APOSTLE’S NEW YEAR MESSAGE 2016: “I REIGN IN LIFE, THROUGH JESUS CHRIST“
Dearly beloved of my Father, “I Reign In Life, Through Jesus Christ” Romans 5:12 – 21 ( scriptures to be read aloud) 12 “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:13(For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law.14 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam’s transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come.15 But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.16 And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto justification.17 For if by one man’s offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.)18 Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.19 For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.20 Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound: 21 That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.”
God’s Grace has led us all into another Glorious year in the presence of the Lord. As we come into the first day of the first month in the year 2016 , I will like to remind all faithfuls that there is more to Christianity than a situation where you simply believe in Christ and just having your sins forgiven and looking forward to going to heaven someday when you die. I tell you today, there are millions of Christians on earth who go no further in their Christian Faith than this very fact. That’s all they live for and talk about year after year.
More than ever before, it is in the will of God that this year the Holy Spirit will help you understand God’s love more, so that you may also know Jesus better for all God has enabled him accomplish in your life.
Apostle Paul, in Romans 5:15 – goes on to declare that Christ through the Holy Spirit comes to live in each believer’s heart, and if His death gets you ready for heaven , then have you ever thought and pondered over what Christ’s life can do for you? It is of great joy to know and realize that Jesus, His life (indwelling in you) is available in order to make us ready for earth; that is getting you ready to live life to the fullest here and now. His death delivers you from the penalty of sin, but His life (His indwelling risen life), delivers you from the power of sin over you in your present circumstances or situations. Even as His death removes the bitterness of death from you, His Life removes the barrenness of your life for you. Many people in today’s World are evidently over terribly tired of the weary, fruitless, restless, barren, boredom of life as it is lived from day to day, but I tell you there is emptiness, the more we grow older in the world, there is a growing sense of futility, emptiness and meaninglessness- doom of mankind, all this could be found in a life apart from Jesus Christ. Much more than this kind of life for the believing Christian is called Abundant Life, the overcoming life (ZOE) – God’s own life, the life Jesus Himself lived, blessed now and lasting forever- A blessed life. This is the goodness in verses 15-21 of Romans 5; we see what God has provided against this emptiness in the reign of a Christ Resurrected life.
Here we see a contrast is made between the old life you had from Adam, and the New life you have received from Jesus Christ. The old life produces corruption, condemnation, restlessness, death, envy, jealousy, resentment, bitterness, laziness, you did not have to go to any school to learn these things, No one taught man all these things, how to be jealous and envious, greedy , cruel, impatient etc, all a natural result of the sinful life we all have from Adam. In all these, God found a way to bring that old life to a complete end and to begin a New life in Jesus Christ. When you learn how to let that wonderful, risen life of Jesus Christ take over in your life today, you will be living the ZOE that is God’s own Life in Christ Jesus, this is the ultimate for God’s Children.
Listen again to the scriptures ” if because of one man’s trespass death reigned, through that one man , much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness, reign” Where will they reign, in Heaven? No later, but ‘In this life here and now you shall reign in life , through the one man Jesus Christ – thus it is easy to really love as it is to hate when you truly discern the life of Christ within. If you are drawing upon that life, it is easy to forgive as it is to be resentful, even easier in Christ. In verse 20 of Romans 5, Apostle Paul shows us impossible and futile ways we usually try to correct this problem of being a bad person i.e by the law, or by setting up our own rules or by signing up ( as many today will do ) , signing New Year Resolutions , or by as many will say ‘ turning a new leaf ‘ , All of this is all Law no matter what we try to call it, and Paul says something increasingly revealed here, that the law only came to increase the problem( the trespass) . In other words when the law comes in (when you put yourself under rules, you simply make things worse) you increase the trespass. One thing we must understand is that the law makes you content with outward conformity eg controlling outward wrongs by making it possible for human beings to live together. If we don’t have laws, how will we even exist, it must help regulate society, so the law has its great advantage, but this is the one thing a believer must always understand, the Law has no single ability, to change the heart or desire. It can never touch what goes on inside. Scripture says ” where sin abounds grace much more abounds Romans 5:20“ in other words whatever the law does to you, it is certain you can succeed, only the Life of Jesus Christ already abiding in you is able to create in you a desire to live more and more to the Glory of God inwardly.
You see the Life of Christ is more powerful than Adams life. That’s the meaning of ‘much more’ because God is greater than mere man. You cannot control the old Adam nature, but Christ can. Christ has cut off this old life completely and has found a way to cancel it out to give you instead a new life, a totally different life from which to draw all strength. The same life that made it possible for Jesus Christ to live and be what He was and When He was here 1900 years ago. Within this frame of your life, your body, your Spirit and emotions, and your all, Christ will through you live that wonderful life in this 21st Century so that men will begin to see more and more of Jesus Christ, walking and living in you. The life of defeat under the law opposite the life of Christ, in which you reign, can be compared to an empty glove trying its best to pick up a book from the floor to the shelf, all by itself… In its lifeless, helpless state is an impossible task, but when your fingers are fitted into those ‘same’ gloves, then it becomes a possibility. God, like the fingers fitted into the gloves, has provided a way by which the total risen life of Jesus Christ is made available to us, so we can smile when that life fills us to capacity like the hands and fingers fitted into the lifeless gloves, we can do all things that Jesus Christ can do, do you believe that? So then the book can now be picked up without difficulty by the gloves (Philippians 4:13) “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me” Jesus Christ is the one that fills the Glove (the Adamic nature) with his life filled in you (the life of Jesus)
This New Near morning, Jesus Christ reminds you that he has come to dwell in your heart and he is perfectly able to do everything through you that God can ever demand of you or that life can ever demand of you. As we read the gospel records never was there a time Jesus Christ was confronted with a situation he could never handle, because of the life of the Father which perfectly filled Him. So his life is to perfectly fill us. You must reign in life as Jesus reigns and overcome the life and level of defeat. To reign in life is living Christ’s life of victory. All Christians have eternal life but very few of them have abundant life. Jesus said – John 10:10 “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” To reign in life by Christ Jesus therefore means that the idea of ruling, of having dominion, having authority is all yours in Christ Jesus. As children of God, many think God is going to do everything for them, they do not realize they have a part to play (your response) Romans 5:17doesn’t say ” I will reign through you ” no it says ” they which receive (1) the abundance of grace and (2) the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by Jesus Christ; this verse says that you and I will reign. Of course, it is by or because of Jesus Christ, that we have this authority; he has given us the authority to rule and reign. Many times, people say “they left it up to the Lord; his going to do it “.But no, the real truth about the matter is he has left it up to you. Let’s come into a reality and find out our true job and positions; let’s find out what we are supposed to do.
Romans 5:17 mentioned two things we have received; the abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness. If you don’t know what you have received you will be hindered in reigning. We’ve heard a lot taught about grace and thank God for his grace but not only have we received abundance of grace, we’ve also received the “gift of righteousness”. What does the “gift of righteousness” mean? First it’s a gift – which means we didn’t do anything to earn or deserve it. Secondly, it means we have been made right with God; it means we have right standing with God. If you are in right standing with God, it means nothing can come between you and Him. That is a truth, you need to learn (this year) and get finally settled in your heart and mind.
So reigning in life is about the here and now just as like I said at the beginning of this message about you reigning in heaven or the sweet by and by this is also true, but it’s still not the whole truth. In both cases either because of wrong teaching or the lack of right teaching the impression is that you can’t expect much in this life, unfortunately that is not what the Bible teaches.
Today, as we enter a new year in God’s presence all Spirit and life and Godhead families must declare that they reign In this life by Jesus Christ. Hosea 4:6 says “my people are destroyed for lack of knowledge…”. This verse doesn’t say sinners are destroyed but it infers that if God’s people had knowledge of who they really are in Christ, of who God is, and of their right, benefits and privileges of their dominion, and that they have kingdom dominion, they wouldn’t be destroyed. One reason Satan is able to reign and rule in the life of some Christians is because those Christians do not realize the authority that has been given to them.
Finally, the power to reign as kings and priests in this life has nothing to do with your background, education, or how you look, or how much savings you have in your bank account. The power to reign is based entirely on JESUS ALONE. 2 Peter 1:3 “According to his divine power hath given onto us all things that pertain onto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue.”. You are destined to reign in life. God has called you out to be a success, and to enjoy a life of having enough, not lacking or in defeat, to enjoy good health, to enjoy a life of victory. We can see from this scripture that by his DIVINE POWER God has already given in all things; through the knowledge of him so it’s never his will that you live a life of defeat, poverty and failure. He has called you to be the head and not the tail. If you are a business person, God wants you to have prosperous business, if you are a home maker or builder you are anointed to bring up wonderful children in the Lord. A student, God wants you to pass all your exams in excellence. Trusting the Lord for a new career? He doesn’t just want you to have a new job but a position of influence to be a blessing and be an asset to your organization.
You are designed in your born again (God life) to reign because Jesus is the Lord of your life! When you reign in life, you reign over sin, over the powers of darkness; we reign over depression, over poverty, over every curse, over sickness and diseases, reign over the devil and his plan. In every storm of life, because Jesus reigned, so you reign. So know it today and forever that you can never earn God’s blessings by your performance. His blessings are forever based entirely on his grace. His blessings over your life have to be undeserved, unlimited favour. All your blessings are based entirely on receiving Jesus through his finished work which is the abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness on account of which Jesus hung on the cross and cried “it is finished”. He meant everything that you and I need to reign in life was accomplished. On the cross that day, Jesus finished it; and you received healing, provision, guidance, protection, peace and victory. He achieved for us what we could not achieve for ourselves. The world system is driven to continue to do with self effort, driven to do and do, but as Christians with what Christ paid in full we declare IT IS ALL DONE.
Men and brethren 2016 is a unique year of savoring God’s grace and mercy in a season of continuous reigning in life. This year therefore 2016, I declare to you that Jesus Reigns, so I reign!!!!
Therefore In 2016,
(1) Pastor declares: Jesus Reigns,
Congregation’s responds: so I reign!!!!! (With hands lifted in response)
(2) Pastor declares: Jesus Reigns,
Congregation’s responds: so I reign!!!!! (With hands lifted in response)
(3). Pastor declares: Jesus Reigns,
Congregation’s responds: so I reign!!!!! (With hands lifted in response)
God’s manifestations of blessings upon your life as you continue to reign in life through Jesus Christ AMEN!
God bless you all