YOU ARE A HOLY CITY

“And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. And I John saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.” – Revelation 21:1-3

LIGHT FOR NOW: Man (the new creature) is the residential address of God.

The clarity of the above text is ascertained by reading it in context. The first question is was the New Jerusalem used by the writer in the verse in reference to a place or a people? He explained this in verse 3 of the above text where John said the tabernacle of God is with men. The question is, which men? The answer is the believers. Thus, the tabernacle of God is in the believers; and we are in eternal union with the father. Another question is if the tabernacle of God is in the believer, then why did John use the word “holy city” in reference to the New Jerusalem which is the believers? The word “city” was translated from the Greek word “polis” which refers to a people or gathering. It does not refer to a location or a town somewhere; it is a people set aside; hence, the use of the word “holy” together with “city”.

Therefore, the holy city was in reference to the believer; no wonder the New Jerusalem was also in reference to people. Observe that John had already used this New Jerusalem in Revelation 3:12 “Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is New Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I write upon him my new name”. The question is, who is he the overcometh in this text? John clearly was referring to the believer and not a place. As shown in 1John 5:15; “Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the son of God?” So he that overcometh in Revelation 3:12 will be the believer; the believer is the city of God; the believer is the New Jerusalem. In essence, the believer is the abode of the Father; the Father lives in the believer because the believer and the Father have been united in Christ. Christ is the amalgamation of humanity and divinity. You are the city of the living God; God dwells in you eternally. Glory!!!  

INSTRUCTION: Be conscious of your realities.

CONFESSION: Thank you Father for making me your dwelling place; I am eternally grateful for making me your eternal abode, in Jesus Name.  Amen.

QUOTE: The believer is a city built by God and indwelt by God; and not a city built with human hands.

DAILY BIBLE READING: MORNING: 2CORINTHIANS CHAPTER 11; EVENING: REVELATION CHAPTER 20

 A GOOD REPORT FROM GOD

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good report.” – Hebrews 11:1-2

LIGHT FOR NOW: Without faith, it is impossible to please God.

Our opening verse says through faith, the elders in our spiritual family obtained a good report from God. Scripture says “By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went. By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise: For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God” (Hebrews 11:8-10), “Abraham believed God and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the friend of God”. Paul told the believers in Corinth “we live by faith, not by sight” (2Corinthians 5:7). If this is the case, it is important to know what faith is, so that we can regulate and conduct ourselves in faith, not by what we see, taste, touch, hear or feel.

Faith is what carries you from one point to the other. You can hope for something but faith is the substance that moves you forward until you experience it. Take salvation for example. We receive this by faith in Christ and his finished work. Being saved is not something that you can see, hear, smell, touch or feel. However, chances are if you’ve experienced it no one can talk you out of it because your faith is the substance that testifies to you that it is real and genuine. The hope of salvation hasn’t been realized yet, in the sense that we still are on this earth, but faith in Christ is what assures us that salvation is a done deal and one day very soon the hope of salvation will be realized. This same principle applies to all situations in the believer’s life. This is why the writer declared at the end of Hebrews 10, “But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition, but of them that believe to the saving of the soul” (Hebrews 10:39), why? It is because we have faith. We have the title deed to the things God has promised us. All we need to do is believe them until the hope of them is realized. “This is what the ancients were commended for” (Hebrews 11:2). They believed God when all seemed lost and obtained a good report. Glory!     

INSTRUCTION: Meditate on God’s word.

CONFESSION: I declare that I rest on the promises of God for me in Christ Jesus, Amen.

QUOTE: Without faith, it is impossible to please God.

DAILY BIBLE READING: MORNING: EPHESIANS CHAPTER 2; EVENING: EPHESIANS CHAPTER 3

SOTERIA: THE CONCEPT OF SALVATION

“Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you: Searching what, or what manner of time the spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow.” – 1Peter 1:10-11

LIGHT FOR NOW: The crucifixion of Christ was necessary for the salvation of men.

The word “salvation” is the translation of the Greek word soteria which is derived from the word soter meaning “saviour”. The word “salvation” communicates the thought of deliverance, safety, preservation, soundness, restoration, and healing. However, its major use is to describe the work of God on behalf of men, and as such, it is a major doctrine of the bible which includes redemption, reconciliation, propitiation, conviction, repentance, faith, regeneration, forgiveness, justification, sanctification, preservation and glorification. On one hand, salvation describes the state of a man who has been saved and who is vitally renewed and made a partaker of the inheritance of the saints.

Our text today talks about the glory that was to follow after the crucifixion of Christ; part of that glory is the salvation of man. Without the crucifixion of Christ, man’s salvation could not have been accomplished. After the suffering of Christ, a life of glory ensued. You don’t need to pay only additional price to attain this life. Christ Jesus had already paid for you to enjoy this beautiful life. The sacrifice of Jesus on the cross qualifies you to live the good life and be all that God wants you to be. The sacrifice of Jesus was enough. Due to that sacrifice, you have become one with God; you are now a partaker of His life and righteousness. What God expects from you now is for you to live out your Christ-like realities to the fullest. On the cross, before His death, Jesus said, “It is finished” (John 19:30). He announced the end of suffering to all mankind. Anyone who believes in Him and accepts his vicarious death on the cross is automatically ushered into this life of glory. Yes, Christ suffered for us. But that suffering brought us life eternal and righteousness. Today, sin, its effects and consequences have no dominion over you. You are free to serve God and to live for Him. You are now accepted in the beloved all because of the sacrifice of Jesus. Man was separated from glory due to Adam’s transgression but because of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the glory has been restored. You are brought into that life of glory the moment you are born again. Glory!!!  

INSTRUCTION: You have the God-kind life, stay there.

CONFESSION: Father, I thank you for the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross which has restored me to my life of glory, in Jesus Name.  Amen.

QUOTE: Salvation is comprehensive.

DAILY BIBLE READING: MORNING: EPHESIANS CHAPTER 3; EVENING: EPHESIANS CHAPTER 4

RIGHTEOUSNESS: YOUR REALITY IN CHRIST

“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.” – 2Corinthians 5:21

LIGHT FOR NOW: You are the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus.

It is important to note that the subject of righteousness is a concept that ought to be understood and comprehended by believers as our reality in Christ. At the point of salvation, the saved who confessed Jesus as his Lord and Saviour was made righteous. Paul in our opening text lets us see that Jesus was made sin for us. Notice, Jesus was made sin, He was not a sinner; He received all our sins on the cross and whosoever believes in his redemptive sacrifice is saved and in that salvation is righteousness; meaning a person is made righteous at the point where he believes in Christ.

A man is only righteous by faith in Christ; outside faith in Christ, a man cannot be righteous. Jesus became our substitute in his redemptive work. Apostle Paul in the book of Romans brings more clarity on this subject. In Romans 5:17, he said “For if by one man’s offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.” Righteousness is a gift. What is a gift? A gift is something you don’t work for. Thus, man did not work for righteousness and man will never work for righteousness; righteousness is what God has made available in Christ and is freely given to everyone at the point of salvation. That is why before God, morality at its highest form is faith in Christ. Righteousness is your very nature, righteousness is your state, it is your DNA; it is the very fabric of your nature. Glory!!!

INSTRUCTION: Your realities in Christ supersede the experiences of men; think about this.

CONFESSION: Heavenly Father, I thank you for your nature at work in me; I am what the word says I am, in Jesus Name.  Amen.

QUOTE: Morality at its highest before God is faith in Christ.

DAILY BIBLE READING: MORNING: JOHN CHAPTER 5; EVENING: JOHN CHAPTER 6

POWER AT WORK IN THE BELIEVER

“The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to 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 the heavenly places.” – Ephesians 1:18-20

LIGHT FOR NOW: God’s power is at work in you.

The above text was Paul’s prayer to the Ephesians church; a prayer of knowledge and enlightenment to believers upon the redemptive or finished work of Christ. An understanding of Paul’s words in verse 19 of the above text lets us know what is at work in the believer by the indwelling of Christ in him. “And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power” (Ephesians 1:19). Among all other text in the epistles, his text has the greatest use of adjective that describes the power which is at work in the believer by the reason of Christ living in him. Paul uses five (5) important adjectives that require understanding. The first is the word “exceeding” which being translated implies to exceed the target or to throw beyond target. The second word is “greatness” which is used to describe might. The third is the word “workings” which is used to describe something that is effective and active. The fourth is the word “might” which is used to describe force or might. All these five adjectives put together are used to describe the power at work in the believer upon Jesus’ resurrection from the dead; meaning the power that was wrought in Christ when he was raised from the dead is the same power wrought in the believer at the point of salvation.

Hence, the believer does not have a power problem because all of God is in a believer. Thus, it will be out of place for the believer in prayers to be asking God to give him power; where will he get the power from when he has already embodied you with all the power? Do you know that you are the power house of God? Instead of praying that God fills you with power, you should be praying for the knowledge of the power you already have or that He has already filled you with. Stop asking for what you have, make use of it. Unleash this power inside of you in the place of prayers and you will see it go beyond target; you will see it go with might; you will see its activeness and effectiveness; you will see its strength, and it will change and rearrange things in your life. Glory!

INSTRUCTION: Stop looking for what you already have, God’s power is at work in you; make use of it.

CONFESSION: Father, thank you for your power that is at work in me, may this power go forth to change and rearrange things in my life, in Jesus Name.  Amen.

QUOTE: You can’t walk in the totality of your reality when you are ignorant of your reality in Christ.

DAILY BIBLE READING: MORNING: LUKE CHAPTER 24; EVENING: MATTHEW CHAPTER 5

THE NEED FOR KNOWLEDGE

“Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers; that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints.” – Ephesians 1:16-18

LIGHT FOR NOW: Knowledge is the greatest need of the believer.

It is important to note that Christianity becomes an adventure when the knowledge of what Christ accomplished in his death, burial and resurrection which made salvation available is comprehended by believers. The degree of knowledge you have about Christ determines the level of effectiveness in your Christian walk. You cannot afford to be ignorant of your realities in Christ. You must be knowledge driven; it is the knowledge of Christ that unveils who you are in Christ and what Christ can do through you. Thus, we can that your level of ignorance robs you of who you are in Christ and what Christ can do through you. My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge (Hosea 4:6). Jesus said in Matthew 22:29, “Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God”. When believers lack accurate and relevant spiritual information from God’s word, they experience defeat and failure. This isn’t because they are “weak” believers or what Christ has wrought in them has been found wanting; it’s just the plain and inevitable result of ignorance.

In the lives of some believers, things are not just happening the way they should; they are putting in all the effort they could, yet nothing is coming out. What’s the problem? Ignorance: “They know not, neither will they understand; they walk on in darkness” (Psalm 82:5), destroyed by harsh elements of this world. Is this the lot for the man in Christ? Emphatically no! The bible declares, “But through knowledge shall the just be delivered” (Proverbs 11:9B). The knowledge of God’s word will build you up, and deliver your God-given inheritance into your hands (Acts 20:32). If you’ve been wondering why your experiences haven’t been as victorious as the word describes, you need to spend more time studying and meditating on the word. Build your faith with the word of God, for faith comes by hearing (Romans 10:17). As the word comes to you, don’t just agree by way of mental assent; respond by confessing the same things. Soon you’ll change the situation, why? Because you know. The knowledge of the believer is a necessity; it is not a suggestion; neither is it an opinion nor a wish; it is the believer’s greatest need. No wonder Paul in his letter to a fellow minister of the gospel by name Timothy lays more credence to this, “Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth” (1Timothy 2:4). So, it is not enough to be saved, you need to come to the knowledge of the truth which is the salvation that you have in Christ. Glory!    

INSTRUCTION: Go for knowledge.

DECLARATION: Father, I declare that knowledge is my portion and I maximize all of my realities in you, in Jesus Name.  Amen.

QUOTE: The knowledge of Christ influences the life you have.

DAILY BIBLE READING: MORNING: 1TIMOTHY CHAPTER 2; EVENING: EPHESIANS CHAPTER 1

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