(Message by Pastor Philip Joseph. Happy Anniversary!)
This month of August last year (2010) the New Life Movement International (NLMI) came into existence. On this first anniversary in August 2011, God has given Pastor Joseph this verse of promise from the book of Jeremiah: They shall be my people, and I will be their God; then I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear Me forever, for the good of them and their children after them. [Jer. 32: 38, 39]
And today, I want to share with you the two foundational truths on which this church is built on: -
- The finished work of Jesus on the Cross
- The priesthood of all believers
It Is Finished
In the cross, on that day during the Passover feast of the Jews in Jerusalem, Jesus triumphantly announced, “IT IS FINISHED” There was, and is now, nothing more for any man, priest or prophet to do to add to the salvation work of Jesus Christ.
After man’s fall in the garden of Eden, God made a plan to send Jesus into this world and redeem man from his sin and restore his relationship with Him. And in the fullness of time- at just the right time, Jesus came. Conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary; He lived, He healed the sick, cast out demons, preached the good news of God’s kingdom… but above all, He hung on the cross and died for all humankind – once and for all, taking away the sins of those that would believe and showed the way of salvation. “It is finished” is the last hurrah of the Savior that came into this world; a triumphant shout of victory! No one on this earth or heavens could have done what Jesus did for you and me; He alone could do it- a sinless sacrifice pleasing to God the Father, that when God sees us, He will see His Seed and provide atonement to our sins.
There is nothing more to be added to what Jesus did to gain our salvation. Only the finished work of Jesus is able and wholly sufficient to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved. [Acts 4:12]
He Bore Our Sins
And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world. [1 John 2:2]. YES! Jesus is THE Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the whole world. In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins. [Eph. 1:7] YES! Through His blood, all sins are forgiven; there is no sin too great that it cannot be forgiven; and there is no sin too small that it need not be forgiven. All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God; we like sheep have gone astray, each turning to his own way. But the LORD has laid on Jesus, the iniquity of us all.
By faith, we look up to Jesus; and He receives us just as we are; forgives our sins and turn us over into a new creation. We CAN live our lives free from guilt and condemnation. All our past sins (however bad it may be) has been forgiven in Jesus Christ. In our present circumstance, as long as we are in this human body and on earth- alive, His blood continuously cleanses from all our sins. If we happen to miss our mark, we know we have an Advocate in Jesus Christ- who knows all our weaknesses. Sin shall not have dominion over us anymore, because of His work in us.
Blessed Be
The Bible marks out the beginning of human history at the time of creation. The Bible also marks out the end of human history as we know it now. In between, every person, from every race and every nation, has a choice to hold on to the gift of eternal life offered by Jesus Christ. Blessed are those that are called to the wedding feast. Blessed are those that drink from the living waters and taste to eternal life.
Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city. [Rev. 22:14]. Blessed are those that have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. {Rev. 7:14}. Remember His promise: Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be as wool. [Isa. 1: 18]
The invitation is loud and clear and is open to ALL. “Come!” And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely. [Rev. 22:17]. Eternal life is free! Do you know of anything in this world that is available for free? Hardly any. But Jesus is offering His gift of eternal life freely. Come. Be part of it!
2. The priesthood of all believers
One Mediator
We need not go about searching and seeking holy men or a prophet to come and mediate for us before God. For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus… [1 Tim. 2:5]. If you have received the gift of eternal life, and salvation in the name of Jesus, you have Him with yourself. And He is the one Mediator by whom we can come before God the Father. Have a talk to Jesus.
God’s Special Treasure
But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvellous light; [1 Peter 2:9]. We are God’s special treasure here on earth because we have put our trust in Jesus and accepted His finished work of salvation for our own redemption.
In the Old Testament, the Jews were God’s special people. God dwelt among them in the midst of the tabernacle. In the New Testament, God dwells in us and we are the temple of God. What a great privilege! That is why, we are special people. God is in us. His presence is with us. Therefore, whatever we may think we lack, we should never lack one thing- God’s near Presence. If He is with us, we know that everything will be all right, because He cares for us. And soon our perceived ‘lack’ will vanish away.
Priests Before God
After we are saved, we are called as priests before God. God has made us as priests. Rev. 1: 6 says: And has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
We can come before God with our supplications and with the supplications of others. We can hear from Him and become messengers of God for his children. God answers our prayers and sends His help to those in need. We are not superior to other Christian believers. We need not be robed to show ourselves different from others- because there is no class of priests and laity; God has called each one to be priests before Him in Jesus Christ. We are blessed and we can be a blessing!
God’s Ambassadors
We are God’s representatives here on earth; representatives of God’s kingdom. Read 2 Cor. 5:17. Open your hearts to function as God’s representative. If you want to make a start as an ambassador, go and hear the burdens of your people (This is the start)…. Pray for them. Intercede for them. We have freedom to lay hands on the sick and pray for them; and they will be healed. This lavish gospel is given to all who believe.
Romans 12:1 says: …present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. Everyday bring an offering before God- your bodies, a living sacrifice. In the Old Testament, the priests offered animals and killed them at the altar. But in the New, we present our bodies, not as a dead sacrifice, but a living sacrifice… It means that we fully surrender our lives.
Each one of us has a unique gift that we can use in His kingdom. We need not copy any ministry or any person… but we can learn to imitate one Master- Lord Jesus Christ. Seek to do that thing what God has called you to do. Be a blessing in Jesus name. Amen.
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