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' Who Are You In God? '
Deuteronomy 26:16 This day the LORD thy God hath commanded thee to do these statutes and judgments: thou shalt therefore keep and do them with all thine heart, and with all thy soul.
Deuteronomy 26:17 Thou hast avouched the LORD this day to be thy God, and to walk in his ways, and to keep his statutes, and his commandments, and his judgments, and to hearken unto his voice:
Deuteronomy 26:18 And the LORD hath avouched thee this day to be his peculiar people, as he hath promised thee, and that thou shouldest keep all his commandments;
Deuteronomy 26:19 And to make thee high above all nations which he hath made, in praise, and in name, and in honour; and that thou mayest be an holy people unto the LORD thy God, as he hath spoken.
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As Christians, we need to know who we are in God. When you are born in this world, you take on the characteristic of your parents. Your mannerism reflects the mannerism to those who have raised you. And you also know what you are entitled to, being part of that family. We look at prominate names of the pass, such as the Kennedy's. People who has had much power in government and well known to this nation. Even today their offspring's follow after footsteps of their forefathers. Why? Because of the nature that they are born with. It is in their bloodline, that they too will be partakers of what their family stood for. Look at the lineage of the royal family of Great Britain. For generations, the offspring's have taken over the inheritance of what once belonged to their forefathers. They too, are known to that nation and the world of what they stand for, and the power that is given to them, because of the bloodline.
And we who are born again of the Holy Spirit through faith in Jesus Christ, are become the children of the Most Holy. Through Jesus, Who has paid the debt for our iniquities, we have come into the family of God, being sons and daughters of the inheritance that is promised to Abraham. Galatians 3:13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: For it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: Galatians 3:14 That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
Genesis 17:6-8, "And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee. And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee. And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God." Abraham was the first man ever to be a Hebrew. He was the beginning of the covenant that we received from God. It is through this covenant that Jesus was sent from the Father that His grace may be on all that receive Him as Lord and Savior. And we know the promises that was given to Abraham, now, also belong to those who have received Jesus into their lives.
To establish the covenant between God and Abraham, circumcision had to take place with all the males of the tribe. Circumcision represents the cutting away of the flesh. The foreskin represents the flesh of man, in order for the seed to pass to produce fruit, it had to go through the foreskin or through flesh. And when it did so, it became unclean because it had touched the flesh of man. But when circumcision had taken place, the flesh was done away with. The seed no longer had to pass through flesh, but it flowed free to produce fruit, without it no longer being made unclean because of the flesh. When Jesus was crucified on the cross, at the same time He gave up the Ghost, it is said that the vale of the temple was ripped from top to bottom. That vale was what separated God from having any contact with unclean flesh. But Jesus Christ did away with that so that all could have access unto God, through faith in Him. Because of the evil heart that man has, man could never come into the presence of God unless that man was ordained of God and whose sins were covered through blood sacrifices of animals.
The Apostle Paul wrote in: Romans 2:28-29, "For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God." It is the unclean flesh of the heart which keeps man from having contact from God. All evil and unclean lusts come from and begin in the heart of man. But now, through faith in Jesus Christ we can come unto God with a clean heart because we have faith that Jesus died for our sins and has given us access unto God the Father and to His throne. Hebrews 10:22, "Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water." We now can have a pure conscience, believing that Jesus paid the price of our past sins, and so making us a Holy People before God the Father. Jesus has removed the unclean flesh from our evil hearts, and has given us a pure conscience of coming unto the Father. No longer can satan use our repented past sins to accuse us before God to keep us from the blessings and from the presence of God. We have a testimony that Jesus has paid the price for our past sins and that He has given us a way of escape from temptation of the future by His Holy Spirit Who impowers us and makes us a new person in God. The Spirit of Christ dwells in us and He is with us to lead us and keep us from the clutches of all evil. Jesus is now that covenant that we have between the Father and us, He is the mediator between Heaven and earth, He is the High Priest.
The first promise God made to Abraham was to make him exceedingly fruitful. This was important in the Old Testament. The word fruitful here means in the Hebrew: parah {paw-raw'} a primitive root;- fruitful , increased , grow, beareth , forth , bring fruit , make fruitful. God also promised this to Adam and Eve as read in Gen.1:28. But because of the sin that was done, God cursed them and mankind from being fruitful. So all of the years from that day on, man has not been fruitful as God had desired. But through Jesus Christ, Who has broke the curse of sin, because it is written: Galatians 3:13, "Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: For it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:" So, we now have this promise also, through faith in Jesus Christ. What does it mean to be fruitful? Well lets look in the scriptures and see.John 15:8, "Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples." First, we see that God wants us to be fruitful, because it glorifies Him. This is what the people of the world see in our lives. When Jesus spoke and said that we were the light of the world, He was speaking of the fruit that was produced in our lives. Galatians 5:22-23, "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: Against such there is no law." These are the fruit that is produced into our lives. And if no fruit is there, then God will cut them down and throw them into the fire. John 15:2, "Every branch in me that beareth not fruit He taketh away: And every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit."
Second, God promised Abraham to make nations of him. The word nation in Hebrew means: gowy {go'-ee} rarely (shortened) goy {go'-ee} heathen, Gentiles, people usually of non-Hebrew people, of swarm of locusts, other animals (fig.). God kept His promise to Abraham, when God allowed Gentiles, who we are, to be part of the kingdom. This promise means to us this; that God will take the most heathen, sinning people around, and save them that they may be partakers of God's Kingdom and the church today. God will, by His Holy Spirit, draw all men to Himself. He will take those people that religion turned down, and had nothing to do with; and He will make them fruitful for His Kingdom. Romans 9:24-26, "Even us, whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles? As he saith also in Osee, I will call them my people, which were not my people; and her beloved, which was not beloved. And it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people; there shall they be called the children of the living God."
Third promise God gives is that kings shall come out of the church. The Word Kings means: malak {maw-lak'} a primitive root; - reign, king, consulted, rule, to be or become king or queen, reign 2) to counsel, advise; (Niphal) to consider. It also means to be wise. Jesus said of us in Matthew 5:13, "Ye are the salt of the earth:" That Word salt comes from the same Word King in the Hebrew language. The kings that God is speaking of are those who have His Spirit on the inside of them. Remember, Jesus is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Well, if Jesus is the King, and His Spirit resides on the inside of us, then we have become Kings also through Him. First of all, a King that God anoints to rule His people is one who is ruled by God. A person who is anointed by God. This is a person who takes counsel from God. A king is one who lays down His life for those who He rules. 2 Chronicles 1:9-10, "Now, O LORD God, let thy promise unto David my father be established: For thou hast made me king over a people like the dust of the earth in multitude. Give me now wisdom and knowledge, that I may go out and come in before this people: For who can judge this thy people, that is so great?" This was Solomon, King David's Son, who was taking over his fathers kingdom, praying unto God for the wisdom and counsel of God, to rule the people. God will set people under you, so that you will be a teacher or a counselor unto them. But in order for you to be a successful counselor, you yourself must be counseled by God.
And the last promise God gives is an everlasting covenant that He may be a God to us and bring us into Canaan Land. Through Jesus Christ, we have eternal life to spend with a Heavenly Father who loves us so, that He sent forth His Son to be crucified on a cross for our sins. Also to bring us to a place of rest. Canaan was the destination that God had for His people when He brought them out of Egypt. This was a land that was flowing with milk and honey. This is also the destination that God wants every Christian to be at. This is the place where we come at rest. This is the place where we no longer have wars that come against us. This is the place that it seems that war is all around you, and satan is attacking you on every side, but you are still at rest and peace, because of the faith you are at.
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