A RECIPE FOR EFFECTIVE FAITH

Thursday 12 June

That the communication of thy faith may become effectual by the acknowledging of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus. Philemon 1:6 (NKJV)

For if these THINGS be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the KNOWLEDGE of our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Peter 1:8 (NKJV)

Have you ever tried to make some sort of meal and then suddenly realise you don’t have the right ingredients? You only have two options. Make it without it and hope that it will still taste okay or go down to the store and purchase the item that was missing to give yourself the best chance of executing the dish.

In Christ, there are no missing ingredients because the store that stocks all the products, happens to be in YOU. This needs to become our mentality as believers. The problem is many don’t believe this reality and are always looking outside of the Christ in them for something that they already have on the inside.

It’s like those who ask God to give them something that they already have. ‘Lord, give me peace;’ Jesus said; “My peace I leave with you” and “my peace I give unto you.”That means despite what you may think feel or believe, you have it! The same goes for anything that has been granted us in Christ.

Christians begging God for forgiveness for something they did wrong when God already told you that He is not counting any sins against you or anyone else. Does this make any spiritual sense? It’s like panicking about a missing ingredient before you open the pantry to take it off the shelf and use it.

What was the Apostle Paul getting at in Philemon 1:6? The effectiveness of our faith in the gospel increases when we ACKNOWLEDGE what is in us because of what is in Christ. Epignosis in the Greek doesn’t mean a mere nod of the head or a simple gesture of acknowledgement.

There is much more to it than that. Simply put, precise and exact knowledge. Probably the best way to sum it up is a relationship with the knower and the knowledge where the knower begins to actually relate with the knowledge and use it on a practical level.

So if peace is located in Christ and I am operating in epignosis, I will start relating with that peace and applying it to my life. If I don’t know where the peace is coming from then how can I ACKNOWLEDGE it?

Remember it says ‘every good thing which is in YOU in Christ Jesus’. So I can declare ‘Everything I am is because of Him and everything that I have is from Him.’ The saying ‘it’s all good’ is aptly poignant.

If you want to know who you are and what you have, look at who He is and what He has. The FRUIT of the Spirit which is LOVE in Galatians 5, are His character and nature. the nine gifts of the Spirit in 1 Corinthians 12 are a reflection of his abilities.

In 2 Peter 1:8 Apostle Peter urges us to take the faith in the gospel we have and bring it out in our attitudes and actions by adding certain characteristics to it. He recognised the SOURCE was Christ like Apostle Paul but he knew that we needed to be a RESOURCE which meant we also needed to be full of the Spirit in our soul and body. He attributed the fruitfulness that this would achieve to the KNOWLEDGE or EPIGNOSIS of our Lord Jesus Christ.

We as new creations in Christ have been blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenlies. Every quality that makes Him God in nature and ability we have in US. Every ingredient for eternal life and godliness we have access to in our Spirit because of the oneness of Spirit we have with the Father and His Son.

If this is true and it is true then how should we think talk and act? Like we BELIEVE that it is true. John 1:16?says ‘Of His fulness we HAVE received grace upon grace. It’s not a futuristic promise. It is a present hour reality for the child of God. You are a walking, talking, living power house and solution centre because of WHOSE you are more than just WHO you are.

Jesus went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed of the devil for God was with Him and in the same way, He is with you.

He is able to do exceeding, abundantly, above and beyond all we can ask, think or even imagine according to the power that works in US. He is with us because He lives in us. We are set for eternity.

Notice that you don’t see what is in you by looking at yourself. You see it by looking at Christ and His finished work which includes everything for your eternal life and godliness. Health, strength, wisdom, power and ALL the myriad of blessings and benefits of His salvation of which there is not enough room to mention here.

With all that being said, when are YOU going to starting relating with these spiritual realities that are our inheritance in Christ because they are all inside of you! Now you know how, just keep following the recipe book; His Word.

APPLICATION

Keep learning about who you are, what you have and what Christ can do through you and then begin relating with it in your life.