Men's Bible Study Notes (7/19/12)

"If it had not been for the love of GOD the FATHER looking down upon me in my utter ruin and providing a perfect atonement for me in the death of His own Son on the cross of Calvary, I would have been in hell today. If it had not been for the love of JESUS CHRIST, the eternal Word of God, looking upon me in my utter ruin and in obedience to the FATHER, putting aside all the glory of heaven for all the shame of earth and taking my place, the place of the curse, upon the cross of Calvary and pouring out His life utterly for me, I would have been in hell today. But if it had not been for the love of the HOLY SPIRIT, sent by the FATHER in answer to the prayer of the SON leading HIM to seek me out in my utter blindness and ruin, I would have been in hell today.

HE followed me day after day, week after week, year after year when I persistently turned a deaf ear to HIS pleadings, following me through paths of sin where it must have been agony for that HOLY ONE to go until I at last listened, and HE opened my eyes to see my utter ruin and then revealed JESUS to me as just the Savior that would meet my every need and then enabled me to receive this JESUS as my Savior. If it had not been for the patient, long-suffering, never-tiring, infinitely-tender love of the HOLY SPIRIT, I would have been in hell today."

- R.A. Torey 

When you and I begin to understand who we are in Jesus Christ, and what He has done for us, our perspective on the here-and-now and eternity changes radically!  For example, in Jesus Christ:

MY RELATIONSHIP 
I am reconciled to God - 2 Cor 5:18
I’m a child of God - He is my Father - 1 Jn 3:1,2 
I am a saint - Eph 1:1; 1 Cor 1:2; Phil 1:1
I am Christ’s friend - Jn 15:15 
I am a fellow citizen in God’s kingdom - Eph 2:19
I am born of God - 1 Jn 4:7 
I have been brought near to Christ - Eph 2:13
I have been adopted by God - Rom 8:15 
I’m to be righteous and holy like God - Eph 4:24
I have direct access to God - Eph 2:18

MY INHERITANCE 
I am a citizen of heaven - Phil 3:20
I am an heir of God - Rom 8:17 
I’ve been rescued from Satan’s domain - Col 1:13
I am a joint heir with Christ - Rom 8:17; Gal 4:7 
I am hidden with Christ in God - Col 3:3
I am blessed with every spiritual blessing - Eph 1:3 
I am chosen of God - holy, beloved - Col 3:12
I am a child of promise - Rom 9:8; Gal 3:14 
I am a child of light, not darkness - 1 Thess 5:5
I’ve been given great promises - 2 Pet 1:4 
I am a partaker of Christ - Heb 3:14
I’m one of God’s living stones - 1 Pet 2:5

MY TRANSFORMATION 
I’m a member of a royal priesthood - 1 Pet 2:9
I’m redeemed and forgiven - Eph 1:6-8 
I’m to be a stranger to this world - 1 Pet 2:11
I’ve been justified - made righteous - Rom 5:1 
I’m an enemy of the devil - 1 Pet 5:8
I have eternal life - Jn 5:24 
I died w/Christ to the power of sin - Rom 6:1-6 

MY CALLING
I am free from condemnation - Rom 8:1 
I am to be salt on the earth - Mt 5:13
I have received the Spirit of God -1 Cor 2:12 
I am to be light in the world - Mt 5:14
I have been given the mind of Christ - 1 Cor 2:16 
I’m chosen and appointed to bear fruit - Jn 15:16
I have been crucified with Christ - Gal 2:20 
I am called to do the works of Christ - Jn 14:12
I am a new creation - 2 Cor 5:17 
I am to do what Christ commanded His disciples - Mt 28:20
I have been made alive with Christ - Eph 2:5 
I have been given spiritual authority - Lk 10:19
I am God’s workmanship - Eph 2:10 
Signs should accompany my work - Mk 16:17-20
I have received fullness in Christ - Col 2:10 
I am a minister of a new covenant - 2 Cor 3:6
I am a minister of reconciliation - 2 Cor 5:18,19

MY POSITION 
I am to be an expression of life in Christ - Col 3:4
I am connected to the true vine - Jn 15:1,5 
I am a partaker of a heavenly calling - Heb 3:1
I’m a willing slave of righeousness - Rom 6:18,22 
I am a temple of God - 1 Cor 3:16; 6:19 
I am one spirit with the Lord - 1 Cor 6:17 
I am a member of Christ’s body - 1 Cor 12:27 

I AM ACCEPTED

I am God's child. -  John 1:12  
As a disciple, I am a friend of Jesus Christ. -  John 15:15  
I have been justified. -  Romans 5:1 
I am united with the Lord, and I am one with Him in spirit. -  1 Corinthians 6:17 
I have been bought with a price and I belong to God. -  1 Corinthians 6:19-20 
I am a member of Christ's body. -  1 Corinthians 12:27 
I have been chosen by God and adopted as His child. -  Ephesians 1:3-8 
I have been redeemed and forgiven of all my sins. -  Colossians 1:13-14 
I am complete in Christ. -  Colossians 2:9-10 
I have direct access to the throne of grace through Jesus Christ. -  Hebrews 4:14-16 

I AM SECURE

I am free from condemnation. -  Romans 8:1-2 
I am assured that is God working for my good in all circumstances. -  Romans 8:28 
I am free from any condemnation brought against me and I cannot be separated from the love of God. -  Romans 8:31-39 
I have been established, anointed and sealed by God. -  2 Corinthians 1:21-22 
I am hidden with Christ in God. -  Colossians 3:1-4 
I am confident that God will complete the good work He started in me. -  Philippians 1:6 
I am a citizen of heaven. -  Philippians 3:20 
I have not been given a spirit of fear but of power, love and a sound mind. -  2 Timothy 1:7 
I am born of God and the evil one cannot touch me. -  1 John 5:18 

I AM SIGNIFICANT
I am a branch of Jesus Christ, the true vine, and a channel of His life. -  John 15:5 
I have been chosen and appointed to bear fruit. -  John 15:16 
I am God's temple. -  1 Corinthians 3:16 
I am a minister of reconciliation for God. -  2 Corinthians 5:17-21 
I am seated with Jesus Christ in the heavenly realm. -  Ephesians 2:6 
I am God's workmanship. -  Ephesians 2:10 
I may approach God with freedom and confidence. -  Ephesians 3:12 
I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me.  -  Philippians 4:13 

Recently, a young African pastor was martyred for his unwavering faith in our LORD JESUS CHRIST. With the sentence of death upon him and his impending death imminent, he penned his own epitaph just hours before his execution. After his death and his inauguration into GLORY, the epitaph that was later found in his desk drawer is as follows:

"MY COMMITMENT AS A CHRISTIAN"

I am part of the fellowship of the unashamed. I have HOLY SPIRIT power. The die has been cast. I have stepped over the line. The decision has been made. I am a disciple of HIS. I won’t look back, let down, slow down, back away or be still. My past is redeemed, my present makes sense, and my future is secure. I am finished and done with low living, sight-walking, small planning, smooth knees, cheap living and dwarfed goals.


I no longer need preeminence, prosperity, position, promotion, plaudits, or popularity. I don’t have to be right, first, tops, recognized, praised, regarded, or rewarded. I now live by faith, lean on HIS presence, walk by patience, live by prayer, and labor by power. My face is set, my gate is fast, my goal is Heaven, my road is narrow, and my mission is clear.


I cannot be bought, compromised, detoured, turned back, lured away, deluded or delayed. I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice, hesitate in the presence of the enemy, negotiate at the table of the adversary, ponder at the pool of popularity, or meander in the maze of mediocrity. I won’t give up, shut up, or let up, until I have stayed up, stored up, prayed up and preached up for the cause of CHRIST; I am a disciple of JESUS. I must go till HE comes, give till I drop, preach till all know, and work till HE stops me. When HE comes for HIS own, HE will have no problem recognizing me. My banner will be clear...