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By Pastor J.D. Link

Abundant Grace Fellowship, Blanco, TX

Do you constantly strive to be acceptable to God? Does it seem like you always fall short of being who you think you ought to be? Does it seem like, no matter how hard you try, you just can’t keep from failing to be a good Christian? Do you ever get discouraged and sometimes feel like just giving up on trying to be pleasing to God? Do you normally walk around looking like you got baptized in pickle juice, instead of the Holy Ghost?

If you answered yes to one of these questions, you’re possibly in bondage. If you answered yes to all of these questions, you’re definitely in bondage, and you need to be set free. The good news is that you’re problem is curable, and you don’t even have to take any synthetic drugs that have worse side effects than your original problem. No, you just simply need to know the truth. Jesus said that if we continue in His Word, then we will be His disciples indeed, and we shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free (Jn 8:31-32). If you are in bondage, the Truth will make you free; and whom The Son (Jesus) makes free is free indeed (Jn 8:36).

Now it’s time to take God’s Pill, the Gos-pel (Pro 4:20-22). If you answered yes to the above questions, you’re problem is lack of knowledge. You don’t know who you are in Christ, and you don’t know what Christ has done for you. I’m not saying you may not know it in your head, but you don’t really believe it in your heart. Yet, I should probably start out even more basic than that.

Do you know how much God loves you? You must have a proper understanding of this first. I encourage you to look up and meditate on the following Scripture references. God is love (1Jn 4:7-8). His greatest commandment is love (Mk 12:30). He loves you with a great love (Eph 2:4). You can’t get away from his love (Rom 8:35-39). He loves you so much, that He had Jesus become a man, and give us His Word’s, and be our example (Phip 2:7-8). He loves you so much He had His sinless Son Jesus brutally tortured and hung on a cross to take away YOUR sin (Jn 3:16, 2Cor 5:21, 1Jn 3:16, 1Jn 4:10). Jesus became a curse, so that you could receive the blessing of Abraham (Gal 3:13-14). Can you see how much God loves you yet? I hope you can. It’s so important for God’s love to be a reality to you.

Proverbs 18:15 says the heart of the prudent gets knowledge; and the ear of the wise seeks knowledge. On the other hand, Proverbs 1:22 says that fools hate knowledge. The choice is ours to make: be wise and seek knowledge from God’s Word, or be foolish and reject God’s knowledge. If I am lacking knowledge about who I am in Christ, I will go to The Bible and find out what I need to know.

For instance, 2Cor 5:21 says that I am the righteousness of God in Christ. I don’t just have a little righteousness. I’ve been created in righteousness (Eph 4:24, 1Cor 1:30). I received it through faith (Phip 3:9). Therefore, I know I stand before God 24-7 totally accepted (Heb 4:16, 7:25, 1Jn 4:17), because I stand before Him never in my own righteousness (which is filthy rags), but in Christ’s righteousness given to me through faith (Rom 9:30). You will begin to feel totally accepted by God when you come to the realization that you are totally accepted by God in Christ Jesus. We have the victory; we must learn to walk in it.

Col 2:10 - And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power. That is awesome, isn’t it? As a believer, you are complete in Christ. You are not lacking, because Jesus is your all in all (Acts 17:28). The word complete in that verse means to cram, to fill to the fullest; it also means perfect. You are filled to the fullest in Christ. You are perfect in Him. You need to stop looking at your flesh and start looking at your spirit. You need to stop identifying with the first Adam, and start identifying with the second Adam, Jesus (1Cor 15:45). There is much more to share on this next week, Lord willing. Until next time, rejoice in the Lord!

Complete In Him Pt 2

By Pastor J.D. Link

Abundant Grace Fellowship, Blanco, TX

Last week we started to talk about being complete in Christ. We saw how so many Christians live defeated lives, full of guilt & condemnation. They never seem victorious or happy, because the focus is always on them, not on Christ. That is called being in bondage. You can’t walk in Christian liberty until you know you have it; but that lack of knowledge can be fixed by meditating on God’s Word, and believing it. I stress the believing part, because there are lots of Christians who mentally assent (agree with in their head) to the Word of God, but they don’t really believe it, and so it is not producing good fruit in their lives.

I believe that is another reason Christians are often discouraged. They think simply knowing what the Bible says is sufficient, but it is not. It is a great place to start, but you need to go further, to the place where you have corresponding actions. James 2:20 tells us that faith without works is dead. What does that mean, you ask? It means that if you say you believe something, but your actions do not correspond with what you say, then you do not really believe it! For instance, if I told you that there was one million dollars buried in your back yard, and you said you believed me; but you didn’t even attempt to start digging, that would prove to me that you didn’t really believe me. We must know God’s Word and act on it (Mt 7:24-27).

Which brings us back to being complete in Christ. If you truly believe you are the righteousness of God in Christ (Phip 3:9, 2Cor 5:21), and that all of your sins are totally forgiven in Him (Rom 4:6-8, Col 2:13-14), and that you have received His abundant grace (Rom 5:17, 1Tim 1:14), and that there is now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit (Rom 8:1-4), then why don’t you act like it? Why do you act discouraged, depressed, and condemned all the time? Do you really believe His Word? I’m not trying to be mean, I just want you to get my point and be set free.

Some would actually say that I’m arrogant at best, and a heretic at worst, to claim that God loves me and is pleased with me; but I just believe His Word (Eph 2:4, Heb 11:6). Boldness, or confidence, is not arrogance; though they be often confused. We are actually supposed to be bold in approaching God, because we are in Christ (Heb 4:16, 10:19). That isn’t prideful. What is prideful is to always focus on you. It’s called being self centered, self absorbed, and self conscious; and I assure you, you will always be miserable until you get your eyes off you, and get them on Jesus (Heb 12:2).

We need to let what God says about us be the final word in our life. When you meditate on God’s Word, your feelings about yourself, and other people, will change. Don’t be ruled by your feelings. Feelings are always a result of what your thinking on. If you’re always feeling condemned, unworthy, defeated, etc., you are not thinking about your standing in Christ, that is for sure. People who are depressed are that way because they meditate on depressing things, whether they are Christians or not. Get your mind stayed on Jesus, and you’ll be full of joy (Jn 15:11, Gal 5:22, 1Pt 1:8).

“So are you saying I should never feel bad about anything?” No, that’s not what I’m saying. If you’ve wronged God, or another person, ask for forgiveness and repent (Jam 5:16, 1Jn 1:9). There is a place for Godly conviction, but don’t wallow in self pity. Again, that just puts the focus back on you instead of Jesus. Confess, and then do what the apostle Paul did: forget those things which are behind, and reach forward to those things which are ahead (Phip 3:13-14).

I pray this has helped you, and that you will walk in the freedom and liberty which Christ purchased for you (2Cor 3:17). Until next time, rejoice in the Lord!