The Position & Possessions of the Believer # 34 (Lesson 36)
Mike Doyle · Jun 17, 2007
Identification (2006-07), No. 37
Holly Hills Bible Church
https://hollyhillsbiblechurch.org/teaching/messages/492603025541

Transcribed from the recording by SermonAudio, so expect the occasional misheard word.

OK. Questions for next week are pretty much review and I and I identified in every one of them what lesson they were from. So you won't have to be paging around looking for a chart. What I tried to do is take the salient questions out of those classes and ask the questions based on that.

So hopefully we'll have a lively discussion. About about that. And then as we move forward into that for this week, three, four, as we move forward for the last couple of weeks, we're going to spend a little bit more time on implementation. We'll do some of that today. I hope. So, to start off today, I think it's probably a good thing to do is to answer question 13 from last week.

And it's a real simple question. Which is more important to you? Christ and you, or you and Christ? Now, both are true. Hey, come up here so people can hear you. Now they're complaining all the time that I don't get people on the tape. It's right here. We're trying a new plan. If my heart skips a beat, they'll know it. If I go into cardiac arrest, they'll know it.

So which is more important to you? Christ in you or you in Christ? Of equal importance to you. No, you couldn't have one without the other, I don't agree. That's right. I think one's more self-centered. Say that again? I think one's more self-centered. One's more self-centered than the other. Which one? Christ in you. Christ in you is more self-centered. What do you think about that? It's harder to conceive of the other way around. You should have to ask what self? What self? Oh, don't even start that one. You have to ask which self.

I'm not sure the old man would be excited about having Christ in him, other than his ability to use him for self-gratification. What's most important? Let's maybe ask it another way. For you as a growing believer, is it important for you to be schooled on what it means to have Christ in you? more important for you to know what it is to be in Christ. What do you think? Is that a clear question? Is that a harder question?

I think the last one is harder to understand. What's that? I think the last one is harder to understand. She thinks the last one is harder to understand. Agreement there? Is it difficult to understand that we're in Christ? What do you think? I think it's difficult. I think it's really difficult.

I think it's one of those spiritual things that unless the Spirit of God teaches you what that is, you never know. You've got the rhetoric, but you don't know what it is. What it is to be in Christ, to be identified with the resurrected, glorified Christ, to be in Him. But won't you do that?

It's hard because we made it. It's not hard because it is hard. Because the Holy Spirit's going to reveal that, and if He's revealing that, then it's going to get done. Hey, come up here. Because they're complaining I don't get all you guys on the tape, so come up here. Only the injured guy sits in the back.

So I think you're absolutely right. I mean, you see that phrase. How many times did we say that phrase? 134 times or something like that? In Christ, in Him. in the New Testament, but we go over that like, well, okay, that's true. The whole purpose of talking about identification is really the discussion of what it is to be in Christ and how we got there and not being in Adam anymore. You talk about a transaction that happened in eternity. in the spiritual realm, that you actually were disconnected totally from Adam and reconnected in Christ and your entire existence for all eternity is your position in Christ.

That's what we're here to learn. That's what I think it's kind of a positioning position. The position is important. That's in Christ. The foundational part is Christ in us. So it's almost two different things to me. I think the other one is that Christ in me tends to be more muddled in, if Christ is in me, what can I do now? That more is the old man speaking, and what I can do, and it kind of gets muddled in that. So I think that's kind of a more wishy-washy, or kind of can get misconstrued, versus Christ in us, and that passing of Christ.

And that is more, I think, where conformity comes in that. That is worth that condition. Yeah. I think this position is in my mind is almost everything. If you haven't got you don't know about the concept of position condition and you haven't got the position down, then your condition can't follow. You know, it has to be a. principle or orderly sequence of position first, I think, because you don't know what to believe otherwise. Otherwise you focus based on feelings or what you think ought to be the right direction. So the reason I ask that question is both are important, extremely important, but I think as As the believer begins to realize his position and possessions, like the 34 things we've just gone through, I'm of a mind that that becomes more important than Christ being in me.

But Christ being in me is really important. I'm glad that he is. The Spirit of Christ. Yeah. Christ in you, the hope of glory. So it's a matter of new creation. Being in the new creation, what good would it be if Christ was in me and I was still in the old creation? I'd be an Old Testament saint. Big deal. Any other comments about that? The last of the 34 possessions really is kind of the omnibus one. Which is Ephesians one three. But I thought we ought to read one three through five. Somebody who's got it. Read it. Anybody please.

It's a great verse to start out on Father's Day, don't you think? Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has blessed us. So, question, where is the place that's good enough for the Son to be? How many didn't understand the question? Where is the place that's good enough for Him?

In heaven. Sure, in the heavenlies. There's no place good enough but there. And why there? OK, he's next to the Father. And why is that important? That is where he's most appreciated. Most appreciated. Great answer. My second question was, where is the place God displays most of his glory? In the heavenlies right now. That's where the place where most of the glory is displayed. Some of it is displayed here, but not much. Some of it is displayed in each one of us. You guys need to come up here so I can put you on a thing.

So actually, the great work of the Lord Jesus Christ was not only as a man to take himself there, but through his cross to bring us to the father. That's the great work. And so his death, his blood, his ascension and sitting at the father's right hand all mean one thing. are being brought near to God the Father in His presence where He is. Now, you talk about being in Christ, that's a pretty cool thing. Because if He's there, that's where you are.

And why are these blessings then of a spiritual character? What makes them spiritual? I mean, lots of us when we were much younger spiritually. Look at this as though God's going to give me whatever I ask. It's a Bible Belt Christianity. Oh Lord, won't you buy me a Mercedes Benz? And if I do really good, He'll bless me.

So, what kind of blessings are these? They're spiritual. What makes them spiritual? Because God is a spirit? Okay. I can expand on that just a little bit. They're spiritual because that's what God is. So, we sit here in time-space reality in a body that's dying and we're thinking, big deal. Is it a big deal? Is it a big deal to be blessed with all spiritual blessings in the heavenlies in Christ Jesus? Or do you have this attitude, oh, that's nice, but I've got some other things I need. Right? Isn't that the way the old man thinks? You haven't done anything for me. The Lord says, yes, I have. I crucified you.

How's that? So spiritual blessings. So what are they? What are these spiritual blessings? Never mind. That's the last question of the day. In terms of and I think now is a good time to begin to visit spiritual blessings and responsibility. And I've got a quote from William Newell that I think is really a good one. Listen carefully to this.

Paul does not ask a thing of the saints in Ephesians 1-3, all three chapters, but to just listen while he proclaims the wondrous series of great and eternal facts concerning them. And not until he has completed this catalogue of heavenly realities about them does he ask them to do anything at all. So how important is it to know the realities? And when he does open the plea for their high walk as saints, everything is based upon the revelation before given of the truths of their high character and destiny as saints.

I therefore beseech you that you walk worthy of the high calling to which you are called. What do you think about that? Is that the principle, the way God functions? Is that how he does things? How many think it is, that this is really the way he operates, that he initially lays out all the blessings, shows us what we have and what we are, before he ever asks us to do anything? You think that's okay? Who thinks that's probably another way? Boy, there's a lot of undecideds in this. So, I think that is the principle. I think that the epistles are all set up that way.

And so, the problem that you have is that if they're spiritual blessings, and you got all of them, right? And there weren't any conditions for you to receive them, right? That's almost too gracious, isn't it? Well, the old man didn't buy in that for a minute. He's got to do something about that.

So, what kind of an effect, which is again the second to last question today, if there were just 33 or 34 blessings, spiritual blessings that God gave us, and the 34 equaled all, but we learned there were 215 plus, if that were the focus and the grace that surrounded us, Would it make a difference in how you function? You think so? Heck, a huge difference, I think. OK, so Newell's last paragraph is he says, let us cease laying down to the saints long lists of conditions for entering into the blessed life of the Lord Jesus and instead as the primal preparation for leading them into the experience of this life, show them what their position, possessions, and privileges in Christ already are.

So if that's the principle that you function on, there's results. But if in any sense there's a condition involved, then it's legal, I think. Thus we shall truly work with the Holy Spirit and thus shall we have more and more and more and more abiding fruit of our labors of love among the people of God. So, when you talk about blessed with all spiritual blessings in the heavenlies, it's nice to say that phrase, but I think we as believers should be pretty well acquainted with what a lot of those are. Because when you find yourself in a position where someone has a doubt about their spiritual life, or things are coming at them, as we're learning on Thursday night, that trials and tribulations are blessings. Those kinds of things are coming at you. If you understand the blessings, you're much better able to comfort people based on the Word of God. I kind of humorously have said to people, some who can tolerate my humor.

When they come to me with a problem, I say to them, you know that Romans 8.28 verse that God works all things together, this must not be one of those all things. You know, I mean it's kind of pragmatic, but really, is it or isn't it? Are you blessed with all spiritual blessings in the heavenlies or aren't you? I mean, make up your mind. So what makes these the highest blessings possible? Source, yeah. What about the source? What makes them the highest that they possibly could be? The source, yeah. They're spiritual because they're of God. But what puts them right at the pinnacle?

It's His nature. How about this? How about His purpose? The fact that God, that the blessings are according to His purposes makes them paramount. They're not according to you. They're not according to any perceived need. They're according to His divine purpose, what He wants to do, what He's determined to do, and what He is going to do. He himself has been, the Lord Jesus Christ has been made unto us all things. His own faithfulness is my only measure. Could we say that, is it possible to say that the Father could not bless us more than he has already done?

Now, be honest with me, how many of you really think that that's a true statement? Put up your hands. Yeah, that's what I thought. That's what I thought. But that's clearly what it says. I mean, we in our mentality look at God and say, well, you're not doing enough. And what does he say to us? Wait a minute. I've already done it. Isn't that interesting?

Why do you think Paul in Ephesians prays that very prayer? He said, Father, that the eyes of their understanding might be opened. They might understand and know the things that are freely given to them of God. That's only as much as the Holy Spirit will allow us. You think he holds back? I think he allows us to grow along spiritual lines. Let's let's maybe. Spiritual growth is what?

Getting better at what you do. We're doing this Christian thing better than we used to do it. Self-effort. Now, back to the question we first started with, what's more important, Christ in you or you in Christ? This is a Christ in you question. So, from my perspective, it comes down to a matter of capacity. As believers, we're vessels, we contain things. Craig's got to go tell the kids to shut up. Or tell his wife to cool it.

If we as vessels are to contain Christ and contain all of those blessings, it would seem that expanding our capacity would be an important thing. So I always look at spiritual growth as coming into what's already mine. But I have to expand, I don't have to, the capacity, the work of the Spirit of God is to expand me spiritually so that I can contain more and more of Christ. I also think that the Bema Judgment, when we're blessed, is the same idea. All of us, the Bema Judgment is a place of rewards and blessing.

And so when Courtney and I go up there, he's going to have a much greater capacity than me, so he's going to be filled more with Christ than I am. But you know what's cool about that? Because there's no sin nature and there's no sin around, my attitude about him will be the same attitude he has about me, which is good for him. Look at that. He contains and He contains and you contain and we're spilling over with Christ and all eternity will be involved in this process of expanded growth to contain more of Christ and we will never exhaust capacity. Never.

I think that's a cool prospect. So when it comes to spiritual blessings, like we go through 34 things, right? And we look at them and we spent 30 weeks on them or whatever, and every single one of those things is undeniably true of everybody in this room, all right now. Yet we've made the statement a couple of times that if you just picked up on one of them, it would change your life. Really? Think so? But it's interesting. God in His grace comes at us full on with all of those blessings, all the time. And the most blessed possession we have is what? What's the most valuable thing that the Father gave us? Yeah, His Son. So where is the source of all blessing?

If you were to search it out, where would you find it? In Jesus Christ? I'm close. How about maybe answering it this way? The source of all blessing is found in the heart of God. That's where it is. The Father is the living fount of glory and blessing and the Son is the living stream. So what's cool is the way God set it up was that the Lord Jesus Christ brings us into the right place in the right position. Where?

Where does he take us? He takes us into the very heart of the Father, because that's where He came out from. And what can the Father do with us when we're there? What does He do? Now think about this. What is the Father doing? The Lord Jesus Christ takes us in Him into the bosom of the Father. Now what's the Father doing conditionally in there? He's blessing us, but what is He doing? What's that? Yeah, he's transforming us. Or put it another way, the Father can work the likeness of his beloved Son in us, there. That's a cool thing.

So what must a believer have in order to be before God and receive and appreciate what God is doing? What do you got to have? What do you think? What do you got to have in order to be before the Father, in order to appreciate and receive what God is doing? What do you think? Sonship? Close. Anybody else? You're going to have to be dwelt by the Spirit. Dwelt by the Spirit? What else? I'm coming down here so you guys can answer. What do you got to have? Known by Him. Known by Him, pretty good. What's that?

You've got to have Christ. You've got to have life. You've got to have the nature to be there. You have to be in Christ with His nature in order to be there, number one, because you're not accepted there of your own. You can't go there. is to appreciate what God is doing, you have to have the nature that can appreciate what God is doing.

And to receive all the blessings that God has for you, He only blesses the new man. Only. Take that back. He already has only blessed the new man. So you've got to have the nature in order to be there and to receive and appreciate. So, now, when did all these blessings have their beginning? That's right, in eternity past. It was before the foundation in the world in the heart of the Father. Some verses. Old Testament verses.

He that dwells in the secret place of the Most High In John 1.18, which is in the bosom of the Father, Psalm 139, thy eyes did see my substance, yet being unformed, and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them. For he spoke and it was done, he commanded and it stood fast. That's from Psalm 33.

In Ecclesiastes 3.15, that which is now and that which is to be has already been. So, how can God do that?

I mean, I've only been around a while. You've only been around a little while. We didn't even know about these blessings a hundred years ago. Nobody in this room even knew. But yet God has blessed us eternally from all eternity. How can he do that? He just do it on credit? I just ask your finite minds to explain eternity. Good job.

Always was, and because of our position in Christ, we're now eternal persons, and God can say, hey, I've always been this way. It's always been this way with you. There's never been a time that I wasn't blessing you with all spiritual blessings in the heavens. Because time isn't an issue.

So, now, in verse 4, according which he has chosen us in him before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and without blame before him in love. What's the subject of that verse? I've already answered this question, but I wanted to see if you could see it. He chose us. The real subject of that verse is nature, which is like we talked about a couple of questions ago. The believer, in order to receive and appreciate what God is doing, has to share the nature of Christ. Now, this is going to be a quiz, this next part. Let's equate blessings, Old Testament and New Testament.

When God took Israel, led by Moses, out of the Promised Land, or out of Egypt, which they thought was the Promised Land. Nice recovery. And up to the Jordan River. and they didn't go in, but then 40 years later they did. Now God said to them, look, I've blessed you guys, and wherever you put your foot, it's yours. Wherever you stick your foot, that land belongs to you.

Is that a conditional blessing? What do you think? Is there a condition involved in that? In other words, did they have to act in order to possess? They did, didn't they? So, it's interesting too, as you study that, those that went into the Promised Land without faith, they didn't stay very long. They didn't survive very long. The ones that wouldn't go in 40 years prior to that, they didn't live. It took them 40 years to get rid of them all, but that's really what happened. So, by faith, God promised them wherever you put your foot, it's yours. But they had to go in and put their feet down.

Is that the same principle that we function under? What do you think? What's wrong with that? They were under grace too. What do you think? He says we're under grace and that's different because they were under a law system. You still have to believe. What's that? You still have to believe. You have to believe. So did they. Didn't they? They had to operate by faith. They had to believe God that when they went in there and put their foot down, it was going to be there. We don't have to do anything. Why not? Because we are. Because we already got the land, so to speak.

It's true that as he accepts his portion which grace has given him, the greater is his sense of possession and consequently of his enjoyment. That's the problem we have. I think we try to associate the reception of the blessing with our taking possession of it. When in fact, I think the difference is that we already have it. The problem we have is the enjoyment of them. If you don't know it, then you're a no-hoper. Because you've got to know, right? That's the first thing.

Well, you know, the Lord, I think, took care of that in terms of the Word of God to tell us. And the other thing that I find very interesting, especially as we've gone through these 33 things, As I look around the classes on Sundays and we talk about each individual one, I'm convinced that some of you don't believe what God has done. That's not a criticism. I mean, I'm the same way. I look at some of those things and think, really? Really?

And so someone says to me, well, the problem you have, Doyle, is that you won't put your foot on it and take possession of it. If you would do that, then you'd own it. So I'm thinking, what's the difference between, if I'm really not convinced that a blessing that God has told me about, you know, it's nice, it's there, I can read it, I'll tell you about it, but I don't own it, nor do I have possession of it, why don't I? And so the answer comes back, it's because you won't go in across the Jordan River and take possession of the land.

So what is the difference? The difference is we already have the blessing. That's right. We have it whether we put our foot down on it or not. That's the difference. And what the great thing about that is, is that as the believer, via the work of the Spirit of God, begins to recognize, number one, know and recognize that those are already true of you, And he accepts the fact that they are, by faith. What does he get to do? He gets to do this really cool thing. He gets to enjoy them.

So, I could say to you, well, if you're not enjoying them, it's because you don't believe them. Would that be a true statement? Maybe it's because you don't know them. The question, the statement was, is that I won't believe them until they've been tested. What do you think about that? What's that?

Is that the whole purpose of child training? Negative things that come across what we perceive as negative. The whole purpose of trials, child training, suffering is for us to enter in and take more personal possession. Well, we already have the possession, but to enter into more of what we have.

What do you think about that? The guys that are on Thursday night, you don't get to answer because we've spent two weeks on this subject. What do you think about that? I mean, if you look at Hebrews chapter 12 and it talks about child training and what father doesn't child train his son and doesn't do it because and he does it because he knows it's good for the son.

And I think about verse eight is the reason why he does it. All right, anybody, why does he do it? You who went to the class, why did he do it? So that we might be partakers of his holiness. Does that mean that if he didn't do it, you wouldn't be? Because you already have this holiness. The issue is to enter into the fullness of what you are as a son. The holiness is there. And I think you're absolutely right.

I think we are so enmeshed in self so much and depend so much on our own abilities and capacities, that unless our father trains us, hey, I've got a 15-year-old son, I know what this is about. Any of you who have raised children through teenage years, there comes that time when they're about 15 or 16 where they know everything, it's time for them to move out. Right? They've got it wired. They've got it all figured out.

Well, that's the way we are spiritually. We get to about 15 years into this deal, and we think we've got it all figured out. And so it's time for us to move out. Boy, I'm glad the Lord doesn't listen to us when we do that. So, I think you're absolutely right.

I think the Father understands. Because he's already done all of this, but he recognizes that in order for us to enjoy them, that he has to do something for us to appreciate them and to enjoy them. And to teach us not to rely on our old man and the things of the world for satisfaction. That we would find Christ to be enough. Just Him. And just as we would assent to live under grace. And He doesn't need my help.

If I'm living under grace, what do I do with it? If I'm living under all of these blessings, what am I supposed to do with them? What am I supposed to do with them? I'm supposed to take them. They're mine. They already are mine. I think it's an undeniable principle that God must and does train us, child train us, discipline us, in order that we might be partakers of His holiness, which includes all these blessings. I think that's absolutely right.

And everybody's training is different. Those of you who have raised a lot of kids, you find out that each one of them is different. No two of them are alike, so that the training process is different for each one. But what seems good to you, the Father already knows what's good for us, and that's to be conform to the image of Christ, to be like him. So he's in the process. Anybody not comfortable with that? I think that's the way he works.

The Jews, in order to obtain the possession, they had to respond and do what God told them to do. With us, we have the title before we enjoy the possession. And there was no consequence on owning the possession. It's interesting, listen to this statement. If I only possess heaven in proportion to my act of faith, as in the case with Israel respecting Canaan, I have no right of possession at all. But as I secure it, my sense of owning the land is only as I set foot on it. Hence, I am necessarily anxious as to my progress and my possession depends on my progress. Whereas we as believers now have full title before we lay hold of any of it.

And every apprehension, and I want you to pay real close attention to this sentence, every apprehension of my portion only stimulates me the more to advance and to be in association with him who is there. It is the vastness of the blessing which has an association with the Lord Jesus which makes me long to apprehend more. It isn't because I gotta, it's because of the vastness of the blessing, and that's why it's important to know them. I'll just notice the time.

How many of you, and we'll spend more time on this and even let you think about it next week. How many of the 34 things that we've gone over has had an impression on you? that didn't have an impression on you before you started your turn to talk. Then I said, name two, two might be a little excessive for some of them. All of them had an infection. And I've known some of them for a long time, but I never really believed.

And it was all yours. Cool. That's very cool. Number 18. Never thought of yourself as a gift. Awesome. Isn't that awesome? That's really neat. Yeah. Isn't that awesome? Everybody hear that? Did you hear what she said? Number 18. To realize that she herself was a gift. from God, to God, and the fact that she, number 30, that she's vitally united to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Cool. All right. Somebody else. I've got to look at them over. I'm sorry, it's the 14 we made close. Made close.

I just keep trying to realize that more and more. You know, and we look at it, oh, if God's the creator of all the universe, then He holds every breath, every cell, every... That God is the one that we can go up and take on. Yeah. I mean, I'm just trying to get a hold of that. It's just mind-boggling. Yeah. That we have that intimacy with the God of the universe. Yeah.

And to me, after that, what else do we need? You know, for Father's sake. Well, we'll give you 33 more if you're good. 215. I just, I think that, you know, it's the aspect, and I think about our Father's name, and we have a Father that is incomprehensible about how bad and how amazing He is, but we have the ability to go anytime, anyplace, anywhere, and have intimate fellowship with God in the universe. What else do you need? I mean, I keep thinking after that. I mean, if I go to the God of the universe with anything, I'm hurting, I'm happy. Thank you. Whatever. And just whatever there is. Any trial doesn't break me. Anything.

If you have the intimacy that you know he's that close, that just blows me away. The other one that kind of went in the middle of this and hit me hard on Easter was, you know, I keep thinking about This is one out of 34, but you know, Burton gave the message on doubting Thomas.

Right. And boy, we can beat him up big time. Oh, sure. We beat him up. You know, Thomas, how could you? Yeah. Tell him what's your problem. Everybody else got it but you. You have to put your finger in there. And then I look at us. You know, we've got 34, 215 things. And we don't understand and comprehend them. We're doubting Thomas. Yes, we are.

I love what the Lord said to him, Blessed are those who haven't seen, yet believe. I like that a lot. It meant I didn't have to be there. Okay, anybody else? I like the second one, reconcile, because it reminds me of the fact that We were created to be in Christ.

That was God's original plan, but we fell away. But because of the blood of Jesus Christ, because of His gift, we are now reconciled. One of the greatest desires in man is to be accepted, is to find his place in the world, find out what he's supposed to do, and in Christ we can finally be what we were created to be. There's such a satisfaction in being that, in being able to do what God created you to do. Anything else is going to be a so-called inferior substitute, but we're reconciled. We're now back to where we were supposed to be. Cool.

I think that's such an important point, because every one of us comes from a a family, a non-family, a big family, a small family, we all had parents, knew them or not, whatever, but every human being on this planet, by the time they're about two, they've already kind of have a concept of what rejection is. They got that figured out. Even in the most loving family, you say, if you don't obey me, you're going to get the rejection. And when you begin to find out that the God of the universe has accepted you based on the personal work of his son, and there is absolutely no barrier between the two of you. And not only is there not a barrier, there is this aggressive grace that comes towards us to draw us near to him.

I must say it's very foreign to some of us. It was foreign to me at first. I mean, it was cool. I'm glad that my father, you know, Some of us had great fathers, some of us didn't. But there's no father like the father who loves us, gave the most prized possession he had in order that we might be near him, and through his son draws us right up close to him. Somebody said one time, my job is to run down the hallway, jump in the father's lap, and never get out. Just stay there. I like that. I'm staying.

So, all right, we'll pick up next week. Dear Father, how we thank you. We just can't thank you enough because your blessings so overwhelm us. That's the only thing that ever can come out of our mouth is thank you. And so we do today. We thank you for your blessings and we pray and rest in your son. Amen.