Author: Bishop Tony Medley, Sr. - Senior Pastor, Abundant Life Christian Church
Deuteronomy 7:9-14 - Know therefore that the Lord thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations; And repayeth them that hate him to their face, to destroy them: he will not be slack to him that hateth him, he will repay him to his face. Thou shalt therefore keep the commandments, and the statutes, and the judgments, which I command thee this day, to do them. Wherefore it shall come to pass, if ye hearken to these judgments, and keep, and do them, that the Lord thy God shall keep unto thee the covenant and the mercy which he sware unto thy fathers: And he will love thee, and bless thee, and multiply thee: he will also bless the fruit of thy womb, and the fruit of thy land, thy corn, and thy wine, and thine oil, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep, in the land which he sware unto thy fathers to give thee. Thou shalt be blessed above all people: there shall not be male or female barren among you, or among your cattle.
The Hebrew transliteration of the word "Deuteronomy", is made up of two words: "Deutero" (which means second) and "Nomost" (meaning law). So this book lays out the second representation or declaration of God's law.
We see that God started in out in Deuteronomy 7:9 saying that "He keeps his covenant and mercy". This scripture is saying that God keeps his covenant (promise) and mercy, which is God being good to us despite us.
Another word for mercy is grace. Grace is God's unmerited favor. It's God rescuing us. Notice how God was very specific in this verses (Deu 7:9-14) as we go through.
The Law and Grace
Let's look at Galatians so we can see the importance of how the law and grace go together.
Galatians 3:22 - 29 - "But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe. But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed. Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster. For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. here is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise."
(Galatians 3:22) We are saved by grace and live by grace through Jesus Christ. The atoning sacrifice that Jesus shed for us on Calvary's cross enables and powers us to have Abundant Life (which comes through belief).
(Galatians 3:23). The law exisited in the Old Testament and was there for a purpose. Because of what Jesus did for us (die for our sins), God was able to usher in faith (or belief).
(Galatians 3:24) Without the law we wouldn't be able to clearly see God or clearly understand what He expects of us. The instructions to the law, mentioned in the opening scripture of Deuteronomy 7:9-14 help to bring us to a place of having full faith, reliance and belief upon God. It is also there to teach us how to live a covenant life by faith.
When People See Us, They Should See Jesus
(Galatians 3:25) Faith is here! Faith is uncondtional belief and reliance upon God. We are no longer under a schoolmaster: we graduated. So now under faith, we should have a deeper revelation. The law is laid out for the novice. We should already be excelling in those areas that God has instructued us. So now God is showing us how to live a life of faith.
(Galatians 3:26) We don't just believe in Christ, but we live like Christ. This is what it means to put on Christ. That's what a Christian is: Christ-like. It means we operate like Jesus in the earth realm.
(Galatians 3:27-28) We are all equal. We all have equal access to God. We all have the same position in covenant with God.
(Galatians 3:29) If you are Christ-like. If you are one of Jesus'. If you are one of His own. If you "let this mind be in you that was also in Christ Jesus". If you operate like Jesus...Jesus did great things in the earth realm. And He did these great things in the earth realm because He knew what it was like to be one with the father. His discples said, "show us the father"(because it ws a mystery to them) and Jesus said, "if you seen me, you seen the Father".
When people see us, they should see the Father. They should see Jesus.
You Are Meant to do Great Things
When Jesus came into an atmosphere, things changed. Jesus was able to call things to himself. He was able to send out his disciples and tell them to go and bring a mule and an ass that belonged to him. He was able to tell thim to go fish and open it up so that they had money to pay taxes. Jesus was able to take a boys lunch (two fish and five loaves of bread) and feed 5,000 men plus women and children.
We are supposed to operate just like that in the earth realm.
People were drawn to Jesus because they could see the anointing that was on Him. That is what Christ means: "Christos" (Greek transliteration), the anointed in all of his anointing.
Jesus said to us that "greater things than these...", the magnificent things that Jesus did, greater things than these shall you do.
You are meant to do great things!
You are meant to do great things because Jesus sealed the deal. When Jesus closed his eyes and his physical body was deceased, before he released his last breath, one of the last things he said on the cross was "it is finished".
What was finished? That sacrifice, that partition, that separation that was between God and man through man's (or humans) inability. Through our inability, it was separated Jesus said: "it is finished".
At that moment, something happened in the temple.
There was a separation (a veil) that even separated the priest from going in and making partition for us. The bible says that at that moment, the sky grew dark and the veil was ripped from the top to the bottom, signifying that God was giving equal access. That's why it says in Hebrews 4:15 - 16:
"For we have not an highpriest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need."
Full Access
The word used there in Hebrews 4:16 is "boldly". Jesus ministry was not timid. It was bold.
May I submit to you that Jesus had a lifestyle in the earth? He was deep within His ministry. His ministry was his lifestyle. You could not separate the two.
This is the way we're supposed to flow through the earth. You might say, "but I'm not an ordained minister". Yes, you are. The Bible says that we all have been given "the ministry of reconciliation". We cannot lose sight of that. You are supposed to flow through the earth and win souls to Christ wherever you go. And God will supernaturally empower you to be able to do that while you are living your life. While are you on vacation. While you going to work. While are you at the gas station. While you are at the grocery store. Those are all opportunities to allow the supernatural to flow through you.
Let's read again, Galatians 3:29, And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.
You've got to see this because who does he talk about next? Abraham.
He talks about Jesus (the New Testament manifestation of God) and then he goes back to Abraham (the Old Testament manifestation God). Are you seeing the connection here?
There can not be a separation between the Old Testament covenant and the New Testament covenant. The difference is that it's "not by works lest any man should boast" (Eph 2:9).
Our ability, the anointing that we have, the favor that we have doesn't come from our works it comes from the sacrifice Jesus made but we still have an obligation to do the best we can to fulfill our end of the covenant.
So the revelations taught through the Old Testament, the revelations taught through the Abrahamic covenant, the understanding, the examples that Abraham demonstrated in our presence: we have to live according to that because it opens up the door. It solitifies our covenant position but we don't receive it in measure according to our doing. We receive it in measure according to God's grace.
What Does It Mean to Believe?
Abraham was the epitome of belief. The Bible even calls him a patriarch or father of the faith. This word "believe" is very powerful. Abraham believed and the Bible says that God counted his belief on what is righteousness.
Now that's the Old Testament. But it's for us today. God counted his belief as righteousness (Rom 4:3). So we got to believe God at the level or capacity that Abraham did. In fact, we must exceed it.
Abraham's faith was the base. The foundation is where we begin, but we must add to it. The Bible says, add to your faith virtue and knowledge....(2 Pet 1:5). Belief is the beginning. Then you've got to add to it. That's how we grow. I like to call it the matriculation of faith, the school of faith. We have to continually add to our faith.
So, what does it mean to believe?
We know that the Greek word for faith is "pistis". It's Greek because, in the New Testament the words are derived from the Greek (being post Chaldean and Babalyian captivity).
Faith and belief are synomous. So "pisteuo" means to have faith. It is complete trust in God.
Do you fully trust God?
You have to believe God so much so that even if he doesn't do what you expect, you know, that he can. Have you heard that before? The Hebrew boys. We know them by their Chaldean names: Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. They said, even if God don't deliver us, we know that he can (Dan 3:17-18).
Now, why do you need to know this? Because faith and belief, is not "name and claim". Faith and belief is full trust and reliance upon God. What's the difference?
When we fully trust God, we trust him to know what's best for us. I'll let that one marinate for just a moment.
What's best for you might not be what's best for me. And what's best for me might not be what's best for you. This is why the scripture says to trust the Lord with all of your heart, and lean not unto your own understanding (Prov 3:5-6). Because your own understanding may lead you to what you think should be your result. But the Bible says that God knows the thoughts that he thinks toward us (Jer 29:11). So what we have to do is trust that God knows best and then follow him. That he will order our direction that he will order our footsteps.
What's the problem with "naming and claiming" something? Because you may be naming and claiming something that doesn't belong to you. You may be naming and claiming something that may bring damage to you. So you have to acknowledge God in all your ways.
And as we acknowledge God, God has a place of prosperity for us. He has a place for peace for us. He has good things in store for us. We just have to understand whats designed for us. Now, why that's so important? Because your anointing depends on you being your authentic self.
Being in Position
Your anointing depends on you being in position.
You have to look the way God designed you to look and that may include some things that you think are weaknesses. The Bible says that God takes our weakness and he establishes his perfection. His strength is made perfect in our weakness (2 Corinth 12:9).
Whatever area that you think is a weakness, whatever area you think that's a handicap, whatever area that you think there's a limit, you've got to change your mindset and understand that's the area that God wants to flow his anointing in. That's where he wants to be the Super in your natural.
This is why when Paul asked God, three times remove this thorn from me. God said, my grace (my unmerited favor, the flow of the anointing in your weakness) is sufficient. My grace, my goodness to you desipte you is all you need. It's enough.
You can live an abundant life with a limitation.
God sets different limitations on different people. This is why all things are lawful, but not expedient (1 Corinth 10:23).
You have to know this: you can live an abundant life wit a limitation.
How do I know? You pray. You believe in God. He says my sheep, hear my voice, another, they will not follow (John 10:27).
Access by Faith
So now, so let's put these things together. The law is a schoolmaster. We are actually being led by God through instruction. He's teaching us how to be productive. He's teaching us how to set things up for success. Look at 1 Corinthians.
1 Corinthians 6:9 - 11 "Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God. Be not decieved: neither fornicators, nor idolators, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of theselves with mandkind. Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God."
This scripture is talking about those that have not by belief or by faith accepted the atoning blood of Jesus. It's not those that are sinning or those that are raised in a certain family. But it is those that have not by belief or by faith accepted the atoning blood of Jesus.
The kingdom of God is a positon and a place. If you have not accepted the atoning blood of Jesus over those areas (referenced in 1 Corinthans 6:9-11) in your life (this is where the covenant comes in). You have to accept the blood in those areas because the blood protects and changes things. The blood of God cleanses us (washes us) from all of our former sins. It declares us holy (sanctifies us) in God's presence. It gives us the right to covenant access (justifies us). And we are able to do all of this by the regenerating power of God (the Spirit of our God).
A Mind Change
The Spirit of God changes our thinking. Maybe before you enjoyed, or found pleasure, or thought it was acceptable to be a theif. Maybe before you thought it was acceptable to be a fornicator. You thought it was acceptable to be a idolater or to be a effeminate outside of your sexual orientation. You may have thought that all of these kinds of things were okay because it was the your condition of your mind. But now the Spirit of God convicts us. It changes our thinking. It makes us see things differently. It makes us assess things differently. It makes us filter things differently. That's why the bible says. Not only "let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus" (Phil 2:5-11) which we spoke about earlier, but it also tells us, "be not conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind that you may prove that good and acceptable and perfect will of God" (Rom 12:2). We expereince a mind change regeneration through the Holy Spirit.
Jesus said, "I will send to you another comforter" (John 14:16) and that comforter is the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit changes our view or filter. Things that we once found acceptable or enjoyed, have changed because our filter has changed: an inside out change.
One of the dangers of religion is it oftentimes dresses up a mess. Look this way, carry yourself this way. But regeneration is an inside change. It's an inside job, an inside process. The Holy Spirit works on the inside. Eventually what's happening on the inside should display outward, but it's important that it starts inside. When this happents you will start contemplating things and start thinking about them differently because you begin to think through the filter of God, because God's mind is in your mind. What happens is your flesh becomes convicted and your flesh becomes minimized. You begin to think, "what is it that God wants me to do"?
Know What God Has For You
1 Corinthians 6:12 - "All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any."
What does that mean to me? Expediant means it's not good for me. The Greek word is Sumphero. It means literally to collect or to bring together: to profit.
I've got freedom in so many areas, but is it going to bring to me the things that God has for me. There are things in the universe that God has to bring. Just like Jesus said, go bring that donkey (or ass). He sent the disciples because he knew it belonged to his ministry. It belonged to him. When they went to fish so that they could go in and pay taxes, it belonged to him.
There are things that God has that belongs to you. That's what the Word does. The bible says that, "The word will not return to God void, but it will accomplish what is sent to do" (Isaiah 55:11).
Jesus is the Word. Remember the Bible said in John 1:1, "In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God". So now we behold his glory. We are one with the Word. The Word is in us because we are Christians like God in the earth realm.
So there are things to be called to you. But if you are doing something, even though it's lawful for you, but it's not good for you, you can hinder your return. You have to know what God allows for you and you can't base it on looking in someone else's yard. You can't base it on what everybody else is doing. This is an individual relationship with you and God.
Remember the Basics
The writter in 1 Corinthians 6:9-12 is giving us some examples. Examples from the law that was our schoolmaster. This is the minimum. These are some basic requirements.
Most employers are looking for basic, only basic qualifications. What sets you apart is that you exceed those qualifications. The basics are the expected.
I manage a bunch of people but they start off with them just learning the standard work, the basic expectations. And they get as a result, basic evaluations. But then when they begin to exceed the basic, when they begin to exceed the standard work, then they begin to get rewarded at a higher level on their evaluations. It's no different spiritually.
The law shows us what is the basic. What are the basic things that God is looking from us? He listed some basic things. You can even throw in tithes (some basic things). Let me not use tithe, ten percent (10%). That's the minimum. That's a foundation, but you can go so much further.
(1 Corinthians 6:12 ) In other words. I'm not going to be locked down to something that isn't good for me.
(1 Corinthians 6:13-14) In other words let's talk about flesh or the things that we do because of carnality. "...Now the body is not for fornication, but for the Lord; and the Lord for the body. And God hath both raised up the Lord, and will also raise up us by his own power".
The more we understand this, the more we can see how God's setting us up.
Remember Kingdom isn't not just a place it's a position. The Greek transliteration of the word kingdom is basileia. Recall Galatians 3:22.
"But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe."
This is setting us up to be kingdom citizens. This word basileia means a realm. It is a kingdom position in God. So what God is setting us up to do is have a kingdom position in God. How do you do that? You do this by understanding the basics, knowing what God has for you and flowing it that.
You Are A Kingdom Agent
God's kingdom is not just in the heavens. God's kingdom is not just in the clouds. God's kingdom is also in the earth realm. Remember Jesus said, when you pray, pray this way...thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven (Matthew 6:10).
Can you see what God is calling us to do?
This is a commandment of Jesus. This isn't as much to be recited, as it is to evoked. Jesus wasn't just saying, just say these words. Jesus was saying, this is the purpose of your prayer. The whole purpose of praying is that you bring kingdom results into the earth, what already exists in heaven. And why does it exist in heaven? Because remember when Jesus paid the sacrifice, he told us to "boldly come" (Hebrews 4:16), and when we come boldly, we can ask and declare His kingdom on earth.
You are a kingdom agent.
It is your job to bring kingdom results in the earth realm. When people look at your life, they should see kingdom results. Jesus said, I am the door. The Greek transliteration of the word for door is "doxa" and "doxa" means direct access. Jesus is direct access to be able to get to those areas. What he is expecting from us is to take full advantage of our position.
Conclusion
God wants to bring his kingdom into the earth realm.
We are here to inherit what God has for us.
Ask yourself, am I praying for kingdom results? Am I believing for kingdom results?
What do you need to learn from the law? Why do you need to establish the basics?
Have you've ever riden a vehicle on a dirt road and noticed how different it is from riding on a paved road? A rough dirt road, a back road. First, it's dirty. It has a lot of divots. It has the ability to sway your vehicle left to right because it's not level. Depending on what you're riding it could even throw you off course.
That's what's happening when we are not fulfilling what God expects for us to fulfill in the earth. We make things rough. We make life rough. We make life rough by bringing unnecessary things into our life. Unbeneficial things into our life. That's why the word tells us to lay aside, not just the sin but also the weight (Hebrews 12:1).
What does the bible say it does? That does so easily beset us. It knocks us off track.
So I want you to ask yourself, what is it that you are allowing yourself to do that God has already showed you is not beneficial. No, you're not breaking the law because you're under grace, but it's just not good for you! It's not bringing you Kingdom results. It's causing your life to be rougher than it's supposed to be. It's causing you to get off track.
What is it that you need to lay aside? Hear God. Know what's not good for you. yes. You are under grace, you're not under the law, but it's not expedient. It's not giving you access to what you need to get access to. You have to change.
When you are on a smooth road or a paved road, it is easy to get to where you need to go. That's what it's like when trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not unto your own understanding (Prov 3:5-6).
What is abundant life? When you're praying kingdom on earth as it is heaven.
It's not like religion. Religion is a spin off of it. Religion has taught us that you gotta look the part. I need you to understand is looking the part in the kingdom is done on the inside. The bible says that God searches the heart. He searches your sincerity and your determination.
God knew that David would commit sin. But God said to him, "this is a man after mine own heart". God searched his heart (1 Samuel 13:14).
Please don't forget that David's ministry was also limited. There were some things he wanted to accomplish but He couldn't because of his sin. Are you seeing how this goes together? He was still with God, but he was limited with God. Not because God was limited, but because he limited godly results. And as a result, there were certain things that had to be passed on to Solomon to accomplish. This is the same thing with us.
To get full results. We got to lay aside the weight, the things that just aren't good for us, that aren't beneficial.
If you'd like prayer click on this link to Let Bishop Tony Pray for You.
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