“And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest. But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places, in Christ Jesus, in order that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, that no one should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them,” (Ephesians 2:1-10).
In accordance with the will of God, Jesus is the Savior and we are the saved. Touch not, taste not — rubbish — believe in the Son of God and you shall be saved. Consider yourself dead to the world, having been crucified with Christ. Enter the rest of God by believing in the One who conquered sin and death, and believe that He has become unto you wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption. Rise above the lusts of the flesh and of the mind by believing the truth that, having forgiven us of our sins, God raised us up with Jesus, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places. And He did this by the power of His might; the same power and might that raised Jesus from the dead raised us up with Him, to the end that we should be to the praise of His glory.
God has done all this with the kind intention to bless us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ. As did Paul, I also pray that the Father of glory may give to each of us a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him, and that the eyes of our hearts may be enlightened, so that we may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead, and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places.
Dear friends, we are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, that we may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called us out of darkness into His marvelous light. We are in Christ by God’s own doing, not of ourselves, lest we should boast (I Corinthians 1:30), and Christ became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption. In view of this great salvation that has been bestowed on us, we must walk away from everything that hinders and encumbers us, including the sin which so easily entangles us (unbelief), and worship our Beloved Savior, giving thanks to God in all things and in all situations. We must refrain from arguments, whether they be with others, or within our own minds, and think only on things that are worthy of praise.
Let us lay down our pettiness and selfish ambitions, and follow the One who gave Himself up for us; let us worship Him with grateful hearts. In so doing I am confident the Lord God will bless us with all spiritual blessings that abound in Jesus, And He will do this because of His great love with which He loved us. We belong to Him; let us allow Him to shed His great love abroad in our hearts, that we might share His nature, and the nature of His Son, Jesus, in order that the light which once shone on the face of Moses may now shine in and through our hearts for His name’s sake.
If we walk this way, we are denying self; if we don’t walk this way, we are denying Jesus.
Jon David Banks, God’s most unworthy servant
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