A Product Of Jesus Christ.
1 Peter 1:18-19AMP
What past shame or guilt is keeping you from being the person God created you to be? Why do you believe the lie that you are defined by your past?
1 Peter 1:18-19AMP For you know that you were not redeemed from your useless [spiritually unproductive] way of life inherited [by tradition] from your forefathers with perishable things like silver and gold, 19 but [you were actually purchased] with precious blood, like that of a [sacrificial] lamb unblemished and spotless, the priceless blood of Christ.
Does your past determine who you are today? Are you still chained to your past? Can you escape the past by ignoring or denying it?
It is true that we can't escape the natural consequences of our past, but our experiences do not keep us from being the people God created us to be.
Because of our faith in the gospel, God’s word, the-(Good News), we have been forgiven, and cleansed of all unrighteousness.
The apostle Paul writes in, 1 Corinthians 1:30NIV It is because of Him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption.
How important is it for us to have knowledge that is smothered with experience, that our Lord Jesus has us?
We’re going to look more at our text, but first, Jesus states in, John 10:29AMP My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater and mightier than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.
Who is them Jesus is referring to?
Author Henri Nouwen liked to give this visual illustration:
I hold out my hands with a gentle but strong cuff. My hands are prepared to hold a bird. I close my hands, I crush and kill the bird.
I fully open my hands, the bird falls to its death. And then he would say, An intimate place is like my cupped hand, neither totally open, nor totally closed. It is the space where growth can take place.
Listen, you have to become firm when it comes to your personal salvation? You have to know that you’re born again. Born from above! P.H
Going back to our text, 1 Peter 1:18TPT For you know that your lives were ransomed once and for all from the empty and futile way of life handed down from generation to generation. It was not a ransom payment of silver and gold, which eventually perishes,
I’m sorry, but our fathers, nor our forefathers had what it took to redeem us. Neither will silver or gold. Money will never redeem you. PH
1 Peter 1:19TPT but the precious blood of Christ—who like a spotless, unblemished lamb was sacrificed for us.
You could say, “The blood of Jesus saved me!” The unblemished Lamb was sacrificed for me!
In the hollow of God's hand, we are in a place of, Intimacy. Growth. Security. I am eternally secure in the hollow of His hand. P.H
God will neither crush us, nor let us fall abandoned.
Psalm 27:10 Even if my father and mother abandon me, the LORD will hold me close.
Isaiah 41:10 Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.
Psalm 63:8 My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me.
Isaiah 46:4 I will be your God throughout your lifetime – until your hair is white with age. I made you, and I will care for you. I will carry you along and save you.
No one, not the devil, nor our enemies–can take us out of Jesus’ hand. In the intimacy of His presence, we need not be afraid. PH
Psalm 139:10 Even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me.
Psalm 73:23 Yet I still belong to you; you hold my right hand.
What is it with God’s right hand? The term, "God’s right hand" in prophecy refers to the Messiah to whom is given the power and authority to subdue His enemies.
You could say, When Jesus rescues you, “His power and authority rescued or delivered.”
Ephesians 1:19–21ESV and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might 20 that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.
Jesus has His right hand out for you, and He always grips you with your right hand. Notice, “Gripping you by the right hand signifies your new position, so Jesus’ position is now your position!” P.H
Psalm 44:3NIV It was not by their sword that they won the land, nor did their arm bring them victory; it was your right hand, your arm, and the light of your face, for you loved them.
Notice, the last few words, for you loved them. The ESV States, You delighted in them. The KJ Says, You favored them.
I want to quickly give you 3 Areas God wants you free in:
People who let their past control them are living in bondage.
God wants you free, Hebrews 8:12 For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.
“God wants you free. God wants your spirit free. God wants your emotions and or mind free. God wants your eyes, mouth, shoes, and hands free.’
‘Listen, when you accepted Jesus, you’re no longer bound!” P.H
2. If Jesus Christ is in me and I am in Him, and Christ is in the Father, what more do I really need?
Jesus states in, John 14:20 On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in Me, and I am in you.
Again, what more do we really need?
3. Freedom is found in trusting God’s resources, not your own.
This I know, We suffer needlessly when we attempt to be our own God, and Satan will use that attempt to jerk us around.
Satan's plan is not to get you drunk, to do drugs, or to have an affair, but he works really hard to get you to live your life independent of God.
Paul warns in, 1 Corinthians 14:20ESV Brothers, do not be children in your thinking. Be infants in evil, but in your thinking be mature.
Independence subdues, or even kills the Holy Spirit’s actions through you. PH
Hear this word, “Heaven is when, we say, thou will be done. Hell is when, God says to us, your will be done.”
Again, Refuse independence from God!
Annabelle Gilliam tells a story of how her son taught her about God's love. Her son, Mason, was about born profoundly retarded, and it got to the point that he had to be institutionalized because he could no longer communicate or even feed himself. Of course, Annabel and her husband still loved and missed him, so they would often bring him home on weekends. One Sunday, a little while before it was time to take Mason back, Annabel was at the kitchen sink washing dishes. Mason was sitting at the table with his eyes fixed. There was food scattered everywhere as Mason stared into space, totally detached from his surroundings. Annabel put her dish cloth aside and knelt down in front of her son and said, “Oh, Mason I love you so much. If only you knew how much I loved you.” But he didn't respond. He couldn’t.
When she went back to the sink with tears flowing down her cheeks, God spoke to her: “Annabel, that is the way I love you. Even if you couldn't perform one deed, or perfectly respond to Me, I would still love you.”
How could I develop the habit of abiding in Jesus’ love? What impact would it have on my life if I practiced His presence 24 hours of every day?
The Kingdom of God is not like the Kingdom of this world. God wants to bless you in many ways:
Psalm 5:12 God blesses and surrounds the righteous man with favor.
Psalm 29:11 The Lord gives strength to his people; the Lord blesses his people with peace.
Psalm 35:27b “The Lord be exalted, who delights in the well-being of his servant.”
Proverbs 3:1-2 God wants to bless those who keep his commandments with peace and long life.
As New Covenant believers, Jesus stated, “As you love God, and love your neighbor, you’re fulfilling all of God’s commands.”
Paul writes in, Galatians 5:6NLT For when we place our faith in Christ Jesus, there is no benefit in being circumcised or being uncircumcised. What is important is faith expressing itself in love.
Your Faith in God is the indicator that you’re for real and sincere.
He wants you to know, Philippians 4:19 God will meet your needs according to His (Jesus’) glorious riches.
1 Timothy 6:17 God wants to richly provide all things for you to enjoy
“To be spiritually alive means that our souls are in union with God.” PH
Did you know that being united with God is most conveyed in the New Testament prepositional phrases, in Christ, or in Him.
These phrases occur 40 times in the book of Ephesians alone.
Hannah Smith, from the book, “The God Of All Comfort.” She writes, The greatest lesson a soul has to learn is that God and God alone is enough for all its needs. This is a lesson that all God's dealings with us are meant to teach, and this is the crowning discovery of our entire Christian life. God is enough! No soul can really be at rest until it has given up dependence on everything else, and has been forced to depend on the Lord alone. As long as our expectation is from other things, nothing but disappointment awaits us. Feelings may change, doctrines and dogmas may be upset, the Christian work may come to nought, prayers may seem to lose their fervency, promises may seem to fail, everything we believe in or depended on may seem to be swept away and only God is left– just God, the bare God, if I may be allowed the expression, simply and only God… Then we must come to the positive conviction that He is, in Himself alone, enough for all our needs and that we may safely rest in Him absolutely and forever.
You want to hear what I’ve learned? I have learned that a mistake is never a failure unless I fail to learn from it. Failure comes when I say, “I was pushed.”
I have to assume responsibility for my attitudes and actions, and then receive the incredible forgiveness and cleansing that comes from our gracious heavenly Father.
Say this with me, “God is enough, because I’m a product of my Lord Jesus Christ.”
Benediction.
