Fear No Fear

(All scripture from the NET, netbible.org, all rights reserved)

And even though you were dead in your transgressions and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, he nevertheless made you alive with him, having forgiven all your transgressions. He has destroyed what was against us, a certificate of indebtedness expressed in decrees opposed to us. He has taken it away by nailing it to the cross.
Colossians 2:13-15 (emphasis added)

The old man is dead. Kaput. Bought the farm. Kicked the bucket. Popped its clogs. Taking a dirt nap. Checked out. Bereft of life. It is an ex-parrot. When we accepted LIFE from Jesus at the moment of our salvation, He killed the old man. That’s why He came. To kill the evil inclination (the dead spirit and old man of sin) and give us LIFE. He nailed it to the cross. It’s affixed by a man with over twenty years carpentry experience and the God who created everything. It’s as securely nailed as it can be. He did it once. It is there. It is not EVER moving. It is permanent. It cannot be undone by anyone but Him. When He does it, He does it GOOD.

Jesus did not leave us there. He did not leave us dead. He took us by the hand and through baptism brought us into His new life as He was resurrected by the Father. He left no one behind. Everyone who WANTS to take His hand CAN take His hand. You have to acknowledge what He did for you, trust He is telling the truth, believe it, speak that belief, get under some water, and take what He’s offering. “But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith that we preach), because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and thus has righteousness and with the mouth one confesses and thus has salvation” (Romans 10:8-10). “Then Jesus came up and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”” (Matthew 28:18-20). “I will sprinkle you with pure water, and you will be clean from all your impurities. I will purify you from all your idols. I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit within you. I will remove the heart of stone from your body and give you a heart of flesh” (Ezekiel 36:25-26). Not everyone is happy about the baptising part and churches/doctrines have split off over it. But there is power in symbols since they help teach our physical senses spiritual truths. Something happens when we’re baptised that happens at no other time. And it is a WONDERFUL act to point to because it shows how you went down one way and came up renewed into Jesus’ life.

When He nailed our old man to the cross, He nailed something else too. It was our marker. Our I.O.U.. It was our signed-in-blood promise to pay the debt of sin. Since our blood wasn’t valuable (being sinful), He paid it. And nailed our promise to the cross never to come off again. Since it is there, it CANNOT be here where you are. You do NOT have a sinful nature. You are NOT a sinner. Your debt has been paid. You have been redeemed by His blood. There is no return policy. There is no 30-day warranty. He has PERFECTED and COMPLETED the payment. Sin is no longer a factor on the board for Adonai. It’s been defeated. It was executed. Eliminated. Swept off the board.

We are alive in Messiah Jesus. We are ALIVE in Him. We aren’t dead. We’re alive. Living. Not condemned. Alive. Like a live wire full of electricity. As long as we don’t shut off the circuit we’re live. Able to conduct electricity. We’re not the source. We don’t know the destination. We are the conductor. The medium through which He sends His love to change the world and all who live within it. It isn’t US, it’s HIM. But we get to live where the current is flowing. Where the electricity is buzzing. Where the power passes through, returns, and passes through again. We get to live where life is being spread. Where the Living Water rushes and pools and refreshes.

What if temptation comes knocking? Don’t answer it. Ask Jesus to get the door. An intrusive thought? Ask Jesus what HIS thought is. A principality or power is whispering in your ear that you miss a way you USED to be? Ask Jesus what HE has for you. It’s all about Jesus because it is ALL about Jesus. The New Covenant isn’t between Adonai and humanity. It is between The Father and The Son. YHVH and Jesus. If WE want to be part of it – which the Father offers us (Jeremiah 31:31) – we need to be in Jesus, who the covenant is with. All the covenant promises are wrapped up in Jesus. He is the FULFILMENT of the Law. The purpose of the Law was to show us how sinful we were. In deed, word, and thought. The purpose of the Law was to cement within our heart the truth that we need a saviour. IF the Law was kept in totality and completeness, you WOULD be righteous (Deuteronomy 6:24-25). A normal human CANNOT keep it. It is IMPOSSIBLE. But Jesus was FULLY man, not a NORMAL man. HE did not have sin. He wasn’t a descendant of the Adamic line. He was PURE. And He KEPT the Law. HE is the ONLY ONE WHO COULD.

Humans have been called righteous because of TRUST, but NEVER because of the Law (Genesis 15:6; James 2:23). But JESUS did it. Because we are resurrected from the death He delivered to our dead spirit and sinful old Selves, we are ALIVE. But only IN HIM. Not alone. In Messiah Jesus. ““I am the true vine and my Father is the gardener. He takes away every branch that does not bear fruit in me. He prunes every branch that bears fruit so that it will bear more fruit. You are clean already because of the word that I have spoken to you. Remain in me, and I will remain in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it remains in the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in me” (John 15:1-4).

Who ARE you? What does Jesus’ love look like right now? What is your identity RIGHT NOW in Messiah Jesus? Remember, Jesus is inside us. So everywhere you go and everything you do the things that happen around you should be the EXACT SAME THINGS that would happen if Jesus was there. NO DIFFERENCE. Is that not happening? It’s because you don’t know who you are in Him. “God made the one who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that in him we would become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21). If we really knew in our hearts who we are in Jesus, there would be NO LIMIT on the healings, signs, wonders, miracles, and revelation of truths in the Word that we would witness. Not in ones and twos or even single churches, but in whole communities, whole REGIONS of believers.

Who are YOU? You’re Jesus. From the outside the world should see Him. From the inside you should shine Him out. From heaven, the Father sees the you that is in Jesus – every time. It’s Jesus, Jesus, Jesus. All the way. All the time. Every area we find a struggle is an area where we do not yet know who we are in Jesus. Where Jesus is, there victory is. It’s the way of things. “I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. In the world you have trouble and suffering, but take courage—I have conquered the world.”” (John 16:33). In JESUS, troubles don’t make trouble. There ARE no problems, just situations. In JESUS they can be pleasant. NOT the situations themselves, but in the peace He has that we are standing in. In the victory He has that we are standing in. Not the test the enemy brought our way, but in the opportunity to prove our love of Jesus who we are standing in. The enemy wants to see us fall, but Adonai gives us opportunity to prove that we can use what He has enabled us to use. They are strengthening moments and seasons because we are strong in HIS might. We are peaceful in HIS peace. We are content in HIS blessing. We are ever-wondering on the magnitude of HIS mercy and grace that He is showering on us, the humbly submitted and loving children He is raising up.

We have victory not because the old man is dead. We have victory because we are ALIVE in Jesus. Who dat? Who dat inside who’s dat outside/ Who’s dat inside who dat well outside/ Who’s dat inside, singin’ who’s dat outside/ When I see up there well who’s dat out there/ Who dat up there who’s dat down there/ Who dat up there who dat, well down there/ Who’s dat up there, singin’ who’s dat down there/ When I see you up there you bum/ Well who’s dat down there. Jesus who’s dat there. Jesus up there. Jesus down there. Jesus inside. Jesus outside. Jesus is me. Jesus is you. Jesus dat who. Jesus dat who. Jesus. He’s the One.

Do you know who you are in Him? Ask Him. He will SHOW you (Ephesians 3:14-19).

Daily Affirmation Jesus IS Messiah: Psalm 147:3&6

“He heals the brokenhearted and bandages their wounds. . . The Lord lifts up the oppressed, but knocks the wicked to the ground.” The ministry of Messiah would have very specific parameters. He would be here for a SPECIFIC purpose. Healing, bandaging, and encouraging would be a vital part of that ministry. ““The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and the regaining of sight to the blind, to set free those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fixed on him. Then he began to tell them, “Today this scripture has been fulfilled even as you heard it being read.”” (Luke 4:18-20). Jesus’ earthly ministry as Messiah was described in the book of Isaiah (Isa 58:6; 61:1-2a). Jesus quoted it and told them He was fulfilling it. And He did. Throughout the Gospels, this is EXACTLY what He did. Jesus IS the Messiah!

Your Daily Confession of Jesus/Yeshua’s Identity:

Yeshua is the Christ, the Son of the living God.

Matthew 16:16b