2 Cor. 1:21-22
INTRO: With Thanksgiving closing in on us this is the second of the series of messages to prepare our hearts to be thankful. Often we get so involved in everyday life that we take for granted the things the Lord has given us and all that we have in Him. Pause with me today and consider just how blessed you are. If you have accepted Christ as your Savior you are indeed blessed beyond measure. If you have not, then may we help entice you by sharing what blessings we have in Christ.
I. Established With …………….. v. 21
One definition of the word “Established” is “continuation or permanence.” According to the Word of God we have been established, with permanence, to one another in a continual relationship.
Rom 12:5 So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another. If I may slip a word in here that tells in terms we understand in today’s society…We are part of the FAMILY of God. We are a permanent part. We may not always honor the position but we’re still family, continually. Nothing makes you feel more accepted than knowing you are part of the group. This group is not just a club or fellowship but FAMILY. Being part of the family entitles us to several things…
Romans 8:1There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus.
Romans 3:24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus
Nothing shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ
We are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints,
I Cor. 4:10 ye are wise… strong… and honorable…. in Christ
We have hope in Christ.
We have rejoicing in Christ.
We’re a new creature in Christ.
We have liberty in Christ.
Gal 3:26 For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus
We are blessed with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ.
We have peace in Christ.
This is only a partial list of the wonderful things we have “In Christ.” The list actually goes on and on of the provision that has been made for us as Family members of God’s Family. Stop for a moment and consider what you Got………
ILLUS: Moses was asked of God once…. You ….GOT WHAT..? He answered the Lord, “Just a stick” That little insignificant stick became his companion for the next 40 years and God worked miracle after miracle through it. After some deliberation I’m sure Moses would say…. It is far more than “just a stick.”
What we have in Christ has tremendously blessed us and will continue to bless us throughout eternity. When you think of the togetherness we have as brothers and sisters in the same family, the combined strength, encouragement, wisdom, comfort, confidence, fellowship, and compassion that we share…. Nothing can compare with it. A little thought and evaluation of our possession causes it to take on new value.
The proof of our position is seen in the phrase.. “hath anointed us.” The phrase indicates “to install somebody officially or ceremonially in a position or office” God has established us with one another in an official position for eternity. We are HIS…
II. Sealed Us…………. V. 22
To seal is to preserve and to keep value within. Our text says God is the one who sealed us. 1 Peter 1:5 Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
Our remaining in the family and on our way to heaven does not depend upon our ability to “Hold on” because we are kept by His power.
ILLUS: Ever have fruit or vegetables that you’ve kept in Mason Jars for a period of time for a future date? You open that jar and the contents is as fresh as the day you put it in. A fresh, crisp pickle or sweet blueberries in the middle of the winder, when it can’t be grown for the cold, is a wonderful treat. Our sealing carries the same idea of preservation.
The proof of our sealing is seen in this verse as well… given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts. God doesn’t leave it to wonder for us, here in this life. We can, with confidence, declare our position in Christ. John said, “1 John 5:13 These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.
ILLUS: When you place a bid on a property, in order for them to know you mean business and are surely interested in purchasing …. They require Earnest money. It is money placed down to state your intention is genuine. It is money that you lose if you back out of the deal. It is not something you take a chance with, you’re serious when you place down Earnest money.
When God gave us His Holy Spirit to come and indwell us, as believers, He was and is serious about what He has promised. His intention is genuine and His promise is absolute. Jesus left us with a beautiful promise. John 14 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. His Spirit is His Earnest of that promise.
When you pause to consider what you have IN Christ…
Together IN the Family
IN His promise
IN the Heavenlies
It can’t help but stir your gratitude.
It makes you grateful for what has been given you …
Not because you deserved it …. But because He loves you…
You cannot do anything to cause others to love you…
Real love is unconditional and is extended through Grace.
Unmerited favor…….
The gifts God has given us cannot be obtained from any other source and of no similar magnitude.
ILLUS: There’s a story of a common man who was visited by the Son of the King. The prince was searching for someone he could honestly help. Finding this common man the prince said, “Come with me and I will do thee good.” The man said, “Where do we have to go?” The prince answered, “To my castle.” The man responded with a question after each affirmation the prince would make. His question was, “What’s the catch?” After the promises of a banquet of the finest food, the best accommodations in the land, riches to be lavished upon him, the prince said, “and you can have a bath to wash all the filth off, plus a new wardrobe to wear.” The man, used to living in his common ways said, “Ah hah! I knew there was a catch.”
Listen friend, there is no “catch” with God’s promises.
You are the apple of His eye…
You are His prized possession…
You are His ambassadors…
You are the Crowning work of His creation..
You are the only creature made in His image….
You are so loved that God’s Only Begotten Son died for you..
That is ample reason for gratitude.
We are thankful because of our position
We are thankful because of our possessions
We are thankful because of our promises
We are thankful because it is commanded of us to be… Colossians 3:15
And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.
May this coming Thanksgiving find us flowing over with gratitude.
May our hearts fill to the point of bursting with gratitude when we consider how blessed we really are.
Friend if you do not know Christ…. You are not IN Christ…. You do not KNOW you are the precipitant of God’s Promises… You can be today..
Paul may have been traveling down the wrong road when he trusted Christ as his Savior…. But he sure left us the right road to guide us to heaven. It often has been called the Roman Road.
Romans 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God
Romans 5:12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned
Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Romans 5:8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
Romans 10:9-10 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation
