Being What God Says We Are
Visualize yourself the way God says you are! Remembering that God can not lie
(Hebrews 6:17-19) “Wherein God, willing more abundantly to show to the heirs of
promise, the immutability of His counsel, confirmed it by an oath: that by two
immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong
consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us.
Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which
enters into that inside the veil”. Proverbs 23:7 says “for as he thinks in his heart, so
is he”. Imagine a saint! Whatever his concept of sainthood, many in our secular
society would view that ambition as very eccentric. Yet, if we are Christians, that
ought to be the top-priority goal of our life. To be a saint is simply to be like Jesus.
Paul declared that the purpose of God the Father is to make us like His Son
(Romans 8:29) “For whom He did foreknow, He also did predestinate to be
conformed to the image of His Son”. That’s the essence of sainthood. Let’s read
Philippians 3:3-11.
We are already saints. Saints are people who have been separated from the world
and consecrated to the worship and service of God. Followers of the Lord Jesus
are referred to by this phrase throughout the Bible. Believers are called saints
(Roman 1:7), and “saints in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 1:1), because they belong to
the One who provided their sanctification. The saints are also those to whom the
privilege of revelation is given (Colossians 1:26-27, Jude 3), and the task of ministry
(Ephesians 4:12) are committed.
Philippians 2:2-5 says “Fulfill you my joy, that you be like minded, having the same
love; being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through strife or
vainglory; but in lowliness of mind, let each esteem other better that themselves.
Look not every man on his own thing, but every man also on the things of others.
Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus”. Romans 12:1-2 “I beseech
you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a
living sacrifice, holy acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And be
not conformed to this world, but be you transformed by the renewing of your mind,
that you may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God”. Don’
t go by your feelings, go by the word of God. We are told to “walk by faith and not
by sight” (II Corinthians 5:7).
Every believer is guaranteed perfect conformity to Christ in the world to come. But
God does not want us to wait passively until we enter eternity for that supernatural
transformation (I John 3:2-3) “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it does not
yet appear what we shall be, but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be
like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. And every man that has this hope in him
purifies himself, even as He is pure”. We are to be cooperating now with the Holy
Spirit to grow more and more into Christ like sainthood “In this world” (I John 4:17)
“Herein is our love made perfect that we may have boldness in the day of judgment:
because as He is, so are we in this world”.
The solution is the same and God told Joshua in Joshua 1:8 “This book of the law
shall not depart out of your mouth, but you shall meditate therein day and night, that
you may observe to do according to all that is written therein, for then you shall
make your way prosperous and then you shall have good success”. Speak what
God says about your self. God says “we are the head and not the tail, above and
not beneath”, He also says “that all things are possible to them that believe”. In
Ephesians 3:20 “Now to Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that
we ask or think, according to the power that works in us”. Now I ask you, what are
you asking and thinking?
Sermon by: Harriet Bond
Date: August 11, 2006