Living our best life….in Christ
Now when we think of possessing our possessions….we think of our ministries,…and the promises the Lord has given us.
That is right….
….but each Israelite had personal land…land that was to be their home…that they were personally to fight for…and live in.
In light of their personal possession of their home, let us consider our personal “home” (everyday life)…that we are to possess….and live in.
When we are born again, the Holy Spirit comes within our dead and darkened spirits and enlightens them.
We are given faith, and peace with God (Romans 5:1)…here is the beginning of our possessions.
After God gave the land…now each Israelite must go and build his life on it…so must we.
God has saved us….now we are to have those “spiritual blessings”, which are in heavenly places in Christ…in us.
And there are things we need to get in our lives…and battles we need to fight to keep the personal peace, joy, and love that has been given us by the Lord.
First we need to displace the “Canaanites”.
Israel was to “drive them out”..
…Exodus 23:31-33 “…I will deliver the inhabitants of the land into your hand; and thou shalt drive them out before thee.
Thou shalt make no covenant with them…
They shall not dwell in thy land, lest they make thee to sin against Me;…”
They were not to make peace with them….not to leave them in the land, under tribute (Joshua 16:10)…but drive them out because of the influence they would gain over them.
And we are not to compromise with our old nature which still wants to interfere and rule in our lives.
So we need to “drive out” every habit we have that is from our old life. Unbelief and questioning God’s goodness need to be destroyed…or driven out of our thoughts.
In Hebrews, it is said that the Word needs to be “mixed” with faith…to destroy unbelief in us.
Hebrews 4:2 “For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the Word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.”
As born again ones, we have faith….so when we hear His Word to us…we need to immediately take it back to Him and say…”I believe, help my unbelief….do as Thou has said.”
Besetting sins need to be overcome. (Hebrews 12:1)
We are to hold on to the peace God gives us, removing all the things which hinder our peace.(anxiety, fear, anger, hurt)
When we feel our peace is gone…we need to go to God, remove what hinders,… and have Him renew it.
Isaiah 26:3 “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Thee: because he trusteth in Thee.”
“stay our mind on the Lord…and trust in Him”
We are to build our everyday lives on the Word of God…to read it, know it, and share it.
Here is where the everyday living for Christ comes in.
Dueteronomy 11:20 “And thou shalt write them (God’s Word) upon the door posts of thine house, and upon thy gates:”
On the door posts…that coming in or going out, they would be reminded that that belong to the Lord.
Paul says that we are “builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.” (Ephesians 2:22) Always showing Him in our lives.
Their homes were to be a place that said that the Lord was present. In fact, we are a temple of the living God. (2 Corinthians 6:16)
The Word was to be on the gates…that those passing by, may see this Word and want to know more of the Lord that is spoken of.
2 Timothy 2:25 “In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth;”
And they (and we) are to “love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.” (Duet.6:5)
God should always be first. When God is first…everything else falls into it’s place in our hearts and lives. He is consulted about everything…He is looked to…He is submitted to, and obeyed.
We think of big decisions, but it is in everything:
Proverbs 3:4-5 “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart;…(again it is with all our heart to Him)
….and lean not unto thine own understanding.
In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths.”
Then, they (and we) were to see that their children know the Word of God.
Dueteronomy 6:7 “And thou shalt teach them (the Lord’s commandments)… diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.”
We might all be surprised how our using the Bible in our everyday lives, effects others. (I believe our children first and foremost) We show that it is very practical…that God speaks for now,…for me. We show that He is real…and has a real, living influence on me and my life.
(If you read Deuteronomy 6:20-25, a conversation between child and parent is shown…”when thy son asketh thee in time to come…What mean the testimonies, and the statues, and the judgments, which the Lord…hath commanded you?”
Then a brief history of deliverances is given….what a testimony that would be! Ending with, “and it shall be our righteousness, if we observe to do all these commandments…”)
Then they were called to see to the Levite, the strangers, the fatherless and widows.
Deuteronomy 14:28-29 “At the end of three years thou shalt bring forth all the tithe of thine increase the same year, and shalt lay it up within thy gates:
And the Levite, (because he hath no part nor inheritance with thee,) and the stranger, and the fatherless, and the widow, which are within they gates, shall come, and shall eat and be satisfied; that the Lord thy God may bless thee in all the work of thine hand which thou doest.”
We are called to pray for and be…”kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honor preferring one another.” (Romans 12:10)
Simply we are be genuinely considerate of our brothers and sisters in Christ. Praying for them, and seeking to help them, if we can.
We are called to…”If it be possible, as much that lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.” (Romans 12:18)
We are not to go along with them….but seek their peace with the Lord Jesus Christ.
God had a great life….full of His Word and blessings…for HIs people, Israel…in their promised land….in their personal home.
(If you would read the laws concerning their lives in the promised land…there were many times of feasting and rejoicing, before the Lord…both at the Tabernacle and in their gates.)
God has a great life for us, as well….
Ours is not a place, but a Person….
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:” (Ephesians 1:3)
…”all”…what a tremendous word…describing the numbers, the greatness, the variety of the blessings we have….in our inheritance….in Christ.
Preaching, Teaching, and Notes 