KEY SCRIPTURE: Romans 10:9 “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.”

Once again the Holy Spirit unfolds a very important truth about partaking of our salvation in our key scripture. Salvation is an all-inclusive word. It means to be saved from sin, healed from diseases, preserved from trouble, to be at peace, deliverance from demonic activities as well as any form of comfort that a man would need.

We learn from our key scripture that it takes believing in our hearts that o u r Lord Jesus was raised from the dead, and confessing with our lips, the lordship of Jesus to be saved..

The heart is the centre of the human being. I am not talking about our physical heart. This word heart is at times used interchangeably to mean the mind and emotions which is the soul or to mean the spirit of man. “For the word of God is quick and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thought and intents of the heart”(Hebrews 4:12). Our heart is the seat of thoughts and decisions. The heart therefore controls the direction and general state of every man.

How do we believe with the heart?

Without believing with the heart our salvation cannot be complete. To believe with the heart means you are ready to throw your whole weight or life on what you have believed. One may believe with his head. In this instant he is not ready to cast his life on what he claims to believe. It is called mental assent.

Believing with the heart is to let the word settle in your being without giving attention to other opposing or conflicting situations. This piece of scripture of promise becomes your meditation and rejoicing. For example if the Bible says “Himself took our infirmities and bore our diseases…..” (Matt 8:17). Within you, you focus on this scripture thanking God and rejoicing that there is no more disease in your body. You no longer accept any contrary symptoms although they may be showing up.

You keep this scripture at heart and you do not attend to any other contrary thoughts. The Lord said in Mark 11:23 as follows “Whosoever shall say unto this mountain be thou removed and be cast into the sea and shall not doubt in his heart but shall believe that those things he saith shall come to pass, he shall have whatsoever he saith”. This simply means accept the word as it is and act on it.This is what it means to believe with the heart.

   CONFESSION

With my heart I believe all that the word says. I cast my whole being on what the scripture says without any hesitation or negative anticipations. All things are always possible with me because I believe with my heart.

FURTHER STUDIES:

Psalms 112:7-8  ” He shall not be afraid of evil tidings:his heart is fixed, trusting in the LORD. His heart is established, he shall not be afraid, until he see his desire upon his enemies”.

Romans 10:10 ” For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation

KEY SCRIPTURE: Romans 4:20 “He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God”;

Our key scripture once again reveals a truth which was rather silent in the story of Abraham in the book of Genesis.

Abraham did not grow weak in faith through unbelief but rather became strong in faith giving glory to God.Giving God the glory always strengthens faith. True faith in God always celebrates the answer before it materialises. Anybody who claims he has faith yet is worried or complains does not know what he is talking about.

Faith in God is the answer for worry, fear, anxiety and most of the emotional mishaps that most people go through.

What made Abraham so joyful although the answer seem not to come to pass? Abraham understood the significance of a covenants. He knew that in a covenant relationship there was no room for unfaithfulness. He therefore did not consider all the negatives that was with him and his wife. (Rom. 4:19). Faith is always weakened when one is overtaken by the negative situations that may be showing up.

When Peter walked on the water in Matthew 14:25-29, it was the billowing waves and the high winds coupled with the knowledge that water does not hold anybody up. These natural reasoning killed his faith and therefore he began to sink.

These wrong reasoning or negatively being conscious of the potential for failure is overcome by voicing out praises unto God. Speak forth what the Lord says. Thank God for victory through his word. Declare boldly what the word says. Positive words would likewise stir up positive faith. Abraham gave glory to God. He said words like’ God you have made me the father of many nations and my wife is the mother of princes. You are the strong and faithful one. I thank you that I have my Isaac’. This was the daily declarations of Abraham. Now note this don’t say words like I know God would make all things beautiful in his time. This statement is a postponement of your answer. Faith always takes a hold of the answer in your heart, not anticipating that the answer would come one day but rather, it is with you.

 CONFESSION,

I praise the Lord for his everlasting faithfulness. I have whatever promise God has given me by faith. It hank and celebrate my answer today praise the Lord, Hallelujah!

FURTHER STUDIES:

Psalms 23:1 “The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want”.

John 16:33. “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.”

KEY SCRIPTURE: Hebrews 11:1. Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

Our key scripture is the best definition for faith. It is also a very powerful revelation that the Holy Spirit gave us. Faith is a very important subject to study and to live by. The Bible said by it the elders obtained a good report.(Hebrews 11:2) One cannot be ignored and missed up in the crowd when one walks by faith. Without faith one cannot please God. (Hebrews 11:6)

Our key scripture teaches that faith is a present moment assurance or possession of something hoped for. It is a title deed of something that is not physically at hand. A celebration of an anticipated answer.  Faith in God is a confidence assurance of a promise that God has given. Faith focuses on the promise of God,and not the challenges around. Faith in God is spiritual and supernatural, so it is always superior to every natural opposition.

Hope is an anticipation or an expectation and faith takes a hold of that which hope has obtained.

Faith and hope are partners. Hope always go ahead and faith comes along to take a hold of that which hope has had. Without hope standing up faith is paralyzed.

Although faith always dares the impossible, it rests on the mightiness and faithfulness of God. It is always the reliability of God that makes his words gives birth to faith. Romans 10:17″So then faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God”. If your faith is getting weak, what you need mainly is to give yourself a high dose of the word of God.

 Faith’s achievements in a man are as God himself, for faith is God acting through a man….. The Lord said all things are possible to him who believes. (Mark 9:23)

The scripture narrates a few of the works of faith in God in Hebrews 11:33-34 “Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouth of lions,quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to fight the armies of the aliens”

These feats are continually being wrought by all those who take the path of walking in faith. Faith in God and faith to dare the impossible is normally not popular yet those who stand for God are always celebrated. Be among those who would be celebrated for their faith in God.

   CONFESSION

My faith in God is forever alive.By it all things are possible to me. Life is exciting and beautiful because of faith in God. Faith in God always pleases him.

FURTHER STUDIES:

Matthew 14:29.  “And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus.”

Mark 9:23 “Jesus said unto him,If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth”.   

KEY SCRIPTURE: Romans 4:17 “(As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were”.

The Holy Spirit once again exposes a truth that we all need to pay a closer attention to. It was said about Abraham in Gen 17:5 as follows “Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram but thy name shall be called Abraham for a father of many nations have I made thee. Abram means exalted father, but the Lord changed his name and called him Abraham. Abraham means father of many nations. It implied God had made him a father of many nations. Apostle Paul through the Holy Spirit said that God calls those things which be not as though they were and he also quickens the dead.

These truths reveal a very important fact about the nature of God. We realize that what God promises to happen in the future must be treated as to have happened.  He also gives life to that which might be dead. What he (Paul) is saying is that when dealing with a promise of God count it done.

There are two things that are impossible to men:

1. The things that does not exist.

2. That which is dead.

 From our key scripture, the Lord calls that which is not as though it was. This is what we call faith. Faith always sees what should be in the future now. Faith does not know it would happen tomorrow, but it has happened. (Hebrews 11:1)This is the realm of God. If that which God is relating with is dead He gives life to it.

We must approach God’s promises on this principle. We must believe that what we hope to have in the future is present with us now. The word impossible is not in God’s vocabulary. It is in the vocabulary of fallen men. Now that we are born again we are alive unto God(Ephesians. 2:1)

To partake of the promises of God you must also go into God’s realm and call that which should be in the future now or today. If some condition is dead declare that life has come into it. Praise God about it. You cannot be disappointed.

  CONFESSION

I live in the realm of God that is the realm of faith. I do not live in the future concerning God’s promises, they are all now with me. In this way I always experience the reality of His promises.

Further studies.

Hebrews 11:1 “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen”.

Romans 10:10. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation”.

KEY SCRIPTURE: Galatians 6:1” Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted”.

Our key scripture shows us the right attitude to have when helping a brother who has been overtaken by a fault.

The Lord once admitted that, we would   always have the poor with us. (Matthew 26:11). In the same understanding we would also always have brothers and sisters who would be overtaken in a fault. We must accept that we all don’t have the same understanding towards the bible neither do we all respond to the scriptures in a similar way. How do we handle such a person who has been overtaken in a fault?

Our key scripture shows us the attitude we have to take. We must approach them with the Spirit of meekness. Meekness is humility in action. This implies you must not attend to him or her with an ‘I am a better person attitude’. A humble mind is the one who accepts that I am whatever I am not by my efforts but by the grace of God. It is approaching the brother not with a condemning attitude. He said in the key scripture, “considering yourself lest thou also be tempted”.

Whenever a brother approaches a fallen one who has been over taken in a fault and condemns him or her, this person who condemns has thrown away the grace of God. Without the grace of God everyone is incapable, unqualified and guilty. To handle a brother without God’s grace is like using your bare hands to handle a life wire. You would surely be electrocuted. How does this happen? When you approach with a condemning attitude, you have no divine protection, and the very power or demon that deceived him would easily over power you and cause you to do even worse.

Never act in any moment as a Christian without the grace of God. This implies you should not be legalistic and condemn others. (Luke 6:37). What did those men who brought the lady who was supposed to be caught in the act of adultery do, after Jesus had asked them to cast their stones, if they had not sinned before? None could cast their stone because every man had an area he or she falls short. (John 8:3-11). Don’t cast any stone at anyone. Do not add your voice to accuse another brother or sister in their absence. If you do any of these things you are judging and condemning others.

 PRAYER

I pray for all those who have been over taken in a fault or sin. May the Holy Spirit open up their eyes and strengthen them to rise above whatever has caused their fall and never to go back into sin again.

FURTHER STUDIES.

Luke 6:37 ” Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven:”

James 5:20 “Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins”.

KEY SCRIPTURE: Galatians 5:6. For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love.

Our key scripture establishes one basic fact, that, observing the works of the law by one’s effort does not meet God’s approval, but trusting in the Lord to work through you.

 Man by nature likes to do than to trust. In the garden of Eden God made man like Himself (Gen 1:26-28).They did not need to do any more things to remain that way ,but only to trust the word of God  and keep pleasing God always. The bible said when the devil through the serpent told them there was something to do to become like God, they chose to stop believing God and to eat of the tree. They fell out of faith with God. .  It is faith which works by love that is what matters unto God. This two virtues are most important unto God. Faith basically relates more to God whiles love relates more to God and our fellow man.

Our heavenly Father wants our actions to be motivated mostly by our faith in Him through our love for Him and for our fellow men. Faith in God is strengthened by our love for God. Faith is the force that unites us to God. Faith is God working through a man. Faith is strong in our heart when love for God is also very strong. 1st John 4:17 “Herein is our love made perfect that we may have boldness in the day of judgement…..”. Having boldness in the day of judgement is a demonstration of our faith. In the light of this if our faith should be strong then our love should be stronger.

Faith takes a hold of all that Jesus is and has done. This is what matters in our relationship to God. Human effort or human abilities cannot meet God’s requirements. Our key scripture says circumcision or non-circumcision does not matter. These things refer to what men do rather than believing God. There are a number of Christians who show outward gestures like giving long religious prayers putting up religious expression when fasting and many more.  These things are done to attract people’s attention. All these are human efforts that is not based on trust in God to be justified by Him.

The Christian experience is only acceptable before God when the Spirit of God is the one acting or doing the work through us. It is faith in God that makes the Spirit to work through us.

One may preach but with a mind to attract attention to himself or herself. This is of the flesh. Some sing in churches to show how good they can sing. All these have nothing to do with faith. God is not involved with anything not of faith. Faith always seeks God’s honour not man’s.

  CONFESSION

Everything I do, I do to honour God and it is done by faith. I do nothing to attract men’s to myself. All is done to bring glory to Him.

FURTHER STUDIES.

Hebrews 11:6 ” But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him”.

Hebrews 11:1 …” Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen”.

KEY SCRIPTURE: Galatians 5:25 “If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.”

Our key scripture is one of the amazing revelations that came to Apostle Paul. It says all Christians have relocated. They no longer live in the flesh but in the Spirit. (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….” The Bible calls this life in the spirit as in Christ.

The dwelling place of the Christian is ‘ in Christ’. We live in the Spirit by our spirit which is one with the Spirit of Christ. (1st Corinthians 6:17). Romans 8:10 says “And if Christ be in you the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness”. A Christian is not a man or a woman of the flesh. It is the Spirit in Him that leads and rules him.

Our key scripture says “If we live in the Spirit let us also walk in the Spirit”. In the new testament Greek language from which the New testament was translated, there are a number of translations in the Greek given to the word “walk” depending on the intended meaning carried by the context of the message. In our key scripture the word in Greek is “stoicheo” from which the word “stoic”. This word means strong, rigid, firm, disciplined. The word walk therefore means “to proceed in a row as the march of soldiers, or go in an orderly manner”.

To walk in the Spirit therefore means to be disciplined and go in a strict order of the Spirit. There is no grounds for personal considerations. Every step must be in the path the spirit goes. One may ask, what is the practical way to walk in the Spirit? This question is answered in the following scripture. Romans 8:5 “For they that are after the flesh do MIND the things of the flesh; but they that are after in the spirit the things of the spirit”. The state of your mind determines where you are, whether the flesh or Spirit. The things of the Spirit are simply what the word of God talks about. When your mind is filled with the word of God and your considerations and desires are to honour what the word says, then you are in the Spirit.

To walk in the Spirit is to do what the word of God says. Living a life of faith is walking in the Spirit. This is the place of true liberty and peace.

 CONFESSION

I live in the Spirit and walk in the Spirit. I live above the dictates and influences of this world and the flesh. My life continually experiences God’s peace blessings and prosperity in Jesus name.

FURTHER STUDIES.

Galatians 5:16 “This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh”.

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.”

KEY SCRIPTURE: Romans 6:16 ” Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?”

The last action word for us to consider as we look at how to live a victorious life is obey.

Obedience is to bring yourself under a regulation, instruction or command so that you do as directed. Obedience is always initiated by humility. Humility is an inner decision to do what God ask you to do. As you obey the word you build a resistance to sin. The more you do the word, the more sin can’t influence you. Obedience is the door way to divine approval. It is also the access to a divine encounter. Obedience is the consummation of one’s believe. Until you act on what you claim you believe you have not really believed.

James 2:26 says the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead. Act on the word of God. Many Christians complain about how weak they are. They ask, how I can become a strong Christian. To be a strong Christian simply obey the instructions of scripture. If the Bible ask you to stop a habit, quickly stop it. There are certain things that may not be sinful acts in themselves, but they may be weights to prevent you from making wide strides in your journey. An example is watching television for hours. It may not be sinful in itself but it deems your light and gradually quenches your fire. To obey the Lord just stop them.

Many people just keep praying asking the Lord to make them obey. Obedience is acting on what the word says. Philippians 2:13 says “for it is God which works in you, both to will and to do of His good pleasure”. God is already at work in you both to will and to do. Please know that you have a superior power available within you. Just do as the word says and it will not be by your ability but by His ability. How do we work miracle in our lives? Miracles are divine acts or deeds that he works as we act on his word. Anytime we receive an instruction and obey or act on it a supernatural power takes over our human faculties.

All you need is the decision to follow up with the instructions. The moment you stay with the word to do it, God’s strength takes over and you do the particular thing not by your ability but God’s strength. Just act on the word.

CONFESSION

Obedience to God in all things is the simple way to know Him on a more personal level. I always do what He says. I experience His presence and power as I honour his word in my life.

FURTHER STUDIES.

1 Samuel 15:22  “And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams”.

Hebrews 5:8 “Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered”;

KEY SCRIPTURE: Romans 6:13 ” Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God”.

The next action word to consider is yield. The word yield in the Greek language means to stand beside or to place besides. In our modern language it means to present, to provide or to make available.

This point is very vital in our call to stay away from sin and live unto righteousness. Romans 12:1 reads “I beseech you therefore, brethren by the mercies of God that ye present your bodies as living sacrifice, holy and acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service”. The scripture asks us to give up ourselves unto God. We must present our lives in trust to the Lord.

We must not give ourselves to the wrong appetites of our flesh. Romans 8:10 says “If Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin…” The body should not be your master or leader. Give this body over to the Lord.

The first part of our body to be yielded unto the Lord is our mind. The mind is the steering wheel of the body. What occupies the mind controls and directs the body. Yield the mind unto the word of God. Let the considerations and meditations of the mind continually be on the word of God. Satan and his demons know very well that if they are able to take over the mind they can control the rest of the body and make it do what they want. Yield your mind by thinking on things that are scriptural. Philippians 4:8 says “Finally my brethren whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report, if there be any virtue and if there be any praise think on these things”  if children of God would only yield their minds to the above prescription on what to think about wrong actions would have no place.

We also have to yield our bodies to doing good things. Give yourself to the study of the Bible, yield your body to joining other believers in worship, yield your body to prayer, fasting and helping the needy.  As you give yourself to doing things that honour God, you would always receive the ability to do that which honours God.

You are dead to sin so yield your members to the things of God. Use your tongue to reject wrong suggestions or feelings that impresses on your mind. Say no to anything that opposes the way of God. Say yes to God’s way.

 CONFESSION

I am dedicated to God and His way. I yield my whole being to whatever the spirit says. My life is a revelation of God’s glory.

FURTHER STUDIES.

Romans 12:2 ” And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God”.

Ephesians 2:10 “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good …

KEY SCRIPTURE: Romans 6:11 “Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

In our previous study we looked at the first action to take so we would be able to live above the demands of sin.

I wish to make a few points proceeding out of the previous study clear. We learnt that because we died with Jesus the body of sin was destroyed and therefore sin no longer lives in us. The question that many would ask is, why are we tempted or even have the desire to Sin as Christians? I would answer this question by taking us to the time of Adam and Eve. Before Adam and Eve sinned, did they have any sinful nature? The answer is no, yet they were tempted and sinned against God.

Their state was like the present state of the Christians. The challenge we have is we live in a body made from the earth. This earthly body has appetites and desires relating to its source. The urge to satisfy these appetites, may not have any spiritual or negative influence but by virtue of the fact that, our bodies are of the earth, and would go for the things of this earth.

Our Lord Jesus did not have any sin nature in him, yet he got hungry after He fasted, because He had an earthly body. It was His relationship to the Father and the understanding He had coupled with His decision to honour God always that put Him in state never, to sin, no matter the temptation.

Please let us take the scripture as the Bible reveals it. In our crucifixion with Jesus the body of sin is destroyed. The body of sin, no longer resides in you. Colossians 2:11 says “In whom also you are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands in putting of the body of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Jesus”. In this instant the Bible teaches that through the crucifixion with Jesus the body of the sins of the flesh has been put off.

Dear child of God you don’t have the nature of sin in your flesh now. Don’t think of yourself as a sinner. Every desire and urge to do wrong may either be your flesh yearning for something wrong or a demon stirring up that wrong desire in you.

In this light our key scripture comes into play. It reads “Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin but alive unto God through Christ Jesus our Lord”. To reckon means to count it as truth.

Let your mind come to such a decision and consciousness. After knowing, you must acknowledge and accept that you are indeed dead unto sin but alive unto God.

 CONFESSION

I am crucified with Jesus and I know as a certainty that I am dead to sin but alive unto God. Sin cannot rule over me.

FURTHER STUDIES.

Romans 6:7. For he that is dead is freed from sin.

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