeating, “There’s no place like home. There’s no place like home.’
It is your personal responsibility to learn what God’s word says, speak it over your situation, and believe that what GOD’s word says is true! This is one reason why it is important to attend a Bible-based church and go to Bible study.
Once you really know what you have, what you are, and what you can do through Jesus Christ, life is awesome! God has provided us with everything we need to live a victorious life, but it is our personal responsibility to know what the Word of God says regarding our inheritance, our rights, and our spiritual authority. We are not powerless and we are not helpless. As “new creatures in Christ”, we have everything the Word of God says we need to live victoriously. We just need to discover what those things are and how to apply them to our lives. Learn the Word, and start manifesting the inheritance that Jesus died to give you.
Scripture reading: John 14:16-18,26; I Peter 2:5,9 (UP NEXT: GET STOKED NOW)
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