KEY SCRIPTURE: Colossians 1:27 ” To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:”

Our key scripture says the mystery which has been hidden since the creation of the world is now made known to men. This mystery is Christ in all those who believe in Him. This experience is the hope of glory.

God our Father has planned that one day all mankind or all those who will come to faith in Jesus Christ would have the Christ in them. Christ means the anointed one. It also means the anointing. This refers to the Spirit of God that worked in Jesus and did all the works, was to reside in men as well.

The scripture said in Acts 10:38 that, how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed of the devil for God was with Him. This anointing that was on Him was to reside in all men who would acknowledge Him as Lord over their lives.

In Luke 4:18, the Lord said the Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to preach the good news to the poor…… This anointing the Lord talked about was to be in all those who would submit to His Lordship over their lives .They would also have this anointing to preach to the poor, bind up the broken-hearted, preach deliverance to the captives and many more.

Well this is a news too good to be true. It is indeed a great mystery unveiled. To appreciate what this implies can turn supermen out of most of us. There is nothing that this anointing cannot do. There is no power greater than this anointing. This meant those who come to terms with the real implications of this fact CANNOT be over powered by any form of satanic oppression of any sort. Note: it is the truth you truly embrace or submit to that totally rule you and manifests completely in you. Christ in you is indeed the hope of glory. You can say with Paul ‘I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me’.

 You can also overcome every challenge through Christ who lives in you (1st John 4:4).

 CONFESSION

Christ is in me, what a truth to be aware of. I am made an instant champion in life that conquered in life has now taken His abode in me. Thank you Jesus.

FURTHER STUDIES.

John 8:12 ” Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life”

1 John 4:4 ” Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.”

KEY SCRIPTURE: Galatians 5:13, ” For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.”

Our key scripture informs us that we have been called unto liberty.

There are certain liberties that our salvation which has brought us into the grace of God, has given to us as Christians. Colossians 2:20-22  ” Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances, (Touch not; taste not; handle not; Which all are to perish with the using;) after the commandments and doctrines of men?”

Our place in Christ have set us free from all these ordinances and customary laws, yet not from God’s moral laws. Our key scripture admonishes us not to use our liberties as an occasion for the flesh. The law came so man could realise his flesh can’t meet God’s standards. God’s plan is for man to live by his spirit which has been recreated by him. Anything that causes man to function and to be dominated by the flesh leads him away from fellowship with the Lord.

God’s reason for creating us is to fellowship with us. Jesus said the time cometh when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth. (John 4:24) .Worship here entails every aspect of our life. The word is fellowship. The flesh always put man outside coverage area from the Father. It deprives God of his number one desire for creating men that is, to have fellowship with men. God fellowships with men as the Spirit of God functions through men. The Lord then advises us as follows “This I say then, walk in the Spirit and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh”. Galatians 5:16.

We must not use our liberties as an occasion for the flesh. There are a lot of Christians who claim they are living under grace so they do whatever their flesh tells them: these people claim God’s grace abounds when sin abounds. Please if you talk or think this way then you have no spiritual and scriptural understanding.

Please listen carefully, the fall of man was simply a shifting from living by the spirit to be dominated by the flesh. When man’s flesh leads him Satan has total mystery over man. The bible said man becomes an enemy of God if he gets fleshy or carnal.

Dear child of God please heed to the advice of the Holy Spirit use not your liberties as an occasion to satisfy the flesh.

 CONFESSION

I am born of the Spirit to live by the Spirit in order to please my Father. I will never give any occasion to the flesh to control me.

FURTHER STUDIES.

Galatians 5:17-18  ” For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.”

Romans 8:7-8 ” Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God”.

KEY SCRIPTURE: Romans 6:14 ” For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace”.

We look further into living under the law and its implications. What is the law? The law is God’s righteous demands that He expects all men to comply with but with no divine provisions to do or obey it. (Romans 3:19)

The law demands man’s effort. Grace is obtained through faith. Grace is receiving the ability of the Spirit to function through you. According to Romans 3:19 the law was given to expose the weakness of men, so man could turn to God. Romans 3:20 reads “Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in His sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin“. Why would no man by justified by attempting to live by the law? The law exposes man’s weakness, and living by the law is not of faith. It is called the works of the law (flesh). Men are only justified by faith. (Rom 5:1) No man would be justified or declared righteous by his or her attempt to live by the law.

 Somebody may ask, is the law evil. No and a big No. As I’ve defined in the definition of the law, it is God’s righteous demands. It is not sinful or evil. Living by the law is not by faith. God’s way of pleasing Him is living by faith. (Hebrews 11:6). Please listen to something very serious in Galatians 3:10 ” For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written cursed is everyone that continueth not in all things written in the book of the law to do them”.

When is one living under the law? Anytime you do not trust the Spirit of Christ to work through you, rather you act by your own ability. Any believer who commits sin is not living by grace, rather he is living by his own effort. Living by the grace of God makes us super humans. It is living by a higher and superior ability. This is what Philippians 2:3 says “for it is God which works in you, both to will and to do of His good pleasure”. Living under grace is a great privilege. It makes all the potentials of God available to us. You can’t be defeated living according to His grace.

  CONFESSION

I am living by the grace of God. I have therefore received God’s supernatural abilities causing me to do excellent things. My love life has been catapulted to a glorious state by God’s divine provisions.

FURTHER STUDIES.

2 Peter 1:4 “Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust”.

Galatians 3:12 ” And the law is not of faith: but, the man that doeth them shall live in them.”

Galatians 3:24 “Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith”.

KEY SCRIPTURE: Romans 6:14” For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace”.

The apostle Paul made a profound statement as captured in our key Scripture. This says sin shall not have dominion over any Christian because he or she is not under the law, but under grace.

Some have preached and argued that it is the law that keeps us upright, yet why does the bible make this statement? To correct such people it is not apostle Paul who made that statement, but rather it is the Holy Spirit speaking through him.

If the above statement surprises you just consider this other one in 1st Corinthians 15:55, 56 ” O death where is thy sting? O grave where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin, and strength of sin is the law “. This implies that any man who claims to be living under the law is a servant to sin. Why is this so?

Please read Romans 7:7-11. I believe the apostle Paul wrote this piece as a revelation of his life as a natural man or when he had not come to know Christ (since he said I was carnal sold under sin. This is the state of the unsaved), this narration should not be the experience of a Christian. In Paul’s narration he was well and doing good until the law came. “He said in Romans 7:9 “for I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived and I died”. Sin was already in him but the law came exposing his weakness that is sin.

This is not so when a person is under the grace of God. Please get this information clear, grace is not just God overlooking wrong actions, no! Grace is far more than that. To be under the grace of God means you have received a divine ability that empowers you to overcome. For the Christian living under grace, it means the Spirit of Christ takes over your being and leads the life through you.

The bible says in Romans 8:9, 10 that if a person does not have the Spirit of Christ he is none of His. If the Spirit of Christ lives in you the body is dead (that is it is relegated to the background and the Spirit is alive). This makes you live by the power of the Spirit. It is the Spirit of Christ actively working through you that faces the challenges that come up against you. The scripture said sin cannot have dominion over you because it is no longer you but Christ (Gal.2:20), if you are under grace.   All those people who claim they are living under the law are grossly deceived.

   CONFESSION

I am in Christ therefore I am under the grace of God. I overcome all sins and live above every carnal way. My life is full of peace and joy.

FURTHER STUDIES.

Romans 8:9 ” But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his”.

Galatians 5:4 “Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace”.

KEY SCRIPTURE: 2 Corinthians 5:21 ” For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”

One truth taught in the Pauline revelations is the believer’s righteousness.

After the fall of man, he became a slave to the devil. Spiritual death and all forms of negative things filled him. Man was a total failure.(Rom 3:23) He was constantly dominated by guilt and a sin consciousness. It is sin consciousness that led to the failure of men. It gave birth to sinful habits, fear and a total submission to Satan.

Men had their way of righteousness, which is by effort. In the Pauline revelations

 We learnt about   God’s righteousness which comes by faith in God. It is a gift (Rom. 5:17) Righteousness gives us absolutely boldness before the Father. (Proverbs 28:1) It gives us an ability to stand before the father without any sense of guilt. It produces prayer results. This kind of righteousness makes us superior to the devil as it makes us light (John 8:12, Matthew 5:14). Satan is darkness.

In the Pauline revelations, Romans 5:17 says that all those who have received this gift of righteousness reign in life. The word in the Greek language is, they ‘king’ in this life.

Our key scripture shows us that God has made our Lord Jesus to be sin for us, so we would become the righteousness of God in Him. Please think about it. We are the very righteousness of God.  This is the rightness of God imparted to our Spirit. It means we are no more failures but successful people.  Think of yourself that way.

God’s righteousness makes us a solution to many who are defeated in sin and tormented by the already defeated devil.  Please note that as a gift, “God’s righteousness is fixed”. We have it in its completed form, just as Jesus and the Father has. It can’t be made bigger or smaller. We must therefore produce acts and deeds of righteousness. (Ephesians 2:10). We are designed for one purpose, to do good works.

 Produce love deeds, set the oppressed free and bless our world. This is the path that our father has ordained for us to walk in.

  CONFESSION

I am the righteousness’ of God, free from every sense of guilt, condemnation and defeat. I can’t be defeated in any way for there is no failure in my nature. I am a success.

FURTHER STUDIES

Philippians 1:11 Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God”.

Romans 3:21-22 ” But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference”:

KEY SCRIPTURE: John 16:12-13” I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come”.

In our previous study we learnt that our Lord Jesus did not live under the New Testament. (Gal.4:4) Most of His teachings were to people under the Old Testament. After His death and resurrection the New Testament actually began.

One thing to note about the Bible is that, it is, a progressive revelation of truth. There is a building up of   truth from time to time. An example is when the Lord was on earth He said in Matthew 15:24 that “But He answered and said, l am not sent but to the lost sheep of the house of Israel”. Well after He rose up from the grave listen to what He asked His disciples to do”, Matthew 28:19 “Go ye therefore and teach all nations……” This time He did not say go to the lost sheep of the household of Israel but to the whole world.  Scripture is a progressive revelation.

 What He taught some time ago would be a basis to teach something higher. But please note the Bible after the book of Revelations has no new teaching. Revelation 22:18 “For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book,  if any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book.”

In the light of what I have said above some of the teachings the Lord gave when He was physically here have been deepened in the New Testament period.

One such teaching is in Matthew 16:24 “Then said Jesus unto His disciples, if any man will come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross and follow me”. This is a very powerful truth, yet after the death and resurrection of the Lord, He teaches us something higher.

This time we are not taking up our cross we are dead and gone; with Christ living in us now.  Romans 6:11 says “Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin but alive unto God. Through our Lord Jesus Christ”. Because our Lord Jesus died we died with Him.  Apostle Paul who received this revelation and insight said in Galatians 2:20 that “I am crucified with Christ nevertheless I live yet not I but Christ lives in me: and the life which I live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me”. Earlier the Lord taught us to take up our cross, now He is teaching us that we are actually dead.  It is Christ who is presently living in us.

 We must live as people who are dead but it is Christ who is actively living in us.

 CONFESSION

I am born again with the life of God in me. This makes me one with Jesus sharing His death. It is Christ who is living through me.

 FURTHER STUDIES

Colossians 2:11 “In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ”:

Romans 6:6 ” Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.”

KEY SCRIPTURE: Ephesians 3:2-3 ” If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward: How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words,”

We start a new series of study which would help us understand the Bible and the Christian life in a clearer way. The Pauline revelations are truths that the Holy Spirit showed him, by which he wrote a great part of the New Testament

In our key scripture Apostle Paul writing to the brethren in Ephesus wrote as follows Ephesians 3:.2, 3 “if ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward. How that by Revelation he made known unto me the mystery (as I wrote afore in few words….). The apostle said God by revelation of Jesus unto him taught him certain truths which he calls the ‘dispensation of grace ‘ for the gentiles. This information he received by revelation has been a mystery (that is, it has been hidden) but has been revealed unto him.

I wish to take us back to the time just before our Lord was crucified. He gave some information to the disciples about the ministry of the Holy Spirit when He comes to them. The Lord said in John 16:12, 13 that “I have yet many things to say unto you, but you cannot bear them now. Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth is come, he will guide you into all truth, for he shall not speak of Himself, but whatsoever he shall hear that shall he speak”.

The Lord Jesus did not live under the New Testament, he lived under the law or the Old Testament. Galatians 4:4 “But when the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth His son, made of a woman, made under the law”. Because he lived under the law all the people he related with lived under the law so it was very difficult for him to explain matters under the New Testament to them….

Note: the period of the law is what is referred to as the old covenant or Old Testament. The New Testament is also referred to as the period of the grace of God .That was why He said He had a lot to tell them but they can’t bear or understand them. The Lord had to wait till the new covenant or New Testament was started so that every truth which had been hidden could be made known.

The Lord announced the commencement of the New Testament in Matthew 26:28 “For this is the blood of the new testament (or new covenant), which is shared for many….”. The New Testament began after the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ

.Therefore most part of the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John  were the old testament ,although  John wrote with an understanding of the grace of God.

All that Apostle Paul and the other apostles taught were revelations that the Lord through the Holy Spirit gave them (Ephesians 3:5)

 PRAYER

Heavenly Father open my eyes to the wondrous  truths in thy word and grant me a heart to understand your word, in Jesus name.

FURTHER STUDIES.

Ephesians 3:5 ” Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit;”

Colossians 1:27 ” To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory”:

KEY SCRIPTURE: Psalms 145:8-9 “The LORD is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy. The LORD is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works”.

Another way to appreciate God’s healing provisions and to receive it, is to understand God’s mercy.

God’s mercy and compassion makes Him reach out to us to do us good.  Normally the same Hebrew word is used for both words, mercy and compassion. It therefore implies that to have mercy is to be full of compassion.

The mercy of God is His character that makes Him withhold what we deserve in terms of punishing us for our offences, but saves us instead. This is a very important character of God that should ignite in us a sense of acceptance, knowing that God desires to see us well.

 Let’s look at Mark 1:40, 42 “and there came a leper to him, beseeching him and kneeling down to him. If thou will thou can make me clean. And Jesus moved with compassion put forth his hand and touched Him, and saith unto him I will be thou clean. And as soon as he had spoken immediately the leprosy departed from him and he was cleansed”.

According to the Law of Moses, Leviticus 13:45, the leper was to move around crying unclean, unclean so that people would keep away from him. If anyone was to touch Him, that person would be unclean for a whole day and must be purified.

The Lord Jesus knew this law yet out of mercy or compassion He stretched forth His hand and touched him and healed him. The man also inquired that if the Lord willed, He could heal him. The Lord out of compassion also said He wills. Please understand that for Jesus to touch the man meant he was identifying with him. The Lord did not heal this man because he was God, but according to the Bible because of His compassion .Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever.

 Dear child of God, the Lord’s compassion is always available to respond to the pain and hurt of humanity. Our key scripture says the Lord is gracious and full of compassion slow to anger and great in mercy. The Lord is good to all: and His tender mercies are over all His work”. God is good to all. You are included. His tender mercies is over all His works or handiwork.

Please be confident that God is very compassionate towards you, and so, you must joyfully accept   your healing today.

 PRAYER

God my father, your compassion never fails, so I open up my heart to receive your provisions of health for me today. Thank you so much   Father, in Jesus name.

FURTHER STUDIES.

2 Corinthians 1:3 ” Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies,and the God of all comfort”;

Matthew 20:34 ” So Jesus had compassion on them, and touched their eyes: and immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed him”.

KEY SCRIPTURE: Mark 11:23  ” For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith”

We look further into how to speak to our bodies to effect. Changes in our health status. (I am making these repetitions to help you to be established in this truth)

I will first give an illustration to explain this point. I prayed for a sister who has been suffering from a health condition .She has been in this condition for quite a long time. After praying for her I asked her to always declare to her body that the condition is gone and she is completely well. I met her a few days afterwards and told me she has seen a great improvement in her condition. She added, I never knew one could speak to his or her body”. (Many people also. don’t know that too)

This is the truth.  God had ordained authority in your mouth (Psalm 8:2). Use your mouth to take you to where you want to be, and how you want to lead your life.

How does one speak to his or her body and get results?

Everything or action of the Christian must be done in faith, if it must attract God’s approval (Hebrews 11:6). Speak to your body in faith. React with anger and attack the condition declaring to it, to go. You can pray in tongues till you have the note of victory in your heart, and then prophecy over it. The scripture said in James 4:7   that you “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you”. Do this in faith. Doing something in faith is to have an assurance in your heart about what God has said.

Please after you made the first command for the condition to change, don’t stop talking to the condition. Keep declaring the word of God to your body. Tell the condition that it is well with you, and that it is gone. In such moments please don’t be occupied with the condition if it seems not to change. Your words of command in faith is perfecting everything for you. Everything responds to the word of God. So long as you are standing on God’s word to make those declarations be very confident you are winning.

Do not allow fear to enter into your heart. Keep your assurance in God’s word anticipating that everything is perfect, Hebrews 10:35 “Cast not away therefore your confidence, which has great recompense of reward”. The verse 36 reads “for ye have need of patience that after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise”.

CONFESSION

I would maintain my confession of victory, irrespective of what I feel, see or hear. My confidence always brings me great recompense of reward.

FURTHER STUDIES

Philippians 1:28 ” And in nothing terrified by your adversaries: which is to them an evident token of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that of God”.

Psalms 8:2 “Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies, that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger”.

KEY SCRIPTURE: Proverbs 18:21” Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.”

In this study I wish to iterate (repeat) the importance of hearing and speaking God’s word for your healing. This is a very important act, yet many people do not practice it. They wait and hope something good happens to them.

Dear child of God something good would only happen if you would say or speak out the word of God and then act on it. Everyone is saved or born again through hearing the word of God and confessing what the word says about salvation. Romans 10:10 says “For with the heart man believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation”. Without this way no one can be saved. The principle is hearing the words of salvation, believing them and then saying it. For your healing you’ve got to do same. I wish to illustrate this with a story Rev. Kenneth Hagin once shared.

He said he went to pray for a woman who had been diagnosed with cancer. He shared the word of God with this so called hopeless case. The lady received the word and kept saying God’s word to herself. (She said something like; with the stripes of Jesus i am healed)After sometime the doctors who diagnosed her to have cancer could not find any trace of the cancer cells in her body. She was healed by hearing and speaking God’s word.

It takes one’s faith to activate God’s Power into operation. God would always want His children to be whole. It takes them to exercise their faith in God. All that you need to do is to hear God’s word. Keep hearing the word. Then confess the word, and keep confessing the word. Do not doubt the word but thank the Lord that everything is well with you.

If doctors have told you there is a problem with your reproductive system, please do not be dismayed and throw in the towel. Look for one or two scriptures that talk about fruitfulness. Read them and start saying them to yourself. God raises the dead and calls that which be not as though they were.

 *As your God your Father is, so are you. You have creative power in you use it

   CONFESSION

The word of God in my heart and my mouth is just like God declaring them. I have whatever I believe and declare according to the promise of scripture.

FURTHER STUDIES

John 1:1, 3 ” In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made”.

2 Corinthians 4:13 ” We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak”;