Wednesday, May 25, 2016

Why don't we experience more Miracles?

Romans 1: 16 speaks about the gospel being the power of God unto salvation. The word power is the Greek word dynamis, which means properly ability to perform, power to achieve by applying the Lord's inherent abilities, that is, power through God's ability. It can also mean miraculous powers, power and strength. This is also where the word dynamite comes from. 

Also, in Romans 1:16 the word "salvation" means more than just saved from hell. The Greek word used for salvation is soteria which means welfare, Prosperity, Deliverance, preservation, salvation, safety, healing. 

Throughout this week I was meditating on it and remembered that the name Jesus in Hebrew, Yeshua, also means salvation. In other words, when Jesus was on Earth, He was soteria in physical form. For this reason everybody that came in contact with Him received healing, wellbeing, protection, preservation, and all the definitions of the word soteria

Today, we have salvation IN US, that is, the power of God IN US through the Holy Spirit. The question is why aren't we seeing more miraculous works among us? I believe the answer is because the gospel which is the dynamis of God it's not being preached in its purity. It's unfortunately being mixed with what men think and with traditions which are acting like water diluting the amazing power of God. 
Therefore, if we want to have the manifestation of the power of God, which is already within us through the Holy Spirit, we need to ask God to reveal to us, in the Word, the TRUE GOSPEL.

Romans chapter 1:17,  we find a very important clue: "for (or because) in it the righteousness of God is revealed from  Faith to faith as it is written, the just shall live by faith".  In the original it says "the righteous shall live by faith".

Consequently, to start understanding the gospel and its power we need to focus on what it reviews: the righteousness of God. With that in mind, it is clearer why Jesus told us to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things would be added on to us.

To know that we ARE righteous and to understand God's righteousness is the foundation of the true gospel and unfortunately we hardly hear it being preached.

This Righteousness is the very thing that differentiates babes from mature Christians:

13For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled* in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. 14 But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil. (Hebrews 5:13, 14)

 unskilled* = Greek word apeiros which means inexperienced, unskillful, ignorant.

Righteousness: dikaiosýnē (1343) ("the approval of God") refers to what is deemed right by the Lord (after His examination), i.e. what is approved in His eyes.

CHAPTER 5 of Hebrews starts by stating the office of a High Priest and declaring that Jesus Is now our High Priest. The Chapter ends with the above call for spiritual maturity (from milk to solid food).

A High Priest represents the People before God.

In the Old Testament, God decided that the people of Israel would be represented by the High Priest. The High Priest, would come once a year into the Holy of Holies with the blood of the sacrifice for the people’s sins. If he was in right standing with God, the offering was accepted and the people were blessed. If the High Priest was not perfect, he would die in the Holy of Holies and it would mean the offering was NOT accepted and the people would be cursed.

In Summary: God was not looking at each one of the Israelites and blessing them according with their individual deeds. He was looking at their representative, that is, The High Priest.

Jesus is our High Priest

Hebrews 5:9,10 - 9 In this way, God qualified him as a perfect High Priest, and he became the source of eternal salvation for all those who obey him. 10 And God designated him to be a High Priest in the order of Melchizedek*. * In Hebrew (4442) Malki-tsedeq which means: My King is Right or King of Righteousness. When we believed in Jesus, He became our representative and our Righteousness before the Father . We are blessed today not based on our performance, but based on our High Priest’s. If my King is Right, I am Right!
The way we become mature Christians is to believe and exercise this gift of Righteousness.You should not ask: Do I deserve God’s blessings? But instead: Does Jesus deserve it? You should not ask: Am I accepted by God? But instead: Is Jesus accepted by God?
IT IS NOT A MATTER OF HOW GOOD YOU ARE, BUT HOW GOOD YOUR HIGH PRIEST IS!

Jesus is our NEW IDENTITY!

20 I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. 21 I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain.” Galatians 2:20, 21

In  context,  the Ap. Paul defines righteousness as Its no longer I, but Christ. This righteousness does not come through ours deeds (the law). It comes by grace, through faith in Jesus who loved us and died AS US so that we can live AS HE is.

17 Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world. 1 John 4:17.

The enemy will try to convince you that your situation will not change because of what you have done or what you haven’t done. He will try to keep you self-occupied. However, we can take our eyes from our failures and past experiences and fix our eyes on Jesus, our New Identity. Because Jesus qualifies for all the favor and blessings of God, we know that we receive it all based on His righteousness.

THIS IS THE SOLID FOOD WE NEED TO KEEP EATING. WE KNOW THAT OUR STANDING BEFORE THE FATHER IS AS PERFECT AS JESUS’.




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