Are we reigning in our real life, through Christ Jesus?
Romans 5:17 “For if by one man’s offense death reigned by one (Adam); much more they that received abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by One, Jesus Christ.”
But how do we do this?
As Christians, we are given the Holy Spirit to reign within us.
I’m sure all of you have heard, that in our hearts and lives there is a throne, where someone must rule.
And a footstool, where someone must serve.
For the natural man, the throne is occupied by themselves. They rule in their lives.
For the Christian, the throne should be occupied by Christ, through the Holy Spirit within. He should rule.
He should rule within us, and through us as we yield to Him. This is “reigning in life”—our life.
This is the same as Ambassadors. Ambassadors are still servants of their countries, but can and do speak for their country. They have been given authority because of their loyalty and service to their government.
For the child of God, our government is the Kingdom of Christ which should be within us.
Ephesians 2:19 “Now therefore we are now no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God;”
Our country is Heaven, and we are children of God. Christ represents us before the Throne of God, as our Mediator. And we represent Him, on earth, in our day to day lives.
It is the Holy Spirit we are to yield to, daily. Giving thanks for all things.
And it is in our everyday life we serve Him most. By being His servants: finding out His will, and being obedient to it.
Romans 5:1-2 “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:
By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.”
We have access granted us, to come boldly to the Throne of grace for our needs.
We have access by faith, into this grace.
Wherein we stand.
Real help to be and do, is here. For this grace is an enabling grace.
We can rejoice in hope.
(Have you ever noticed how many times in Scripture, the words rejoice and joy are mentioned? Our lives are to be joyful ones. We are to mourn that we so often fail Him. But when forgiveness comes, we are to “get up, wash our face, and go on” with Him.)
This hope is a faculty of the Holy Spirit. It is not, “I hope, I hope so”; but the confident expectation that God will do what He said.
It is hope, because we have not yet received what God has promised; but we expect God will do so, for us.
Romans 5:3-4 “And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also; knowing tribulation worketh patience;
And patience, experience, and experience, hope:”
Now, Lord, you must be mistaken! Surely, there is nothing to glory in when we are troubled. (These tribulations here are trials.)
But there is. It is a wonderful paradox of life that we, as children of God, may glory in the trials of the day.
Faith must be tried, to prove it to be real.
How many rejoice in the thought of Heaven, but not in the thought of Christ as Lord?
So our faith will be tried, to see if we will stand in the grace given (And grace is the unmerited favor of power), and stand with Him…..each day.
Patience is acquired as we do stand. (And patience is a very misunderstood grace, I think.)
Patience helps us to wait in hope. (It helps me in traffic, in grocery lines, and yes, in doctor’s offices.)
Patience is that virtue that knows……God knows what is going on and that He is seeing to it;…….even if we can not see Him doing it now.
These will increase our experiences with the Lord. How wonderful to know what He will do for me.
(We have heard and read of what He will do for others, but how great to know what He will do for us.
As Joshua said, “…and ye know in all your hearts and in all your souls, that not one thing hath failed of all the good things which the Lord your God spake concerning you; all are come to pass unto you,…” Joshua 23:14
And we, too, should know this is so, for us…..”not one thing hath failed…. all are come to pass unto you.”)
Which will increase our hope, for future promises and blessings.
Romans 5:5 “And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.”
Faith believes.
Hope enjoys those things that God has prepared for us, for we know His love and faithfulness to us.
It is “taste and see” that the Lord is gracious. (Psalm 34:8)
This is reigning in our real life….for we are reigning with Him, in it.
Preaching, Teaching, and Notes 