FREE FROM FEAR Part 22

Yesterday we began answering the question, is it truly a reality for a person to live inside the spiritual realities of God all the time? To answer this question, we looked at the words of Jesus that declared that abiding in the vine (Christ) was the only way a person could live in and produce the fruit of God. John 15:4-11 God never tells us to do something that he does not give us the grace to accomplish. When he declared that we were supposed to abide in the vine, he was not telling us something untrue or unrealistic to achieve. Abiding in the vine is what lordship is all about. Lordship is a fundamental of Christianity that is so important that without it, there is no such thing as being a Christian or living a Christian life. Lordship is necessary for salvation, as clearly stated in Romans 10:9-10. It says, “If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. 

So, what is lordship? The book of Exodus records the story of God telling Moses to deliver the children of Israel from the hand of Pharaoh. The conversation between God and Moses accurately depicts what the term Lordship means. Moses was afraid and said to God, “Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what shall I tell them?” 14 God said to Moses, “I Am Who I Am. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I AM has sent me to you.’” Ex 3:13-14 

When God told Moses to tell them that I AM has sent me to you, he was declaring that he was everything! He was claiming that he was the sum total of all that is. He was declaring that he was all-knowing, all-seeing, and all-powerful. He was proclaiming that he was the source of all righteousness, protection, provision, deliverance, life, love, healing, deliverance, and peace! This is precisely what the term lordship means, and this is what Jesus was calling us to live in when he said, “abide in the vine.” This is also what apostle Paul was saying when he stated that we must declare Jesus Christ as Lord. A life outside of Christ is a life dependent on self to produce everything good. This kind of life produces condemnation, failure, and fear. 

When a person abides in the vine (Christ), they do not rely upon themselves for the abundant life God has offered but instead are wholly reliant upon God himself. You may be asking, how is it possible to fully rely upon God? 

Tomorrow we will learn some essential keys for stepping into the amazing and wonderful life of God that is… 

FREE FROM FEAR

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