Aren’t you thankful that you have been born again, washed in the blood, and you’re now seated at the right hand of the Father in Jesus. I know I am! For many in the world today, they are facing turmoil, surrounded by constant fear. But as for you—you are the light of Jesus shining in this dark world, and you have nothing to fear!
Philippians 2:13, For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.
God is in YOU, and as a person grows up spiritually, he doesn’t receive more of God; rather, he learns how to release faith to become more yielded to God. Faith comes by hearing God’s Word, and God’s Word reveals what God has already done in you.
Jesus was referring to this truth in Matthew 12:33 when He said, You choose whether the tree is good and the fruit good or whether the tree is corrupt and the fruit corrupt. (Phillips translation) Then verse 34 shows us how the choice is made…for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. The tree and fruit become good or corrupt by the words you choose to speak. When you speak what the Bible says, you are acknowledging what God has already done on the inside. You are not reaching out to try to attain something that doesn’t exist; you are simply recognizing what does exist on the inside where it cannot be seen with the natural eye.
A knowledge of God’s Word will enable you to conduct yourself in a way that is pleasing to the Lord. Jesus showed us the importance of knowing God’s Word when He said, A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things. Notice He said, “out of.” Because you are born again, these good things are already in your heart—healing is in there, prosperity is in there, peace is in there, victory is in there. How do you draw these things out? Your words! The 20th Century translation reads, …what fills the heart will rise to the lips.
It is thrilling to hear stories of Christians whose confessions of faith and victory rise up out of their hearts during crises. When the mind shuts down in such situations, whatever is in the spirit takes over. Friend, don’t wait until the crisis comes to put this principle into practice. Keep filling your heart with God’s Word and speaking it out of your mouth. It’s a power unlike any other.
Years ago, Phyllis and I challenged our church to take Charles Capps’ book God’s Creative Power and say the confessions over and over until they were memorized. We actually offered a cash reward to the first person who could say them without any mistakes. There was a mother who took us up on the challenge and memorized the confessions. Though she didn’t win the cash prize, she definitely benefited from the time and effort she put into this challenge. Her baby was severely burned by a grease fire while sitting in a bouncer at their home. While riding in an ambulance in route to the hospital with her screaming baby, the Word that she put into her heart is exactly what came out when this crisis hit. Though the initial doctor’s report was not good, that mother, through her words brought God’s power on the scene, and that child grew up without the traces of what the doctors initially reported.
Philemon 6, That the communication of thy faith may become effectual (active, energized) by the acknowledging of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus.
There is a difference between acknowledging what is in you and claiming something you don’t have. Cultivate the habit of saying, “Thank God, I have been delivered from all of Satan’s power! The God who is more than enough is in me in abundance! The God of all supply is in me!”
Out of the good treasure of your heart you can bring forth good things. You must acknowledge (say) it for the desired results to come. You can bring healing, promotion, and victory up out of your heart.
In Matthew 12:37 Jesus said, For by your words you shall be justified, and by your words you shall be condemned. We can paraphrase that to say, by your words you are successful, by your words, you fail. It’s by your words. It’s not by fate or destiny, nor is it by political leadership. It’s by your words that you are sick or healed. It’s by your words that you profit or lose. Jesus said to choose those good things are in IN you. Then open your mouth and release them.
Philemon 6 is all about acknowledging every good thing that is already in you. These good things were not put in your heart when you read the Bible and then found out about it; they were already there. But when you acknowledge it, by speaking them forth, you will begin to see it come to pass with your natural eyes. This is how you are justified by the words you speak.
Friend, today is not the time to allow distractions to get you off track. You’re a light to this world and more than a conqueror. Stay focused on God’s Word, following the voice of the Spirit, and you’ll experience exactly what He has promised you.