UNDERSTANDING ADVERSITY: PART FOURTEEN

 

UNDERSTANDING ADVERSITY PART FOURTEEN

 

 Now we have arrived at number fourteen in our study Adversity Is God’s Call To Identify With Christ

One of the ultimate purposes of adversity is to cause us to desire to know God and to know more of Christ’s power in our lives. Paul suffered the loss of all things in order that he might win more of Christ and experience the power of Christ’s resurrection. He said,

 “That I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being made conformable unto His death.” Philippians 3:10

This power is available to every Christian through, “The spirit of wisdom, and revelation in the knowledge of Him [Christ]. Ephesians 1:17.

The knowledge referred to here is further explained in Romans 6: 7: & 8: At first this knowledge appears to be unrealistic because it does not match our experience. However, as we accept it by faith and begin to live in it’s truth, the spiritual eyes of our understanding become enlightened and we begin to experience “The exceeding greatness of His power to us ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, which he wrought in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead, and set Him at His own right hand in heavenly places.” Ephesians 1: 19-20

God’s power becomes a reality within our lives when we enter into the truths of Romans 6: 7: & 8: In Romans six we learn how to (know) that we are crucified with Christ. We learn how to (know) we are to reckon ourselves dead unto sin and alive unto God. And we learn how to yield ourselves to God and our members as instruments of righteousness to Him.

Look at Romans 6:6; 11; and 13;  

Romans 6:6  “Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.”

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

Romans 6:13 “Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.”

In Romans seven we discover a new problem. We are still overcome by the demands of the law. We try to live according to God’s principles, but we find out that we are unable to do it. We learn that our death in Christ also caused us to die to the law. So that we are free to be controlled by God’s Spirit in order to bring forth spiritual fruit.

Look at Romans 7:4-6

Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God

For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death.

But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter. Romans 7: 4-6

In Romans eight we learn our source of power over sin. That is the indwelling of the Holy Spirit and that is based on our position with God. We see that by walking in God’s Spirit rather than in our flesh, God is able to fulfill the righteousness of the law in us.

Look at Romans 8: 2-4;

For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.

For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:

That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. Romans 8:2-4.

Only as we comprehend the true extent of our helpless condition against evil will we be open to the freeing truth of our position in Christ and in the power of His resurrection.

“For if we have been planted together in the likeness of His death, we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection.” Roman 6:5.

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Shall we pray. If you do not Know Jesus as your Savior today, I invite you to say the sinner’s prayer with me now.

Lord Jesus, I come to you today in need of a Savior. I believe you came to this earth as a man and walked among us teaching and healing and saving souls. I acknowledge today that I am a sinner and that you died for me and rose on the third day, ascended to Heaven and are seated by the Father. I ask you to forgive me of my sins and come into my life and be my savior today. I believe I am now born again and one day I will be with you forever. Thank you in Jesus name. Amen

 See you in Part 15. Have a blessed day.