Reference: II Peter 1:3-4
My friend are you aware of the fact thatthe book we call the Bible is a book that is inspired of God, and that itcontains many great and wonderful promises that we as individuals can claim andrecieve for the benefit of all mankind? Many of you no doubt are quite familiarwith the fact that the Bible contains many wonderful promises that God offersto all that serve him, but I also know for a fact that many people are notreceiving and enjoying the promises that are revealed in the word of God. Thereis a reason why the promises of God are not being received in many people'slives that would benifit them both spiritually and physically. This reason issimply because of the fact that most people are totally ignorant of the truthas to what the promises of God are and what they are for. Many people get themistaken idea that the Bible is an inspired book from God that reveals that mancan have the wonderful and great works that Christ performed while he was onthis earth on the simple basis that they confess belief on Christ. Yes, Jesussaid that the works that he did then we also can do if we believe on him, butmost people do not truthfully know what it means to believe on him in orderthat they may do the works that he said they could do. Most people think thatthe Bible only contains promises that pertain to the realm of manifesting thepower of God in great miraclous signs and wonders.
The word of God mostcertainly promises us glory and honour, but Satan is blinding most people fromthe fact that the promises of God spoken of in our text found in II Peter 1:3-4 are writtenpromises that will make us partakers of his divine nature. Are you aware of thefact my friend that we must be partakers of the divine nature of Almighty Godand God's nature is holy and blameless? The promises that the Bible reveals arefor the sole purpose of transforming us into the same image and likeness ofJesus Christ. In other words the revealed truth contained in the gospel are thevery means that will transform our lives making us partakers of the very natureof God. Most people have been led to believe that the Bible is God's word thatreveals we can do great works if we believe on Christ's name using it as themeans of casting out devils, performing miracles, laying hands on the sick, speakingin new tongues, taking up serpents etc. My friend the Bible does not revealthat there is power in the name of Jesus Christ by just your believing on hisname and trying to do great works in that name such as attempting to cast out ademon commanding the demon spirit to come out in the name of Jesus. Reading in Acts 19:13-16 that certainmen tried to cast out devils using the name of Jesus but we find that the evilspirit told these men that they knew who Christ was and who Paul was, but theydid not know who they were. The spirit then leaped on them and overcome themand he actually tore their clothing from them and wounded them. This happenedbecause of the fact they tried to do the works of Christ without being in theposition that they must be in in order that they could do the works of God asChrist said. There are many people today trying to do the works that Christspoke about when he said that the works that he did then we also could do themif we believe on him. These works can be done but not very many people realizewhat it means to believe on Christ in order for the signs to follow them. Ifyou say that you believe on Christ and that you believe in the power of God,this does not place you in the position that you can cast out devils using Christ'sname, or lay your hands on the sick and pray for them and expect for them torecover . A believer is not a person that claims to believe on Christ acceptinghim as their personal Saviour. A true believer is considered to be what theBible calls a believer based on the fact that they believe the gospel, which isthe power of God unto salvation. If you do not believe the true gospel then youmy friend are certainly not what the Bible calls a believer. Satan has got mostpeople believing that a believer is a person that confesses to believe onChrist accepting him as Lord and Saviour. If you do believe that Christ diedand was risen again this only proves that you can be saved if you receive andobey the gospel as it is revealed to you from the Bible. Your believing the onetrue revealed gospel is what makes you to be a partaker of the divine nature ofGod. Becoming a partaker of the divine nature of God places you in the positionwhere you can do the works of Christ as he mentioned in John 14:12. Your becominga partaker of the very nature of God is brought about in a progressive mannerby your obedience to the revealed truth of the gospel of Christ. The revealedtruth of the gospel will transform you into the same image of Christ and itwill then be Christ manifested in and through your mortal flesh. Christ becomesyour life "if" you receive and obey the revealed word of truth. God'sword taught to you by the Holy Spirit will renew you mind making your mind themind of Chirst. God's word tells you to repent and be baptized in the name ofJesus Christ and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. (Acts 2:38) You absolutelymust receive and obey the revealed word of truth or else you will never come tothe measure and the stature and the fulness of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Bibletells us that in Christ dwells all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. (Colossians 2:9) Thisin Christ as I have underlined above is the position that we must be in beforethe works he did can be manifested in and through our mortal flesh. We are toldthat if any man be in Christ then he is a new creature where old things havepassed away and all things have become new. (IICorinthians 5:17) If you will read Mark 16:17-18 it tells usthat "in" his name signs would follow the BELIEVERS.Jesus did not mean nor say that by using his name then the signs would followthem that just believe on his name accepting him as Lord and Saviour. In orderfor you to be in Christ and having the signs to follow you then you must acceptand believe the gospel. The gospel that you must believe is not just sayingthat you believe on the name of Christ accepting him as your personal Saviourlike the false prophets and teachers are proclaiming. Are the signs followingthe believers in today's churches? No, because they are not receiving andbelieving the one true gospel that the Bible teaches. They are receiving andbelieving what they think is the gospel but the truth of the gospel as it isrevealed in the Bible, is not in any of the denominational churches today. Thesigns of Mark 16 will follow the believers of the true gospel because theywill have been baptized into his body by the one Spirit through the revealedword of truth that the gospel contains. When Christ said in my name shall theycast out devils, heal the sick, take up serpents etc. means that those who arein him by the one baptism of the one Spirit will be the ones that the signswill follow.....