The Goal is Whole: Live it Out L2: Reigning in Life

FULL STUDY:

“Do not lie to one another, since you laid aside the old self with its evil practices, 10 and have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him.” (Colossians 3:9-10)

True holiness can be summarized as “put off the old, put on the new”. We choose to live differently, not in our own strength but in His, by actively leaving the old ways, and engaging the new nature. This works with whatever attribute we may need. The goal is to manifest the “fruit of the spirit:

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” (Galatians 5:22-23)

This is the holy life, completely free of commandments. Holiness is not keeping a set of rules, but living out of a new nature. This is the new creation manifested. But this is not a lifestyle of self-strength, or fleshly striving. Rather, it is energized by God’s grace, through which we reign in life:

“those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.” (Romans 5:17)

Reigning in life is speaking about reigning over who we are, living in the freedom that is in Christ. No longer bound by traits that we hate about ourselves, no longer held captive in fallen, sinful ways. Living a life that manifests Christ is a wonderful goal. This is a much better way, and a means to us making a very positive difference in our world.

Let’s look at what Paul said are the two keys to this:

1. Abundance of grace
2. The gift of righteousness.

Grace is the favor of God, and comes from a word meaning “cheerfulness”. The word “joy” comes from exactly the same root. Grace is a powerful force of joy that generates freedom.

Earlier in that same chapter we read:

“Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand.” (Romans 5:1-2)

Our faith brings justification and peace with God, which is awesome. But it also gives us introduction into “this grace” in which we stand. Grace is our position, grace is where we stand. Everything that God has for us in the new creation flows out of this grace.

The Romans 5:17 passage doesn’t speak of a “measure of grace”. God doesn’t measure out grace. A portion for you, a portion for me. On the contrary He gives abundance of grace.

“In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace, which He lavished on us.” (Ephesians 1:7-8).

Riches of grace! Lavished on us!!

Now let’s re-phrase that with the word joy, because grace comes from the same root word as joy. Those who receive abundance of joy! According to the riches of His joy! Joy lavished on us!

Grace-joy is a powerful force. It is divine energy. It is not just being happy, although it will often lead to that. It is a condition of heart, a faculty and attribute of the new creation. They were grasping some of this even in the fallen race, back in the Old Testament. Nehemiah declared:

“The joy of the Lord is your strength.” (Nehemiah 8:10).

It is worth taking a few moments to look at the context behind what Nehemiah said. It is charged with prophetic insight and revelation that is applicable to us today in the new creation. Nehemiah and Ezra had led the way in rebuilding Jerusalem, which had been desecrated by the Babylonians. There was a remnant of around 40,000 people, and they had first rebuilt the wall to enclose the city.

Nehemiah was keen to establish temple worship and sacrifice and had appointed gatekeepers, singers and Levites. Then he assembled all the people together in a plaza to hear Ezra the priest reading the Law of Moses (their scriptures), from early morning until midday. Ezra and some fellow priests read the scriptures and “translated” it to give the sense, so that the people could understand. This is like a teaching conference!

But when the people heard the teaching of the law, they began weeping. It was at this point that Nehemiah stood up and said:

“This day is holy to the Lord your God; do not mourn or weep.” For all the people were weeping when they heard the words of the law. 10 Then he said to them, “Go, eat of the fat, drink of the sweet, and send portions to him who has nothing prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” 11 So the Levites calmed all the people, saying, “Be still, for the day is holy; do not be grieved.” 12 All the people went away to eat, to drink, to send portions and to celebrate a great festival, because they understood the words which had been made known to them.” (Nehemiah 8:9-12).

This is so relevant for us, seeing as our theme is True Holiness. “This day is holy to the Lord your God, do not mourn or weep”. Holiness does not work with weeping and sadness, holiness works with joy! Holiness is not about regrets for falling short, but about rejoicing in the provision of God! And there’s more. Go and feast! Eat the fat, drink the sweet, and enjoy a meal together. And share with those that have nothing prepared. Why? Because this day is holy to the Lord. Do not be grieved, because the joy of the Lord is your strength!! So the people went away to celebrate a great festival, because they understood the words which had been spoken to them.

Today, as we pursue the lifestyle of true holiness, let us grasp the truth that this is not a heavy thing, a mournful thing, something that brings us down. Quite the opposite! Holiness is rooted in joy and celebration. Celebration of the victory we have in Jesus! We need to receive abundance of grace. Abundance of joy. This is the first step in reigning in life.

The second element from Romans 5:17 is that we must receive “the gift of righteousness”. How incredible this is. Righteousness is the quality of “being right”. In our current context we could see it as right living. It is a standing, or position, but also an attribute, or nature, directly linked to holiness. This is the new creation!

“Put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.” (Ephesians 4:24)

The new self (new creation) is in the likeness of God, created in righteousness and holiness, of the truth. We receive this as a gift from God. We cannot manufacture it, we cannot just try harder day by day to become it. We have to receive it, and then outwork it! And here we see very clearly that, in the new creation, we have it! We received it already!

Now we can activate this, and outwork it by faith. Taking a position on the truth of what we have become begins to make it real in our experience. Having abundance of grace, and the gift of righteousness, we can reign in life through Christ – through Christ within us!

Let us make this a conscious reality. Let us apply this on an ongoing basis, drawing on the grace, tapping the joy, and declaring that we have the gift of righteousness. We have everything in us through faith for what we need to live a holy life. The fruits of grace and righteousness spring forth as holiness!

In closing today, let us look at a wonderful passage from the apostle Peter that links all this together:

“To those who have received a faith of the same kind as ours, by the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ: 2 Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord; 3 seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. 4 For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust.” (2 Peter 1:1-4)

For those who have received this faith, the new creation, God has given us all we need, by His divine power. And given us precious and magnificent promises! Don’t you love this new creation? And His purpose is that we may become partakers of the divine nature! Holiness is not us striving to be something, but becoming partakers of God’s own nature! He has placed it in us in the new creation, and given us tools to activate it in our lives.

But let’s not miss the power of Peter’s final phrase there. “Having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust” That’s in the past tense. In the new creation, we have escaped. We have left corruption and lust behind. So if you have any of that operating in or through you, you don’t have to. Take your position on truth, engage faith by your words, and reign in life:

“I am crucified with Christ”. It is no longer I who lives in corruption or lust. Instead, Christ lives in me, living His way. The way I will live now, is by engaging His life in me by faith. I am not corrupt, I do not have lust, and I live in purity, in abundance of grace, abundance of joy, in His gift of righteousness. The joy of the Lord is my strength!”