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Introduction:
Before
Saul had his first encounter with God on the way to Damascus, he was an
avowed enemy of the Lord Jesus Christ. But after the experience on the
way to Damascus, he became a different person. He was commissioned and he
started preaching the same gospel he had prosecuted. Acts 9:1-22 Saul
(later Paul) was a servant or slave of the Law, culture and traditions but
was turned to a servant of God in righteousness.
1.
Knowing
who you were before salvation and now saved.
a. You
were a servant of sin, a child of the devil that now has been delivered
from sin and its passions. Rom. 6:16-19; 7:5-6; Jn 8:24,44; I Jn3: 8
b.
You who were being taken captive, afflicted and dehumanized at will by
the devil, are now delivered totally from the power of darkness and
translated into the kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ. II Tim 2:26;
Luke 13:11-16; Col. 1:12-14
c. You
were once no people, alien to the commonwealth of Israel and strangers
to the covenant of promise. Now you have been made Son, in fact joint
heir with the Lord Jesus Christ and thereby made entitled to all divine
blessings. Rom.9: 25-26 Eph. 2:11-22; Rom. 8:17; Eph. 1:3; II Peter
1:3-4; I Peter 2:9-10
d. Satan
rule and authority over you since you lost your first position due to
sin. However, the new you is now restored back to that of the former
position and you now bear rule, power, dominion and dominion and
authority over Satan and his cohorts. II Tim 2:25-26; Luke 4:6; Col
1:20-22; Luke 9:1; 10:17-20; James 4:7;
2.
How does
God see you now?
a. A
new person entirely whose sins have both been washed away and forgotten.
II Cor. 5:17; Gal 6:15; Heb. 8:12; Rev. 1:5; I John 1:7; I John 1:7; Isa.
44: 22; Rom. 8:1; I John 5:13.
Sins mentioned here include every manner of sin committed in the past.
b. As
being holy and peculiar to Him. He has consequently kept you as the
apple of His eye. I Peter 2:9; Titus 2:14-15; Ex. 19:5-6; Deut. 32:10;
Zech 2:8; Isa. 54:15-17
CONCLUSION
Your
position is exactly like that of Saul mentioned in the introduction.
You (put your name) were weak before, but now made strong. You were an
under-dog to Satan, but now his master. You are now to bind him and
secure from his hands, those he is still holding captive.
MEMORY
VERSE: I PETER 2:9
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