Sealed and Secure in Christ Jesus, I Am Becoming Who I Am in Him by Yielding to the Holy Spirit Who Manifests Christ’s Likeness Through Me
Father-God, I delight in Your revelation that I have been set free through rebirth from the enslavement under the Adamic sin nature, now gone, and that I have gladly become Your Bond Slave of righteousness[i]* as a partaker of Your divine nature.[ii]
Thank you for establishing and anointing the new me in Christ Jesus by sending the Holy Spirit of promise Who sealed [iii]and baptized me with fire as a down payment of my inheritance to come[iv]** and to complete Your sanctifying work in my outer man through walking according to Your living word.[v] The benefits I receive for my outer man are holy living in Your everlasting life,[vi] according to Your best plan for me.[vii]
Dear Holy Spirit of Truth,[viii] the kingdom of God is righteousness, peace and joy in You.[ix] I rejoice that I am now Your temple[x] and that You are my Comforter,[xi] my Counselor,[xii] my Friend, my Sanctifier,[xiii] and my Teacher,[xiv] sent to renew my mind through progressive revelation into all truth.[xv] I receive Your infilling to overflowing[xvi] so that Your rivers of living water may overflow through me,[xvii] manifesting Your fruit of love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, meekness, temperance and faithfulness to everyone.[xviii]
Gracious Father, this fruit already characterizes the new me, regenerated to be like You in true righteousness and holiness.[xix] It is expressed by Your abundant life [xx]** that flows through my outer man when I consistently live in and walk in Your Holy Spirit.[xxi] He empowers me to do the good works which You have prepared for me to accomplish,[xxii] loving others as You love me.[xxiii]
Perfect me in every good work, doing in me what is pleasing in Your sight through Jesus Christ.[xxiv] Cause my whole being to be holy as You are holy[xxv] so that my outer man is fully ready for Jesus, my coming King and everlasting Bridegroom.[xxvi]
Now to You Who is able and willing to do exceedingly abundantly above all that I can ask or imagine according to Your resurrection power working in me, to You be all the glory in the church in Christ Jesus throughout all ages. Amen. [xxvii]
[i] Romans 6:17 “But thanks (be) to God that you were slaves of sin, but you obeyed from (the) heart the form of doctrine to which you were delivered. And having been set free from sin, you were enslaved to righteousness.”
*Note: The thought of being any kind of slave is repugnant to us Americans because of the bad treatment of black slaves in our history. However, slaves were to be treated well under Hebrew law. Additionally, in the Hebrew culture of the times, the term bond slave denoted a very special relationship. This came about when a slave was freed by his master but then freely and willingly recommitted himself to his master’s service – permanently – because of his respect and love for his master. So we no longer have the identity of slaves or servants, but rather Father-God’s beloved “children” and even “friends” of God. Yet, we still are to have the same attitude as that of Christ, the servant of all servants, as a result of our gratitude and love for God for who He is and what He has done for us – the finished work of His divine exchange.
[i] Also see John 5:19 and Footnote # 134 for more on the word “flesh.”
[ii] 2 Peter 1:4 “… by which means He has given to us the very great and precious promises, so that through these you might be partakers of (the) divine nature, escaping from the corruption in (the) world by lust.
[iii] Ephesians 1:13-14 “… in whom also you hearing the Word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, in whom also believing you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is an earnest of our inheritance, to (the) redemption of the purchased possession, to (the) praise of His glory.
[iv] Matthew 3:11 “I indeed baptize you in water to repentance; but He (who is) coming after me is stronger than me, of whom I am not worthy to lift the sandals. He will baptize you in (the) Holy Spirit and fire.” Also see Acts 1:5 & 8.
**Note: Scripturally distinct from water baptism, yielding to the baptism of the Holy Spirit and to the corresponding gifts and life in Him empowers the believer to live out his outer man life in Christ in a practical manner. For a long time in the church’s history it was one of many lost facets of a full orbed Christian walk that God has been gradually restoring to His Bride to get her ready for His glorious coming. Read in Acts to see what He did for those who intentionally and specifically said “Yes” to the Holy Bridesmaid’s baptism, teaching, comfort and guidance. How else can He lead and guide one into all truth? Do we need any less help now?
[v] 1 Peter 1:2 “… to the chosen sojourners … according to the foreknowledge of God (the) Father, through sanctification by (the) Spirit unto obedience and sprinkling of (the) blood of Jesus Christ: may grace and peace be multiplied abundantly to you.” Also see Romans 15:16
[vi] Romans 6:22 “But now being set free from sin, and being enslaved to God, you have your fruit unto sanctification and the end, everlasting life.”
[vii] Jeremiah 29:11 “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ says the Lord, ‘plans for your welfare and not for your evil, to give you a future and a hope.’”
[viii] John 16:13 “However when he, the Spirit of Truth is come, he will guide you into all truth for he shall not speak of himself but whatever he shall hear, (that) shall he speak. And he will show you things to come.”
[ix] Romans 14:17 “For the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking but righteousness, and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.”
[x] 1 Corinthians 6:19 “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of (the) Holy Spirit in you, which you have from God; and you are not of yourselves.” Also see 1 Corinthians 3:16 and Ephesians 2:21-22.
[xi] Acts 9:31 “Then, indeed the churches throughout all Judea, and Galilee, and Samaria, had peace, being built up and going on in the fear of the Lord. And (they) were multiplied (in) the comfort of the Holy Spirit.”
[xii] John 14:16,26 “And I will petition the Father, and He will give you another Comforter, that He may remain with you forever,…. but the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He shall teach you all things and shall remind you (of) all things that I said to you.”
[xiii] 2 Thessalonians 2:13 “But we ought to thank God always concerning you, brothers, having been loved by (the) Lord, because God chose you from (the) beginning to salvation in sanctification of (the) Spirit and belief of (the) truth….” Also see Romans 15:16.
[xiv] 1 Corinthians 2:12,13 “But we did not receive the spirit of the world, but the Spirit from God, so that we might know the things that are freely given to us by God. Which things we also speak, not in words taught in human wisdom, but in (words) taught of the Holy Spirit, comparing spiritual things with spiritual things.” Also see Matthew 28:18.
[xv] John 16:13 “But when that One comes, the Spirit of truth, He will guide you into all truth, for He will not speak from Himself, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will announce the coming things to you.”
[xvi] Ephesians 5:18 “And do not be drunk with wine … but be filled with (the) Spirit.” Also see Acts 4:31-32.
[xvii] John 7:38 “The (one) believing into Me, as the Scripture said, ‘Out of his belly will flow rivers of living water.’”
[xviii] Galatians 5:22 -23 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faith, meekness, self-control: against such things there is no law.”
[xix] Ephesians 4:24 “… and to put on the new man, (which) according to God (was) created in righteousness and true holiness.”
[xx] John 10:10 “I came that they may have life and have (it) abundantly.”
***Note: The Greek word for life in this verse is zoe which specifically refers to God’s supernatural life as opposed to bios or natural, physical life.
[xxi] Galatians 5:26 “If we live in (the) Spirit, let us also walk in (the) Spirit”
[xxii] Ephesians 2:10 “ … for we are (His) product, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God before prepared that we should walk in them.”
[xxiii] John 15:12 “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I loved you.”
[xxiv] Hebrews 13:20-21 “Now may the God of peace … perfect you in every good work, to do His will, doing in you that (which is) pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ to whom (be) the glory forever and ever. Amen.”
[xxv] Romans 12:1 and I Pet.1:16 “Therefore, brothers, I call on you through the mercies of God to present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, well-pleasing to God, (which is) your
reasonable service.” “…because it has been written, ‘Be holy, because I am holy.’ ” Also see Leviticus 19:2.
[xxvi] Revelation 21:2 “And I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of Heaven from God, having been prepared as a bride, having been adorned for her Husband.”
[xxvii] Ephesians 3:20 “Now to Him being able beyond all things to do exceedingly above all that we ask or think according to the power working in us, to Him (be) the glory in the church in Christ Jesus, to all the generations of the age of the ages.”
Coming next week – Chapter 11: Maintaining Ascendancy Over My Outer Man By the Sanctifying Power of the Holy Spirit
life, that is, Jesus himself.