“I AM DETERMINED TO GO WITH JESUS ALL THE WAY!”

Romans 8:38-39

"For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

People of God, we need to understand that God does not shelter us from life's difficulties because we need them for our spiritual growth.

Romans 5:3-5

"And not only so, but we glory in tribulation also; knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience, and experience, hope; And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us."

In Romans 8:28, God assures us that life's difficulties are working for us and not against us. God permits trials to come so we might use them for our good and His glory. People of God, we endure trials for his sake:

Romans 8:36

"As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter."

So, since we do, Do you think God will desert us? No! He is closer to us when we go through the difficulties of life. God gives us the power to conquer the difficulties in our life.

Romans 8:37

" Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us."

We are "more than conquerors," We are super conquerors through Jesus Christ. He gives us victory and more victory. We don't have to fear life or death, things present, or things to come because Jesus Christ loves us and gives us the victory. This is not an empty promise. Nothing can separate us from His love if your mind is determined.

Determination means to have firm intention and firmness of purpose to be decided. We have to be determined that nothing will be able to separate us from the love of God. If you continue to live and walk in the spirit, you will not be separated from God's love.

People of God, what helps us understand this is that God has justified us. This means God has declared us righteous because we have been born again and believed in His name. So you must understand that the devil wants to accuse us, but People of God, you must know and believe that you are standing in righteousness in Christ Jesus.

Paul begins Romans chapter 8 with this:

"There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk (live) not after the flesh, but after the Spirit."

We are God's elect, chosen in Christ and accepted in Christ. Understanding Justification brings peace to our hearts. When God declares someone in Christ, the justification only changes if the person goes back into sin. This is what gives us determination! As long as we stay in Christ Jesus, we are justified. So I must not let anything change my relationship with Christ.

Romans 8:9

"But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, If so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his."

The evidence of salvation is the presence of the Holy Ghost within, witnessing that you are a child of God.

Romans 8:16

"The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God."

Our bodies become the very Temple of the Holy Ghost.

I Cor. 6:19-20

"What? Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?

For ye are bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's."

When we understand this, it enables us to withstand the trials of life. Knowing that our lives belong to God now, we are a new creation.

II Cor. 5:17

"Therefore is any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new."

Our new relationship with Christ has brought about a new relationship with the world and the people around us. We no longer look at life the way we used to. To know Christ after the flesh means evaluating Him from a human point of view. But the days of his flesh are ended:

Heb. 5:7

"Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared;"

Because He has ascended to heaven and is now glorified at the Father's right hand.

Adam was the head of the old creation, and Christ is the head of the new creation. The old creation was plunged into sin and condemnation because of the disobedience of Adam. The new Creation means righteousness and salvation because of the obedience of Jesus Christ. So, everything has become new. My past does not have power over me and my future because now I'm New In Christ and will fight to stay there. Nothing will make me leave Him.

When Kingdom Believers walk in the flesh, it's because they have set their minds on fleshly things. If they live according to the spirit, it's because they have set their minds on the things of the spirit. As I conclude this lesson, imagine a truck filled with concrete. The concrete will eventually shape whatever mold it's poured into. It could be a driveway, a patio, a retaining wall, a road, or a foundation. Concrete cannot take any form unless a mold I first created for it. Your thoughts are like the mold. They create a shape for God to pour his power into. If you want a powerful life, choose to keep your mind on things that agree with God's will, and He will help you move toward your victory. Be determined to go with Jesus all the way, and you will have the blessings of the Kingdom.

Colo. 3:2-3

"Set your affection (mind) on things above, not on things on the earth.

For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God."

Love

Bishop T. W. Jackson I, ThM