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22nd July 2024
MondayReflection
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Terry Baxter offers
Co-founder of GoServ Global
'Settling The Issue Of Ownership'
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"19 Don't you know that your body is the temple
of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and who
was given to you by God? You do not belong
to yourselves but to God; 20 he bought you for
a price. So use your bodies for God's glory."
.... 1 Corinthians 6:19-20
When we embrace our new life "in Christ", we return to the creative order of body, mind and spirit ... with the human spirit being in charge.
But our bodies are still important to God.
On the one hand, we do not abuse our body.
On the other hand, we do not worship our body either.
We merely bring it into subjection to our revived spirit and ultimately to God.
Think about this, Adam and Eve were created in the image of God with body, mind and spirit, but they were not indwelled by the Holy Spirit.
Wow!
The born-again believer has a new life that is beyond their created order.
We have the very Spirit of God dwelling within us.
Jesus bought us with His own precious blood.
He went to the cross to pay our sin debt.
By doing so, He "redeemed us", "bought us" or "purchased us." We became His!
In the Old Testament, this was the picture of God redeeming Israel from slavery to Egypt.
The important principle is that redemption transfers ownership.
It was often pictured as purchasing an indentured servant or a slave.
For the Christian, this means we no longer belong to Satan or ourselves, we belong to God.
Paul applies this to our physical bodies.
Because we were bought with a price, we should now dedicate our body to glorify and serve God.
Notice his emphasis on our "body."
We belong to Jesus who is now our owner, master or Lord.
Until you settle the issue of ownership or Lordship, you will struggle with both sin and purpose in your life.
Paul took this so literally that he often referred to himself as a "bond servant" of Jesus.
It means; "one who is in a permanent relationship to another, his will altogether consumed in the will of the other."
As believers, Jesus Christ has set us free from sin and bondage.
He redeemed for His own possession.
We still have free will, but ownership of our life was transferred from sin and Satan to Jesus Christ.
There are only two kingdoms in the Bible; the kingdom of darkness and the kingdom of light.
There is no kingdom called "self." This is where people get deceived.
Both non-Christians and Christians alike are fooled into thinking they reign over the "Kingdom of Self."
It doesn't exist!
"Self" is the capital of the domain of darkness!
The temptation of the serpent to Eve was that she could become her own god and rule her own life.
The question now becomes;
"What kind of Master or Lord rules over the two opposing Kingdoms?"
I am eternally thankful that Jesus is my Master and Lord!
I have dedicated my body and life to love and serve Him.
I have totally surrendered to Him.
As a result, I no longer have many of the temptations and battles that used to wage war against my soul.
Don't get me wrong, I am far from perfect ... but
I am no longer in bondage.
Jesus has set me free from the domain of darkness and I have fixed my eyes on loving, serving and worshipping Him with a clear conscience and a sincere faith.
This is His call for every born-again and Spirit filled believer.
Ownership is a key concept of "Zoë Life!"
Who is Master of your life?
The Greek word translated "life" in this verse is Zoë, which means the God-kind of life.
><(((°>
This is an edited version.
The full article and Bible references are avaiable on request
'GoServ'
Co-founded in 2011 by an Iowa farmer, Ken DeYoung, and a missionary, Terry Baxter, in the wake of a devastating earthquake in Haiti, GoServ Global provides essential humanitarian aid to the most vulnerable in communities, sharing God's love by delivering hope globally.
We are Christ centered and passionate, committed to serving others through a servant heart with integrity.
Our donors and volunteers help us deliver hope through orphan sponsorships, developing local leadership, and establishing sustainable communities, as well as serving through mission trips both in the midwest and internationally.
Terry is ordained under the Evangelical Free Church of America.
He has pastored five churches and has spoken in hundreds of churches, camps, conferences, and evangelistic events nationally and internationally.
Back in 2010, Terry became co-founder of GoServ Global, which launched shortly after the earthquake in Haiti.
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