The Position of the Spirit Realm
Theme: We are connected to Christ.
Text: Colossians 1:13-18 and Romans 5:12-21
Here’s a thought: Your source has been provided, now connect to it. Start living the life Jesus paid for.
Colossians 1:13-18 (ESV) [13] He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, [14] in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
[15] He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.
By looking at Jesus we can discover what God's like.
Jesus says, if you have seen me, you have seen the Father.
[16] For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. [17] And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18] And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent.
I keep looking at the person in the mirror, rather than what I see when I look at Jesus.
We are spirit. We have a soul. We live in a body.
Spirit - made perfect when born again.
Soul - emotions, will, mind.
Body - the place we live.
Romans 5:12-14 (NIV) [12] Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned—
Sin was the root.
Sickness, disease, death, poverty, mental issues, are all the fruit of that root, called sin.
[13] for before the law was given, sin was in the world. But sin is not taken into account when there is no law. [14] Nevertheless, death reigned from the time of Adam to the time of Moses, even over those who did not sin by breaking a command, as did Adam, who was a pattern of the one to come.
V 14 Death reigned.... Even over those who had not sinned.
Through Adam's sin, death enters.
Death doesn't only enter, it begins to reign over everyone.
Adam, who was once the master, now becomes the slave.
He was told to take dominion over everything, but now he is the slave.
Everyone who comes through Adam, is also a slave. We had no say, because of our connection to Adam.
No matter how they lived, death reigned.
Your position, your connection, determined your lot.
Your actions had nothing to do with it.
Consider a water connection. No matter what we do, the flow is not altered until the connection is changed. Change connection - Pull off the hose, turn off the valve.
Again - - V 14... Even those who had not sinned. Actions have no influence on the flow.
Whatever they were connected to, was what determined the flow.
Romans 5:15-21 (NIV) [15] But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God's grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many! [16] Again, the gift of God is not like the result of the one man's sin: The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification. [17] For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God's abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ.
Good overshadows evil. A brilliant story line. Death no longer reigns - Who reigns?
[18] Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men. [19] For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous. [20] The law was added so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more, [21] so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
We see that there are 3 groups here.
Adam to Moses - They are slaves, have no say. Death reigns over everyone.
Moses to Jesus - God introduces a covenant. They are still slaves, but because of the covenant, there is a temporary way around it all.
a. As long as they do what they are supposed to, the flow of death will be stopped temporarily.
b. The connection has not changed, but God has given them a way out, even though it is only temporarily.
c. Psalms 91 (NIV) [1] He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. [2] I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”
Jesus to "Present Time" - Now we see a change in condition. A change in connection.
a. This brings a change in the flow.
b. This has nothing to do with what we do.
c. It is all about our connection.
d. V 20 even though death was reigning before, even more so the grace of God.
Unfortunately, we as the church are very aware of how death operates. We are aware of the normalcy of death, sickness, disease etc. We know that if we cough or sneeze on someone, we can cause them to catch something from us. Sinners do not work to get sick!
They are not going to confession to get sick.
They are not volunteering to get sick.
They are not giving donations to get sick.
They are not reading 5 chapters a day to get sick.
They do not have to work for it, because they are already connected to that source.
Paul says: If death can reign over the sinner because of who they are connected to, how much more can, and will, God reign in my life because of my connection.
Why would I have to work so that I can walk in health if the sinner doesn't have to work to walk in death? Jesus changed my condition. He changed my connection. I don't have to work for what He has given.
Before I was a Jesus follower, I didn't have to work to be a good sinner. I was a natural. I was connected good and proper. I was nailing it, by just being me. How much more the grace of God.
When it comes to the area of sickness & disease or health & healing.... It has NOTHING to do with what I can do, it is all about who I am connected to. It has to do with what's flowing into my life. It's in your being not your doing. When my connection changed, everything changed. I now can reign in righteousness, because of my connection, Jesus Christ.
Do you see how the old covenant no longer has the power, the appeal, it once had?
Adam to Moses - No matter what you did, death reigned.
Moses to Jesus - I had to dwell in Him. I had to make sure that I am in His shelter.
Jesus to present - He enters into me by His Spirit. Holy Spirit lives in me. I am connected into a different source.
Jesus didn't come to change our destination. Heaven or hell. He came to change our condition. We became the righteousness of Christ. You were connected into death, where you were a slave. Jesus came to connect you into a new source, where you are the master. You have been given a free will to choose where you want to be connected into. He changed your condition and now your considerations have changed.
Romans 6:6-11 (NIV) [6] For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin— [7] because anyone who has died has been freed from sin. [8] Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. [9] For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. [10] The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. [11] In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.
You get to choose the connection.
Your consideration is what you get to change.
John 15:5 (ESV) [5] I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me (is connected to me) and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.
Old Testament - Dwell, Works.
New Testament - Abides, Remains, Lives in me.
This is why we need to look at the image of Him. We don't need to become good enough. We don't get to work "for" or "on" the source.
We work on the connection.
Stay connected.
The flow will keep coming.
Often Christians will try to teach you to accept what is seen as normal.
We do not look at the image of Christians.
We look at the image of God.
Satan will look for your weakness, he wants to trip you up. Look at what is normal in heaven. Start living as if we believe this is for us. Start living as if we believe what the Bible tells us.
What are some of what is Jesus' position?
John 7:38-39a (ESV) [38] Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” [39a] Now this he said about the Spirit,...
John 16:13 (ESV) [13] When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.
Acts 1:8 (ESV) [8] But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
Mark 16:17-18 (ESV) [17] And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; [18] they will pick up serpents with their hands; and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover.”
Matthew 10:1 (ESV) [1] And he called to him his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every affliction.
Matthew 10:7-8 (ESV) [7] And proclaim as you go, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ [8] Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons. You received without paying; give without pay.
Luke 9:1 (ESV) [1] And he called the twelve together and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases,
Luke 10:1 (ESV) [1] After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them on ahead of him, two by two, into every town and place where he himself was about to go.
Luke 10:8-9 (ESV) [8] Whenever you enter a town and they receive you, eat what is set before you. [9] Heal the sick in it and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’
I often quote the fact that Jesus said: It is finished.
What is finished?
SALVATION.
His job on earth.
Atonement.
Theology of Atonement. It is the doctrine concerning the reconciliation of God and humankind, especially as accomplished through the life, suffering, and death of Christ.
According to Strong's Exhaustive Concordance, the Word translated salvation includes health, healing, deliverance, rescue, safety, protection and provision. We get to choose our connection, because we are Born Again.
My encouragement is that we stop being comfortable with the "normal". It is not normal for God. He made a normal that too few of His followers are treating as normal. Your source has been provided, now connect to it.
Start living the life that Jesus paid for.
