PRAYER SCHOOL: RECEIVING & ADMINISTERING GOD S GRACE Today s Message: Part 6: Reigning in Life Through Christ [Romans 5:17 NIV] For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God's abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ! RECEIVING GOD S GRACE & THE GIFT OF RIGHTEOUSNESS: [2Co 5:21 KJV] 21 For he hath made him [to be] sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. (** not become righteous as NIV says in poor translation we don t become righteous as if we earn it we are made righteous through the blood of Christ) [Matthew 6:33 NIV] 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. James 5:16 NIV] Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. It is through being a recipient of God s abundant provision of grace, a recipient of Jesus Christ Himself who is the fullness of grace and truth, and a recipient of the gift of righteousness that we reign on this earth. We reign in life through Jesus Christ who is LIFE Himself. [Jhn 14:6 NKJV] 6 Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. Reigning = possessing royal authority, dominating power or influence, exercising sovereign power or authority, hold the position and name of the sovereign (ambassador for Christ), having control, rule or influence of any kind, to predominate (be the stronger, leading force) It s God s abundant provision of grace (His unearned & undeserved goodness and favor found in Jesus Christ) NOT our goodness or anything we do that causes us to reign in life. No Jesus, no grace. No Jesus, no life. No Jesus, no reigning in life. [Phl 3:9 ESV] 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith 10-8-17 1
Our position of royal authority comes from Christ and Christ alone! Righteousness is a gift read Romans 5:14-17; we cannot earn it; only receive it Righteousness = The very nature of God His character and way about Him; God has given Himself to us receiving His gift of righteousness means receiving Him and a new identity in Him that says you are one and the same He is the head and you are a part of His body. [1Co 12:27 NLT] 27 All of you together are Christ's body, and each of you is a part of it. Receiving the gift of righteousness = Possessing of our new identity in Christ When we receive the gift of righteousness and that we have been made the righteousness of God (2 Cor 5:21), we understand that we are right with God in right standing with God, standing before Father God as if we never sinned, standing before Father God without any sense of guilt, shame, fear or inferiority. WE MUST STAY CONNECTED TO THE HEAD [Eph 1:22 ESV] 22 And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all. [Psa 118:22 ESV] 22 The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. [Eph 5:23 ESV] 23 For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. [1Co 11:3 ESV] 3 But I want you to understand that the head of every man is Christ, the head of a wife is her husband, and the head of Christ is God. The role of the head is to provide for and protect the whole body, bringing life and fullness to it. Jesus Christ IS the fullness of God s grace and truth unto us, and we reign in life through yielding to Him. We are not the ones in charge; it s CHRIST in us we yield to by the Holy Spirit continually leading us to Him. In Christ, and in the anointing of His Holy Spirit, we live and move and have our being, and we rule and reign in victory over every situation and circumstance on this earth the victory only comes to us through Jesus Christ Himself and because of the finished work He did for us on the cross; apart from Him we can do nothing. It s being a good partaker of Jesus, a good receiver of grace, that enables us to reign! 10-8-17 2
[2Co 1:20-22 NIV] 20 For no matter how many promises God has made, they are "Yes" in Christ. And so through him the "Amen" is spoken by us to the glory of God. 21 Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, 22 set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come. [Col 2:6-10 ESV] 6 Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, 7 rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving. 8 See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ. 9 For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, 10 and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority. [Col 2:13-19 ESV] 13 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, 14 by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. 15 He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him. 16 Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath. 17 These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ. 18 Let no one disqualify you, insisting on asceticism (extreme self-denial) and worship of angels, going on in detail about visions, puffed up without reason by his sensuous mind, 19 and not holding fast to the Head, from whom the whole body, nourished and knit together through its joints and ligaments, grows with a growth that is from God. [Heb 11:1 KJV] 1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Christ is the substance of our faith; He is the one in whom we rely and trust completely, and He is also the very substance of whatever things are hoped for. [Rom 1:16-17 NKJV] 16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, "The just shall live by faith." [1 Cor 3:7 NIV] So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. WHAT DOES REIGNING IN LIFE THROUGH JESUS CHRIST LOOK LIKE? (Refer to 54 spiritual blessings in Christ handout Ephesians 1:3) [Rom 6:4 ESV] 4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order 10-8-17 3
that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. Old, limited, cursed nature died; we are no longer weak and powerless against the enemy or defeated on this earth [1Pe 1:18 NIV] 18 For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors In Christ we have been resurrected into new life Reigning in life flows through living in, trusting in, and having faith in Jesus Christ; specifically His love for you, what He has done for you, and who you are in Him: [Gal 2:20 NLT] My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. [Gal 2:20 NIV] 20 I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. [Rom 8:10 ESV] 10 But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. [1Jo 4:16 NLT] 16 We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. [Gal 5:6 NLT] 6 For when we place our faith in Christ Jesus, there is no benefit in being circumcised or being uncircumcised. What is important is faith expressing itself in love. Christ consciousness rather than self-consciousness produces freedom from condemnation and brings confidence and security in the finished work of Christ. [1Co 1:23-24 NIV] 23 but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, 24 but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. [Rom 4:16 NLT] 16 So the promise (to be heirs of the world) is received by faith. It is given as a free gift. And we are all certain to receive it, whether or not we live according to the law of Moses, if we have faith like Abraham's. Reigning in life produces evidence of salvation: What it means to be saved according to Greek definition found at www.biblehub.com: 10-8-17 4
Saved = sózó in the Greek (Strong s Concordance G4982) = delivered, protected, healed, preserved, done well, made whole Salvation = sótéria in the Greek (Strong s Concordance G4991) welfare, prosperity, deliverance, preservation, salvation, safety (Note: welfare is the dictionary defines it is: health, happiness, fortune, comfort, security, safety, protection, prosperity, success) REIGNING IN LIFE AS WE MINISTER IN GRACE TO OTHERS: [Col 3:1-3, 10, 12-17 ESV] 1 If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. 3 For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.... 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.... 12 Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, 13 bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. 14 And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. 15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. [Col 1:28 NIV] 28 He is the one we proclaim, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ. [2Co 4:5 NIV] 5 For what we preach is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake. BECOME A PART OF OUR ONLINE PRAYER SCHOOL COMMUNITY: www.prayerschoolcommunity.com LIKE US ON FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/prayerschoolcommunity Youtube: search for Prayer School Community or type in the following address: https://www.youtube.com/channel/uc-68wyv2ajk7b-4eleanygw 10-8-17 5