THE AUTHORITY OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST: Part 4 of 6: Training for Reigning

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REVIEW OF PART 3:

God designed man to govern over all the face of the earth. As governor, man was to subdue all things and have dominion over them. Jesus Christ was appointed chief governor. God put all things in heaven as well as upon earth under Christ’s authority. Since we have been seated with Christ above all these things, we can govern alongside him, under his authority. We are currently in training regarding this governorship.

PART 4 - TRAINING FOR REIGNING

Our position in Christ is a majestic one. Do you think of yourself and all other saints as the noble ones, majestic ones, mighty and great ones in all the earth? God thinks of us this way.

• Psalms 16:3 ESV - “As for the saints in the land, they are the excellent (noble, great, glorious, mighty, principal, majestic) ones, in whom is all my delight.”

GOD GAVE HIS GOSPEL TO BE THE STANDARD WE LIVE BY:

• Romans 1:16 ASV - “For I am not ashamed of the gospel: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth;”

• 1Corinthians 1:17a, 18 AS - “For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel… For the word of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us who are (being) saved it is the power of God.”

• Ephesians 3:20 ASV - “Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,”

• Romans 8:2 HCSB - “because the Spirit’s law (government, standard) of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.”

GUARD YOUR HEART FROM THOUGHTS CONTRARY TO THE GOSPEL:

• Proverbs 4:20-23 AV - “My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings. 21 Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart. 22 For they [are] life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh. 23 Keep (guard) thy heart with all diligence; for out of it [are] the issues of life.”

• Proverbs 23:7a AV - “For as he thinketh in his heart, so [is] he:”

• Matthew 12:34 ASV - “Ye offspring of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.”

WHO AND WHAT IS GOVERNING AN INDIVIDUAL OR GROUP?

1) IS IT THE ONE TRUE GOD VIA HIS WORDS OF LIFE?

Is it words about Christ?

• Acts 5:20 - "Go, stand and speak in the temple to the people all the words of this life."

• Galatians 1:16 - "To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood:"
• Act 8:5 - "Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and preached Christ unto them."
  
• Act 9:20 - "And straightway he preached Christ in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God."

Is it according to the terms of the New Covenant? (Not according to the Old Covenant, which has been replaced by the New. If there were not a New Covenant, a different covenant, the Old wouldn't be called "Old", it would be called the Expanded Covenant or the Revised Covenant.)

• Hebrews 8:13: "In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away."
• 2Corinthians 3:3, 6: "3 For as much as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart... 6 Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament [Covenant]; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life."

Words of The gospel (Romans 1:16, Galatians 1:6-7), the truth (John. 1:17, John. 14:6, Galatians 2:14), the grace (Romans 6:14-15, Galatians 1:6-7), the faith (Galatians 1:23, Acts 6:7), the spirit (Romans 8:2, Romans 7:6), the doctrine, the calling, the knowledge of God, etc.

Is it in the realm of us having been placed in Christ?

• Ephesians 2:4-7: "4 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, 5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) 6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: 7 That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus."

Does it produce fruit accordingly: Galatians 5:22-23, compassion, humility, meekness, seeking Christ’s recognition, confidence, trust, freedom from all of sin’s consequences, esteeming others more highly than ourselves, acceptance of self and others, forgiveness of self and others.

2) OR IS IT THE GOD OF THIS WORLD THROUGH HIS LIES? (2 Corinthians 4:4)

• Ephesians 2:2,3 : "2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: 3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others."
• Ephesians 4:17 -19: "This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, 18 Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart: 19 Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness."

Does it produce consequences accordingly: all physical, mental and emotional ill-health; being afraid, anxiety, selfish gain, depression, oppression, envy, strife, divisions, loss of control, over-controlling, idolatry, witchcraft, jealousy, unrighteous anger, pride, ego, arrogance, seeking recognition, self-promoting, unbelief, unworthiness, nervousness, feelings of loneliness, not being accepted, rejection, self-pity, intimidation, shame, condemnation, guilt, etc.

BEING IN AGREEMENT WITH GOD

Amos 3:3 ASV - “Shall two walk together, except they have agreed?”

With who, or what, are we in agreement? The world is filled with endless forms of the lie. God continues to make known the truth. All communication is like seeds. Seeds produce fruit according to their kind (Genesis 1:11-12). If we have agreements with something communicated then we will continue to see the fruit of it in our lives.

What is it to have these agreements? It is to give our heart over to something communicated. Once we accept that thought or idea, then that seed is germinated in us and begins to grow. As we feed on that same type of thought we are cultivating it until it produces its fruit.

We are the way we are and say the things we say according to thoughts and ideas which govern us. This works with the category of the truth and the lie.

Recently I was told of a local man who said that he wouldn’t live to see his 50th birthday. He just died at the age of 49½. We’ve all heard people say things like, “I knew that was going to happen,” or “I knew I was going to get cancer from the moment that…” Fear, worry and doubt are negative believing, believing in reverse, and they issue in negative results. In the book of Job, fear proved to be detrimental to John and his original family. Job 3:25 states, “For the thing which I greatly feared is come upon me, and that which I was afraid of is come unto me.” The negatives from the beginning of this paragraph were spoken by people who are not knowledgeable of the promises of God and greatness of their new life in Christ.

The other side of the coin is that we have all known someone who manifests the Christ-like characteristics that we all want to see more of in our own lives. But there are no shortcuts to seeing these qualities developed. As we plant and cultivate the seeds of reality in Christ in our own minds and lives, the fruit will be produced. “God is not a man that he should lie.” Numbers 23:19a.

• Romans 12:2a ASV - “And be not fashioned according to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind.”

Being made governors in Christ’s Lordship gives us more authority than we are realizing:

• Matthew 18:18 WEUST - “Assuredly, I am saying to you, whatever you forbid on earth shall have already been forbidden in heaven. And whatever you permit on earth shall have already been permitted in heaven.”

Each of us is being trained in the ways of Christ’s government. Christ is presently Lord over ALL THINGS, with a view towards bringing ALL THINGS under subjection to God, "that God may be all in all":

• 1Corinthians 15:27, 28 - "For He [God] hath put all things under his [Christ] feet. But when He [God] saith all things are put under him [Christ], it is manifest [clear, obvious] that He [God] is excepted, which did put all things under him [Christ]. 28 And when all things shall be subdued unto him [Christ], then shall the Son [Christ] also himself be subject unto Him [God] that put all things under him [Christ], that God may be all in all."

We do not see this as a completed present reality, but the day of man's judgement is coming to an end. The time of glorious bliss and perfection is definatelty in our future!

• 1Corinthians 15:51-57 - "Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 54 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. 55 O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? 56 The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ."

We enter agreement with God and our Lord Jesus Christ as we confess the truth; therefore, we boldly proclaim: "I break all agreements, all alliances, with the realm of darkness. I have been placed in Christ above it all. Darkness shall govern me no longer. God is my Father. Jesus Christ is my Lord. I am governed ONLY by what is true in Christ. Therefore, I live in the freedom of the glory of the children of God, in oneness with my Father, God."