SNT 1129 Living with and for God
Living with and for God
July 4, 1982
SNT 1129
Format: audio-transcipt-epub-mobi
Publication Date: 07-04-1982
Victor Paul Wierwille was a Bible scholar and teacher for over four decades.
By means of Dr. Wierwille's dynamic teaching of the accuracy and integrity of God's Word, foundational class and advanced class graduates of Power for Abundant Living have learned that the one great requirement for every student of the Bible is to rightly divide the Word of Truth. Thus, his presentation of the Word of God was designed for students who desire the in-depth-accuracy of God’s Word.
In his many years of research, Dr. Wierwille studied with such men as Karl Barth, E. Stanley Jones, Glenn Clark, Bishop K.C. Pillai, and George M. Lamsa. His formal training included Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Theology degrees from Mission House (Lakeland) College and Seminary. He studied at the University of Chicago and at Princeton Theological Seminary from which he received a Master of Theology degree in Practical Theology. Later he completed his work for the Doctor of Theology degree.
Dr. Wierwille taught the first class on Power for Abundant Living in 1953.
Books by Dr. Wierwille include: Are the Dead Alive Now? published in 1971; Receiving the Holy Spirit Today published in 1972; five volumes of Studies in Abundant Living— The Bible Tells Me So (1971), The New, Dynamic Church (1971), The Word's Way (1971), God's Magnified Word (1977), Order My Steps in Thy Word (1985); Jesus Christ Is Not God (1975); Jesus Christ Our Passover (1980); and Jesus Christ Our Promised Seed (1982).
Dr. Wierwille researched God's Word, taught, wrote, and traveled worldwide, holding forth the accuracy of God's "wonderful, matchless" Word.
The Way International Living Victoriously Orchestra
Prayer
Eagle Inside - Brian Bliss
Call to Serve - Dean Ellenwood
Col 3:16, 17; 2Th 1:11, 12; 3:6; Jam 2:6, 7; 1Pe 4:14; 1Jo 2:12; 3:23; 5:13; Joh 1:16
2Co 5:17-19; Col 1:27; 2:9, 10; Rom 6:4; 7:6
2Co 10:5; 1:20; Mal 3:6; Luk 5:1-5
Luk 5:4-11; Mar 1:17; (Jos 1:3); Col 4:17
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“Living With and For God”
Victor Paul Wierwille
July 4, 1982
– Sunday Night Teaching 1129 Transcript –
Living Victoriously
New Knoxville, Ohio
There is a time for all things, but there is one thing for all times, and that is Living With and For God.
The God of all time and history has so arranged it that everybody must acknowledge the birth of His Son every time a letter is dated, believer or unbeliver. The name of His Son, Jesus Christ, produces various reactions in the hearts of men, most of the time great fear and great trepidation.
Colossians 3:16:
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly....
That verse means the written Word of God. We are to let it dwell in us richly.
Colossians 3:17:
And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all [do everything you do] in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him [Jesus Christ].
Everything we do in word or in deed we do in the name of Jesus Christ. And then in II Thessalonians we read:
II Thessalonians 1:11, 12:
Wherefore also we pray always for you, that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfil all the good pleasure of his goodness, and the work of faith [believing] with power:
[For what reason?] That the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and ye in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.
And in chapter 3 we read:
II Thessalonians 3:6:
Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly [one who walks disorderly is someone who is idle, who just does not care to move God’s Word], and not after the tradition [the word tradition is “the teaching”] which he received of us.
And, in the Book of James is the following:
James 2:6, 7:
But ye have despised the poor. Do not rich men oppress you, and draw you before the judgment seats?
Do not they blaspheme that worthy name by the which ye are called?
And, they surely do.
I Peter 4:14:
If ye be reproached [to be reproached is to be criticized] for the name of Christ, happy [happy is the word “blessed”] are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified.
Wherever you go, as you walk on the greatness of God’s Word, you glorify his name.
I John 2:12:
I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven [remitted] you for his name’s sake.
I John 3:23:
And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment.
This is His commandment, that we should believe, and to believe connotes action, on the name of God’s Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another as He, God through Jesus Christ, gave us this commandment.
I John 5:13:
These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God [delete the words “that believe on the name of the Son of God”]; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.
“That ye may know,” not question, not doubt, not have one iota of a difference with; but, that ye may know, that you know, that you know.
Wrapped up in God’s namesake, Jesus Christ, is the invisible power and the miracle-working might of the Church of the Body to which we belong. The power is not in fasting or denial of self; it is not in any works that man ever does; it is in believing in God and in His wonderful Son, Jesus Christ.
In this, the closing of Living Victoriously, I desire to set before you for your consideration and growth the following:
1) God lives “with” you.
2) You live “for” God.
John 1:16:
And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace.
Of the fullness of God in Christ Jesus, have we all received by His grace—grace for grace. Those born again have that fullness within.
II Corinthians 5:17:
Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature [creation]: old things are passed away...
The child of wrath is gone; you are a new creature. I taught you the record from II Peter, chapter 1, concerning being partakers of the divine nature, the new nature. The old man nature is one thing; the new nature of God in Christ in you is a new creation, that is why old things are passed away.
II Corinthians 5:17b, 18:
...behold, all things are become new.
And all things [Here is a figure of speech, an ellipsis. It omits, and requires the supply of, the word “new.” Thus it should read, “and all things new...”] are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ,...
He “hath reconciled”, and if God reconciled us, then we are reconciled. No matter what the world says. No matter what you feel like. It has nothing to do with feelings; it has everything to do with what God wrought in Christ Jesus. He hath reconciled. You do not have to pray about it, simply get born again and you are reconciled. He “hath reconciled us to Himself.” So, as far as God and His Word are concerned, He has reconciled us to Himself. That is why we were given the ministry of reconciliation, so that other people can be reconciled back to God, because we speak the word of reconciliation.
II Corinthians 5:19:
To wit, that God was [where?] in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses [sins] unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.
And remember Colossians 1:27. What’s it say?
Colossians 1:27:
To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:
God was in Christ reconciling the world unto Himself. Now, God in Christ is in every born-again believer. Remember in John what we read a little while ago: all the fullness of God, filled with His fullness. Now do you understand it? It is God in Christ in you, and with God in Christ in you, you have the hope of his return, which is the hope of glory.
Colossians 2:9:
For in him [in Christ] dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead...
The text reads “Head God”; “Godhead” was a Trinitarian forgery. In him, in Christ, dwelleth all the fullness of the Head God. God was in Christ, all the fullness of the Head God dwelt in Christ bodily, and now Christ is in each born-again believer. God in Christ in you, the hope of glory.
Colossians 2:10:
And ye are complete in him....
You are complete. If you are complete then why allow anybody to put you under the law and tell you that you are not complete? The Word of God says we are complete, with not one thing missing spiritually, for it is God in Christ in you. Since the early part of the first century, the Church has never majored in what it has in Christ Jesus because we have let people and society talk us out of it. We are what God’s Word says we are! Someday somebody has got to believe this again! Look this is God’s Word! God is the One Who gave His only begotten Son. I did not die for you and you did not die for me; God’s only begotten Son died for all of us that we might have the “God in Christ in us, the hope of glory.” Why don’t we stand up and get counted? Somebody has got to stand up sometime and say, “Look, you screwballs. (If they don’t understand that terminology use different language [laughter], language they understand.) Look, this is what the Word says. That’s a lot older than you, and it stands. And God is still God! You didn’t create nothin’—God created the heavens and the earth. Who are you to talk?” And back them off the map with the greatness of God’s Word. My oh my. Tremendous truth people.
Now, you see, God in Christ has enwrapped us in all of His perfection and all of His wondrous beauty. Just think of the glory you have got at this very moment. Think of the blessing you have and of the responsibilities that have accrued unto you from that relationship.
To bear the namesake of God, “Christian,” Christ in, I believe is the greatest honour that heaven could afford upon a human being. God lives within you in Christ Jesus, giving you all the authority to stand as His ambassador, His representative, His son. His righteousness is your righteousness. His love is your love. His peace is your peace. His grace is your grace. His sanctification is your sanctification. His justification is your justification. It is with this, and a lot more, that He has adorned every born-again believer’s life. All the wealth and the riches of God in Christ Jesus live within you when you are born again, and you have all the rights, all the privileges and all the power of a son of God.
Romans 6:4:
Therefore we are [“were” is the text] buried with him by baptism into death [in his death]: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
When Jesus Christ died we died with him. When he was buried we were buried with him. When he arose we arose with him. When he ascended we ascended with him. That is why we are already seated with him in the heavenlies. That is why, while we are here upon earth, we should walk in newness of life, with God in Christ within, and not the same old way we walked before.
Romans 7:6:
But now we are delivered from the law [if we are delivered, then we are delivered], that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter.
We serve in newness of life, in newness of spirit, because of what God wrought in Christ Jesus. The walk of newness in life is that you live for God. You have to set your will to do the will of God—God does not possess, He does not control; you have to set your will to do the will of God.
II Corinthians 10:5:
Casting down imaginations [sense-knowledge reasonings], and every high thing [false things] that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.
You must bring into captivity every thought, not a thought every month or two, but every thought. It is a day-by-day, moment-by-moment living. You are in control of your own life, of your own mind. You must control your own will and must, by free-will [choice], choose to make the decision that each decision is going to be built upon God’s Word. You must bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. Don’t ever allow anybody else to do it by spiritualism or hypnotism or any other means, that is all done by devil spirits. You have freedom of will and, by the freedom of your will, you lead your mind into captivity unto the Lord Jesus Christ.
You live for God in absolute union because you are identified with Christ—in all he was, all he is, or all that Christ will ever be. Being born again into the family and the household of God you have absolute, legal rights to everything that every other son has. Your judgment of yourself, or anyone else’s judgment or opinion of you, is of absolutely no value whatsoever. You are what God says you are. Paul said, “I don’t even judge myself,” and that is what we are talking about. Your judgment of yourself is irrelevant. What is relevant is what God’s Word says. You are what the Word of God says you are; you have what the Word of God says you have; you will be what the Word of God says you will be.
You have got to let God loose in your life. Turn Him loose and you will paralyze the power of the enemy wherever you are. We are God’s beloved subjects. We are God’s slaves, His douloses; not by possession, but by freedom of will. We have dominion because we are linked with Omnipotence and with the wisdom and the power to execute it. All we need to do is to believe God’s Word and act. The adversary knows this. He knows that we know that our concern and our interest is the same as that of God. He will endeavour to obstruct us, but in Christ Jesus, we are more than conquerors. And, he that is in us is greater than he that is in this world. That is why God cannot, and God will never, see us fail [as we believe His Word and act].
You were made to be more than a conqueror, to have a life that is more than abundant. You were not made for defeat; you were made for victory, victory. We are more than conquerors! If God allowed you to fail He would be failing, because His Word would be failing and God does not allow His Word to fail.
II Corinthians 1:20:
For all the promises of God [all of them, all without exception] in him [Jesus Christ] are yea, and in him Amen, [always] unto the glory of God, by [for] us.
That’s why, you can count on God and His Word.
Malachi 3:6:
For I am the LORD, I change not;...
So, we go in God’s might; we go in God’s power; we go in God’s glory—headed for the finish line.
Luke 5:1:
And it came to pass, that, as the people pressed upon him [Jesus] to hear the word of God,...
I wish the press would again press to hear the Word of God.
Luke 5:1 continued:
...he [Jesus] stood by the lake of Gennesaret,
The Lake of Gennesaret is the same lake that is called the Sea of Galilee or the Lake of Tiberias. There are different names used for the same lake.
Luke 5:2, 3:
And saw two ships standing by the lake: but the fishermen were gone out of them, and were washing their nets [plural—they had more than one net].
And he [Jesus] entered into one of the ships, which was Simon’s [Simon Peter’s], and prayed [asked] him that he would thrust out a little [row him out a little bit] from the land. And he [Jesus] sat down, and taught the people out of the ship.
Verse 1 told us they pressed upon him to hear the Word of God. When Jesus Christ spoke, he spoke God’s Word, he taught the Word of God. So, Jesus sat down in that ship and he taught the Word.
Luke 5:4:
Now when he had left speaking, he said unto Simon, Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets [plural] for a draught.
God never does anything through Jesus Christ unless it pays off. God never asks you to do anything that, if you do it, He does not multiply it back to you, in every category. Jesus had borrowed a little boat from Simon Peter and, after the teaching was over, he said, “OK, Simon, now is the pay-off. I will bless you. You blessed me by making it possible for me to teach the people; now, I am going to bless you, so let’s go out here. Launch out into the deep. Get away from the shore, get out in the deep water and then you let down the nets, all the nets, everything you have got aboard the ship. Let them down, for a draught, for a catch.”
The Word of God is the will of God.
Luke 5:5:
And [the word and is “but”] Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing:...
I love this. How many of us have not toiled all night on our own and caught nothing? I used to pray to receive the fullness of the holy spirit. I begged God; I pleaded with Him; I cried; I even gave up coffee [laughter] – I sacrificed. I tried everything, yet I never received [into manifestation] until somebody taught me God’s Word and I believed that Word. I wasn’t taught the Word like so many of you regarding the power of the holy spirit. And how blessed again I have been to hear you speaking in tongues and interpreting, giving a word of prophecy—it’s so simple. Who taught it to you? You didn’t work so hard, some twenty or thirty years, like I did, because you were taught one thing—the Word. The Word of God is the will of God. All you did is believe the Word, acted on it, and you did it!
God’s Word to Simon was, “Launch out into the deep,” but Simon Peter had a little head problem with God’s Word, like we have many times. “Look Lord, that sounds a little too far-out. Because, after all, Lord, fishing is my business, the Word is yours. What do you know about fishing? I know about fishing, you may know about the Word—” But, Jesus never argued with him! Man always argues with God and His Word, but the Word never argues with you. It’s just the Word, period.
Luke 5:5 continued:
...Master, we have toiled all the night [We fished at the best fishing hour and in the best way. We toiled all night and, Lord, we know the Sea of Gennesaret, Galilee, Tiberias. We know where to fish for the fish. We fished all night, Lord], and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word [I love you, Lord, I will tell you what I will do] I will let down the net [singular].
Is that what God, by way of Jesus Christ, had said? Jesus Christ had said to let them all out, “Let down your nets [plural] for a draught.” Then, Peter argues with God’s Word, delivered by way of Jesus Christ, and he said, “You know, we know this business, but just to show you, we will let out a net.”
Luke 5:6, 7:
And when they had this done, they inclosed a great multitude of fishes: and their net brake [to the end that that single net started breaking up].
And they [yelled] beckoned unto their partners, which were in the other ship, that they should come and help them. And they came, and filled both the ships, so that they began to sink.
Had they let out all the nets, perhaps they would never have had to go fishing again! They might have made enough money off that one catch. They didn’t completely fulfill God’s Word and yet look at the abundance. That is God’s grace! That is grace!
It is still God’s grace and God’s mercy that gets us anything in this life. No matter how much of the Word of God we may know, we still many times live below par. But, God covers for us in Christ Jesus because we are attached to Him. We are attached to Omnipotence. We are attached to God by birth, and He works for us and does everything He can for us, like any good earthly father would do. He is our heavenly Father, He will do all He can for us. Even if we say, “Look, I will let out a net,” He will still do His utmost; He will still do His best for us.
Luke 5:8-10:
When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees [which is the figure meaning “to fall at his feet on your face”], saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord.
For he [Peter] was astonished, and all that were with him, at the draught of the fishes which they had taken:
And so was also James, and John, the sons of Zebedee, which were partners with Simon. And Jesus said unto Simon, Fear not [don’t get shook]; from henceforth [from now on] thou shalt catch men.
The figure “catching men” means “to teach the Word of God.” From now on you will hold forth the Word.
Mark 1:17:
And Jesus said unto them, Come ye after me, and I will make you to become fishers of men.
According to the Talmud, to be a fisher of men was to be a worker of God’s Word, which is taught, that brings men. That is why in Luke when Jesus Christ said, “From henceforth thou shalt catch men,” it signifies that Peter and those men learned more of the Word of God, and they taught the Word of God. That’s how the men who brought into “the catch.”
Luke 5:11:
And when they had brought their ships to land, they forsook all, and followed him.
That does not mean what the commentaries say: that they left their ships, their boats, and all their other equipment and sold it all and always continuously followed Jesus Christ—that’s not true. They simply got their priorities corrected. They still kept their boats because they had to make a living, but they put knowing God and His Word first and the fishing business second. Even after the resurrection, Peter says, “I go a fishing.” He still had his boat left. He had to make a living but he got his priorities right. He put the holding of God’s Word, knowing the Word, first; fishing business was second.
Likewise for us, it is to be God first (God first!) in everything that we do. They forsook all and followed him. Our goal is to be the moving of the Word over the world. God is primary, everything else is secondary, or lower.
That’s why, the size of your reward at the gathering together depends on how many of the promises of God’s Word you have believed and trodden under your foot, like Joshua did. God had said to Joshua, “Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that I have already given unto you.” How many promises of God’s Word have you believed, trodden under your foot? You can only live for God to the extent that you have tested His promises in your own life and proven them for yourself. Persistence is far greater than genius. So march on, and march up.
In Colossians, chapter 4, is the final verse of scripture that I want to share with you in Living Victoriously.
Colossians 4:17:
And say to Archippus,...
And I say to you, Living Victoriously class:
Colossians 4:17 continued:
...Take heed to the ministry which thou hast received in the Lord, that thou fulfil it.
Take heed to the ministry which you have received; it is in your possession, you are responsible for what you do with it. Take heed to it, which you have received in the Lord, that you do one thing—fulfil it.
We have only got one life before the coming, this is it. There is no reincarnation for us; there’s eternal life. So, we have to take heed to fulfil the ministry which we have received in the Lord. That is the Word over the world with God in Christ in you. That is Living Victoriously With and For God.
Thank you Father, for the greatness of your Word. LORD how we love you in this class. And how thankful I am Father, for the greatness and power reaching down with your mercy and grace to bless all these wonderful people. And Father I thank you for allowing me to live in this time and to be a part of their wonderful life, for their great love for me, and for you and the Word. And I thank you for the abundance of your divine presence and your grace and mercy to each one of us, that we may carry the ministry to fulfil it in our lifetime. Amen.
“Living With and For God”
Victor Paul Wierwille
July 4, 1982
– Sunday Night Teaching 1129 Transcript –
Living Victoriously
New Knoxville, Ohio
There is a time for all things, but there is one thing for all times, and that is Living With and For God.
The God of all time and history has so arranged it that everybody must acknowledge the birth of His Son every time a letter is dated, believer or unbeliver. The name of His Son, Jesus Christ, produces various reactions in the hearts of men, most of the time great fear and great trepidation.
Colossians 3:16:
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly....
That verse means the written Word of God. We are to let it dwell in us richly.
Colossians 3:17:
And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all [do everything you do] in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him [Jesus Christ].
Everything we do in word or in deed we do in the name of Jesus Christ. And then in II Thessalonians we read:
II Thessalonians 1:11, 12:
Wherefore also we pray always for you, that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfil all the good pleasure of his goodness, and the work of faith [believing] with power:
[For what reason?] That the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and ye in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.
And in chapter 3 we read:
II Thessalonians 3:6:
Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly [one who walks disorderly is someone who is idle, who just does not care to move God’s Word], and not after the tradition [the word tradition is “the teaching”] which he received of us.
And, in the Book of James is the following:
James 2:6, 7:
But ye have despised the poor. Do not rich men oppress you, and draw you before the judgment seats?
Do not they blaspheme that worthy name by the which ye are called?
And, they surely do.
I Peter 4:14:
If ye be reproached [to be reproached is to be criticized] for the name of Christ, happy [happy is the word “blessed”] are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified.
Wherever you go, as you walk on the greatness of God’s Word, you glorify his name.
I John 2:12:
I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven [remitted] you for his name’s sake.
I John 3:23:
And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment.
This is His commandment, that we should believe, and to believe connotes action, on the name of God’s Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another as He, God through Jesus Christ, gave us this commandment.
I John 5:13:
These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God [delete the words “that believe on the name of the Son of God”]; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.
“That ye may know,” not question, not doubt, not have one iota of a difference with; but, that ye may know, that you know, that you know.
Wrapped up in God’s namesake, Jesus Christ, is the invisible power and the miracle-working might of the Church of the Body to which we belong. The power is not in fasting or denial of self; it is not in any works that man ever does; it is in believing in God and in His wonderful Son, Jesus Christ.
In this, the closing of Living Victoriously, I desire to set before you for your consideration and growth the following:
1) God lives “with” you.
2) You live “for” God.
John 1:16:
And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace.
Of the fullness of God in Christ Jesus, have we all received by His grace—grace for grace. Those born again have that fullness within.
II Corinthians 5:17:
Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature [creation]: old things are passed away...
The child of wrath is gone; you are a new creature. I taught you the record from II Peter, chapter 1, concerning being partakers of the divine nature, the new nature. The old man nature is one thing; the new nature of God in Christ in you is a new creation, that is why old things are passed away.
II Corinthians 5:17b, 18:
...behold, all things are become new.
And all things [Here is a figure of speech, an ellipsis. It omits, and requires the supply of, the word “new.” Thus it should read, “and all things new...”] are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ,...
He “hath reconciled”, and if God reconciled us, then we are reconciled. No matter what the world says. No matter what you feel like. It has nothing to do with feelings; it has everything to do with what God wrought in Christ Jesus. He hath reconciled. You do not have to pray about it, simply get born again and you are reconciled. He “hath reconciled us to Himself.” So, as far as God and His Word are concerned, He has reconciled us to Himself. That is why we were given the ministry of reconciliation, so that other people can be reconciled back to God, because we speak the word of reconciliation.
II Corinthians 5:19:
To wit, that God was [where?] in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses [sins] unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.
And remember Colossians 1:27. What’s it say?
Colossians 1:27:
To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:
God was in Christ reconciling the world unto Himself. Now, God in Christ is in every born-again believer. Remember in John what we read a little while ago: all the fullness of God, filled with His fullness. Now do you understand it? It is God in Christ in you, and with God in Christ in you, you have the hope of his return, which is the hope of glory.
Colossians 2:9:
For in him [in Christ] dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead...
The text reads “Head God”; “Godhead” was a Trinitarian forgery. In him, in Christ, dwelleth all the fullness of the Head God. God was in Christ, all the fullness of the Head God dwelt in Christ bodily, and now Christ is in each born-again believer. God in Christ in you, the hope of glory.
Colossians 2:10:
And ye are complete in him....
You are complete. If you are complete then why allow anybody to put you under the law and tell you that you are not complete? The Word of God says we are complete, with not one thing missing spiritually, for it is God in Christ in you. Since the early part of the first century, the Church has never majored in what it has in Christ Jesus because we have let people and society talk us out of it. We are what God’s Word says we are! Someday somebody has got to believe this again! Look this is God’s Word! God is the One Who gave His only begotten Son. I did not die for you and you did not die for me; God’s only begotten Son died for all of us that we might have the “God in Christ in us, the hope of glory.” Why don’t we stand up and get counted? Somebody has got to stand up sometime and say, “Look, you screwballs. (If they don’t understand that terminology use different language [laughter], language they understand.) Look, this is what the Word says. That’s a lot older than you, and it stands. And God is still God! You didn’t create nothin’—God created the heavens and the earth. Who are you to talk?” And back them off the map with the greatness of God’s Word. My oh my. Tremendous truth people.
Now, you see, God in Christ has enwrapped us in all of His perfection and all of His wondrous beauty. Just think of the glory you have got at this very moment. Think of the blessing you have and of the responsibilities that have accrued unto you from that relationship.
To bear the namesake of God, “Christian,” Christ in, I believe is the greatest honour that heaven could afford upon a human being. God lives within you in Christ Jesus, giving you all the authority to stand as His ambassador, His representative, His son. His righteousness is your righteousness. His love is your love. His peace is your peace. His grace is your grace. His sanctification is your sanctification. His justification is your justification. It is with this, and a lot more, that He has adorned every born-again believer’s life. All the wealth and the riches of God in Christ Jesus live within you when you are born again, and you have all the rights, all the privileges and all the power of a son of God.
Romans 6:4:
Therefore we are [“were” is the text] buried with him by baptism into death [in his death]: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
When Jesus Christ died we died with him. When he was buried we were buried with him. When he arose we arose with him. When he ascended we ascended with him. That is why we are already seated with him in the heavenlies. That is why, while we are here upon earth, we should walk in newness of life, with God in Christ within, and not the same old way we walked before.
Romans 7:6:
But now we are delivered from the law [if we are delivered, then we are delivered], that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter.
We serve in newness of life, in newness of spirit, because of what God wrought in Christ Jesus. The walk of newness in life is that you live for God. You have to set your will to do the will of God—God does not possess, He does not control; you have to set your will to do the will of God.
II Corinthians 10:5:
Casting down imaginations [sense-knowledge reasonings], and every high thing [false things] that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.
You must bring into captivity every thought, not a thought every month or two, but every thought. It is a day-by-day, moment-by-moment living. You are in control of your own life, of your own mind. You must control your own will and must, by free-will [choice], choose to make the decision that each decision is going to be built upon God’s Word. You must bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. Don’t ever allow anybody else to do it by spiritualism or hypnotism or any other means, that is all done by devil spirits. You have freedom of will and, by the freedom of your will, you lead your mind into captivity unto the Lord Jesus Christ.
You live for God in absolute union because you are identified with Christ—in all he was, all he is, or all that Christ will ever be. Being born again into the family and the household of God you have absolute, legal rights to everything that every other son has. Your judgment of yourself, or anyone else’s judgment or opinion of you, is of absolutely no value whatsoever. You are what God says you are. Paul said, “I don’t even judge myself,” and that is what we are talking about. Your judgment of yourself is irrelevant. What is relevant is what God’s Word says. You are what the Word of God says you are; you have what the Word of God says you have; you will be what the Word of God says you will be.
You have got to let God loose in your life. Turn Him loose and you will paralyze the power of the enemy wherever you are. We are God’s beloved subjects. We are God’s slaves, His douloses; not by possession, but by freedom of will. We have dominion because we are linked with Omnipotence and with the wisdom and the power to execute it. All we need to do is to believe God’s Word and act. The adversary knows this. He knows that we know that our concern and our interest is the same as that of God. He will endeavour to obstruct us, but in Christ Jesus, we are more than conquerors. And, he that is in us is greater than he that is in this world. That is why God cannot, and God will never, see us fail [as we believe His Word and act].
You were made to be more than a conqueror, to have a life that is more than abundant. You were not made for defeat; you were made for victory, victory. We are more than conquerors! If God allowed you to fail He would be failing, because His Word would be failing and God does not allow His Word to fail.
II Corinthians 1:20:
For all the promises of God [all of them, all without exception] in him [Jesus Christ] are yea, and in him Amen, [always] unto the glory of God, by [for] us.
That’s why, you can count on God and His Word.
Malachi 3:6:
For I am the LORD, I change not;...
So, we go in God’s might; we go in God’s power; we go in God’s glory—headed for the finish line.
Luke 5:1:
And it came to pass, that, as the people pressed upon him [Jesus] to hear the word of God,...
I wish the press would again press to hear the Word of God.
Luke 5:1 continued:
...he [Jesus] stood by the lake of Gennesaret,
The Lake of Gennesaret is the same lake that is called the Sea of Galilee or the Lake of Tiberias. There are different names used for the same lake.
Luke 5:2, 3:
And saw two ships standing by the lake: but the fishermen were gone out of them, and were washing their nets [plural—they had more than one net].
And he [Jesus] entered into one of the ships, which was Simon’s [Simon Peter’s], and prayed [asked] him that he would thrust out a little [row him out a little bit] from the land. And he [Jesus] sat down, and taught the people out of the ship.
Verse 1 told us they pressed upon him to hear the Word of God. When Jesus Christ spoke, he spoke God’s Word, he taught the Word of God. So, Jesus sat down in that ship and he taught the Word.
Luke 5:4:
Now when he had left speaking, he said unto Simon, Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets [plural] for a draught.
God never does anything through Jesus Christ unless it pays off. God never asks you to do anything that, if you do it, He does not multiply it back to you, in every category. Jesus had borrowed a little boat from Simon Peter and, after the teaching was over, he said, “OK, Simon, now is the pay-off. I will bless you. You blessed me by making it possible for me to teach the people; now, I am going to bless you, so let’s go out here. Launch out into the deep. Get away from the shore, get out in the deep water and then you let down the nets, all the nets, everything you have got aboard the ship. Let them down, for a draught, for a catch.”
The Word of God is the will of God.
Luke 5:5:
And [the word and is “but”] Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing:...
I love this. How many of us have not toiled all night on our own and caught nothing? I used to pray to receive the fullness of the holy spirit. I begged God; I pleaded with Him; I cried; I even gave up coffee [laughter] – I sacrificed. I tried everything, yet I never received [into manifestation] until somebody taught me God’s Word and I believed that Word. I wasn’t taught the Word like so many of you regarding the power of the holy spirit. And how blessed again I have been to hear you speaking in tongues and interpreting, giving a word of prophecy—it’s so simple. Who taught it to you? You didn’t work so hard, some twenty or thirty years, like I did, because you were taught one thing—the Word. The Word of God is the will of God. All you did is believe the Word, acted on it, and you did it!
God’s Word to Simon was, “Launch out into the deep,” but Simon Peter had a little head problem with God’s Word, like we have many times. “Look Lord, that sounds a little too far-out. Because, after all, Lord, fishing is my business, the Word is yours. What do you know about fishing? I know about fishing, you may know about the Word—” But, Jesus never argued with him! Man always argues with God and His Word, but the Word never argues with you. It’s just the Word, period.
Luke 5:5 continued:
...Master, we have toiled all the night [We fished at the best fishing hour and in the best way. We toiled all night and, Lord, we know the Sea of Gennesaret, Galilee, Tiberias. We know where to fish for the fish. We fished all night, Lord], and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word [I love you, Lord, I will tell you what I will do] I will let down the net [singular].
Is that what God, by way of Jesus Christ, had said? Jesus Christ had said to let them all out, “Let down your nets [plural] for a draught.” Then, Peter argues with God’s Word, delivered by way of Jesus Christ, and he said, “You know, we know this business, but just to show you, we will let out a net.”
Luke 5:6, 7:
And when they had this done, they inclosed a great multitude of fishes: and their net brake [to the end that that single net started breaking up].
And they [yelled] beckoned unto their partners, which were in the other ship, that they should come and help them. And they came, and filled both the ships, so that they began to sink.
Had they let out all the nets, perhaps they would never have had to go fishing again! They might have made enough money off that one catch. They didn’t completely fulfill God’s Word and yet look at the abundance. That is God’s grace! That is grace!
It is still God’s grace and God’s mercy that gets us anything in this life. No matter how much of the Word of God we may know, we still many times live below par. But, God covers for us in Christ Jesus because we are attached to Him. We are attached to Omnipotence. We are attached to God by birth, and He works for us and does everything He can for us, like any good earthly father would do. He is our heavenly Father, He will do all He can for us. Even if we say, “Look, I will let out a net,” He will still do His utmost; He will still do His best for us.
Luke 5:8-10:
When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees [which is the figure meaning “to fall at his feet on your face”], saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord.
For he [Peter] was astonished, and all that were with him, at the draught of the fishes which they had taken:
And so was also James, and John, the sons of Zebedee, which were partners with Simon. And Jesus said unto Simon, Fear not [don’t get shook]; from henceforth [from now on] thou shalt catch men.
The figure “catching men” means “to teach the Word of God.” From now on you will hold forth the Word.
Mark 1:17:
And Jesus said unto them, Come ye after me, and I will make you to become fishers of men.
According to the Talmud, to be a fisher of men was to be a worker of God’s Word, which is taught, that brings men. That is why in Luke when Jesus Christ said, “From henceforth thou shalt catch men,” it signifies that Peter and those men learned more of the Word of God, and they taught the Word of God. That’s how the men who brought into “the catch.”
Luke 5:11:
And when they had brought their ships to land, they forsook all, and followed him.
That does not mean what the commentaries say: that they left their ships, their boats, and all their other equipment and sold it all and always continuously followed Jesus Christ—that’s not true. They simply got their priorities corrected. They still kept their boats because they had to make a living, but they put knowing God and His Word first and the fishing business second. Even after the resurrection, Peter says, “I go a fishing.” He still had his boat left. He had to make a living but he got his priorities right. He put the holding of God’s Word, knowing the Word, first; fishing business was second.
Likewise for us, it is to be God first (God first!) in everything that we do. They forsook all and followed him. Our goal is to be the moving of the Word over the world. God is primary, everything else is secondary, or lower.
That’s why, the size of your reward at the gathering together depends on how many of the promises of God’s Word you have believed and trodden under your foot, like Joshua did. God had said to Joshua, “Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that I have already given unto you.” How many promises of God’s Word have you believed, trodden under your foot? You can only live for God to the extent that you have tested His promises in your own life and proven them for yourself. Persistence is far greater than genius. So march on, and march up.
In Colossians, chapter 4, is the final verse of scripture that I want to share with you in Living Victoriously.
Colossians 4:17:
And say to Archippus,...
And I say to you, Living Victoriously class:
Colossians 4:17 continued:
...Take heed to the ministry which thou hast received in the Lord, that thou fulfil it.
Take heed to the ministry which you have received; it is in your possession, you are responsible for what you do with it. Take heed to it, which you have received in the Lord, that you do one thing—fulfil it.
We have only got one life before the coming, this is it. There is no reincarnation for us; there’s eternal life. So, we have to take heed to fulfil the ministry which we have received in the Lord. That is the Word over the world with God in Christ in you. That is Living Victoriously With and For God.
Thank you Father, for the greatness of your Word. LORD how we love you in this class. And how thankful I am Father, for the greatness and power reaching down with your mercy and grace to bless all these wonderful people. And Father I thank you for allowing me to live in this time and to be a part of their wonderful life, for their great love for me, and for you and the Word. And I thank you for the abundance of your divine presence and your grace and mercy to each one of us, that we may carry the ministry to fulfil it in our lifetime. Amen.