Members of His Body
March 3, 2011
By Bishop Rick Wallace
24Then [God] is gracious to him and says, Deliver him from going down into the pit [of destruction]; I have found a ransom (a price of redemption, an atonement)! Job 33:24 AMP
That living Christ belongs to us in all His attributes and powers. We are members of His body, His flesh and His bones, and if we can only believe and receive it, we may live upon the very life of the Son of God. Lord, help me to know "the Lord for the body and the body for the Lord.'
--A. B. Simpson
--A. B. Simpson
"The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty." (Zeph. 3:17). This text of scripture carries such truth and that truth itself bears a wealth of promissory influence. We can find so much hidden in this simple, yet profound phrase. The Lord thy God in the midst of you is mighty. This passage in the book of Zephaniah is actually eschatological in that it speaks of future and final events; however, it still has application in principle. God is God in all that he does and in all that He is. The Principle in mind here is that God is always faithful and providential to his people. This scripture also points to the might of God to stand in the stead of his people. This is the reason Paul could say that he would rather boast in his weaknesses; because he understood that in his weaknesses the power of God was manifested in completion. This means that at those moments when you are not able to stand on your own, those moments when the problem seems larger than life, those times when the minimal hope that you have is waning, God shows Himself in awesome and powerful ways in those very moments. It is in your darkness that the power of God functions greatest.
God never superimposes Himself into your situation. When you are functioning on your own and in your own power, God allows you to do so, or at least allows you to try. What God is waiting on is that moment of brokenness, that place in which you realize that you are not equipped to handle the situation on your own. Listen to what King David says:
15O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth shall show forth Your praise.
16For You delight not in sacrifice, or else would I give it; You find no pleasure in burnt offering.(C)
17My sacrifice [the sacrifice acceptable] to God is a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart [broken down with sorrow for sin and humbly and thoroughly penitent], such, O God, You will not despise. (Psalm 51:15-17 AMP)
David is praying to God concerning his sin with Beersheba and he makes a profound statement being that this is an Old Testament undertaking. He acknowledged that what God truly desired was something he could work with. He wanted a spirit that had been broken of its arrogance. He needed a soul that had been sifted of its implacability. He needed a mind that was now open to truth instead of deception. He needed someone that would put their own self aside in order to allow the Lord to do what it is that he does. It is interesting here that David knew that even what he did in his sin with Beersheba God was able to remove the stain of guilt and make him once again clean. This does not in any way imply that the consequences of his actions were removed. We know that David literally dealt with the consequences of those actions for the remainder of his life. What I am more focused on here today is the fact that David understood that it was through God that healing came.
When I say healing I mean healing in the biblical sense. In the biblical sense there is a difference from a cure or resolution and complete healing. The cure is the removal of the ailment, whether it be physical, spiritual, or psychological; whereas, healing is the complete restoration of something to its original and intended state. For instance, you can be delivered from an addiction, but still not have the peace and settlement you once enjoyed. You have been cured, but he healing is not yet complete. Now there are definitely some 12 steppers out there wanting to remind me that there is no cure for chemical dependency; once an addict always an addict. To that I simply quote scripture:
Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. (2 cor. 5:17 KJV)
We need to stop believing everything that enemy tells us and start to trust in the Word of God. God said it is His Word that accomplishes His will.
11So shall My word be that goes forth out of My mouth: it shall not return to Me void [without producing any effect, useless], but it shall accomplish that which I please and purpose, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.
If God has revealed it to us in His Word, than we need to stand on it and stop allowing outside influences to impose their philosophies upon us. Either God is God and He has the power to heal and deliver or He is not and He doesn’t. The question is will you trust him. Our opening scripture says, I have found atonement or redemption. The magnanimous work of Christ at Calvary provided what is known as substitutional atonement. This means that Christ step in on our behalf and with that provided the expiation (to pay the price or redeem) necessary to reconcile us to God. Scripture tells us that when we receive Christ as our Lord and Savior we are placed positionally in Christ. What this means is that in the same way that we were seminally present in Adam at the fall and therefore considered guilty of the sin he committed, we were spiritually present with Christ when that sin was atoned for.
12Therefore, just as through(X)one man sin entered into the world, and (Y)death through sin, and (Z)so death spread to all men, because all sinned--
14Nevertheless death reigned from Adam until Moses, even over those who had not sinned(AB)in the likeness of the offense of Adam, who is a[a](AC)type of Him who was to come.
15But the free gift is not like the transgression. For if by the transgression of (AD)the one(AE)the many died, much more did the grace of God and the gift by (AF)the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abound to the many.
16The gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned; for on the one hand (AG)the judgment arose from one transgression resulting in condemnation, but on the other hand the free gift arose from many transgressions resulting in justification.
17For if by the transgression of the one, death reigned(AH)through the one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will(AI)reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.
18So then as through (AJ)one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men, even so through one (AK)act of righteousness there resulted(AL)justification of life to all men.
19For as through the one man's disobedience (AM)the many(AN)were made sinners, even so through (AO)the obedience of the One (AP)the many will be made righteous.
20(AQ)The Law came in so that the transgression would increase; but where sin increased, (AR)grace abounded all the more,
21so that, as (AS)sin reigned in death, even so (AT)grace would reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
This position in Christ comes with some awesome benefits. The power available to us through our position is infinite. Yet we so often sit around defeated and accepting whatever the enemy throws our way. Being placed in position with Christ means that we have become one with Him and share in who he is and what He has.
19"For their sakes I (AR)sanctify Myself, that they themselves also may be (AS)sanctified (AT)in truth.
20"I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word;
21that they may all be one;(AU)even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, (AV)so that the world may believe that (AW)You sent Me. (John 17:16-21 NASB)
In the word atonement is a truth that the enemy definitely does not want you to see: When atonement is made it removes the curse associated with the sin that brought it about in the first place.
8The Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, "(L)ALL THE NATIONS WILL BE BLESSED IN YOU."
10For as many as are of the works of the Law are under a curse; for it is written, "(N)CURSED IS EVERYONE WHO DOES NOT ABIDE BY ALL THINGS WRITTEN IN THE BOOK OF THE LAW, TO PERFORM THEM."
11Now that (O)no one is justified by the Law before God is evident; for, "(P)THE RIGHTEOUS MAN SHALL LIVE BY FAITH."
13Christ (R)redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us--for it is written, "(S)CURSED IS EVERYONE WHO HANGS ON(T)A TREE"--
14in order that (U)in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we (V)would receive (W)the promise of the Spirit through faith.
The curse has been taken away. We are no longer under curse; so why then are so many of us still walking in them? We need to walk in the newness of transformation and redemption.
I want each of you to understand that the enemy is working to rob you of your inheritance. He is looking to convince you that you are without hope. I am here to tell you now that as you reside in Christ walk in your position with Him. Allow the Spirit to guide you. Whatever you are dealing with, give it to God. Walk in the power of your calling and stand in the strength and power of God. The Lord God in the midst of you is mighty. This does not only point to the power of God, but also to the fact that He is in the midst of His people. He is always present. God is looking to heal your land. This means He desires to restore and rebuild all that has been taken and destroyed by the spoiler. I urge you to submit to him and allow Him to work through you and He will also work in you. Stop meandering through the maze of mediocrity. Stop living in the shadows of doused hopes. Stop living under the weight of fear and guilt. Step out on faith, walk in your purpose, pursue your destiny, and live in your aristocratic appointment.
Claim your victory in every situation.
I pray that you have been blessed and that your are encouraged to continue the course.
Sincerely,
Bishop Rick Wallace
Founder & President
Rick Wallace Ministries
100 Men of Purpose
I invite each of you to join me on my blog www.theinvisiblefather.blogspot.com and read my contributions as well as leave your own comments. I would love to have your input.
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