Reigning in Life - Part 2 — Alan Martin

Reigning in Life Through Abundant Grace

Romans chapter 5, we spoke last week, look with me in verse 17 of the 5th chapter of Romans and read with me verse 17 and on. For if by the trespass of the one man, death reign through that one man, how much more will those who receive God's abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ?

Last week we spoke of, for those of you that weren't here, we spoke of the key to reigning in life is stated right here in verse 17. Most of us have down, we've got down that God gave us the free gift of righteousness, but last week we spoke about to reign in life you have to be receiving God's abundant provision of grace.

That's the key to reigning in life. A lot of people know we've been given the gift of righteousness, but to reign, to overcome, to be on top in everything in life, you have to be receiving, it's a present participle, be receiving the abundant provision of grace.

So the key to reigning in life is receiving the abundant provision of grace. Now let's look at this to see how much Paul, how far Paul takes it. Read with me on in verse 18 to verse 21. Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men.

For just as to the disobedience of the one man, the many were made sinners, so also to the obedience of the one man many will be made righteous. The law was added so that trespass might increase, but where sin increased, what happened?

Grace increased all the more. So that just as sin reigned in death, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Now when most of us would acknowledge, when we deal with sin and we talk about sin in the world, we would say sin dominates.

It dominates. We get angry, we have frustration, we have depression, there's wickedness in the world, we'd say sin dominates. But the scripture says you think sin dominated, grace dominates. Where sin dominated, grace super dominates.

That's the way it has to be seen. Every one of us know the flesh is bad, sin is bad, that's not knowing truth to you know where sin increased, grace increased all the more. Sin didn't abound, well the bible says sin abounded, it said grace and in the Greek it's huper, huperperismo, it super abounds.

And that's what we want to talk about. If you are going to reign in life, that's what you're going to have to believe. You're going to have to receive God's abundant provision of faith and then we talked about recognizing where that source of grace is.

Grace Is Already Given in Christ

Where is the source of this super abounding grace? It's in Jesus Christ. Look with me and see that in 2nd Timothy, just a quick review of that, 2nd Timothy chapter 1, see where it is, 2nd Timothy chapter 1 verse 9.

This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time. So are we going to receive grace or have we been given grace? Grace has already super abounded. Christ has already been given. So he tells Timothy in the 2nd chapter verse 1, ok Timothy, you then my son be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.

And that's where you and I need to be. We don't need to be asking God to give us grace. God has given grace. God has given Christ. Christ has become for us wisdom from God, power from God, righteousness from God, obedience from God.

He has become to us righteousness, holiness, redemption, power, might, glory, all these things. The Bible says in Ephesians chapter 1, God has blessed us in the heavenly realm with every spiritual blessing in Christ.

It says God chose all the fullness of the Godhead to dwell bodily in Christ. And it says ye have been given fullness in Christ. It's a grace that we have already been given. So Paul tells the Corinthians in 1st Corinthians chapter 2, he says, now the reason we have been given Holy Spirit, we have not received the Spirit of the world, but we have received the Spirit from God, so that we may understand the things that God has freely given us.

Not will give, the Holy Spirit's ministry is to bring us into the realization of what God has already given for us in Christ. That's what we talked about last week. That's where Jesus said in John chapter 16 verse 13, He said, when He, the Spirit of truth comes, He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you.

How much was His, did He say? All that the Father has is mine. Well, if all the Father has is Christ, and He's deposited all of His grace in Christ, and the Spirit's job is to take what Christ has made known to you, how much is available to you and I?

All. That's why He says in 2nd Corinthians, God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that all times and all circumstances you may have all you need. I can do all things, how? Through Christ who strengthens me.

So, we've been given grace, so the key to reigning in life is receiving God's abundant provision of grace. Now, it seems to me you'd want to know another element in that, because what comes to me, and I think I hear people asking, is okay, what's the key then to receiving God's abundant provision of grace?

Faith and the Danger of Unbelief

Okay, we agree it's there. Alright, we don't argue with the scripture, we don't want to call God a liar, but how do we receive this abundant provision of grace? Good question, isn't it? For that, we want to turn to Hebrews.

Hebrews chapter, the end of chapter 3, and beginning of chapter 4. In laying the groundwork for this, Paul, let's begin in verse 7, chapter 3, Hebrews 7, 3. So, as the Holy Spirit, excuse me, Hebrews 3, chapter 3, verse 7.

So, as the Holy Spirit says, today if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts. What's supposed to come by hearing? Faith is supposed to come by hearing, okay? But faith is not always the result of hearing.

If you don't believe what you hear, what will happen to your heart? Harden. So, either faith or hardness comes by hearing. So, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion during the time of testing in the desert where your fathers tested and tried me, and for 40 years saw what I did, that is why I was angry with that generation.

I said, their hearts are always going astray, and they've not known my way, so I declared on oath in my anger, they, that generation, shall never enter my rest. So, see to it, brethren, now back to us, see to it that there be in none of you, what?

A sinful, unbelieving heart in departing from the living God. But encourage one another daily. What do you think we're to encourage one another daily to do? Believe. We're to encourage one another daily to believe, because the key to receiving God's abundant provision of grace and reigning in life is believing what you hear.

And let's look and see if that's what happened to this generation. It says, verse 14, we have come to share in Christ if we firmly, hold firmly to the end the confidence we had at first. Just as it has been said, today if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion.

Who were they who heard and rebelled? Were they not all those Moses led out of Egypt? And with whom was he angry for 40 years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the desert? And to whom did God swear that they would never enter his rest, if not to those who disobeyed?

So we see that they were not able to enter because of what? Unbelief. So what prevents a person from receiving God's abundant provision of grace is unbelief. When you hear the word of God and you hear the promise of God, you say, well yeah, that may be true, but.

Yeah, that may be true, I won't argue with you, but. And let's see if that's the case with this generation. Verse 4, therefore since the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us be careful that none of you be found to have fallen short of it.

Is it possible for those hearing the word of God to fall short of receiving the abundant provision of grace that God has already given us in Christ? It either is or this is redundant. Why have a warning if it's not possible?

Of course it's possible to fall short of that. And it's our job to make sure none of us do that. That's our relationship with one another. Verse 2, for we also have had the gospel preached to us just as they did.

They heard the gospel? The gospel was preached to them? What gospel did they hear? Here's the gospel they heard. They heard, I have chosen you. I want you. I want to be your God. And I want you to be my people.

And I've forgiven your sin. And I've set you free from the land of bondage. And I'm bringing you into covenant with me. And I'm taking you to a place, a land flowing with milk and honey. There in that place, the cities are already built.

The houses are already built. They're furnished with many good things. Orchards are already established in cultivation. Vineyards already established in cultivation. And fields have already been cleared and are already into cultivation.

And it's all for you. And I'm bringing you there that you can enjoy my rest and be my people. My special treasured possession in all the earth. And when they heard that message, that's good news, isn't it?

Well, look what it says in the rest of verse 2. For we also have had the gospel preached to us just as they did. But the message they heard was of no value to them because of what? They didn't combine it with faith.

Therefore, it stands to reason that only, in verse 3, we who have believed enter that rest. This is an aorist participle in the Greek. Meaning, the condition for entering the rest is coming to a place called faith.

Entering the Rest and Living in the Promises

So, let's lay this out very carefully and take a closer look at what we're talking about for the application to us in our day. The key to reigning in life. Reigning in life is receiving God's abundant provision of grace.

This grace has already been given us in Jesus Christ. And the Spirit of God has been given so that we can understand what God has already freely given. I think of a verse in Romans where it says, He who loved us so much that he spared not his own son but gladly gave us up for us all, how much more will he not also with him graciously give us all things?

So, that's already been given. But there remains for us a rest. And to fully enter the rest and the promises of God. Because where are the promises of God all fulfilled? Paul said in 2 Corinthians, for no matter how many promises God has made, in Christ they are yea and amen.

You know what yea and amen means? Yea and amen means yes and so be it. Perfect peace. That's a promise of God. Joy unspeakable, full of glory. That's a promise of God. Self-control. That's a promise of God.

Living in secure dwelling places and undisturbed places of rest. That's a promise of God. Your wife being like a fruitful vine. That's a promise of God. Children as olive shoots around your table. That's a promise of God.

Generations of righteousness. That's a promise of God. And every promise of God can only be fulfilled one place. In Jesus Christ. So, there's a difference in tasting and feasting. Isn't there? All of us here have probably tasted of Christ.

Jesus didn't say if you taste of my body. He said if you eat. Eat of my body. Unless you eat my flesh and drink my blood ye have no life in you. There's a difference in visiting some place and what? Living there.

See, are you living in the land of promise? Where is the land of milk and honey for us? See, the question is not does Christ live? The question really is for those reigning in life who are receiving God's abundant provision of grace is where are you living?

Are you living in Christ? Are you abiding in Christ? Because that's where spiritual milk and honey flows. That's where it flows. You see, here's the rub. Let's look and see what happened in that first generation.

The Spies, the Promised Land, and the Unbelieving Report

Turn with me to Numbers chapter 14. Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers. Fourth book of the Bible. Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers. Numbers chapter 14. Actually, look in chapter 13. We'll look in 13 before we go to 14.

The reason we're going here is this is the illustration that the writer of Hebrews is using. Well, it makes sense that we go back and look at the illustration he's wanting to be fixed in our minds. So here in Numbers 13, what's happening?

Moses has decided he would send out representatives, leaders of the tribes. And they're named. If you see there in verses 3 on down to verse 15, I won't embarrass myself or any of you by asking you to read these, but they're named.

I mean, we know the names of these men. They're leaders. And Moses sent them out with this instruction in verse 17. Go up through the Negev into the hill country. See what the land is like. See whether the people there who live there are strong or weak, few or many.

What kind of land do they live in? Is it good or bad? What kind of town do they live in? Are they unwalled or fortified? How is the soil? Is it fertile or poor? Are there trees on it or not? Do your best to bring back some of the fruit of the land.

It was the season for the first ripe grapes. So they went out, explored the land for 40 days. Forty-day exploration into the land. And in verse 26 of chapter 13, they came back to Moses and Aaron and the whole Israelite community at Kadesh in the desert of Hiram.

And there they reported to them, and to the whole assembly they showed them the fruit of the land. And they gave Moses this account. We went into the land which you sent us. And what's their first testimony?

What's their testimony? Well, it flows milk and honey. It's just like God said. God's right. They didn't just say there is milk and honey there. I mean, a lot of people can find a little bit of milk and honey in a lot of misery.

But we're talking about flowing with milk and honey. This land flows with milk and honey. So they agreed there. And they said, here is its fruit. And then that word comes. But there is a slight problem.

The people of the land who live there are powerful, and the cities are fortified and very large. We even saw the descendants of Anak. Anak comes from the Hebrew word for neck. I mean, when you look at these guys, your eyes would be about right there.

The top of your head would be right there. They'd be about a head taller than any of us. And the people are large and numerous. The Amalekites live in the Negev. The Hittites and the Jebusites and the Amorites live in the hill country.

And the Canaanites live near the sea and along the Jordan. And then for some reason, Caleb tries to silence the people before Moses. We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it.

But the men who had gone up with him said, not just men, the other men who had been there, who had a realistic view of the situation, the other ten, they said, now wait a minute now, Caleb. We've been there, we were there with you too now.

We can't attack those people. They are stronger than we are. Was that an untrue statement? That's an accurate statement. Very accurate. Very truthful report. Quite accurate. And it says they spread among the Israelites a bad report.

What was bad about it? They spoke the truth. People there were stronger than they were. What makes it a bad report? It's an unbelieving report. Accuracy without faith is cynicism. And this is where we have difficulty.

How many men gave a believing report out of the twelve? For those of you that do well in math and appreciate in math, that means two of twelve had faith that this was what they needed to do. Go in and possess this land of milk and honey.

That is 16 .6 repeating percent. That means that really there was 83 .4 percent in agreement that this was not a good idea. Now that's with those twelve leaders. So here's what I can tell all of you from this.

80 or somewhere around there. God, I think these figures will hold true for the most part. For the most part, 83 .4 percent of Christians you meet will say, we do believe God's land and Christ has been given.

We do believe that God has given all these things to us in Christ. But. About 83 .4 of all the people you meet, but is their favorite word. Because they're quite aware, but we have the flesh. But we've been born of Adam.

And yes, we know God has given all of this in Christ, but I still have a problem with anger. I still, I can't, I can't, you just don't understand what I am. That's of the leadership. These were leaders.

From Romans 7 to Victory in Romans 8

So you can just be sure that you'll find about 83 .4 percent of Christian leadership will say, yes, we can't deny that all this grace has been given us in Christ, but now we've got to remember, our favorite chapter is Romans 7.

You know the good that I would? What? You all can finish it, come on. I do not do, I can't do. You know, I agree with the law of God in my inner man. I agree the law is good, but I have the will, but I cannot carry it out.

And I do the very thing I don't want to do. And the very thing I don't want to do, I end up doing. And we can all agree, can't we? Oh, how do you finish it? Oh, wretched man that I am. Is that really how he finishes Romans chapter 7?

No. No, it doesn't. No, it doesn't. He doesn't finish it, oh, wretched man that I am. He says, who will deliver me from this body of death? And how does he finish it? Praise be to God through Christ Jesus.

That's where our victory is. You can live in Romans 7 if you want. I recommend you live in Christ. That's what I recommend. If you want to receive God's abundant provision of grace, you won't find it in Romans 7.

You'll find it in Romans chapter 8. Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, for the law of the Spirit of life in Christ will set me free, has set me free from the law of sin and death.

For what the law could not do, weak as it was to the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and He condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteousness of the law might be fully met in those who walk not according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.

See, this is the question. If you're really going to receive God's abundant provision of grace so that you can reign in life, you're going to have to believe one of two things. You're going to have to believe like the 83 .4 of the leaders did, that yes, God's promises are true, but the flesh is stronger than the Spirit.

Because in essence, that's what those who excuse their being overcome are saying. That's what they're saying. I would, but I cannot. Because they haven't finished reading. They haven't entered the rest.

All would not say out of the same mouth, the good that I would, I cannot, and then turn around and say, I can do. Tell me that makes sense. It makes sense when you read Romans 8. It makes sense that God had to take him through a period of his life where he would see he could never bring this about by his own strength, but by Christ in him, living by the Spirit, this was the life that's possible.

And that's the difference. That's the key to reigning in life is faith. Now, we've only talked about 83 .4 of the leadership disagreed with Caleb and Joshua. You know what's interesting? These two men spoke differently.

Caleb and Joshua’s Wholehearted Faith

Why did Caleb and Joshua say, of course we can do this. We can certainly do this. Let's go in and do it. God had a testimony about them. Why are these men speaking differently than the 83 .4 Well, let's see what God says.

Look here in chapter 14. Read with me first. In verse 10, I'm going to bring about an interesting point. Why does Joshua and Caleb come along and stir up trouble? Look in verse 10. What's the reaction to the people towards Joshua and Caleb?

Isn't that weird? Why do you want to stone someone who says, we can have victory? You don't have to be angry. You don't have to live in depression. You can walk in self-control. You can be full of peace, full of joy, full of righteousness, full of godliness.

You can walk in obedience. Why do you want to stone someone like that? Because that kind of person is not settling to live down here on the lower plane. I'm pressing on the upward way. New heights I'm gaining every day.

Still praying as I'm onward bound. Lord plant my feet on higher ground. I want to live above the world. Though Satan's darks are near, for faith has caught the joyful sound. Didn't say angels, saints on higher ground.

Saints on higher ground. There are Christians living in victory in the world. I want to walk with them. And when you speak like that, you disturb the complacency of the status quo. And you have a way of doing away with them.

In the New Testament it calls men shall no longer endure sound teaching. It's a sound teaching that says victory is ours in Christ. Liberty is ours in Christ. Those who overcome inherit all this. And people don't want to hear that.

They want to camp and live in Romans 7. People that have a form of godliness, but deny the power thereof. They have a problem with Joshua and Caleb. Look what God says. Then the glory of the Lord appeared in verse 10 at the tent of the meeting to all the Israelites.

The Lord said to Moses, How long will these people treat Me with? How long will it be? It says in the King James, E 'er they believe in Me. What does your version say? How long will it be? They refuse to believe in Me in spite of all the miraculous signs I perform among them.

And then God is so angry at this point, He says, I will strike them down with a plague and destroy them. He's talking to Moses. But I will make you into a nation greater and stronger than they. Moses intercedes.

And if it hadn't been for the intercession of Moses, that would have happened. Then in verse 20, after Moses' intercession, the Lord replied, Okay, I have forgiven them as you ask. Oh, may the Lord raise up a thousand more Moseses in the earth.

We sure need them. Now may the Lord's strength be displayed just as you declared, is what He said in verse 17. He appealed to God's mercy. Verse 20, Now the Lord replied, I have forgiven them as you ask.

Nevertheless, as surely as I live, and as surely as the glory of the Lord fills the whole earth, not one of the men who saw My glory and the miraculous signs I performed in Egypt and in the desert, but who disobeyed Me and tested Me ten times, not one of them will ever see the land I promised on oath to their forefathers.

No one who has treated Me with contempt will ever see it, but because My servant Caleb has a different spirit. Oh. Is that why Caleb spoke a different word? He has a different spirit. What kind of different spirit does he have?

Believing. Believing. But what does the Lord say here of it? He followed Me wholeheartedly. Well, see, if Caleb had a different spirit, and he's following wholeheartedly, what did it mean of the other ten?

They were half-hearted. Partially hearted. Maybe their heart was three-quarters. They did say, remember? They did say, the land does flow with milk and honey. They were biblical. They gave an accurate report.

But Caleb, you know what Caleb didn't have in his vocabulary? But. But no buts in his vocabulary. It was, we can certainly do it. And those who have a wholeheart, that's what they speak. And so listen, I'm going to tell you right away, not everyone will agree with this message.

Not everyone will agree with this message. The wholehearted will. The wholehearted will. They will recognize this truth. Wide is the gate, and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and how many find it?

Many. But narrow is the gate, and small is the way that leads to life, and few there be that find it. You know, I can tell you this. This is just honesty. If you really don't believe that this kind of victory is possible in Christ, guess what?

You are in the majority. If you want to feel good about something, feel good about that. Probably 83 .4 of all believers you meet will agree with you. And those weirdos, like Joshua and Caleb, those wholehearted different spirited people, that just don't want to seem to leave well enough alone, that seems to say, if it's not total victory, we're not satisfied.

They're just problem makers, and if we could get rid of them, you know what we need? You'll see people like that. You know what they talk about? They talk about choosing what? Choosing a new leader. And you know what they're satisfied with?

Because they lack faith to go in and take possession of what God has already been given, they find faith to say, you know what? I don't think bondage was all that bad. Let's pick someone who will make us comfortable where we were.

Let's get rid of these people who say, we've got to go in and take possession and take risk. You know, this is what my heart cries out. I meet people who do not want to believe, and this is honest truth, who do not want to believe this kind of life is possible, because you know what it means?

Total revolution of how they live. It means total revolution of how they live. And rather than have revolution, they want resolution. And you know, it's a lot easier to resolve this by just picking the kind of person who understands our limitations, and let's go back to Egypt and live there peaceably.

After all, there were leeks and onions there, and we ate. It wasn't that bad, was it? You know where those kind of people are? They're stuck in the middle. They don't want to go back to sin and bondage.

Not really. But they forget about how awful it was, and they can't go forward because they're not believing. So what's left for those kind of people? Just wandering around in the wilderness the rest of their spiritual life until they die.

And the real question to ask is will those people go to heaven? I don't know. I honestly don't know. I know they'll fall short of the rest of Christ. That generation said they fell short of it. And if you want to believe that you can fall short of that rest and still go to heaven, you are free to believe what you want.

I don't think it makes sense to me. We are in a situation. We haven't seen necessarily millions and millions of people living this way. Men who with their mouths are very careful. This is something that I long to be.

Filled with the Spirit. Led by the Spirit. Dwelling in the Spirit so that my wife, my children, my friends and all who know me see the incredible power of God in display daily. That's it. I won't settle for anything less.

Growth in the Spirit Through Suffering

I don't live in Romans 7. I want to live in Romans 8. If by the Spirit we put to death the misdeeds of the flesh then by the Spirit we will live. Because it says for if ye live according to the flesh Romans 7 If ye live according to the flesh what?

Ye shall die. I don't want to live by the flesh. I don't want to think that what Adam gave me was stronger than what Christ has given me. I don't want I've been born again and Adam's not my father anymore.

Christ is my head. He is the last Adam. And it says as we have borne the likeness of the first man so shall we bear the likeness of the second man. That's the life we are called to live. That's what we're Now it is a process of growth into maturity.

Remember what happened with these folks in Israel? In their period when they were going to the land of Canaan? It says they would not drive out all the nations at once. Little by little they would drive it out till they took possession of the land.

And in the same way for the Holy Spirit to take full possession of us guess what? It doesn't happen get baptized, born again, filled, walking perfect from then on. That would be nice. But it says that God chose to make Christ perfect through suffering.

So you know what He takes us through? Suffering. It says it's been granted to you not only to believe upon Christ but to suffer. It says you know it says there in Romans chapter 5 not only are we justified by faith we have peace with God and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God we also rejoice in our suffering knowing that suffering worketh perseverance perseverance experience experience hope and what does hope do?

Doesn't make a shame it doesn't disappoint because God is shed abroad His love in our hearts by the Holy Spirit. And this is the life of faith we are called to walk. And even if 83 .4 of leadership in Christianity does not agree I really don't know I take the percent from the scripture I don't know what other leaders in Christ because I'm not going to compare myself to them.

Really that's not the point. I'm just using it as a figure. There's another figure that's far worse than that. That was just the leaders. That was just the other 10 men. You know that was 83 .4 of them.

Caleb and Joshua were just 16 .6 repeating. But what about the rest of the men over 20? How many men of 20 did these men disagree with? 603 ,050. So 2 out of 603 ,050 believed God. Were wholehearted and had a different spirit.

You want to know what the percent of that is? 3 in a million. What if it's like that? What if only 3 out of every million people who claim to believe really walk in victory? I think I'd want to be in the minority.

I don't think 999 ,997 others could convince me otherwise. It's just you know what this is? Why am I saying this today? You know I don't know. Oh I know. Let me think about it. I know. God still hates complacency.

God sees apathy for what it is. Unbelief is, according to the scripture, E-V-I-L evil. And if it was evil then and his judgment came upon a group of people that he had saved from bondage brought into covenant and led to the very border of the land of milk and honey then for those of us who have had our sins forgiven who have been delivered from the power of sin received the Holy Spirit been brought into covenant with God been baptized received God's daily provision for a point to come up to a point and he's calling us to say complete and total victory in Jesus Christ and for us to say well I know it's possible but that's evil.

That's evil. If I'm put into the land of milk and honey through Christ and shackle myself and uptake my mouth I cannot feed on the righteousness. That's right. The reason our victory is assured is because in Christ it's all given.

Abiding in Christ and Receiving His Life

So the key here what was the question again let's go back and sum this up and we're done. If you want to reign in life you must be receiving God's abundant provision of grace. And in order to receive God's abundant provision of grace you have to recognize that all the grace of God was given has been given in the person of Jesus Christ.

So what are we really or who are we really talking about receiving? Christ. And we're not talking about receiving Christ for a visitation because part of receiving Christ is choosing to live abide in Christ.