Christmas Week Break - I am posting a full length message titled: Reigning in Life
Reigning In Life
Were you aware that, “How you view is how you do?” Your view is rooted in your perspective
A perspective anchored in an experience doesn’t automatically produce joy. Your dominant perspective has a lot to do with determining your emotional well being, or a lack of it. It impacts your “Emotional Weather” much like the way someone can be emotionally affected by gray skies or a sunny day. Some people find it hard to be motivated to do anything other than just sit around when skies are gray and dull and the weather is cold. Your dominant perspective will become the filter for all the other perspectives occurring in your life.
For instance: Scarcity can be a perspective that is based on a current experience, but such a perspective is not one likely to produce joy. In fact, it is more likely to produce despair and hopelessness. It typically results in a lifestyle of settling for lesser things due to a lack of expectation for anything pertaining to abundance.
Likewise, abundance can be a perspective and whether or not it is currently being experienced in the natural, the hope of it can produce joy and hope and stimulate vision. It can foster direction, determination and a discipline to pursue better things. It is able to sing praises in situations of temporary set backs or disappointments, as opposed to settling and accepting them to just be what one is to expect for all their life.
Unfortunately, for many, this time of year confirms a perspective of scarcity. In the natural, scarcity and abundance is measured materially. It is based on the kind of clothes you can afford, the car you drive, the home you live in and how it is furnished. It can be measured by the number of gifts under your Christmas tree and the perceived value of them. A perspective mainly shaped by worldly things as opposed to the spiritual often results in needless suffering.
So how can you change your perspective when everything you feel or see in your current experience is saying something different than what God’s word says you are told to hope for?
Perspective can only be changed by believing. Only real faith can truly change an established perspective. No matter how you look at it, until you believe something different you will remain under whatever perspective has ruled in your heart and mind. It will be your filter. It will create your “Emotional Weather.” Biblically, this is what is called a “Stronghold.”
2Corinthians 10:3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, 5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, 6 and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.
You should capture your thoughts and compare them with what God has spoken, how He has revealed Himself through His Son Jesus, you then determine whether or not they line up with the obedience of Jesus. Once you determine to believe all that He offers, then and only then, you are actually renewing your mind.
In other words, you fight by comparing everything entering your thoughts with the report of the gospel. You submit every thought, seeking to establish a perspective, to the claims and promises of God made yes and amen towards you in Jesus. Your perspective needs to be shaped by His word of grace.
There will never be a time when the enemy of your soul says, “Let’s give that poor soul a break, they haven’t had time to do the work of letting the truth of what God says get rooted in them so let’s be fair and allow them some time to work on that before we keep pressing the lies we have been sowing in their mind.”
There is a battle for your mind being waged everyday. The sought after prize is your perspective because it will become the “Emotional Weather,” you and all closest to you, live with. It affected the first couple. Eve was deceived by believing a lie that changed her perspective. Her husband Adam willfully sinned against God. Adam’s sin is affecting mankind and will affect them until he end of time. Adam forfeited something.
When Adam was created he was given, by God, the right to rule in life. Adam forfeited that right when he sinned. Through Adam’s disobedience death began to reign. This truth is confirmed in the New Testament,
Romans 5:17 For if by the one man’s offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.)
The Greek word interpreted into English as reign is basileou (bas-il-yoo -o) to rule
Through Adam, death reigned. Jesus came, perfectly obeyed and then offered Himself as a sacrifice for sin. Through Jesus anyone who “receives” the abundance of grace and gift of righteousness, “reigns in life.”
You are made new in Christ to reign in life! To experience the reigning in life you are promised you will need to saturate your mind with the message of His grace (The Gospel) in an attitude of receiving. You need to receive it in abundance so you can grow. That’s why the Holy Spirit offers the following counsel in,
2Peter 3:10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. 11 Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, 12 looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat? 13 Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. 14 Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless; 15 and consider that the long-suffering of our Lord is salvation—as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you, 16 as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures. 17 You therefore, beloved, since you know this beforehand, beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked; 18 but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen.
It is of greatest importance that you grow in the grace and the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. You need to be built up in this truth! What truth and how?
Acts 20:32 “So now, brethren, I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified.
You are called to thrive, not just survive. You are allowed to soak in the word of His grace and be aggressive about receiving His grace. Grace applied, as opposed to dwelling on your current feelings and experiences sets you free to reign in life.
Jesus promised abundant life! You weren’t given a less than abundant life.
So I encourage you today in faith. Believe in Him and receive His grace and righteousness! It is your destiny. By believing and receiving you are filled with righteousness, life and hope. You can now reign in life!
