“By this we come to know (perceive, recognize, and understand) that we abide (live and remain) in Him and He in us: because He has given (imparted) to us of His [Holy] Spirit. And [besides] we ourselves have seen (have deliberately and steadfastly contemplated) and bear witness that the Father has sent the Son [as the] Savior of the world. Anyone who confesses (acknowledges, owns) that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides (lives, makes His home) in him and he [abides, lives, makes his home] in God. And we know (understand, recognize, are conscious of, by observation and by experience) and believe (adhere to and put faith in and rely on) the love God cherishes for us. God is love, and he who dwells and continues in love dwells and continues in God, and God dwells and continues in him. In this [union and communion with Him] love is brought to completion and attains perfection with us, that we may have confidence for the day of judgment [with assurance and boldness to face Him], because as He is, so are we in this world” – 1John 4:13-17 (AMPC)
LIGHT FOR NOW: You become effective in the Christian faith as you are effective in the knowledge of your realities in redemption.
In 2 Corinthians 5:17, Paul echoes, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold all things are become new” in Christ. Philemon 1:6 “That the communication of thy faith may become effectual by the acknowledging of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus”. “Every” means more than one. Every good thing is in you in Christ Jesus.
Acknowledging every good thing is in you in Christ. So we have two things to pay attention to from 2 Corinthians 5:17 and Philemon 1:6; and these two things look like instructions:
• 2 Corinthians 5:17 uses an instructive term “behold” which means to see. In essence, he tells us to see the things that are in Christ. So, there is a seeing we are required to see.
• While Philemon 1:6 says “to acknowledge”; a terminology that points to precise and accurate knowledge. So, there is an acknowledging (comprehensive, exact, and accurate) knowledge of every good thing in Christ that are required to have.
So, in understanding who you are in Christ and coming to grasp the fact that you are as Jesus is, then there is a summoning or an instruction to two things:
• An instruction to behold.
• An instruction to acknowledge.
Your Christian life will be as effective to the degree to which you behold who you are in Christ in acknowledging the realities of redemption. Glory!
INSTRUCTION: Learn to see who you are in the word.
CONFESSION: I am what the word says I am, and I have what the word says I have, in Jesus’ name, Amen.
QUOTE: If you fail to behold who you are in Christ, you will succeed in failing in your Christian endeavor.
DAILY BIBLE READING: MORNING: 2CORINTHIANS CHAPTER 5; EVENING: PHILEMON CHAPTER 1
LIGHT FROM THE WORD 