Overview
True Christian faith is the faith that Jesus Christ founded and perfected, and it has been given to every believer as his own. In this eighth session of the Faith 2020 Conference, Rev. Rico Magnelli teaches from Hebrews 12:2 that the great cloud of witnesses all build toward Christ, who took believing God to the pinnacle of human capacity and then finished the work. Because he carried out that work in love, the faith of Jesus Christ carries his motivation with it, so the believer receives both the mind of Christ and the love of Christ. Walking in that new mind, Magnelli teaches, is not a long process but a decision.
Transcript
True Christian Faith Is the Faith Jesus Christ Founded and Perfected
Look at Hebrews chapter 12, please. True Christian faith is the faith that Jesus Christ founded and perfected. That’s what true Christian faith is. That’s why there’s no more need to mention great faith or little faith, because our faith has been upgraded to the faith of Jesus Christ. That means his accomplished work is my accomplished work. That means his believing God is now mine. And when I access that faith of Jesus Christ, I have the capacity to believe like Jesus Christ. Faith prior to the accomplished work of Christ involved tasks, as we’ve seen, or special commissioning from God or on God’s behalf. We looked at the great cloud of witnesses, or some of them, illustrating what it means to believe God.
People like Noah and his conviction. Abraham being the spiritual pioneer that he was. And Sarah, who judged God faithful. We looked at Moses and how he esteemed. He refused, he chose, and he esteemed. The greater riches of the coming of Christ. We looked at Rahab and how she identified herself with God and his people, despite the cultural fervor that was moving through Jericho. Despite the tide of fear and intimidation that was moving through that city. She just decided that’s not me.
All these individuals build towards Jesus Christ, the witness of their faith. To the pinnacle of human capacity is where Jesus Christ took faith to believe God. See, he never missed the mark. He remained sinless his entire life. He had the spirit without measure. That’s why he could access what God was offering, because he had no sin. Moses had sin, Noah had sin, Abel had sin, Sarah had sin, Abraham had sin. They were limited in their access to the spirit that God had offered. Jesus Christ had unlimited potential.
And then God packaged it and put it in you and me. Yes, this is something we have to learn and grow and develop in our walk. No question about it, but you can start.
Looking Unto Jesus, the Author and Finisher of Faith
The fate of mankind rested upon him partnering with God, because God never left him. And his sole purpose and meaning of life was to carry out what God wanted. And here in Hebrews chapter 12, verse two, it says, looking unto Jesus. And the reason why it says Jesus is because Jesus emphasizes his earthly ministry. He was a man, he was a man. Jesus was a man. And you can read about it in Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. It emphasizes Jesus, the author and finisher or the founder and perfecter, one version renders it, the founder and perfecter of faith or of the faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. That’s where he is now.
So all these individuals, you can see how God had this recorded in Hebrews. All of them are building to this pinnacle. He finished it, it’s over. See, all these individuals that are leading up to Jesus Christ, they did not have access to the new nature that you and I have, that Christ within. The old man’s sin nature that we were born with was crucified with Christ. What you and I deal with now is the bad habits that you and I have developed based on that old man. The Gospels, Matthew through John, do not directly address the faith of Jesus. It never says by faith, Jesus. Has anybody read that? Not in there.
It demonstrates it. It demonstrates it. Doesn’t have to say it. We need the church epistles to explain to us what he did. You can read what he did, but it doesn’t explain what he did. That’s why we need the church epistles, Romans through Thessalonians. And the book of Acts transitions the first Christians into what he accomplished, eventually understanding what he accomplished. See, Adam had one commandment to fulfill. One thing, and he disobeyed.
Jesus Christ had the entire Mosaic law, hundreds and hundreds of commandments to fulfill. He obeyed. Look at John chapter four.
He Finished the Work: Meat to Do the Will of God
John chapter four, the Gospel of John. He finished the work. He finished the work. And then God packaged and has given to each believer that completed work. When Jesus fulfilled the law, it’s as if you and I fulfilled the law. And every time we walk in love, we demonstrate that the law has been fulfilled. That’s how big grace is. It’s unmerited divine favor. You and I did not fulfill the law by our own works.
We rest on the work of another man. And this is a process of shedding the works in your life and mine over a period of time. See, the old man is like a magnet and it will attract all the negatives of the world all the time if we allow it. The old man’s dead, but those habits, they’re there, unless you replace them with new ones. In John chapter four, in verse 31, in the meanwhile, his disciples prayed him, saying, Master, eat, speaking to Jesus. And he said unto them, I have meat to eat that ye know not of. He was gaining sustenance. He was gaining strength. He was gaining everything he needed from something other than food.
What was that? Therefore said the disciples, they were confused one to another. Had any man brought him ought to eat? They thought that somebody snuck him a sandwich or something. Jesus saith unto them, my meat, my meat is to do the will of him that sent me and to what? Finish his work. See, sometimes people don’t have the spiritual strength to carry out what God calls them to do, but as you engage, as you start, the strength will be there, whatever you need. He was to finish the work. See, the believing of Jesus, believing God, which he did, the believing of Jesus became the faith of Christ. The believing of Jesus, because he’s no longer believing to carry out the plan of redemption, is he? If he said in John 19, 30, it is what? Then what is it? But see, we don’t act that way. We think there’s still something left. Christians throughout the world still act as if it’s not finished.
Condemnation is to act as if it’s not finished. Judgment is to act as if it’s not finished when everything was taken to the cross. Does that make sense? That’s to crucify the Lord afresh, it talks about, because we don’t deem it done. We say, oh no, you did not finish it. Not me, not for me. Oh, maybe the next guy, because you like him or her, but not me. Oh no, I got too many deep, dark secrets in my past. I got too many issues. I got so much entanglement, Lord, you’ll have to spend eternity trying to unravel me.
We won’t say it, but that’s the way we act. That’s right. He finished the work.
Be of Good Cheer: How Jesus Christ Overcame the World
Look at John 16. We overcome the world by the accomplished work of Christ. On the night that he was betrayed, when all seemed to be crumbling around him, Jesus encourages his followers to have courage and have cheer. It’s kind of an odd thing to say when he’s about to be taken, he’s about to be tortured for 40 hours and then eventually crucified. John chapter 16, in verse 33. These things have I spoken unto you, that in, who? In me, you might have what? That’s the key. It’s in me, you might have peace. In the world, you shall have what? Tribulations, mental pressure. Mental pressure comes from the world, worldly habits.
And we at times, unwittingly at times, honestly, we give that access. We do, we give it access. And then it causes anxiety. Mental pressure. This is right before he does that tremendous prayer in John 17. What’s happening here is he’s about to be crucified and he’s telling his followers, chill. I’ve overcome the world. Be of good cheer. I have overcome the world.
Had he overcome the world yet? No. Look at his confession. Look at his conviction in believing God that God would even get him up from the dead. That he wouldn’t somehow at the last minute falter in sin. You know, people are afraid of making mistakes. That’s why they never venture out. Jesus Christ was tempted with all things, yet without sin. He could have been tempted, more than likely he was. What happens if I get there and man, I just can’t handle this thing? What happens if in the 39th hour of torture, I cave? What happens if there’s one more thing I just cannot handle? Look at his confession.
Now, you and I will never have to go through anything like this at all. But he says, be of good cheer. Be courageous. For I have overcome the world. Look at John 17, next chapter. Oftentimes, we think about the accomplished work of Christ, right? Well, do you realize that with the accomplished work of Christ also includes his motivation? That means he had to do the whole thing with love. The whole thing. He had to do it in love, or else it wouldn’t pass the test. He could not have done it out of obligation.
Now, I want you to stop and think for a second. He went through what he went through out of love. That’s the same love that’s in you. It’s the same love. See, when you think you can’t do it, that’s not true. Because you have the love of Christ in you. Look, this prayer is so amazing, especially given the circumstances in which the Lord was under. But I just want to highlight a couple of points in this prayer. In John 17, he’s praying to the Father.
Start With God’s Love for You, Not With Your Own Works
Verse 23, I in them, and thou in me, he says to God, that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that thou has sent me and has loved them as thou has loved me. Jesus knew that God loved him. That is the beginning. That’s your first step in release from bondage and deliverance. You have to understand that God loves you. You may not love you. Has anybody not loved themselves ever? Now, get honest. Every hand in here should go up. You know you haven’t.
I haven’t. Times it happens. We get on ourselves. Where it starts is recognizing that he loves you because we don’t love him first, he first loved us. That’s where it all begins. See, the works route does, it’s best to work our way into this thing, kind of let me work my way into God’s favor. But it doesn’t work that way. You start with his love first. Religion will always get you to work your way into God’s good graces or whatever term you want to use.
Father, I will that they also whom thou has given me be with me where I am, that they may behold my glory which thou has given me for thou lovest me before the foundation of the world, before the overthrow of the cosmos. God loved him. There’s only two references to God’s recognition before the overthrow. And that’s the born again believer in Jesus Christ. Oh, righteous father, the world have not known thee, not experientially known me, but I have experientially known thee. Look at his confession. And these, speaking about his disciples, have known, it doesn’t say thee, it says have known experientially that thou has sent me. They believed that God sent Jesus Christ. They experientially knew that God had sent Jesus Christ.
And I have declared unto them thy name and will declare it, that, here’s the purpose, here’s the purpose, that the love wherewith thou has loved me may be where? And I in them. It’s not just the faith of Jesus Christ, it’s not just his work to carry out every jot and tittle of the law, but to do it in love. That means embedded in the DNA spiritually of the faith of Jesus Christ that’s in you is the love of Christ. It’s in there. It’s in you. That’s why you can come up and out of whatever hole you’re in or challenge you’re in. Love is that powerful. And you start with his love for you. That’s how you start.
And then you begin to love yourself, which is very difficult for some people because they eat too much mental garbage. They look at themselves in the mirror and they compare themselves all around and then they just go down the tubes. That’s not what God wants for you and for me.
You Have the Mind of Christ
Look at 1 Corinthians chapter two, please. In the gift of Holy Spirit is the mind of Christ. We have the mind of Christ. We have it. Now, that doesn’t mean you have his memories. Like, you know, you can go back in the file of your mind and kind of relive an incident that Jesus did. That’s not what it means. But we have his understanding, especially in the moral sense of right and wrong. That’s right.
He always did the Father’s will. And though tempted in all things, chose the right course of action as God guided him through the scripture and the spirit that was in him. You and I can access those same patterns. That’s right. You have the mind of Christ. You don’t have to work for it. You have it. And you access it through free will. Again, that doesn’t mean that Jesus Christ is gonna make decisions for you.
It means that imprinted in the spiritual DNA of Christ in you, you have got the mind of Christ. That gives us a legacy to follow. You know, Adam left you a legacy. Adam left you an amoral behavior disobedient legacy. It’s called the old man. Does everybody, we’ve all heard of it, right? That’s the legacy. Because it was without God and without hope. It’s called the old man. Our old man was crucified with Christ.
Christ has left us a legacy of obedience to God. The right understanding and moral patterns that we access through free will and the word of God. That mind of Christ, you access more and more of it. But it’s gonna take us to let go of stuff. That’s why for the Christian, understanding faith is not just an academic exercise where we study Greek words. It’s not about that. That’s why it requires the spirit of God in us. For that spirit of God must be involved to show us a truer and deeper meaning of the faith of Jesus Christ. Let’s look in 1 Corinthians chapter two.
Faith That Stands in the Power of God, Not the Wisdom of Men
That’s why we’re going to the epistles. Because Jesus did not just carry out and fulfill the entire law and administrate the kingdom of heaven and usher in the grace administration, help the 12, usher in the grace administration. He did the whole thing in love. That’s what you and I can do. You have it within you to do it. 1 Corinthians chapter two. It’s part of the mystery. 1 Corinthians chapter two, verse five. That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of who? It’s in the potential of God.
It’s not in your potential like we heard in the sharing. It’s not in your potential or mine. It’s in the potential of God in you. And we don’t allow our faith to stand in the wisdom of men. You can get every academic, every intellectual person on this planet in this room and they cannot explain to you the faith of Jesus Christ. Can’t happen. It takes the spirit of God to open the eyes of your understanding. You have to desire it. You have to want it.
Because God is not going to twist your arm. You gotta want it. How be it we speak wisdom among them that are perfect or mature, yet not the wisdom of this world nor the princes of this world that come to naught. They always produce negative fruit. Sooner or later, we have to get to the point where we do stop getting counsel from the world. Now, that doesn’t mean you don’t go to your doctor and that’s not what I’m saying. Or you go to an accountant for tax purposes and all that. That’s not what I’m saying. I’m talking about the things of eternity.
I’m talking about who you are, your identity. We stop getting counsel from the world and get the counsel from God and his word. But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery which is still hidden, even the hidden wisdom which God hath ordained before the world unto our glory. There it is. Which none of the princes of this world knew for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. They’d rather have the living Christ than all the sons and daughters of God with the knowledge. But he has fought, the adversary has fought so hard for 2,000 years to bury this stuff. Even though people can mouth the words, Christ in you, Christ in you, Christ in you, yet they don’t act it. They don’t live it.
Why? They get talked out of it. Too much world, too much world in, world comes out. You spend 10 minutes with people and you’ll find out how much world they got in them. 10 minutes, that’s right. What comes out of this hole in their mouth? Now, I’m not being critical, I’m not. This is your life.
Keep Your Heart With All Diligence
Fight for what you value. Fight for it. You got one life. Young people, fight for it. It’s your heart, it’s your life. You keep your heart with all diligence for out of it come up the issues of life. People spend more time cleaning their car than protecting their heart. They may spend more time protecting their yard from the little creatures that come in and dig holes. What are they called? Bowls, moles.
I understand that’s okay to do. It’s good to do. But how about this? How about this? Stand as a sentinel to this. The change in this event is not happening in this room. It’s happening in your heart if there’s a change. Or else you’re gonna go home the same way, back into the same old patterns. That’s right. This is where the changes happen. This is what God’s really interested in.
You think he’s interested in the stock market? You think he’s interested in the weather? You think he’s interested in all the stuff that people are doing that cause commotion? He’s aware of it. You know what he’s really interested in? You, right here. And you have to keep your heart with all diligence. Out of it come up the issues of life. Nobody can do that for you. We can help each other. But as it is written, I have not seen nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for them that what? That’s it. And you love him because he first loved you. And he’s got stuff prepared for you that’ll blow your mind.
Great things, deep things. Things that perhaps you’ve never even verbalized to anybody. Things that are deep within your soul. That you want answers or solutions. Or you wanna see come to pass. That you wanna be part of. He’s prepared them for you. But God has revealed them unto us by what? His spirit. For the spirit searches of all things.
Yea, the deep things of God. The deep things of God. Not the surface. Most people are surface thinkers. Again, I’m not being critical. I’m just telling you what you and I deal with every day. Basically. God’s interested into the deep things. I’ll tell ya, you get around people that got some salt and some commitment, you’ll talk deep things.
They’re not necessarily heavy. But they’re deep. What really matters to you? Really. What really matters to you? Your watch? Your shoes? What really matters to you? That’s what God wants to work with you on. But to get to that, you’re gonna have to let something go. I can’t tell you everything it is.
Letting Go So You Can Receive What God Freely Gives
I don’t know. And maybe you don’t know either. Yet. But as you start moving, just like Abraham, you have to leave some stuff behind. And typically what it is, it doesn’t mean you gotta sell your house and then we all move to the mountains, put on robes and sandals and start preaching John 3.16. It doesn’t mean that at all. It means the things that are weighing you down from holding you back from being your best for God and moving forward with his grace. Whatever’s holding you back. I don’t know what it is. God knows what it is.
If you’re honest, he’ll show you. And how to get beyond it. For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him, even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the spirit of God. Now we have not received the spirit of the world, thank God, but the spirit which is of God that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. He’s given us the spirit so you can know what’s freely given to you by grace. Not you gotta work for it. See? This whole thing about working to get stuff from God, I’m telling you, it’s subtle as crazy. It’s so subtle. And it has ruined more people’s lives than anybody could shake a stick at.
A lot of people. It’s called religion. Where you gotta go through some sort of maze, some sort of gauntlet, some sort of series of things in order to be right before God. When one man did the whole thing and finished it 2,000 years ago. It’s done. It’s over. It’s over. And you can leave that stuff behind, man. Put the trash out and don’t go look at it again.
Which things also we speak not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Spirit teacheth, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. Absolutely. The word of God is spiritual. And the word of God corroborates, authenticates, and illuminates the things of the spirit. And the spirit illuminates the word of God. They work in tandem. But the natural man receiveth not the things of the spirit of God, for they are foolishness unto him. Neither can he know them because they’re spiritually discerned. You’ve gotta have the gift of Holy Spirit.
So why do we think because we’re born again, we’re gonna figure it out on our own? Why not just start asking God? I am very serious. Why not just ask him? He gives wisdom to all men liberally, and upbraideth not. Watch this.
The Mind of Christ Is New in Quality and New in Time
But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yea, himself is judge of no man. For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of who? We have the mind of Christ. That means you have his moral patterns of obedience. That’s what you have. Have you ever had a situation where God is kind of tugging on you and saying, well, no, I wouldn’t do that. That just does not fit. Your spirit on the inside, it just does not fit for you. It’s going against those moral patterns, right? And then you and I get to decide. The mind of Christ refers, the word mind here is the Greek word nous.
It refers to the organ where we consider and reason. But in a deeper sense, it’s to understand, to understand. And especially of moral thought of what’s right and what’s wrong. The mind of Christ, the greatest moral aspect of Christ is his love. That’s the greatest moral aspect. And Jesus even prayed that the love that he had would be in us and he in us. You can love like Christ. You can actually love yourself like Christ. You show me where Jesus got condemned, got into a condemnation fit or something.
You show it to me. Didn’t do it. He didn’t do it. That means you and I can overcome that if we want to. That’s right. Because you have the mind of Christ. And there’s two aspects to the mind of Christ for the Christian. First, it’s new in quality. And it’s also new in time.
It’s new in quality because it’s different than the thoughts that are inspired from the old man nature. It’s new in quality. You start thinking a different way. And it’s like, wow, that’s a great thought. I am a son of God. It’s a new thought. It’s fresh. It’s new. And it’s different in quality.
And like I said, it’s also new in terms of time. Like it’s like a fresh spring day. It never gets old. That’s how you know those thoughts are in that vein of the mind of Christ. It’s the new mind. Look at Romans 12, please.
Be Not Conformed to This World: Romans 12 and the Renewed Mind
The mind of Christ will refresh you. It’s not the same old obligation of thinking. It’ll actually refresh you because it’s new every time. It’s the new mind. It’s the life of God in that new mind via Christ. You can recognize it by that fresh thought about yourself and about others. It’s Christ-like thoughts. All that is packaged. So when Jesus Christ accomplished his work, believing God, that faith of Jesus Christ also carries with it his motivation, which is love.
We read that. Romans chapter 12, very familiar scripture. Verse one, I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, wholly acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. Presenting your bodies is a figure of speech. It means your whole self. Because my soul doesn’t float around by itself. I don’t take my soul off and put it in the closet, right? Does everyone have Holy Spirit? Yeah, it’s in the body. The body houses both soul and spirit. It’s a figure of speech representing the entire person, body, soul, and spirit.
You present your whole self. And be not conformed to this what? The word world is age. The word conformed means to be fashioned or molded. The world is constantly trying to fashion or mold you to the current trends of the day, constantly. And I’ll tell you what, it’s not just the actions, it’s also the motivations. Trying to mold us to the same motivations of this age. But be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind. That’s the new mind. That you may prove what is that good, acceptable, and perfect will of God.
The action here in this verse is actually in the being transformed. It’s the Greek word metamorpho, the same one we looked at in the transfiguration of Jesus Christ. He was changed form. You actually change form. The action is in the transformation, not in the renewing. The transformation is the verb. It’s like turning on a light switch. It’s not a process. Sometimes people think that putting on the mind of Christ is this arduous, difficult process.
You’re already starting on the wrong foot. It’s not, it’s like turning on a light. It’s a completed action, boom, like that. Now, you and I may have a process of getting to the point where we decide to do it. That’s what Romans 7 talks about, where Paul goes, you know, that which I would, I do not, and that which I would not, that I do. Oh my gosh, because of his old nature. So going through the process in deciding whether you’re gonna turn it on or not, yeah, I get that. Paul talks about it in Romans 7. But the actual process is like that. You just change what you’re thinking.
Red Apple, Green Apple: Changing What You Think
I’ll give you an example. I want you to picture in your mind right now, close your eyes, picture in your mind a red apple, a red apple, simple, a red apple, you got it? Now I want you to picture in your mind a green apple. You got a green apple there? Okay, you can open your eyes, that’s all it is. You just changed, you just changed. And you get so good at it, at your habit, you change that you actually wake up and you actually wake up in the morning with the mind of Christ. You go to bed with the mind of Christ. In fact, when you don’t have the mind of Christ in action in your walk, it’s odd. Thoughts are fresh every day. That is what allows people to live in the moment rather than to drag the past with them everywhere they’re going like a ball and chain.
I’m going to work, but I’m bringing the last 25 years with me to work. All the negative things that have happened the last 25 years, I’m bringing them to work. I’m talking to a person and they remind me of something that happened 40 years ago. Well, I’m bringing that with me into the conversation. When are we going to decide how can you do this? Because you have the love of Christ. You have his moral patterns. You have the mind of Christ. It isn’t something you work for. It’s in the spirit, you have it.
Look at Colossians 3. To walk in the new mind is not a process. It’s a decision. Change from red to green or whatever you want to use. Colossians chapter three, please. In verse nine, lie not one to another seeing that you have put off the old man with his deeds. So lying is part of the habits from the old man. See that? Notice you have to put it off and have put on the new man, which is renewed in the knowledge after the image of him that has created him. The new man is renewed. It’s not that you renew, the new man is renewed.
It’s the new mind. What I’m saying here is that we must let go of something to access the mind of Christ. To access the mind of Christ, we have to start shedding stuff. And one way that will help you is to hear the word of God. It’s light. Now I know some of us maybe do not have that iron sharpening iron relationship that we’d love to have. Well then, get with somebody and get that iron sharpening iron relationship. Even if it’s long distance. It helps to clear the cobwebs out and get the world out.
And speaking the word at home is a really great way to start. Don’t wait for Tuesday night, and then I’ll speak the word. Speak the word at home all the time.
Be Renewed in the Spirit of Your Mind: Ephesians 4
Look at Ephesians four, please. The world will drag you down and weigh you down. That’s how you can recognize that something’s not right. It’ll weigh you down. But the mind of Christ is very light. It’s very light. It’s not heavy. I think God is quite amazing that he would package the accomplished work of Christ. His believing became the faith of Christ, and he also included in it Christ’s motivation of love.
You got the whole thing. Got the whole package. Ephesians chapter four, verse 20. But you have not so learned Christ, Paul writes, if so be that you have heard him and have been taught by him as the truth is in Jesus. Very specific there. Jesus is referring to his earthly ministry. He’s the one that was crucified. He’s the one that said those words in John 19, 30. It is finished.
It’s over. That’s why you can cut ties with the past, as we learned. That’s why you don’t have to tether yourself, more yourself. Set your feet in cement in your earthly identity. You can set it in Christ, because he accomplished it. That you put off concerning the former conversation, the old man. That’s the old habits. You can’t bring back to life the old man. He’s dead.
He was crucified. But the habits remain unless we replace them, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind. That’s the mind of Christ. It’s in the spirit. And you access it through free will and the word of God. That’s how you access it. And it’s like that. Just try it. Just change what your focus is.
Now, has anybody ever been in the ocean and been, let’s say, body surfing? And maybe your back was turned to the waves and all of a sudden you turn around and then, oh my gosh, here comes a big wave. Does it knock you over? Oh, absolutely. The world’s like that. You gotta learn to duck, to move. See, the mind of Christ is in you. That’s why you can do the works of Christ. That’s why you can love like Christ. You can have the compassion of Christ. You can have his conviction, his resolve, whatever you need, you can access it through free will and the word of God.
That’s how beautiful God set this whole thing up. Look at verse 24. And that you put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. You know there’s no sin in the spirit in you? No sin whatsoever. None. It’s eternal life.
This Is the Victory That Overcometh the World: 1 John 5
Now you can learn the first John, please. We can help each other too. How can we help each other? Sharpen each other? How can we do this? Here’s a way. We can redirect each other. Not violently shake each other by the shirt, but redirect us back to the word. We can help each other, but you gotta be around people to do that, right? It does help. Speak the word to each other consistently. Because as you notice that the world doesn’t turn off. This is the world.
We’re going to take a two week hiatus and there’ll be no negatives spoken for two weeks. The world doesn’t take any breaks. Have you noticed? So we need to help each other. Stay sharp. First John chapter five, verse one. Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God. And everyone that loveth him, that begot, loveth him also that is begotten of him. Absolutely. We love each other.
By this we know experientially, that we love the children of God. When we love God and keep his commandments. You start with God and then you love yourself and love other people. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments and his commandments are not grievous. For whatsoever is born of God, overcometh the world. And this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our what? It’s the faith that you’ve made your own. It’s the faith of Jesus Christ, where you start to receive strength, you start to receive sustenance, you start to receive stability in your life for the accomplished work of another man. And it’ll show it in what you say, it’ll show it in your decisions, it’ll show it in your actions. You’ll see it, it’s real.
You start to gain strength from the work of another man. As challenges come up, you’re just gonna bring up the faith of Jesus Christ. My Lord has accomplished this for me. Maybe you’re not there yet and that’s okay. But you say it anyway. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the son of God. That’s how you overcome the world, with the accomplished work of Jesus Christ. Look at Ephesians chapter six. Please.
The Shield of Faith Quenches the Fiery Darts of the Wicked
You know, I know that many of these scriptures you’ve already read, maybe a thousand times, but it’s God that’s gotta show you. We can teach all day long, but it’s God that gotta open the eyes of your understanding. I can’t do that. I can’t, but God can. Ephesians chapter six, verse 16. Above all things, taking the shield of what? The shield of faith, wherewith you shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. You know what that shield is? It’s a big shield that covers your entire body, that the Romans used, that’s what it’s referring to. And when the fiery darts come, which comes in words, they’re the flaming arrows that they launch into the camp, you put the shield of faith in front of you. What is that? The accomplished work of Jesus Christ.
It’s already finished. As those fiery darts come to try to burn a hole in your soul, you put the shield of faith in front of you. And it quenches the fiery darts of the wicked. Nice tool there. It’s needful. And we’ll close in Ephesians chapter three. Look, tomorrow the conference is gonna be over, and you’re gonna leave. We’re gonna leave too. It’s your life.
Sooner or later, you gotta decide. And when I say decide, you gotta make up your mind. You gotta really stick your feet into the cement of the faith of Jesus Christ that you’re not gonna go there anymore. You know what I do sometimes? When I find myself kind of drifting into one of those patterns where I know where it goes. I go, oh no, I’ve been there. I know that alley. It’s dark. It’s not fun. I am not going there.
I just changed my mental picture because I don’t wanna go there because I know what’s gonna happen if I go there. And it leads to something else and something else and something else. And it usually starts with something that came in from the world. Some suggestion, some concept that somebody’s throwing out there. Just fiery darts. They’re all over the place. Put up the shield of faith. Remember, the greatest moral aspect of Christ is his love, and you have it. Ephesians chapter three, verse 14.
Rooted and Grounded in Love: Ephesians 3
For this cause, I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. He bows his knees in humility, of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named. That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man. That Christ may dwell in your hearts by what? What is that? That is the accomplished work of Christ. That’s what you want dwelling in your heart. That’s what you’re protecting. That you, being rooted and grounded in love, look at the tie-in here, may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth and length and depth and height, and to know experientially, not just intellectually, experientially know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge. That you might be filled with all the fullness of God. Love is the right path to take.
Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us. Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen. This is what we should expect from the faith of Jesus Christ. We should expect Ephesians 3.20 every day. Now, it may not develop that way. Circumstances may be challenging, but we should expect Ephesians 3.20. No matter what the challenge is, God will provide exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think. And there’s so many people in here that have testimony after testimony after testimony that will tell you that. These are great days.
And what God has provided for us in the accomplished work of Jesus Christ, not only did he fulfill the law, not only did he accomplish all this for us, and God packaged it as the faith of Christ, you also have the motivation, the love to carry it out. That’s why you and I can be more than conquerors in every situation. Gracious Heavenly Father, we are so thankful for the work of our Lord, his accomplished work. And not only that he did the work, he didn’t do it out of obligation. He didn’t do it for any other reason other than love for you. And that love now resides within us. Heavenly Father, for each individual here, that that love continues to blossom, that that love continues to grow, that that love continues to develop, and that we have open doors to share with others and to receive from others, that we don’t put up walls around us so no one can talk to us or help us. But Father, we open up our hearts to you and at times even to those that love us, those that can help us, that will be honest with us, that will work with us, encourage us and strengthen us, that no longer are we an island, but we rely on the rock, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. And upon that foundation, because of its firmness, because it is unmovable, we have confidence to build our lives, one thought, one action, one word at a time, if that’s what it takes to reach and continue to move towards the return of our Lord Jesus Christ in our hearts.
And whenever you send them, that will be a great day. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen. Thank you.
Key Takeaways
- True Christian faith is the faith that Jesus Christ founded and perfected, which is why there is no more need to speak of great faith or little faith.
- The believers in Hebrews 11 did not have access to the new nature that Christ within provides; Jesus Christ had the spirit without measure because he had no sin.
- Jesus Christ fulfilled the entire Mosaic law and finished the work, and God packaged that completed work and gave it to every believer.
- The accomplished work of Christ includes his motivation, which is love, so the love of Christ is embedded in the faith of Jesus Christ that is in you.
- The mind of Christ gives you his moral patterns of obedience, and it is new in quality and new in time, refreshing rather than heavy.
- Putting on the mind of Christ is not an arduous process but a decision, accessed through free will and the word of God.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is true Christian faith?
True Christian faith is the faith that Jesus Christ founded and perfected. That’s why there’s no more need to mention great faith or little faith, because our faith has been upgraded to the faith of Jesus Christ. That means his accomplished work is my accomplished work. That means his believing God is now mine. And when I access that faith of Jesus Christ, I have the capacity to believe like Jesus Christ.
Is putting on the mind of Christ a process or a decision?
It’s like turning on a light switch. It’s not a process. Sometimes people think that putting on the mind of Christ is this arduous, difficult process. You’re already starting on the wrong foot. It’s not, it’s like turning on a light. It’s a completed action. You and I may have a process of getting to the point where we decide to do it, but the actual change is a decision, accessed through free will and the word of God.
What is the shield of faith in Ephesians 6:16?
It’s a big shield that covers your entire body, that the Romans used, that’s what it’s referring to. And when the fiery darts come, which comes in words, they’re the flaming arrows that they launch into the camp, you put the shield of faith in front of you. What is that? The accomplished work of Jesus Christ. It’s already finished. And it quenches the fiery darts of the wicked.
Scripture References
Hebrews 12:2; John 4:31-34; John 19:30; John 16:33; John 17:23-26; 1 Corinthians 2:5-16; John 3:16; Romans 12:1-2; Romans 7; Colossians 3:9-10; Ephesians 4:20-24; 1 John 5:1-5; Ephesians 6:16; Ephesians 3:14-20
