Teague Bible Church

WILL I EVER BE GOOD ENOUGH? 7/24/18

“Then I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, ‘Now the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren has been thrown down, he who accuses them before our God day and night. And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their own life even when faced with death. For this reason, rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them. Woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has come to you, having great wrath, knowing that he has only a short time.” Revelation 12:10.

I will have to assume you know a bit about the context here. This is a large,sweeping picture of the activity of Satan toward the end of the age. Within this passage we need to pay attention to the methods of Satan that he may use to try to defeat us. We also need to remember that he acts in desperation as he will ultimately lose all power against us.

The New Testament goes to great lengths to convince us that we are ” in Christ.” We live “inside of” His victory if we have turned our lives over to Him.

What might the devil be accusing you of before God? Would it not be your daily performance? You say you are born again, and have a new nature given to you by Christ, and yet still struggling with the old nature? Should you not be near perfect by now? That is the accusation.

But think about that for a minute. Imagine you are enrolled in a school that goes from 1st grade through 12th grade. Wouldn’t it be silly to scold a child in the 5th grade for not doing 12th grade work? Yet, if the kid really belongs in that school, would it not also be an odd thing, that if he is lazy and does 1st grade work when he should be doing 5th grade work, that no corrective action is taken? Hebrews 12: 1-11.

In this school, everybody graduates because the guarantee of graduation is based on the work of the owner of the school. So, the next time the “accuser” comes to make you doubt your sure identity in Christ you might want to unfurl these choice verses that makes him flee.

Romans 5: 8-10 ( note the past, present , future) ” But God demonstrates His own love for us, in that while we were sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.”

Romans 8:1 ” There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”

Romans 8:31-35a ” What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not freely give us all things? Who will bring a charge against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies; who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is the one who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us. Who will separate us from the love of Christ?,,,”

Colossians 3: 1-4 ” Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things of the earth. For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.”

Now that eliminates all forms of accusations. You may say, “But sometimes I feel this; or I have this vague feeling that something is wrong; or I just have this feeling that I am not this or that.” Hey, listen to me, tell your feelings where to get off! Jesus is Lord of your life, not your feelings. Got it? How does it “feel,” now that you are believing the truth about yourself. The truth that God himself spoke about you? JWP