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The Lord Has Committed Himself to Your Breakthrough

by Joseph LaValley
9/11/2015 / Christian Living

Does the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ desire eternal life for every man? Does He desire deliverance for anyone and everyone from the havoc that has resulted from Adam's fall, including sickness, poverty, and man's inhumanity to man, and on and on the list goes?The single answer to these vital questions is a most emphatic YES! He gave us His word on it - which would be the Bible.

John 3:16 KJV

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

God did the giving so it's a done deal on His side. He's not holding back a thing. He so loved that He gave it all. Receiving everlasting life now rests upon the choice of faith of the "whosoever" (see Romans 10:9-10 KJV).

"Ok", you say, "What about physical, mental and spiritual deliverances right in the here and now. What does He say about that?" I love the answer that He dictated to the apostle Paul.

Romans 8:31-32 KJV

What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?

God is basically telling us to do the math. He might say "Look guys, if I paid the highest price for your eternal life, don't you think I might also be willing to heal you, protect you, supply your needs, put peace in your life, and give you all things you might need to make that life worth living?" Take a look at Jesus' own declaration regarding His ministry while on the earth.

Luke 4:18 KJV

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised.

As we read through the four gospels we see that he carried this out. We see time and again that He healed all who came unto Him. If that was His ministry in action before He was crucified and was resurrected, how much more so, now that He's glorified.

This covenant that we have through the blood of Jesus Christ far exceeds all the covenants that have gone before. Through the blood of the Lamb we have the "paid for" and "offered" promises. The only promises I know of that we now wait upon are the ones that are to happen at the rapture and thereafter. All other promises are "Yes" now! Amen.

2 Corinthians 1:19-20 KJV

For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us, even by me and Silvanus and Timotheus, was not yea and nay, but in him was yea. For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us.

These promises aren't yes one day and no the next. They aren't yes for one Christian and no for another. These promises are yes in him. The phrase "in him", which is used three times in these two verses, tells us that salvation wholeness is a completed work in Christ. The preposition "in" is the Greek word "en" which denotes being, remaining within, conveying the idea of rest and continuance. In other words, these promises are here to stay. Good News!

They were established in the ascended Christ when God set Him at His own right hand (Ephesians1:19-22 KJV). They were established on your behalf when you were saved and God seated you in Christ (Ephesians 2:5-6 KJV).

The word "set" and "sat" is used to tell us that salvation (which means wholeness) was completed. Remember the creation account in Genesis chapter one. God created everything needed in six days and on the seventh day He rested. We know that God didn't go soak his tired feet in Epsom salt and have Himself a cup of Chamomile tea. He's God! "Rested" there, means that He rested from creating. He had stopped because it was complete.

This is the same meaning conveyed in the word "sat" in Christ. The work has been done, it was completed so Christ sat at the right hand of God. Nothing more to be paid. Finished. Everything thing you need to live a full and whole life has been given you. Once again it's a done deal on God's side and once again taking possession of it rests on the believer. We must walk it out.

This is similar to Israel after God delivered them from the bondage and slavery of Egypt. They too, had to set the soles of their feet on the Promised Land, that God had given them if they were to occupy it.

You may be saying, "Since the completed work of Christ is already "yea and amen", what do I have do to get my breakthrough?" Well, I'm thinking, God is glad that you asked! The simple answer is faith and to continue in faith. That's true, but to get God's insight as to why, what, who, and how, we need to take a look at God's word in Paul's epistles.

As we look at these scriptures we'll need to use our spiritual eyes to see the situation beyond the physical. A spiritual understanding will help us receive our break through. Do you remember how, in Toy Story Two, the toy, Mr. Potato Head, wanted to put on his "angry eyes" to handle a situation? Well, we need to put on our "spiritual eyes" if we are to understand how to fight the good fight of faith.Let's first go to Romans 12 and see what God says is our responsibility.

Romans 12:1 KJV

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

As the question goes: Why is the "therefore" there for? It is there to tie something to it that went before: "Because of that, therefore do this". This verse can't be tied to the preceding chapter because there God is speaking to the Gentiles about the Jews. The word "brethren" in Romans 12:1 and the following subject matter tells us that God is now speaking to Christians.

We'll need to go all the way back to Romans chapter eight to tie the "therefore" to Christians. Romans chapter nine through eleven goes back and forth referring to the state of Jews and Gentiles neither of which were born again and therefore were not part of the body of Christ. They would not have been referred to here as "brethren". Romans nine through eleven is like a parenthesis explaining other subjects.

Romans chapter eight explains how we (the Christians) are in the Spirit through Christ and how we can now walk by the Spirit. It further goes on to tells us that God is for us, not against us. He holds back no good thing, and nothing can separate us from God's love which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Selah.

Now, because of all of this we have a reason for the word "therefore". Because of all the completed work of Christ therefore offer yourself as a living sacrifice. Jesus Christ chose to become a dead sacrifice for you, so that you might become a living sacrifice to God. Jesus Christ has given His life in order that we could walk in "newness of life". Now God is asking us to take up that life.

Romans 12:1 gives us the "why" of faith and obedience regarding this walk. Imagine that you are a believer in the throne room of God. Your Heavenly Father looks you straight in the eye and says, "_______ (Put your name here), my precious child, I want you to forgive __________ (fill in the blank)." You might reply, "Oh God, what he did to me was horrendous. He doesn't deserve to be forgiven, nor does he care." But God says, "Don't look at him - look at me. I Am asking you to do this." That puts a whole different take on it, doesn't it?

Maybe you're dealing with a bout of some long term illness. Your thoughts and words are full of dread and fear. Once again imagine that you are standing in God's presence. You hear Him say, in a tender tone " _______(Again, put your name here), My child, I want to encourage you, do not take up agreement with the facts, but rather to be in agreement with me. I have paid for your healing by the stripes of My son. Fear not - because I am with you. I am sustaining and strengthening you. I am restoring you to health."

When God looks you in the eyes and asks you to become a living sacrifice, in thought, word and deed then your response of obedience becomes an act of worship. It's trusting in the love of your Father. Now, isn't that a far cry from the mere application of a principle?

The Greek word for "service" in Romans 12:1, reveals that truth. It's the word latreia. It is used five times and in all of those it's talking about service to God. Not service on God's behalf but service to Him. The New International Version translates "your reasonable service" as "your act of worship" which I believe to be a more accurate translation considering the five uses of latreia. So, verse one gives you the divine reason for verse two.

Romans 12:2 KJV

And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

Renewing your mind is your job - and no one else's. I've heard people give testimonies of how God renewed their mind. That can't be so, God doesn't lie. He tells us here that it's our responsibility. Now He can enlighten, He can heal, and He can deliver. These are things that God says He will do. However, He doesn't say that He'll renew your mind for you. We know that each of us were created as a freewill agent. That's how God made us to be. You must do the choosing. Now that the ball is in our court, we need to think, say, and respond to who we are in Christ.

For the most part we find these truths in the epistles that Paul penned for God especially these- Romans, First and Second Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and First and Second Thessalonians. As we respond to these truths, Romans 12:2 KJV says that we will be transformed. The Greek word for transformed is "metamorphoo", which means to change into another form. It's the same Greek word that was translated as "transfigured" in Matthew 17:2. That account is about when Jesus took Peter, James, and John up into a mountain and was transfigured, or transformed before them. It says in that account that His face shone like the sun. A change that was wrought in the spiritual was manifested in the physical. I believe that we too are transformed as we renew our minds.

I've heard it taught that Romans 12:2 is making the point that there is power in our words. I don't believe that's what the Bible teaches. Certainly there is power in God's words, but there is no spiritual power generated from man. We get to choose who we'll agree with and to whom we will respond. It's not, "Blab it and grab it". But rather, its "Agree and see." That being the case, then the transforming power cannot be generated from our minds.

God's word tells us the source of change. It is the resurrected and ascended Christ! Second Corinthians 3:17-18 tells us what the Lord Jesus Christ has committed himself to on our behalf.

2 Corinthians 3:17-18 KJV

Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is there is Liberty. 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.

Christ, the head of His body, has committed Himself to energize the "yea and amen" promises into manifestation by His indwelling presence in the believer's life (Ephesians 1:19-23 KJV & Colossians 1:27). In the tabernacle as well as the temple of the Old Testament there were veils that separated Israel from God's presence. That veil was done away with in Christ. We are one in Christ who has made a way unto the Father (John 14:6 KJV).

As we respond to who we are in Christ in thought, word and deed, it is the Lord who works in us to bring about that deliverance. As we renew our minds, He changes us from the inside out. The Greek word for change used in 2 Corinthians 3:18 KJV is once again "metamorphoo". We take on a new form. We are changed into His image. And this is not a onetime deal, it's an on-going process. We are changed from glory to glory as we walk out the truth. Our Lord has committed himself to our breakthrough. It's His good pleasure to do so. It's one of His on-going God given assignments.

In understanding this in our walk, we can have confidence that no matter how bad the situation may seem, it's no match for our glorified Lord. As we keep stepping it out we shall see our deliverance.

Allow me to share a couple of stories showing the Lord's faithful hand. The first one is about walking out a physical deliverance. About a year and half ago I started having some extreme physical symptoms. I was pretty ill. I didn't go to a doctor to get a diagnosis but I would have guessed that it had something to do with my liver. Back in my "bad boy days" when I was shooting heroin I had gotten hepatitis. Now here I was in my present condition, hardly able to eat, with my side hurting and swollen. I was nauseous, achy, exhausted, and the list goes on.

I knew it was God's will to heal me so I asked my wife to lay hands on me and minister healing. After that, I kept stepping in that direction. I read a lot of word regarding healing and kept agreeing with God, making certain to speak His word over my life. There still were times where I seemed to be getting worse and would get discouraged so I'd seek the Lord. At those times He would give me words of comfort and encouragement. At other times, He had others, such as my wife, my daughter, and one of my close Christian friends, speak into my life. Another thing the Lord did for me was to give me a supernatural insight into what I personally needed to do in the physical regarding cleansing, diet etc. I received my healing. It wasn't an instantaneous healing but I stepped through it by the hand of the Lord to receive my deliverance into full manifestation. I now have the victory and this illness is no longer an issue. One of the key factors that helped me to keep on stepping was an understanding of the truth in God's word that my Lord was in it with me, and is committed to my breakthrough.

The second story goes back a number of years. To protect the privacy of the people involved, I will not give names. As a very young child, this person received a very bad head injury at the hands of her mother. She was hospitalized but survived it and was taken in by another relative. When she was fully grown she began having seizures and I got wind of it. I suspected that these seizures were linked to her head injury as a child.

Now I don't know how this person dealt with this, as she lived states away, but personally I didn't handle it well. When I heard about, I was filled with rage. Now if that rage was a onetime deal, fine, let's move on. But that was the beginning of my problem. I didn't spiritually move on, but did the opposite. Every time I thought of it I would go into rage mode again. Or anytime I'd hear about child abuse in the news or from some other source my head would explode. We're not talking righteous anger here. I wanted to take these abusers out - I don't mean to dinner! I didn't have to search my heart to see if my motives were wrong. It was obvious that the enemy was getting a foothold in my heart. I didn't want to become full of anger and bitterness.

My heart kept getting worse and worse until one day while at a Christian fellowship, a believer who was teaching, went totally off the subject and began talking about forgiving others for the sake of our own healing. You don't have to hit me in the head with a shovel to get my attention. I don't know who else God was speaking to in that room, but He obviously was speaking to me. As that brother led us in prayer, he encouraged us to forgive those who were the cause of our hurt. As I was doing this, the Lord spoke to me and told me that I could renew my mind but not my heart. That was his job. I put two and two together and understood that as I obeyed the Lord, He could change my heart and that would change me. I realized that I had to willfully forgive, yes, even if I had to do it a number of times this would be giving the Lord something to work with.

The following day I looked up scriptures that were pertinent to the situation. I began willfully declaring my forgiveness for this person who caused the injury in agreement with the Lord. Now honestly, the first day I must have done it about twenty five times. However, I didn't see this as failing over and over again, but as giving the Lord room to change my heart.

As the days went by I began seeing a difference. The rage began to lessen. Then it got to the point when something about child abuse would come before my ears, yes I would be disgusted and angry but I longer had a desire to put a gun to the back of the perpetrator's head. Now I would call that spiritual progress.

Today the rage no longer holds a place in my heart, thanks to the Lord. These are such necessary truths to understand if we are to walk in victory. In ministering to people, I've heard stories of tremendous atrocities committed. To tell such a victim to renew their mind and get over it, is at best, tremendously trite and at worse extremely discouraging to the one in the mist of the emotionally charged problem. We need to teach people the truth that their resurrected and ascended Lord has committed Himself to their breakthrough. And if they will do their best, they give the Lord room to do the rest.

My name is Joseph. I became serious about walking with the Lord back in 1972. My wife and I have been married since 1975, and have two grown daughters. We presently live in Texas. Our e-book -"Come Walk With The Father" is available at amazon.com.

Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com-CHRISTIAN WRITERS

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