Be Brave & Be Strong - Part 4

1 Corinthians 16:13–14 NKJV

13 Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong. 14 Let all that you do be done with love.

pray

Confession of Faith

I am not moved by what I see or by what I feel. I am moved by what I believe. I believe the WORD of God! The victory is mine! I have it now! I can see it through the eyes of my faith! In Jesus Name

Last Week

we looked at Daniel operating in the spirit of Bravery,

honesty

and faithfulness to the only God he served!

He did it even to the point where he was put in a position to lose his life!

Be Brave & Be Strong

Have Courage To Change

A changed life convinces people of the power of Jesus Christ !

In Your Second Half - Your greatest testimonies are the differences others see in your life

Your greatest testimonies are around your change in your attitude

2 Corinthians 5:17 NKJV

17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

What does it mean for a person to become a "new creation"?

Very simply, it means just what the Scripture says: the person actually becomes new

Your attitude is new

Your life is new

Your behaviors change

Your thinking changes

We become alive to God

We are in relationship with God

We are absolutely certain about who God is and who we are in God

We fellowship with God

We commune with God all the time

We now desire to live in righteousness and holiness.

We know we never die

We know we are destined to live eternally in the presence of God

How do we become a new creation?

2 Corinthians 5:17 NLT

17 This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!

Take Note the words of this Scripture: "If anyone belongs to Jesus , they are new people."

It is belonging to Jesus that makes a person a new creation.

Second half -

When you truly believe in Jesus, God places and positions us in all that is Jesus!

See , Jesus lived, Jesus died and Jesus rose!

So to be in Christ means that we live, we die, and rise in Jesus Christ.

To be in Christ means to trust Jesus and identify yourself as a disciple of Jesus Christ

Be Brave and Be Strong

Let’s go a little deeper - when you are in Christ and your faith is in Jesus God takes you in the spirit and places and positions you "in" Christ.

God counts you sinless and righteous because Jesus was sinless and righteous.

God goes even deeper ! He counts us as having died in Christ

So we never die meaning we are never separated from God because of sin

John 3:16 NKJV

16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

The penalty and condemnation of our sins are already paid for in the death of Jesus .

Ok! So God goes even deeper

He counts us as having been raised in Christ.

So we receive a "new life" in Jesus

Just as Jesus had a new life after His resurrection, we receives the "new life" of Christ when we believe in Jesus

Romans 6:3–5 NLT

3 Or have you forgotten that when we were joined with Christ Jesus in baptism, we joined him in his death? 4 For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives. 5 Since we have been united with him in his death, we will also be raised to life as he was.

To be in Jesus means that we lean on faith - walk and live in Christ day by day.

Romans 8:1 NLT

1 So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.

Romans 8:4 NLT

4 He did this so that the just requirement of the law would be fully satisfied for us, who no longer follow our sinful nature but instead follow the Spirit.

It means that we don’t "walk after the flesh, but after the Spirit"

It means being brave to live righteous,

It means being strong to live soberly

It means being brave to live Godly

Titus 2:12 NCV

12 It teaches us not to live against God nor to do the evil things the world wants to do. Instead, that grace teaches us to live in the present age in a wise and right way and in a way that shows we serve God.

We must be courageous to operate in the fruit of the spirit

Galatians 5:22–23 NKJV

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.

We must be strong to stay connected and attached to Jesus each and every day!

Just like a branch is connected and attached to the vine

John 15:4–7 NKJV

4 Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. 5 “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. 7 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.

Born Again

So when we are in Jesus we are new creations or new spiritual creatures

This is what is meant by being "born again"

The bible tells us "old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new."

I am new - I have been born again!

You can start life over - Second Half -

no matter how corrupt you were or how far you have fallen down -

God wants to make you into a new creation

No matter how bad it was or currently is - God wants to change it, He wants to make you a new creation!

Ephesians 4:22–24 NKJV

22 that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, 23 and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24 and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.

Be Brave & Be Strong for yourself, Be Brave & Be Strong for the ones you love

Be Brave & Be Strong For Jesus, Because Jesus is Brave and Strong For you and me

God Bless