You Do What You Are
The Bible says it this way in Proverbs 23:7 “for as he thinks in his heart, so is he”.
The problem is that people are thinking of themselves and the world says, instead
of as God says (Philippians 4:8) tells us to think on things that are true, honest,
pure, lovely, and of a good report.
We are the righteousness of God in Christ (II Corinthians 5:17,21) “therefore if
any man be in Christ, he is a new creature, old things are passed away, behold,
all things are become new. For He (God the Father) has made Him (Jesus) to be
sin, for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in
Him”. Our righteousness is based on the finished work of Jesus; not on what we
do. Many people believe that Jesus was the atonement for our sins, and He did
however, He did more than that. He also gave us His righteousness. We are not
going to be righteous, we are made righteous the very moment we accept Jesus
Christ into our heart. As you meditate on the fact that you are righteous, you will
bear the fruits of righteous living.
I have heard many people say “I am an old sinner saved by grace”. As long as
they think of themselves that way, they will bear fruits of a sinner (Galatians 6:7-8)
“be not deceived, God is not mocked, for whatsoever a man sows, that shall he
also reap. For he that sows to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he
that sows to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting”. Because God has
made us righteous, why not accept it and walk in it.
The truth of that saying is we were an old sinner (Ephesians 2:1-5) “and you has
He quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins. Wherein in time past you
walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power
of the air, the spirit that now works in the children of disobedience. Among who
also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the
desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature the children of wrath,
even as others. But God, who is rich in mercy, for His great love wherewith He
loved us. Even when we were dead in sins, has quickened us, together with
Christ, (by grace you are saved)”. We have been saved by grace and now we
are righteous, because God said so (Ephesians 2:13-16) “but now in Christ Jesus
you who sometimes were far off are made near by the blood of Christ. For He is
our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of
partition between us. Having abolished in His flesh the enmity, even the law of
commandments, contained in ordinances, for to make in Himself of two one new
man, so making peace. And that He might reconcile both to God in one body, by
the cross, having slain the enmity thereby”.
We are redeemed. The Bible says “let the redeemed of the Lord, say so” (Psalms
107:2). We are redeemed from the curse of the law. I challenge you to study
Deuteronomy 28:15-66, which shows us the curses of the law; and see what you
are redeemed from. Just a few examples verse 19 “cursed shall you be when you
come in, and cursed shall you be when you go out”, verse 61 “also every
sickness, and every plague, which is not written in the book of the law, them will
the Lord bring upon you, until you be destroyed”. The good news is found in
Galatians 3:13 “Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a
curse for us; for it is written, cursed is every one that hangs on a tree”. Jesus said
“all things are possible to them that believe”. The problem is people don’t believe
the Bible as the true word of God. We are told in II Timothy 2:15 to “study to show
yourself approved to God, a workman that needs not to be ashamed, rightly
dividing the word of truth”. II Timothy 3:16-17 says “all scriptures is given by
inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for
instruction in righteousness. That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly
furnished to all good works”.
Sometimes you read something in the Bible and it seems to good to be true, but
when you realize that God is love, and that He loves us. Jesus said “and the glory
which You gave Me, I have given them, that they may be one, even as We are
one. I in them, and You in Me, that they may be made perfect in one, and that the
world may know that. You have sent Me, and have loved them, as You have loved
Me” (John 17:22-23). Jesus taught us how to pray (Matthew 6:9-13) “after this
manner therefore pray you: Our Father, which are in heaven, Hallowed, be Your
name. Your kingdom come, Your will be don in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us
this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil; for Yours is the kingdom,
and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen”. God wants it to be on earth, as it
is heaven. III John 2 says “beloved, I wish above all things, that you may prosper
and be in health, even as your soul prospers”. Is there any sickness in heaven?
No. Is there any tears in heaven? No. the Bible says “He will wipe away the tears
from our lives” (Revelation 7:17, 21:4).
Let us consider what we are thinking in our hearts, and begin to think of ourselves
as God thinks of us. The Bible says we are, “the head and not the tail, above and
not beneath” (Deuteronomy 28:13), “we are more than a conqueror through Him
that loved us” (Romans 8:37), “we are a child of the most High God” and God is
telling us to “arise, judge the earth, for you shall inherit all nations” (Psalms 82:
6,8). A good way to find out what we are; is to search the Bible and see “in Him”.
“in whom” “in Christ”, these shows us who we are in God’s eyes. James tells us to
“be you doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving you own selves. For if
any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like to a man, beholding his
natural face in a glass (mirror). For he beholds himself, and goes his way and
immediately forgets what manner of man he was. But whoso looks into the perfect
law of liberty, and continues therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of
the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed”. God is a Spirit, and they that
worship Him, must worship Him in Spirit and in truth. The word of God is our
spiritual mirror and we must look in the mirror, and walk according to what we see
in the mirror. To truly connect and be in agreement with God, and walking you
have to realize who you are and what you have in the spirit.
Study by: Harriet Bond
Date: October 16, 2007
The Bible says it this way in Proverbs 23:7 “for as he thinks in his heart, so is he”.
The problem is that people are thinking of themselves and the world says, instead
of as God says (Philippians 4:8) tells us to think on things that are true, honest,
pure, lovely, and of a good report.
We are the righteousness of God in Christ (II Corinthians 5:17,21) “therefore if
any man be in Christ, he is a new creature, old things are passed away, behold,
all things are become new. For He (God the Father) has made Him (Jesus) to be
sin, for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in
Him”. Our righteousness is based on the finished work of Jesus; not on what we
do. Many people believe that Jesus was the atonement for our sins, and He did
however, He did more than that. He also gave us His righteousness. We are not
going to be righteous, we are made righteous the very moment we accept Jesus
Christ into our heart. As you meditate on the fact that you are righteous, you will
bear the fruits of righteous living.
I have heard many people say “I am an old sinner saved by grace”. As long as
they think of themselves that way, they will bear fruits of a sinner (Galatians 6:7-8)
“be not deceived, God is not mocked, for whatsoever a man sows, that shall he
also reap. For he that sows to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he
that sows to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting”. Because God has
made us righteous, why not accept it and walk in it.
The truth of that saying is we were an old sinner (Ephesians 2:1-5) “and you has
He quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins. Wherein in time past you
walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power
of the air, the spirit that now works in the children of disobedience. Among who
also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the
desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature the children of wrath,
even as others. But God, who is rich in mercy, for His great love wherewith He
loved us. Even when we were dead in sins, has quickened us, together with
Christ, (by grace you are saved)”. We have been saved by grace and now we
are righteous, because God said so (Ephesians 2:13-16) “but now in Christ Jesus
you who sometimes were far off are made near by the blood of Christ. For He is
our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of
partition between us. Having abolished in His flesh the enmity, even the law of
commandments, contained in ordinances, for to make in Himself of two one new
man, so making peace. And that He might reconcile both to God in one body, by
the cross, having slain the enmity thereby”.
We are redeemed. The Bible says “let the redeemed of the Lord, say so” (Psalms
107:2). We are redeemed from the curse of the law. I challenge you to study
Deuteronomy 28:15-66, which shows us the curses of the law; and see what you
are redeemed from. Just a few examples verse 19 “cursed shall you be when you
come in, and cursed shall you be when you go out”, verse 61 “also every
sickness, and every plague, which is not written in the book of the law, them will
the Lord bring upon you, until you be destroyed”. The good news is found in
Galatians 3:13 “Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a
curse for us; for it is written, cursed is every one that hangs on a tree”. Jesus said
“all things are possible to them that believe”. The problem is people don’t believe
the Bible as the true word of God. We are told in II Timothy 2:15 to “study to show
yourself approved to God, a workman that needs not to be ashamed, rightly
dividing the word of truth”. II Timothy 3:16-17 says “all scriptures is given by
inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for
instruction in righteousness. That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly
furnished to all good works”.
Sometimes you read something in the Bible and it seems to good to be true, but
when you realize that God is love, and that He loves us. Jesus said “and the glory
which You gave Me, I have given them, that they may be one, even as We are
one. I in them, and You in Me, that they may be made perfect in one, and that the
world may know that. You have sent Me, and have loved them, as You have loved
Me” (John 17:22-23). Jesus taught us how to pray (Matthew 6:9-13) “after this
manner therefore pray you: Our Father, which are in heaven, Hallowed, be Your
name. Your kingdom come, Your will be don in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us
this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil; for Yours is the kingdom,
and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen”. God wants it to be on earth, as it
is heaven. III John 2 says “beloved, I wish above all things, that you may prosper
and be in health, even as your soul prospers”. Is there any sickness in heaven?
No. Is there any tears in heaven? No. the Bible says “He will wipe away the tears
from our lives” (Revelation 7:17, 21:4).
Let us consider what we are thinking in our hearts, and begin to think of ourselves
as God thinks of us. The Bible says we are, “the head and not the tail, above and
not beneath” (Deuteronomy 28:13), “we are more than a conqueror through Him
that loved us” (Romans 8:37), “we are a child of the most High God” and God is
telling us to “arise, judge the earth, for you shall inherit all nations” (Psalms 82:
6,8). A good way to find out what we are; is to search the Bible and see “in Him”.
“in whom” “in Christ”, these shows us who we are in God’s eyes. James tells us to
“be you doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving you own selves. For if
any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like to a man, beholding his
natural face in a glass (mirror). For he beholds himself, and goes his way and
immediately forgets what manner of man he was. But whoso looks into the perfect
law of liberty, and continues therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of
the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed”. God is a Spirit, and they that
worship Him, must worship Him in Spirit and in truth. The word of God is our
spiritual mirror and we must look in the mirror, and walk according to what we see
in the mirror. To truly connect and be in agreement with God, and walking you
have to realize who you are and what you have in the spirit.
Study by: Harriet Bond
Date: October 16, 2007
