David [00:00:00]:
Good morning, everyone. Again, I just want to say I’m so glad to have you here today. And we get to continue this exciting study. We’re on about being in Christ. We are in Christ, and He is in us. And last week we began by looking at Ephesians, the first chapter, studying through that chapter about what Paul was teaching us about being in Christ and all that we have, who we are, our place, our position, our purpose in Christ.
David [00:00:52]:
And we’re going to continue that this morning as we look into Ephesians chapter two. And but first, I want to start with this verse here. This is John 10:10 from the Amplified Classic. You’ve heard this before, but it’s important to know that Jesus came to give us life. He said, the thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life and have it in abundance to the full, till it overflows. Being in Christ brings us back to life, to true life. We are alive in Him.
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Life in Christ is a full, overflowing life, an abundant life which Jesus gave us to enjoy. We need to get up every day and enjoy life. No matter what we may be facing, what challenge we may be going through, we can still find a way to enjoy the life Christ has given us, as Paul is describing to us in Ephesians all that Jesus has provided for us. He begins Ephesians 2. 1 by saying this, Ephesians 2:1, here in the Amplified Classic. And you he made alive when you were dead and slain by your trespasses and sins. Hallelujah. He made you alive.
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He quickened you. He quickened you. Praise God. Praise God. There in the Greek, that word quicken means to reanimate. Think about that. When we come into Christ, when we accept him as our Savior, we are reanimated. We are remade, made new, conjointly with so we’re he was made new when he was resurrected and came back to life.
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And so are we. And we’ve done this with him, jointly with him, to make one alive together. We’ve been made alive in Christ. Colossians 2:13 says this, and this is from the Amplified Classic also. And you who were dead in trespasses and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, your sensuality, your sinful carnal nature, God brought to life together with Christ, having freely forgiven us all our transgressions.
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Hallelujah.
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Paul is telling us here, when we receive Christ as our Lord and Savior, we are in Christ. You are in Christ right now, in this moment, today, and he is in you. Boom. You are right back where you belong, back in your place of being.
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Hallelujah.
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Our place of being is in him.
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Hallelujah.
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You have been made alive with Christ, freely forgiven. Freely forgiven. It didn’t cost you anything. You didn’t have to pay the price or earn it or be worthy of it. Because of God’s love. You are freely forgiven.
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Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah.
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There’s something to rejoice in every day. Rejoice and be glad that you’ve been freely forgiven of all your sins and trespasses, raised again together with Christ into full life.
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Hallelujah.
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Praise God. You are wrapped in his goodness, his love, his grace, his mercy, his favor. You are surrounded and covered by his glory. His glory, the fullness of who he is. You have his life to enjoy life in abundance. Jesus said, life to the full, overflowing life.
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Hallelujah.
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Because our God is a more than enough God. So he didn’t hold back. He says, come on, there’s more. There’s more. There’s more. Praise God. Praise God. Praise God.
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You are made alive.
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Ha.
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Wow. Wow, wow, wow. Every morning, get up and say, father, thank you for making me alive today. Thank you, Jesus, for the price you paid so that I could live this full life with you today. Thank you, Father. Thank you, Jesus. Thank you, Holy Spirit, for being here with me.
David [00:06:19]:
Hallelujah. Hallelujah.
David [00:06:22]:
And then there in chapter two of Ephesians, Paul goes on to remind us of where we have come from and where we have arrived. And so Ephesians 2, 4 and 5, the amplified classic says, but God who God our Father. So rich is he in his mercy because of and in order to satisfy the great and wonderful intense love which he loved us even when we were dead and slain by our own shortcomings and trespasses. He made us alive together in fellowship and in union with Christ.
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Hallelujah.
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He gave us the very life of Christ himself. The same new life with which he quickened him, made him alive, giving him strength.
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Hallelujah.
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For it is by grace, his favor and mercy, which you did not deserve, that you were saved, delivered from judgment and made partakers of Christ salvation.
David [00:07:38]:
Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah.
David [00:07:43]:
Now, there’s a lot in those two verses. There’s a whole lot in those two verses. Let’s. Let’s begin to look at them. The first thing I want to see there is. It says in his rich May go back to it right here. Because God, so rich in his mercy, he was rich. He’s rich in his mercy toward us, abounding, abundantly supplied in virtues and eternal possessions.
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Wealthy. That’s what rich means. From his abundance.
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Hallelujah.
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From his abundant supply and virtues and eternal possessions. Wealthy from all of this. He came to us and demonstrated mercy toward us. That’s how intensely he loves us. It says he came with great love. Not just love, but great love. And that means much love, wonderful love, intense love.
David [00:08:57]:
Hallelujah. Hallelujah.
David [00:09:00]:
Who in your life do you love greatly? Think about it. Who in your life do you love greatly that you have much love for, that you have a wonderful love for? An intense love for. Well, God loves you greatly. And his great love is far beyond what we can even imagine. And because of his great love for us, he brought us into fellowship. It says fellowship is association to be associated with someone. It’s community. It’s like when the body of Christ comes together.
David [00:09:47]:
And I remember growing up, my. My dad’s mom, family, and my papa and them, they had this little country church down a dirt road that everybody went to. Everybody around there went to this little country church. Well, they would have a fellowship Sunday. Well, a fellowship Sunday meant all the mamas cooked and brought stuff. And we, after the pastor ministered, we went out to the little pavilion out there. We needed one because we had so many people out there, but went out to a little pavilion and they had all the food set up, all the good stuff. Everyone cooked, and we would eat and fellowship.
David [00:10:32]:
And all those kids would run and play and keep running back to the table and getting more to eat. Fellowship, association, community. And there were those times of communion where we all came together to honor the Lord, to bless him, to remember all he did for us. It means joint participation. Fellowship is when we jointly come together.
David [00:11:06]:
Hallelujah.
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We come together. It means joint heirs. We are joint heirs with Christ. We come into fellowship with Christ. It means intercourse. And that means an intimate relationship of sharing back and forth. That’s what God has done for us. He’s brought us into a place of intimate relationship with him and with Christ, with the Holy Spirit.
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We are in fellowship with him. First Corinthians 1:9. This is from the New King James Version, First Corinthians 1:9. God is faithful by whom you were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
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Hallelujah.
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Let me read that again. God is faithful by whom you were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
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Hallelujah.
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We’ve been called into association with Jesus, into community with Jesus. We’ve been called into communion with Jesus. We’ve been called into joint participation with Him. We’ve linked arms with Him. We’re partners with Him. We’ve been called into an intimate relationship. There’s a giving and sharing back and forth.
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Hallelujah. Hallelujah.
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That’s what we have. Whether you realize it or not, that is what you have in Christ.
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Now.
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The enemy’s still trying to steal that from you and make you feel like, oh, I’m not worthy. I’m not good enough. I haven’t done enough. God’s not happy with me right now. No, that’s not true. Don’t let the enemy steal what Christ paid the price to give you.
David [00:13:10]:
Hallelujah.
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We are called into fellowship. One of the words there for fellowship is union. We’ve been called into union with him, the act of joining two or more things into one.
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Hallelujah. Hallelujah.
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Galatians 3:27 in the Amplified Classic. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ, into a spiritual union and communion with Christ, the Anointed One, the Messiah, have put on, clothed yourselves with Christ.
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Hallelujah.
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We’ve come into a spiritual union and communion with Christ, the Anointed One. It’s a level of fellowship that goes beyond just, you know, hey, how you doing? What’s going on today? You want to go get a cup of coffee down here at the coffee shop? No, it goes way beyond that. It is deep and internal. It is intimate, that place of coming into union where we are made one with the Lord, we are one in Him.
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Hallelujah.
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The Anointed One. And we’ve put on and clothed ourselves with Christ.
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Hallelujah.
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We get to do that every day. You can get up every morning and clothe yourself with Christ. Lord, I thank you for being here with me. I come into partnership with you today. I come into communion and fellowship with you today. I want to be one with you today. Lord, I surrender myself to you and come into union with you today. I want to clothe myself with the Messiah, the Anointed One, and reflect your love, your light, your life.
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Everywhere. I go with everyone I interact with. Praise God. Praise God. Praise God. John 15:5. In the Amplified Classic, Jesus said this to the disciples. I am the vine, you are the branches.
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Whoever lives in me and I in him, bears much abundant fruit. However, apart from me, cut off from vital union with me, you can do nothing. So Jesus says here that we are branches, and we’ve been engrafted into the vine.
David [00:16:08]:
Hallelujah.
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And so if we are loving him and walking with him, we will bear fruit for Him. It will happen it. You will bear fruit if you’re honoring the Lord, loving Him, and fellowship and union with Him. But. But if you’re cut off from the vine, you can’t do anything. You lose the life he came to give you.
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Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah.
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And so we are in union with him by God’s free grace. It says free grace means this. That which you did not deserve. God’s unlimited favor. There was no way for us to pay the price to do what we needed to do to earn the right to be who God created us to be. But Jesus was able to pay that price for everyone.
David [00:17:23]:
Hallelujah.
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And so because of that, because of God’s intense love for us, he freely, freely extended his grace to us, his favor to us, and surrounded us with us, wrapped us in it. So we had the same life with which he was, which Christ was raised from the dead. We had that same life, his resurrection life is in us. By being in him, we have been made partakers of Christ’s salvation. We’ve been made alive by his rich mercy, great love, and free grace. Praise God. Praise God. That is powerful, folks.
David [00:18:18]:
All, all. I mean, all, everything. All of this has been restored to us, and we’ve been restored to our place of being in Him. Because of this, we have been invited to partner with him as his ambassadors here on the earth, inviting others into the family of God. You don’t have to go out there and preach and give the theological background, the Hebrew and the Greek. I get to do that. It’s part of what God called me to. But for all of us, just as believers, I don’t talk that way when I’m going out with people.
David [00:19:03]:
I’m going, man. They go, wow, you guys are living a cool life. I’m like, yeah, it’s because we chose Christ. It’s good you got to know him. And he’s got so much for you. He wants to see your dreams fulfilled. I just start sharing and testifying of God’s goodness, and people want to know him. People are looking for the good life, the life Jesus came to give, that abundant, overflowing life.
David [00:19:38]:
2nd Corinthians 5:20 in the Amplified classic says this. So we are Christ’s ambassadors. God making his appeal, as it were, through us. We are or we, as Christ’s personal representatives, beg you for his sake, to lay hold of the divine favor now offered you and be reconciled to God. Praise God. To come back into your place, your position, your purpose in him that he created you. For we have the privilege and opportunity being in Christ and sharing the good news of all of God’s blessings with others and invite them to lay hold of what Jesus has has bought for them, Just like you and me. When those who we invite into relationship with God, when they come, when they’re saved, when they come into relationship with him, all the blessings of being in him are theirs, just like they’re yours right now.
David [00:21:07]:
Praise God. Praise God. We have so much and we’re not walking in the fullness of it. And Jesus is saying, come on, come to me. Seek me daily. There’s so much more that I have for you to walk in.
David [00:21:30]:
Hallelujah. Hallelujah.
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Church. When we receive Christ, we are back in our place of being. We’re back enjoying the presence of God. The glory of God. It wraps us, it covers us, it surrounds us.
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Hallelujah.
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We’re back in that place of being that God created us for in the beginning. We are empowered to fulfill our purpose and we are put back into our rightful position. Paul said in Ephesians 2:6. And he raised us up together with him and made us sit down together with him, giving us joint seating with him in the heavenly sphere by virtue of our being in Christ Jesus, the Messiah, the Anointed One. Now, did you hear what that said? I read. That’s a amplified classic translation. Let me read it again. And he raised us up together with him and made us sit down together, giving us joint seating with him in the heavenly sphere by virtue of our being in Christ Jesus, the Messiah, the Anointed One.
David [00:23:03]:
Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah.
David [00:23:07]:
As children of God in Christ, we have been restored to our position of power, authority and dominion. Now, I taught this last week, but Paul gives us a very descriptive picture of what happened in Christ’s resurrection and our part in it. Hallelujah. Ephesians 1, 19, 22 in the Amplified, it says, and so that you can know and understand what is the immeasurable and unlimited and surpassing greatness of his power in and for us who believe, as demonstrated in the working of his mighty strength which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named above, every title that can be conferred not only in this age and in this world, but also in the age and the world which are to come. And he has put all things under his feet and appointed him the universal and supreme head of the Church, a headship exercised throughout the Church. All right, let’s look at this. Number one. When he raised him from the dead and seated him at his own right hand in heavenly places.
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This is what Paul is saying we were a part of in chapter two and verse six that I just read a moment ago. We were raised and jointly seated with him in heavenly places in the same place. Praise God. He raised us up together with him and made us sit down together, giving us joint seating with him. So we’re right there with Jesus. We’re in Christ. So we’re seated. We already have our place and position in Christ.
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We’re seated at the right hand of the Father.
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Hallelujah. Hallelujah.
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And we’re seated there, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, above every title that can be conferred not only in this age and in this world, but also in the age, in the world, world to come. Wow. Think about that. All rule, authority and power and dominion are restored to us as children of God. Just like the Father. God said to Adam and Eve, be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth, subdue it, and take dominion over it. That’s all been restored to us by virtue of our being in Christ Jesus, the Messiah, the anointed one.
David [00:26:06]:
Hallelujah. Hallelujah.
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It’s yours. Now. You say, but, David, I’m not in heaven. Yes, you are. Every ambassador of the United States, wherever they are in the world, wherever they’re stationed, they’re still in the United States. Their office, their place of being there, in that foreign country, is considered the United States. Wow. The same thing is true here.
David [00:26:46]:
We are ambassadors for Christ. Ambassadors of God. Ambassadors, citizens here on the earth, representing the kingdom of God. But our place and position and seating is in heaven. Praise God with Christ. You see, Satan is defeated, and we have been restored to our position of dominion as God intended. We have it all back. We need to get up every day knowing that and going, uh, enemy.
David [00:27:30]:
No, I’m not putting up with that. You are under my feet in Jesus name. Listen to Ephesians 2:10 here in the Amplified Classic. Listen to what this says. For we are God’s own handiwork, his workmanship recreated in Christ Jesus born anew, that we may do those good works which God predestined, planned beforehand for us before the foundation of the earth. There it is again, predestined and planned beforehand for us, taking paths which he prepared ahead of time that we should walk in them, living the good life which he prearranged and made ready for us to live.
David [00:28:18]:
Hallelujah.
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He just keeps saying it. I came to give you a good life. We are God’s own handiwork, his workmanship. We were created by God. We were created by God, for God, and in God from the beginning. And we have been recreated in Christ, reanimated in Christ, born anew by God, for God, in Him. Ha ha.
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Hallelujah.
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As Paul said in Ephesians 1:4, this is from last week, but Ephesians 1:4, amplified even as in his love he chose us, actually picked us out for himself as his own, in love, Christ before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy, consecrated, and set apart for him and blameless in his sight. Let me stop right there, guys. Don’t let the enemy beat you up and tell you you’re not good enough. Or I’ll remember what you did back then and what you said and da,
David [00:29:36]:
da, da, da, da.
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In God’s sight, you are blameless. You’ve been forgiven and all that has been washed away. You’ve been sanctified and set apart. Consecrated for Him.
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Hallelujah.
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Blameless in his sight, even above reproach. And you stand before him in love.
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Hallelujah.
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His love, God’s love. He chose us. He picked us out for himself. He loves you. He wants to be in relationship with you. He wants you to know he’s your Father and you are his child, and that we are in Christ. He sees us. He sees you as holy, consecrated, set apart for him, blameless in his sight and above reproach.
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We stand before him in love, his great infinite love. Why? He said that we may do the good works he planned beforehand, taking paths he prepared ahead of time that we should walk in them. God already has a plan for you, a purpose for you and a path for you. He thought of you before the foundation of the world, and he wants to be in relationship with you so that you can be all he created you to be.
David [00:31:21]:
Hallelujah.
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That you can go do the good works he’s planned for you to do. Walk in the paths he’s already prepared ahead of time. You don’t have to go create that path. He’s already prepared the way. He says, follow me, walk with me. I will make the way.
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Hallelujah.
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So that you can live the good life. Life to the fullest, that he’s already prepared before the foundation of the world. His intention for you was to live the good life, the full life, the life that overflows. He has prearranged and made it all ready for us. It’s ours. It’s ours. I shared this example several weeks ago. We have this rich, vast inheritance in Christ.
David [00:32:24]:
And it’s like someone who owns 10,000 acres and they can go. And they stand there by the side of the road and the fence, somebody comes along, says, what you doing? I said, oh, I’m looking at my property here. Really? That’s you? Yeah. I own all of this. Really? Yeah.
David [00:32:43]:
Wow.
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Is there a lake on it? Oh, I don’t know. I hadn’t walked back through it there yet. There are mountains in there. Could be. I don’t know what kind of trail. I don’t know. I just. It’s mine, but I had never been on it.
David [00:33:00]:
That’s the way we are with what God has given us. So many times I talk about these things and sometimes people are going, whoa, that is so far beyond man. I can’t even comprehend that God loves me that much and wants me to have all this, to live a life like this. Guys, we got to stand up every day and go, okay, Father, I’m following you. I’m taking a step. And thank you for showing me how to live this good life today. Day. Thank you for showing me the way.
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Thank you for showing me how good it can be.
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Hallelujah. Hallelujah.
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Paul said this in Ephesians 1:5. This is from the Amplified. For he foreordained us, destined us, planned in love for us to be adopted, to be revealed as his own children through Jesus Christ, in accordance with the purpose of his will. Because it pleased him and was his kind intent. It pleased him to pay the price so he could be in relationship with us. Praise God. He loves us that much. He planned all of this for us.
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This was and is his purpose for us. Seeing us walk and live in Christ pleases Him and is his kind intent to us. So Paul says here in Ephesians 2:10. We’ve been recreated. Recreated means to completely change or transform, made new, remade into the original state with all the rights and privileges of that position. Praise God. I’m saying this again. He gave it all back to us.
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He gave it all back to us, place us back into the place he created for us to stand in. So being in Christ means we have been transformed, made new, restored to our previous and rightful position with all the rights and privileges associated with it. We are back in fellowship and union with our Father, God, Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, and the Holy Spirit who dwells within us. And he makes us new every day. The same spirit that raised Jesus from the dead lives in us and quickens us, gives us life and strength every day, making us new every day. In him we have been made alive, and we are made alive every day. Receive his rich mercy, great love and free grace. In him is our place of being, our purpose defined and our position restored.
David [00:36:30]:
In him we are recreated, made new and restored to God’s original intended place for us with all, all of our dominion, power and authority, rights and privileges. Praise God. Acts 17:28. The Amplified says this. For in him we live and move and have our being. As even some of your own poets have said. For we are also his offspring. We are the offspring, the children of Almighty God, the supreme ruler of the universe, the Creator of everything.
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That’s who my daddy is. I am in him. I am his offspring. I am a member of the royal family. You can get up every morning saying that I am in Him. I am his offspring. I am a member of the royal family. I am representing the Kingdom of God here on earth.
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I am an ambassador of Christ Jesus, ruling and reigning here on the Earth. I am inviting all those on earth to be a part of all God has provided for us here and in the future to come. Praise God.
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Hallelujah.
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Friend, let me ask you this. Have you received Christ as your Lord and Savior? Do you hear everything that we shared today that he has bought for us, that he wants for us? All you have to do is open your heart and acknowledge him as your Savior. That he lived and died for you and paid the price and boom, you become a part of the family of God and you begin to learn how to walk, walk in all of this and receive it, and receive it and grow in it. I want to challenge you and invite you to come be a part of our family. We want you here with us. We want you to enjoy this life with us, together in fellowship and communion with Jesus Christ, our Lord. Repeat this prayer after me. Father God, I come to you today and I declare that Jesus Christ
David [00:39:20]:
paid
David [00:39:20]:
the price for me. That my sins could be completely washed away and I could stand before you in love and be forgiven of all my past. I acknowledge and declare that Jesus Christ is my Lord and my Savior. And in his resurrection I am resurrected and brought back to life. The new life, the full life, life in abundance. So Jesus, I receive you today. Thank you for forgiving me and I commit to serve you, walk with you all the days of my life in Jesus name.
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So be it.
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Amen. Friend, if you just prayed that prayer with me, you are a member of the Body of Christ and I encourage you. Find a church there in your area that is teaching and expressing and showing you the way to walk in all. God has provided for us as believers. Find some believers, friends, that people you can be friends with and surround yourself with them and walk with them and rejoice and be glad every day and all that God has done. Praise God.
David [00:41:06]:
Hallelujah.
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We are in Christ. We have been made alive. Pastor Conia is coming now with a word of encouragement and I just want you to go forth this week and be blessed in all that you do, everywhere you go. Amen.
