THE RIGHTEOUS ONE [Part 3]
by REVD 'REMI TEJUMOLA
THE GROUND
I heard a fascinating story some years ago that drove home, in me, the point that I want to get across to you. One minister was having a deliverance session with a demonized person in a church. When the evil spirit manifested in that person, he asked, “Upon which ground are you here to cast me out?” to which the minister called the name of the church in which they were. To this, FWAP! The minister was soundly slapped!
What the demon asked was “On which or whose authority are you here to cast me out?” But that man of God didn’t get it. If he knew it he would have replied that it was on the authority of the Lord Jesus Christ and would have gotten that person delivered.
The Bible gave us a similar story regarding the authority of the name of Jesus which I will quote in just a moment. But before then, understand the fact that everything we can accomplish today, in Christ, can only be achieved only on the merits of Jesus, not ours.
ACTS 19: 11-17
11 And God wrought special miracles by the hands of
Paul:
12 So that from his body were brought unto the sick
handkerchiefs or aprons, and the diseases departed from
them, and the evil spirits went out of them.
13 Then certain of the vagabond Jews, exorcists, took upon
them to call over them which had evil spirits the name of
the Lord Jesus, saying, We adjure you by Jesus whom Paul
preacheth.
14 And there were seven sons of one Sceva, a Jew, and chief
of the priests which did so.
15 And the evil spirit answered and said, Jesus I know, and
Paul I know; but who are ye?
16 And the man in whom was leaped on them, and overcame
them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that
house naked and wounded.
17 And this was known to all the Jews and Greeks also dwelling
at Ephesus; and fear fell on them all, and the name of the Lord
Jesus was magnified.
Paul did not perform any miracle or cast out devils in his own name. He used the name of Jesus. Even though a holy life is required to be close to God, it was not because of Paul’s holy life that enabled him to cast out the evil spirit. It was the name of Jesus that did the work.
The other important point is that Paul had a relationship with Jesus which, obviously, those Sceva guys didn’t have. This shows that the name of the Lord Jesus will not work for every one. It mainly works for believers in Christ Jesus. The only place where the name of Jesus will work for sinners is when they want to obtain forgiveness of sins and to receive eternal salvation from the hand of the Almighty God (Romans 10: 9-10).
SPIRITUAL POSITION
Receiving righteousness as a gift from God through faith in Jesus Christ also placed us in a spiritual position – the highest position in life, and this has nothing to do with how spiritual you are or how long you’ve been saved. This is just it!
EPHESIANS 2: 1-6
1 And you hath he QUICKENED, who were dead in trespasses
and sins;
2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course
of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air,
the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:
3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times
past in the lusts of our flesh and of the mind; and were by
nature the children of wrath, even as others.
4 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith
he loved us,
5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath QUICKENED US
TOGETHER WITH CHRIST, (by grace ye were saved ;)
6 And hath RAISED US UP TOGETHER, AND MADE US SIT
TOGETHER IN HEAVENLY PLACES IN CHRIST JESUS.
The word ‘quickened’ in our text means ‘made alive’. We’ve been made alive together with Christ. Then also, we’ve been raised up together and made to sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. Positional speaking then, your place is in Christ Jesus, above all principalities and powers. Now you may not feel this way, but that is where your place and position is. His righteousness placed you there.
You may be seeing yourself physically here, but in reality, you are above spiritually in Christ Jesus. You may celebrate it, rejoice over it and spend some time praising the Almighty Father for His great love for us. Lead your life with this as your mindset.
pHONE +234-803-344-9182
by REVD 'REMI TEJUMOLA
THE GROUND
I heard a fascinating story some years ago that drove home, in me, the point that I want to get across to you. One minister was having a deliverance session with a demonized person in a church. When the evil spirit manifested in that person, he asked, “Upon which ground are you here to cast me out?” to which the minister called the name of the church in which they were. To this, FWAP! The minister was soundly slapped!
What the demon asked was “On which or whose authority are you here to cast me out?” But that man of God didn’t get it. If he knew it he would have replied that it was on the authority of the Lord Jesus Christ and would have gotten that person delivered.
The Bible gave us a similar story regarding the authority of the name of Jesus which I will quote in just a moment. But before then, understand the fact that everything we can accomplish today, in Christ, can only be achieved only on the merits of Jesus, not ours.
ACTS 19: 11-17
11 And God wrought special miracles by the hands of
Paul:
12 So that from his body were brought unto the sick
handkerchiefs or aprons, and the diseases departed from
them, and the evil spirits went out of them.
13 Then certain of the vagabond Jews, exorcists, took upon
them to call over them which had evil spirits the name of
the Lord Jesus, saying, We adjure you by Jesus whom Paul
preacheth.
14 And there were seven sons of one Sceva, a Jew, and chief
of the priests which did so.
15 And the evil spirit answered and said, Jesus I know, and
Paul I know; but who are ye?
16 And the man in whom was leaped on them, and overcame
them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that
house naked and wounded.
17 And this was known to all the Jews and Greeks also dwelling
at Ephesus; and fear fell on them all, and the name of the Lord
Jesus was magnified.
Paul did not perform any miracle or cast out devils in his own name. He used the name of Jesus. Even though a holy life is required to be close to God, it was not because of Paul’s holy life that enabled him to cast out the evil spirit. It was the name of Jesus that did the work.
The other important point is that Paul had a relationship with Jesus which, obviously, those Sceva guys didn’t have. This shows that the name of the Lord Jesus will not work for every one. It mainly works for believers in Christ Jesus. The only place where the name of Jesus will work for sinners is when they want to obtain forgiveness of sins and to receive eternal salvation from the hand of the Almighty God (Romans 10: 9-10).
SPIRITUAL POSITION
Receiving righteousness as a gift from God through faith in Jesus Christ also placed us in a spiritual position – the highest position in life, and this has nothing to do with how spiritual you are or how long you’ve been saved. This is just it!
EPHESIANS 2: 1-6
1 And you hath he QUICKENED, who were dead in trespasses
and sins;
2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course
of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air,
the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:
3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times
past in the lusts of our flesh and of the mind; and were by
nature the children of wrath, even as others.
4 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith
he loved us,
5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath QUICKENED US
TOGETHER WITH CHRIST, (by grace ye were saved ;)
6 And hath RAISED US UP TOGETHER, AND MADE US SIT
TOGETHER IN HEAVENLY PLACES IN CHRIST JESUS.
The word ‘quickened’ in our text means ‘made alive’. We’ve been made alive together with Christ. Then also, we’ve been raised up together and made to sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. Positional speaking then, your place is in Christ Jesus, above all principalities and powers. Now you may not feel this way, but that is where your place and position is. His righteousness placed you there.
You may be seeing yourself physically here, but in reality, you are above spiritually in Christ Jesus. You may celebrate it, rejoice over it and spend some time praising the Almighty Father for His great love for us. Lead your life with this as your mindset.
pHONE +234-803-344-9182
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