Let the redeemed of the LORD say so
· What we were and what we are now is not the same. What we had and what we have now is not the same. Who was with us and who is with us now is not he same. Our life before and our life now is not he same. Nothing is the same! Nothing!
Ps 107:2
2 Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy;
Eph 2:1-19
1 And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;
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.
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.
8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
11 Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands;
12 That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:
13 But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.
19 Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;
1 Pet 2:9-10
9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:
10 Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.
Have we really grasped the change that has taken place? 2 Cor 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
· For Paul it was a constant prayer!
Eph 1:17-19
17 That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:
18 The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,
19 And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power,
· Jerry you are giving the impression that you think that you are better than other people! That the people of God are different, somthing special! WELL, WE ARE! Ps 107:2 Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy; (I am redeemed by the Lord!)
· Here comes the devil with the lie of false humility! Watch out for Pride! Pride? I didn´t redeem myself! I received it by the mercy of God!(1Pet.2:10)
· The whole world is looking for something better! A better life! The devil paints his own picture of what is better and the whole world runs after it! They are not trying to stay low and down so as not to stand out! They show off their blessings and their liberty! They Parade their sins before the world with no shame at all. They preach their Gospel.
· The devil doesn´t want you to see it! 2 Cor 4:4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.
· You see if the devil can stop us from seeing our salvation and all that is included, then we will not glorify God for it and the world will not know Him!
Zb.. If you grew up and your life was really terrible. You were poor and always had to do without the good things in life. And one day years later you get a call that you and your 5 sisters and 5 brothers have inherited 100 Million Dollars from a relative that went to America years before and you didn´t even know them! What would you do?
Oh Jerry I wouldn´t want all my brothers and sisters that had so little to feel bad, you know they did call me and how would they feel that I knew about this first? So I would probably bury the money in the ground and just live the way I did before. I wouldn´t tell anyone, because I wouldn´t want anyone to think that I think that I am better than them!
Rom 5:1-2
1 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
2 through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.
(NIV)
Phil 3:12-14
12 Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.
13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,
14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
· There is a High Calling and there is a low calling. There is a High life and there is a low life. There is a spirit life and there is a natural life.
· I won´t spend a lot of time developing the thought of how important it is to go after the High Life. We have stresses this for weeks about the Will of God and His Kingdom. About submitting ourselves to this Plan etc…
· How many of you know that you can do the right thing for the wrong reason?
Rom 8:28-32
28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.
30 And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.
31 What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us?
32 He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all-- how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?
Rom 11:29
29 For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.
2 Pet 1:10
10 Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never fall,