Because God has made us His, we must view ourselves as His.

 

Therefore say to the children of Israel: I am the LORD: I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, I will rescue you from their bondage, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great judgments.

 

And Aaron spoke all the words which the LORD had spoken to Moses. Then he did the signs in the sight of the people. So the people believed, and when they heard that the LORD had visited the children of Israel and that He had looked on their affliction, then they bowed their heads and worshiped.

 

 

 

Paul writes, “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” (2 Corinthians 5:21) That’s not a conditional “might.” It’s the reality of being. We couldn’t become the righteousness of God in Christ if our sin wasn’t taken away. . . . Paul continues, telling us we’re saints by calling, or literally translated, holy ones by calling. God has called us to Himself. He has made us holy. It’s what we are. We are holy! An easy definition of “holy” is “set apart – different.” . . . . We’ve been sprinkled by Christ’s blood. We are now holy to God. We’re separated to Him. We’re different.

 

How do you talk to yourself? What do you say about yourself in your head? People generally think that we’re meanest and cruelest to the people around us. I don’t believe that. We’re meanest and cruelest to ourselves. Are you always tearing yourself down? Do you constantly condemn yourself? Do you think that you are bad, and therefore, you WILL sin. Maybe you even think you must sin because that’s what you do.

 

God has defined us. We are His. We are holy. We are saints. We are totally sanctified in Christ. We are innocent. We are righteous. That is who we are! In this life, we are learning how to live consistently as who God has made us in Christ. Yes, we sin! We wouldn’t need a Savior if we didn’t sin! But we don’t have to sin because He has fundamentally changed us. He has made us His! . . . . If we think we’re bad or damaged, we’re going to act that way. We’ll see sin as inevitable. If we understand who God has made us — holy and righteous — then we ought to expect to be able to live accordingly. He empowers us to live according to who He has made us to be.

 

 

 

What gift of grace is Jesus my redeemer

There is no more for heaven now to give

He is my joy, my righteousness, and freedom

My steadfast love, my deep and boundless peace

 

The LORD bless thee, and keep thee: the LORD make His face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee; the LORD lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.

 

The benefits which in this life do accompany or flow from justification, adoption, and sanctification, are, assurance of God’s love, peace of conscience, joy in the Holy Ghost, increase of grace, and perseverance therein to the end.

 

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

(1 Corinthians 1:3) We are coming back together to acknowledge God, and our relationship with Him. We are getting re-centered in our lives. We are going into the new week, re-centered. It doesn’t matter how much you failed last week! God’s disposition toward you is one of grace and peace. He can have that disposition toward you because you’re holy. You’re redeemed. You belong to Christ. Therefore, God’s favor rests upon each one of you.