DIG for Wednesday the 2nd of September…..the breastplate of righteousness…..Ephesians 6 v 14

If you come to MGF or read DIG on a regular basis you will know that I get very excited about righteousness; so I’ll try and keep this DIG to the usual one page!

The breastplate was one of the most important pieces of armour for use in battle for the Roman soldier.

It was also the biggest and heaviest piece, used to protect the chest and therefore the vital organs of the soldier.

The soldier could get hit hard on this breastplate, yet stay safe and alive.

This is a picture for us today about righteousness.

An understanding of our righteousness is one of the most important fundamental truths that we need to know; we really need to wear our breastplate of righteousness.

When we were born again we were made righteous, in fact we were made as righteous as God because of faith in the finished work of Jesus (2 Corinthians 5 v 21).

An understanding of this truth will renew our mind and lead to transformation (Romans 12 v 2).

This is my testimony; I was changed over night when I accepted and truly believed that irrespective of what I had done or was doing, I was righteous.

The armour that we are talking about is God’s armour, and the wonderful truth for us is that our righteousness is His righteousness.

Righteousness is a position; it is about who we are in Christ, rather than about our performance or what we do.

In order to benefit on earth from this righteousness we just need faith and accept this truth.

Speak this out today…..”Thank you Lord that as a gift of grace through faith in Jesus I have been made righteous”.

Ephesians 6 v 14…..Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness

DIG for Sunday the 27th of July…..physical fact or spiritual truth…..Romans 8 v 6

One of the big things that we are learning as a church through my latest series of teaching is that there is a difference between a fact and a truth.

A fact is a current reality in the physical realm while a truth is a permanent reality in the spiritual realm; let me give you an example.

You may be feeling pain in your body, so that is a physical fact; you can feel it and in the physical realm it is a reality.

However the Word of God says that by His stripes you were healed, so that is a spiritual truth (1 Peter 2 v 24).

You can believe this spiritual truth, speak out healing over your body and see the manifestation of your healing; you can see the spiritual truth take dominance over the physical fact.

When Peter got out of the boat He looked to Jesus and focussed on Him; the spiritual truth was that Jesus had spoken and said come.

However he took his eyes away from Jesus and looked at the wind and the waves, or the physical facts.

When he focussed on the physical facts he became afraid and started to sink.

He let the physical facts take dominance over a spiritual truth.

My friends, we determine what is the dominant force in our lives with regards to facts or truths.

We determine what we think and what we speak out, we decide if we focus on the physical facts or the spiritual truths.

Have you an area of your life today that you are struggling in where the physical facts are dominating you? It could be health, prosperity or rejection for example.

Take your eyes away from the physical facts that may be your reality at the moment and focus them on the Lord through meditation, prayer and study of His Word.

Read, understand and believe the spiritual truths in His Word rather than the facts in the physical realm and this will change your life for the better.

I know it has in mine and I can see the same thing happening for a number of people in the fellowship.

Knowing the spiritual truths at work in your life will allow you to renew your mind and bring about transformation (Romans 12 v 2).

Speak this out today…..”Thank you Lord for the spiritual truths held within the Scriptures”.

Romans 8 v 6…..For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace

DIG for Thursday the 20th of March…..our sin for His righteousness; one of the greatest truths in Scripture…..2 Corinthians 5 v 21

As I’ve written already 2 Corinthians 5 v 17 to 21 is one of my favourite passages of Scripture, but 2 Corinthians 5 v 21 is my favourite verse in the whole of God’s Word.

2 Corinthians 5 v 21 is the verse of Scripture that changed my life; it was the understanding of this verse that has brought about my greatest transformation.

We read that we are transformed (or changed) by the renewing of our mind (Romans 12 v 2); understanding this verse completely changed my understanding of who I was and what I had (it renewed my mind), and that changed my life for the better.

Righteousness is all about right standing, about being right with God; if we are righteous we are right with God, we are accepted by Him.

This verse says that our righteousness (how God sees us) has nothing to do with us and nothing to do with our actions or performance.

This is in contrast to what most of the body of Christ believes today!

This verse talks about us having been made righteous (notice this is past tense) and does not mention a process of moving into righteousness or becoming more righteous.

This is in contrast to what most of the body of Christ believes today!

If you are a born again believer (or in Christ) you HAVE BEEN MADE righteous; you were made righteous the second you became born again.

The real part of you, your spirit man, the part of you that this verse is talking about, is already righteous.

In fact it is as righteous as God, yes you did read that correctly; right now in your spirit you are as righteous as God, that is what verse 21 says!

What an amazing truth; that because of the finished work of Jesus Christ, where He took your sin, you get His righteousness as a gift of grace thorough faith.

Once you understand that truth you will never be the same again.

Renew your mind to that truth and you will be changed.

That is my testimony, and it can be yours.

Speak this out today….”Thank you Lord that I have been made righteous in your eyes as a gift of grace through faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ”.

2 Corinthians 5 v 21…..For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him

DIG for Tuesday the 1st of October…..want peace; follow the “Philippians model” then, well almost……Philippians 4 v 7

While in meditation tonight I was reminded about a teaching that I took the men of the church through about 6 or 7 years ago; I called it the “Philippians Model”.

I taught that if you simply followed Philippians 4 v 4 to 6 then you would get peace; if you DID you would GET.

I was almost right in this teaching, but not quite right.

Under grace we GET because of what Jesus DID.

These verses are all about mind renewal; if we renew our mind to what Jesus has done and focus on Him, then we will be transformed (Romans 12 v 2).

We have already been blessed with all the peace that we will ever need in our born again spirit (Galatians 5 v 22 and Ephesians 1 v 3).

If we focus on Jesus and His finished work we will find rejoicing and thankfulness will come naturally (Philippians 4 v 4 and 6).

If we focus on Him and His finished work we will live in moderation and we will know Jesus is with us (Philippians 4 v 5).

If we focus on Him and His finished work we will work out that peace that is already within our born again spirit into our soul (mind, will and emotions).

The emphasis under grace should always be on what He HAS DONE and not what we HAVE TO DO; we believe and trust in Him and we are transformed as our knowledge and understanding of HIm grows.

Through Him, and trust and belief in His finished work, we will rejoice, be moderate, know He is with us and be thankful; and we will have peace; His peace from our born again spirit flowing out.

Speak this out today…..”Thank you Lord for your peace already within us, thank you that through Him we can live in that peace”.

Philippians 4 v 7…..And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus

DIG for Monday the 27th of May…..your wings are within you already…..Romans 12 v 2

Romans 12 v 2 is the important verse in scripture that talks about how a Christian can be changed.

We are changed or transformed by the renewing or changing of our mind; we change our lives by changing how we think.

Many believers look to external things to enable a change process; for example looking to God to do something.

God, through Jesus, has done all that He needs to do.

We have all we need in our born again spirit for life and godliness (2 Peter 1 v 3).

We need to renew our minds to this truth in our spirit to see it flow into our bodies to enable change.

I was reminded today that a caterpillar has all it needs inside it to become a butterfly; it does not need anything from outside of itself to be transformed.

The wings that enable a butterfly to soar comes from within.

All you need to soar in life is already within you in your born again spirit.

Renew your mind and be transformed; renew your mind and soar.

Speak this out today…..”Thank you Lord that I have all I need for life and godliness already inside me”

Romans 12 v 2…..And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God

DIG for Saturday the 13th of April…..so, if I’m not a sinner, why do I still sin…..Romans 12 v 2

DIG for Saturday the 13th of April…..so, if I’m not a sinner, why do I still sin…..Romans 12 v 2

In the last couple of days I’ve written that you are not a sinner anymore and that you no longer fall short of God’s standard.

The natural question to ask from this is “why do I still sin then?”.

If I am not a sinner why do I still sin?

What you have to remember is that being a sinner has nothing to do with having sinned; we are born sinners because of the action of Adam.

You did not sin and become a sinner, you were born with a sin nature, and this sin nature drove you to sin and trained you to sin.

When you became born again you received a new nature that was created perfect, holy and righteous (Ephesians 4 v 24).

You however did not receive a perfect new mind, will and emotions at your conversion.

Your mind still has residual programming left over from the training it received by the sin nature, and this needs to be changed or renewed.

You are changed or transformed by the renewing of your mind (Romans 12 v 2); this will move you towards a more holy life with less sin.

So, you still sin because of your unrenewed mind; your “job” now is to renew that mind to the truths of the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross.

Speak this out today…..”Thank you Lord that I am no longer a sinner; help me to renew my mind through your Word to the truths of the finished work of Jesus Christ”.

Romans 12 v 2……And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God

DIG for Thursday the 27th of December…..it is the time of the year for change; but not the time for resolutions…..Romans 12 v 2

It is getting to the time of year when people look for and plan for change; yes, it is time to set your New Year resolutions.

What a waste of time!

How many times have you planned for change, started desperately to try and change, only to give up in failure?

Change is not an easy process if you rely on your own strength; it is a lot easier if you do it God’s way; it is easier if you change using God’s Word.

Romans 12 v 2 is the “classic” verse when we thing about change; be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind is the advice given in the Word.

To be transformed means to change; it is the Greek word metamorphoo.

If you want to be changed or transformed you need to renew your mind; you need to change the way you think.

You need to change your thinking to come in line with the way God thinks; you need start thinking in line with the good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

And there is only one place to find the good and acceptable and perfect will of God and that is in His Word.

The Bible is to be read, meditated upon and understood, especially the truths about His love for you and about your forgiveness and righteousness through the work of Jesus.

Getting these truths into your head and starting the process of mind renewal will change things in your life for the better.

I encourage you to continue, or indeed, start this process today.

Speak this out today…..”Thank you Lord that I can be successful in any change process simply by changing the way I think to come in line with your Word”.

Romans 12 v 2…..And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God