Rule Over Your Belief System

Rule Over Your Belief System

Some Christians still believe they are sinners despite giving their lives to Christ and receiving the baptism of the Holy Spirit. They keep saying as long as they are in the flesh, they are sinners. Such Christians have refused to take hold of the Word of God and the definition of who a believer is, or fully embraced the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross

 

Likewise, reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord (Romans 6:11).

 

The verse above reveals a profound present hour truth about the new creation: he’s dead to sin and alive to God! This is the perspective you

should have of the Christian life; you’re to reckon (count) yourself to be dead to sin and alive to God. To be “alive to God” means to be awakened to His reality and realm of life, to be in conscious fellowship

with Him.

Ephesians 2:1 AMPC says, “AND YOU [He made alive], when you were dead (slain) by [your] trespasses and sins.” When Jesus died, you died in Him; when He was raised back to life, you came alive with Him.

Colossians 2:13-14 (ESV) says, “And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands.

This he set aside, nailing it to the cross.” This is simply amazing! Before you were made alive with Christ, your sins and the ordinances that were against you were nailed to the Cross. In other words, both your sins and what caused them to be sin in the first place were all nailed to the Cross.

1 Corinthians 15:56 lets us know that the strength of sin is the Law; however, the very thing that gave life to sin, which is the Law, has been abolished by Jesus (Ephesians 2:15). He gave you victory over sin, death, and the grave. See yourself in this light.

 

The Word of God is Light, and it’s also a mirror that shows who you really are. 2 Corinthians 3:18 says, “But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.”

Now, the Word says you’re dead to sin and alive to God; as you contemplate that reality in the Word, you’re metamorphosed into that truth—into the same image that is revealed in the mirror.

 

The image in the mirror is of one who’s dead to sin but alive to God and His righteousness. Your response should be, “Blessed be God! I’m dead to sin, and alive to God. I’m alive to His realm of life.” Walk into this reality. Hallelujah!

 

The LORD will send the rod of thy strength out of Zion: rule thou in the midst of thy enemies (Psalm 110:2).

Talking about the Lord Jesus, the Bible says, “…he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet” (1 Corinthians 15:25). This isn’t about Him reigning in heaven, but in the earth. Legally, God has put all things under His feet. Ephesians 1:22 says, “And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church.” So, Jesus is the head over all things.

 

Isaiah 9:6 says, “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder….” Notice, it doesn’t say the government shall be upon His head, but upon His shoulder. Jesus is the head; the government is upon His shoulder, that is, His body—the Church. Therefore, when the Psalmist declared, “The LORD will let your power reach out from Zion, and you will rule over your enemies” (Psalm 110:2 CEV), it’s through the Church—His body that He rules. He rules through us.

 

As a member of the body of Christ, you rule on His behalf. Even if you thought you were the smallest toe in the feet, you’re still above all things, because you’re seated with Christ, “far above all principality and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come” (Ephesians 1:21). Glory to His Name forever!

 

What this means is that in these last days, as a child of God, you’re expected to arise and take your place of dominion, and reign in the Name of Jesus over circumstances. Romans 5:17 says, “…they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.” The actual Greek rendering of the word “reign” in the verse above is the verb “to king.” You’re called “to king” (reign) in life. Kings make decrees. So, speak the Word and see it happen.

The world and the fullness thereof has been given to you; so, be bold to take possession because you have the rulership. Command every contrary storm to be still in the Name of Jesus. Refuse to be sick, refuse to be poor. Be in charge and in control, winning every day. Reign and rule in life as the king that you are.

 

…How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein (Romans 6:2).

The Apostle Paul, talking about our righteousness, salvation and the grace that we’ve received from God and how they came about, made the statement in our opening verse. He wasn’t referring to himself and the other apostles alone, but to all of us; we’re dead to sin. That means sin has no power over you, because the nature of sin was supplanted with the nature of righteousness.

 

1 Corinthians 15:56 lets us know that the strength of sin is the law, but then, the very thing that gave life to sin, which is the law, has been abolished by Jesus. Ephesians 2:15 says He “…abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances….” The Lord Jesus has given us victory over sin, death and the grave! We’ve been made, not just righteous, but the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. See yourself in this light.

 

The Word of God is Light, and it’s also a mirror that shows who you really are. 2 Corinthians 3:18 says, “But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.” Now, the Word says you’re dead to sin. As you contemplate that reality in the Word, you’re metamorphosed into that truth—into the same image that is revealed in the mirror.

 

The image in the mirror is that of one who’s dead to sin but alive to God and unto righteousness. That’s you! Your response should be, “Yes! I’m dead to sin, and alive to God, and to righteousness, because I’m the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus.”

 

Romans 6:11 says, “Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.” God wants you to become conscious that you’re dead to sin. Take this as an absolute truth and live accordingly. Refuse to think that you’re a slave to sin or any bad habit; become righteousness conscious.

 

There are those who, even though they claim to be Christians, are antagonistic to the Gospel, because their understanding of the Gospel is corrupted by the theories of men. Some of them may have even been raised in church, and chosen of God, like Saul of the Old Testament, but instead of moving on with the Word, they used their senses to interpret God and lost out completely on God’s plan for them.

 

Such people are described in the Bible as belonging to the house of Saul; the arm of flesh. They’re ruled by the flesh and not by the Spirit. But then, there’s the “house of David”; the Bible says, “… there was long war between the house of Saul and the house of David: but David waxed stronger and stronger, and the house of Saul waxed weaker and weaker” (2 Samuel 3:1).

 

The “house of David” symbolizes the Spirit; those who walk in the Spirit; those who speak and live according to God’s Word. There’s still that raging war today, where those who walk in the flesh try to act like they’re in charge, but the wisdom given to us of God is something they can’t resist or gainsay.

 

When you come in contact with such people, use and speak the wisdom of God, knowing that all they have are mere theories and words that come out of their natural minds. Ours are words too, howbeit, words of divine wisdom; so, it’s words against words. They speak the wisdom of this world that comes to nought; but we speak the wisdom of God that produces undeniable results in our lives, circumstances and situations, and in the lives of others. Glory to God!