Monday, September 22nd 2014 BLESSING WITHOUT WRESTLING “Therefore let no one boast in men. For all things are yours: whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas, or the world or life or death, or things present or things to come--all are yours. And you are Christs, and Christ is Gods.” (1 Corinthians 3:21-23 NKJV) Jacob came out of the womb as a supplanter or usurper. He came out of the womb holding firmly unto the heel of his brother, Esau. From birth, Jacob had his eyes on the birthright of his brother. Although he wrestled for it in the womb and could not get it, yet he would not give up. Eventually, Jacob wrestled the blessing of the firstborn out of Esau’s hand, for Esau despised his birthright and sold it to satisfy the craving of his flesh. But afterward, “when he wanted to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought it diligently with tears.” (Heb. 12:17 NKJV). Sadly, Esau lost a generational blessing for a fleeting pleasure. What a great lesson for us today! After Jacob had received the blessing of the firstborn deceitfully, he had to flee to his uncle Laban in Padan Aram from the face of Esau who had sworn to kill him. In Laban’s house, Jacob also had to wrestle for everything. First, for his wife – Rachel; he lost the first round, for Laban deceived him into marrying Leah, Rachel’s sister. However, as his manner was, Jacob would not give up; he wrestled again for another seven years and won Rachel whom he dearly loved (Gen. 29:21-29). But, Jacob’s wrestling was far from over in Laban’s house, he still had to wrestle with Laban over his livestock, and over leaving Laban’s house with his family and great possession. Jacob never knew true peace, for there was always one wrestling or the other in his life and house. On Jacob’s way back to his father’s house he was greatly afraid and distressed when the messengers informed him that his brother Esau was on his way to meet him with four hundred men. Jacob remembered vividly how he had defrauded and deprived his brother of his blessing as the firstborn. He knew quite well that the time had come for him to receive the wages of his sin which is death, for Esau hated him and had sworn to kill him any day he set his eyes on him. Having sent over the brook all that he had, Jacob was left alone for his final wrestling. Only that this time around, the wrestling was not with any man but with God Himself, and in this wrestling Jacob could neither cheat nor lie; he had to be his real self. Jacob’s wrestling with God offers him divine opportunity for repentance and transformation. Jacob was wise enough to seize the opportunity tenaciously. While wrestling with God, for the first time in his life, Jacob humbly admitted that he was a fraudster, a supplanter and a deceiver. However, he firmly held unto God and passionately sought for God’s blessing, saying, I will not let You go unless You bless me! So He said to him, What is your name? He said, Jacob. And He said, Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel; for you have struggled with God and with men, and have prevailed. (Gen. 32:26-28 NKJV). That night marked the death of Jacob (a supplanter) and the birth of Israel (a righteous prince). God is still in the business of transforming lives today! Having been transformed by God, Jacob (now Israel) went ahead to meet Esau his brother with confidence. Esau could not kill the new man, Israel (the righteous prince), for the sin of the old man, Jacob (the supplanter). Not only did Jacob as a result of his divine transformation escape the wages of his sins (death), he also received a generational blessing from God. Hallelujah! Unlike Jacob, we don’t need to wrestle or struggle with God today to earn, gain or deserve His love, acceptance, favour or blessing, or to experience any divine transformation or salvation. Why? Because Christ has abolished in His flesh the enmity between God and man! The Scripture states: “And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight.” (Col. 1:21-22 NKJV). As a believer in Christ you are unconditionally, wholeheartedly and eternally loved, accepted, saved, favoured and blessed by God. You don’t need to wrestle any miracle or blessing out of God’s hands; all things are yours in Christ. The Scripture testifies: “Therefore let no one boast in men. For all things are yours: whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas, or the world or life or death, or things present or things to come--all are yours. And you are Christs, and Christ is Gods.” (1 Cor. 3:21-23 NKJV). “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He has made us accepted in the Beloved.” (Eph. 1:3-6 NKJV). All that it takes today for any sinner, deceiver, fraudster or supplanter (Jacob) to become a righteous prince and heir of God’s blessing (Israel) is to humbly turn to Christ, wholeheartedly surrender his life to Christ, and completely put his faith in Christ, acknowledging and confessing Christ as his personal Lord and Saviour (Rom. 10:8-10, Acts 16:30-31). No matter who you have been or what you have done in life, the instant you put your faith in the person of Jesus and His finished work of redemption on the cross and confess the Lord Jesus as your Lord and Saviour, you will be transformed into a new creation or self in Christ by the operation of the Holy Spirit. The Scripture states: “Therefore, if any one is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, behold, the new has come.” (2 Cor. 5:17 RSV). “Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.” (Gal. 4:7 NKJV). “And if you are Christs, then you are Abrahams seed, and heirs according to the promise.” (Gal. 3:29 NKJV). Just like Israel as a new creation in Christ you have been completely redeemed from the wages of your past, present and future sins. Just like Esau had no right or power to punish, hurt, kill or destroy Israel for the sins of Jacob, the devil has no right or power to punish, hurt, kill or destroy the new creation in Christ for the sins of the old man. Why? Because Christ has bore your sins in His own body on the cross! The Scripture bears witness that Christ “bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness--by whose stripes you were healed.” (1 Pet. 2:24 NKJV). “Surely He has borne our griefs And carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.” (Isaiah 53:4-6 NKJV). “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” (2 Cor. 5:21 NKJV). Beloved, like Israel, as a new creation in Christ you are not suppose to expect, receive, embrace or experience any form of the wages of the sins of the old man (condemnation, guilt, sorrow, sickness, infirmity, poverty, failure, or curse). The old man is dead; it is now the new man living in you. This new man is not a slave but a king and priest unto God (Rev. 5:10). Therefore, arise today with a righteous confidence to walk in God’s favour and blessing everyday of your life as a righteous prince with God, a heir of God and joint heir with Christ (Rom. 8:17). Prayer: My Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for making me a new creation, a righteous prince and a heir of God’s blessing in Christ Jesus, not by my wrestling or struggling with You, but by the finished work of Jesus Christ at the cross, in Jesus’ name. Amen. -Written by Jegede Sunday E. Enrol today for a FREE Online Discipleship Course @ theschoolofdiscipleship.org.uk Subscribe to receive our daily devotional in your inbox @ heraldsofrevival.org.uk/daily-devotional/ Subscribe to Jegede Sunday E.s Channel on YouTube @ https://youtube/channel/UCytU1Nzx6cajBBv1rBUj3Xg
Posted on: Mon, 22 Sep 2014 01:05:41 +0000
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