Becoming What You Are — Manley Beasley

Well, what I want to talk to you about today is about an issue, about an issue that I really feel that we need to look at. The Lord Jesus has literally come into the world and demonstrated to us the way to live a life and walked out of this world with victory.

Facing the Issue of Victory

Now I really feel that that's what we need to face. We need to face the issue of victory and you not hearing me say something new, this may be a re-emphasis on something I've said that you've read or heard by tape, but I hope it's fresh and real in your life.

God's Written Plan for Every Believer

Now look at these verses with me, if you will. I'm reading out of the Amplified Bible. I'm reading from Psalms 139, 16. Your eyes saw my unformed substance, and in your book all the days of my life were written, before ever they took shape, when as yet there was none of them.

Boy, what a verse. My, what a verse. That verse sets my soul on fire. Here's another verse, Ephesians 2, 10, out of the Amplified Bible. We are God's own handiwork, his workmanship, recreated in Christ Jesus, born anew that we may do those good works which God predestined, planned beforehand for us, isn't that something?

Taking paths which he prepared ahead of time, that we should walk in them, what the paths, living the good life which he prearranged and made ready for us to live. Now in these two verses, we see that God already has a plan for our life.

I don't know about you, but one of the great teachings that was taught to me as a child was the fact that God had my life planned for me. And that if I could discover that plan and walk in that plan, then I would be a successful saint.

Now my mother didn't know a lot about all this, but I'll tell you what, she knew that. Much, that I should, that I definitely was to discover God's plan for my life and walk in it. You say, well, Brother Manley, that's for the preacher.

You're a preacher, you're an evangelist, that's for you. That's just for you, that's just for preachers. No, I believe these verses are applicable to every saint, every, the least to the largest, the intellectual to the non-intellectual.

I believe that this promise is for every single solitary one of us, regardless of your race. I believe this promise, God has a plan for our life. It's for every one of us. It's amazing. Now God does not force this plan on us.

God does not make this happen. We have to do two things. We have to discover it and we have to walk in it. The Bible tells us that God works in us and God works through us to bring about his will. So it just doesn't, you know, it just doesn't happen without our cooperation.

So I feel that we need to realize that. The Bible says, for it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. I believe this verse teaches that it's God who works his will in us and then it's God who works his will through us.

So we need to face this issue. We need to face it that God works his will in us and God works his will through us. Well, it's something else to see. Let's talk about positional truth. I have found in the last three or four weeks that what I define as positional truth and some other people define as positional truth differ.

I find that it's very important that you understand what I mean by positional truth. Now I believe positional truth is the truth from the Bible that is truth about, for instance, me. I believe the truth is the real thing, what's real about me and I'm to discover it, to believe it, and then experience it.

So there's some truth there to be believed. There's some truth there to discover and that I call the positional truth and it's saying what God says about us. It's seeing us as God sees us. You remember in the Bible there was a man by the name of Gideon and the Lord said to the angel, or the angel of the Lord said to Gideon, thou great man of valor.

You see, God saw him as a great man of valor, but he only saw himself of the weakest tribe and of the weakest ability and a total dropout. But God saw him as a great man of valor. What an important thing for us to see.

We need to see the truth about us. Now that is positional. And the truth is the truth about us and we discover it and then we are to believe it and it makes it operative in our lives. And these two verses, Psalms 139, 16, and Ephesians 2, 10, definitely just lay out the fact that the truth is God's plan for our life.

Not only God's plan for our life, but God sees us in a position for this life and we need to discover the plan and we need to discover the position. That's very important that we experience this truth.

Christ's Finished Work and the Definition of Victory

Now, what I want to do is talk about Jesus and tie it in to what I have said to you. In John, the 19th chapter, the 28th, 29th, and 30th verse, we find Jesus hanging on the cross. And Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished that the scripture might be fulfilled said, I thirst.

And there was set a vinegar, a vessel full of vinegar, and they filled a sponge with vinegar and put it up on hyssop and put it to his mouth. When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished.

And he bowed his head and gave up the ghost. I've taught this message so many times that, you know, I feel like you have possibly heard it. Maybe you have. But I trust that it will have a fresh life to you, if you have already heard it.

Jesus dying on the cross, certainly when he said, It's finished, he had completely paid the price for sinners, whereby sinners could be saved by grace. But he was saying more. He was saying it because he had fulfilled everything that was written about him.

He could say, It's finished. Now that's victory. That is real, genuine victory. You see, there was a lot of things written about Jesus. So he came into the world as man full of God. He had a body of flesh, like your body and my body.

Jesus came into this world. And by the fact that he was filled with the spirit of the living God, he lived out everything that was written about him. So it could be said of him what was written of him.

I'll tell you, that's it. That's victory. Jesus really defines victory for us right here. Now, a lot of people have the idea that victory is accomplishing what they want in their way. But victory is discovering what God says and living it out to such a degree that it can be said of us what's written of us.

Jesus as the Pattern of Submission and Renunciation

Jesus laid this down as a pattern. He did. He laid it down as a pattern. You might say, Well, how did Jesus do this? The Bible says he lived a life of renunciation. He lived a life of submission. He lived a life of faith.

Well, let's look at this for a moment. He lived a life of submission. What did he say? He said, I do nothing except what I see my Father do. Right? He said, I do nothing except what I see my Father do.

He checked with the Father. He cooperated with the Father. He said, I do nothing. I mean nothing except what the Father is doing. Well, you know, that's really a lot of life. That's a lot of truth to handle.

In other words, Jesus saw to it that he lived a life of submission. I mean, he just was able to wait on the Lord. You say, Well, brother, man, this waiting on the Lord makes you passive. No, you understand the word passive to mean something different than what the Lord means.

Or maybe you understand the word waiting on the Lord a little differently than our Lord Jesus. But he was never lazy. He was never passive. He was always in cooperation with the Father. Not only did he live a life of submission, but Jesus lived a life of renunciation.

You say, What do you mean? He said, Of mine own self I can do nothing. Right? He said also that all power had been given to him in heaven and in earth. And in other words, Jesus could have performed all kinds of miracles.

But he denied himself and he relied on the ability of another. I heard a man say one time that Jesus never performed a miracle. Boy, I tell you, that shocked me. Then I listened to him and he went on to say that there was many miracles performed through Jesus.

But what happened is Jesus Christ did not perform those miracles. He allowed the Father to perform those miracles through him. And when he said that, then I realized that Jesus did not perform the miracles of himself.

But he relied on the ability of another and the Lord worked through him mightily to perform these different miracles, changing the water into wine, feeding thousands of people by bread there in John 6, and calling Lazarus forth at the tomb.

In other words, Jesus lived a life of renunciation. He renounced his ability and relied on the ability of another. And not only did he live like this, but he lived a life of faith. You say, What do you mean faith?

Jesus cooperated with the Father constantly to where he was obedient to the truth, to the degree that if God had not performed a miracle to keep his word to Jesus, Jesus would have been in trouble. You say, What do you mean?

Faith in the Feeding of the Five Thousand

Well, I mean feeding the 5 ,000 men there in John 6. Jesus asked Philip about feeding these people. And Philip flunked the course. He said, I only have about 40 bucks. What's that among so many? Andrew came up with a little lad and a few loaves of bread, but that was so little among so many.

Now Jesus asked the disciples to seat the people, the men. Now this is so important. There was still only a few loaves and a few fishes. Yet Jesus is acting like he's got the food. Then he did something else.

He bowed his head and thanked the Father for the food when there was not adequate food. But you see, the issue is Jesus knew the mind of the Father, and he saw what the Father was up to, and he simply cooperated by obedience with the Father by starting breaking.

First he had them to be seated. Secondly, he had them to bow, and he prayed. That's two steps. And then he started breaking the bread and the fish. I mean, Jesus moved in obedience, and it was a beautiful, beautiful experience.

Jesus not only moved in obedience, but when he moved, God the Father worked powerfully. And by the fact that Jesus lived a life of submission, a life of renunciation, and a life of faith, it can be said of him today what was written of him.

Now, folk, that's victory. That is a, that's it. It's time to sing the hallelujah chorus. I mean, Jesus discovering what was written about him. He lived it out to where it could be said of him what was written of him.

That's absolute victory. Well, you might say, well, Brother Manley, what does that have to do with me? Well, you see, there are some things that are written to you about you and me. And what the Lord wants us to do is to discover what's written about us.

And he wants us to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling, and come to the place that it can be said of us what's written of us. Oh, that's victory. Amen? Then Jesus was asked one time by one of the disciples about another disciple.

Jesus had commanded this disciple to do something, and he looked around, and another one wasn't commanded to do that. And the disciple said to Jesus, what about this other fellow? Jesus said, what meaneth that to thee?

Follow thou me. Isn't that something? What meaneth that to thee? Follow thou me. Oh, Jesus was wanting us to see in this example that we are to discover what God has said about us, believe it, practice it, so it can be said of us what's written of us.

Becoming What God Has Declared: Saints and Priests

You say, well, Brother Manley, I still do not understand what you're trying to say. Well, I'm trying to say this. There are some things that are written about you. One of the sweet things that's written about you is that you're a saint.

The Bible says you're a saint. That's right. The Lord sees us as a saint. He sees you as a saint right now. Well, that's how the truth, the Lord sees us, how the truth stands. But have you discovered this truth that you're a saint?

Have you discovered the truth that you are already a completed product? Have you discovered it? Are you believing that you're a saint? You see, you discover what you are, and then you work out your own salvation with fear and tremor, and you become what you are to the place that it can be said of you what's written of you.

In other words, people see you, they think, well, there's a saint. Amen. There's a saint. Now, that's issue. It doesn't stop there. The Bible says that we're a priest. I think of a priest in my own thinking.

I think of a prayer warrior. See, the Bible says we're all priests, priests unto God. And we are able to go before our Father who has the supplies for everything, and get those supplies and bring them back to the needy.

And I think about a priest back years ago, had a friend down in Hammond, Louisiana area call me. And his brother, who was also a friend, had just had a wreck. And they said he wouldn't live through the night.

And I never shall forget how I went to prayer, and the Lord gave me a witness in my spirit that he was not going to die. And he also gave my friend, the brother that was a preacher, the witness that he was not going to die.

And I mean every day, about twice a day, we'd call. The battle was tough. Oh, the battle was tough, but we were able to hang on. And I never will forget that we went before the Father, and got the bread, and gave it to this soul.

We hung on in trusting Jesus for him, when he was too far gone to trust him himself. Every time I see that boy, I realize I have a part in his life. When I see his little kids that have been born since that time, I realize that it was because of God, all powerfulness and all faithfulness, that that boy is enjoying those kids.

Well, what I'm saying to you is a priest is one that knows how to go to the one that has a supply. How are you known? The Bible says you're a priest. Are you known as a priest? Are you known as a prayer warrior?

Does people call you? Do they? Do they call you and say, listen friend, I know you know how to get hold of God. Please pray for me. What about it? What about it? Well, the Bible does not only say that we're priests.

Kingship and Spiritual Dominion

The Bible also says that we're kings. That's right. So the Bible teaches us that every one of us are kings, priests, saints. That's a beautiful truth. You're a king today. You're not going to be a king when you get to heaven.

You're already a king. You're ruling and reigning in Christ Jesus. Now, you'll never be a king until you realize you are a king, until you believe that you are, and then you become what you are. And there you are, ruling and reigning and managing a jurisdiction.

I think a king has a domain, and he's supposed to rule and reign over that domain. What about it? Are you ruling and reigning? I believe that with all my heart. There's a king. I've seen fathers realize they were priests and kings, and they'd rule and reign over their families, over several families sometime.

And I'll tell you, it's so beautiful to see them go in before the father and get bread for those needy. Oh, it's such a blessing to see parents that are ruling and reigning as priests and kings in their family life.

Oh, there's nothing like it. There's nothing like it. And I'll tell you, some have gone further than just ruling and reigning over their family life. Some have gone to the place that they have whole areas of the country that's under their dominion, and they can control that area by their walk with God, by their walk with God.

The Believer as an Overcomer

They're priests and kings. It's wonderful to know that. Bible says that we're not only priests and kings, but we're overcomers. You say, Brother Manley, you do not know me. No, I feel like you do not know yourself.

You say, well, have you been preaching this all the time? How long, long time have I been preaching this truth? That's right. The Bible teaches in 1 John 4 that we are overcomers. Let me read that verse to you.

I think it'll help you. I think it'll bless you. Listen, you are of God little children and have overcome them because greater is he that is within you than he that is in the world. You're not going to become an overcomer.

You are an overcomer. If you can discover this and believe it, then you are. That's right. Praise God, you're an overcomer. You're not only an overcomer. The Bible says, as he is, so are we in this world, 17th verse of that 4th chapter of John.

What do you mean, as he is? He's an overcomer. As he is, so are we. Not when the rapture comes, as right now, in this world. Amen. So, I pray that you'll discover that you're an overcomer this morning, this afternoon, every time it is while you're listening to this tape.

Living as an Overcomer Through Surrender

Ask God to show you this truth and then by faith claim it. And then by faith watch the scales fall from your eyes and watch God move mightily and powerfully in your life. Well, Brother Manley, how can I really live that life?

I'm not the son of God. I have a flesh, a body. Even though I've been saved by the grace of God, Satan still fights and fights and fights and fights. How can I be an overcomer? How can I really become what I am?

I feel like the life of Jesus is a literal pattern for us. I believe we need to come to the place that we live a life of submission. My meat is to do the will of the Father that sent me. I believe we need to take a blank sheet of paper, sign our name to it and say, okay, God, there's my life.

You write on it whatever you will. I believe that kind of surrender will enable us to have it said of us, what's written of us. Now, I don't think we need to stop there. I think we need to live a life of renunciation.

You say, well, what do you mean I need to live a life? Listen, there's nothing, there's nothing in this flesh that wants to glorify God. And I believe that we have to be brought to the end of ourselves.

I believe that. Then renounce our ability and rely on the ability of another. And that other person is the Holy Spirit, the Lord Jesus. That's right. Then I believe that come to a second step in walking a life of victory, being an overcomer.

Then I feel that there is a third step, that we need to learn to live the life of faith. Learn how to take God at his word. Faith is an act and an affirmation of that act that bids eternal truth to be present fact.

Faith renders present that which one hopes for. I believe the child of God has literally got to learn how to walk by faith. And the faith life is so vast that, you know, we would spend hours explaining it.

I've had dozens of tapes on the faith life. But somehow, someway, we have to walk by faith. It's that daring walk, step by faith that we can take that really makes a difference. Well, praise God. It's been good to talk to you this month.

I trust that God is giving you a rich, beautiful year. May the Lord help you. If we can help you, let us know. This is your friend in Christ, Manly Beasley.