30th Mar 26 | 13:54
Studies by Book
Luke 18 35-43 THE FAITH OF BARTIMAEUS 07 Fruitful for His kingdom
📖 Luke 18:35-43
06Nov2020 - *Fruitful for His kingdom* - _Luke 18:35-43_ - THE FAITH OF BARTIMAEUS 7 – Bible reading: _I John 2:15-17_
Bartimaeus had thrown aside his garment of all his old paradigms and his heart was full of faith in Jesus. The healing of Bartimaeus had already taken place. The real blindness of his heart and of his inner man was gone. His faith had made him well.
This is the inner healing that the Lord desires each of us to experience this very moment. Right now, if by faith, we were to throw away our old paradigms, we will be healed.
_Luke 18:40 So Jesus stood still and commanded him to be brought to Him. And when he had come near, He asked him, Mark 10:49-50 So Jesus stood still and commanded him to be called. Then they called the blind man, saying to him, "Be of good cheer. Rise, He is calling you." (50) And *throwing aside his garment*, he rose and came to Jesus._
_Hebrews 12:1-2 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, (2) looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God._
What are our some of the old paradigms that haunt us?
_Mark 4:19 and the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. I John 2:15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him._
The world and the things of the world are a huge paradigm that is still holding many in the body of Christ, in chains. This bondage is preventing us from being fruitful for God. Remember, fruitfulness is not optional, it is a mandate.
We come to Jesus, repent of our sins and have received forgiveness. We are now more worried about the assurance of our salvation rather than living in victory.
Many of us, who gave our lives to Christ, are living in mediocrity. We are not taught that we need to throw out the paradigm of bondage and submission to the world and the pursuits after the success symbols of the world. Rather, we were told, both overtly as well as covertly that material success and wellbeing, are signs of God’s favour on us.
Our habitat is God, not the material pursuits of this world. Seeking first His kingdom and His righteousness is about coming to that place of living in the shelter, the habitat of God. God’s kingdom and God’s ways need to now be our life.
If we have not come to Jesus as our habitat, as our environment, as our kingdom, then the material pursuits of this world will be a heavy chain that will hold us in bondage and will cause us to be fruitless.
Will you throw away the garment of the chase of the world, away from you, by faith, and come to Jesus?
The other major bondage that many Christians are struggling with and which is making them be fruitless is the lust of the flesh. We have come to Jesus and are reconciled with God but we have not appropriated the victory over the flesh that the Lord has given us through His flesh.
_Romans 13:14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfil its lusts. II Corinthians 7:1 Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God._
Jesus has given the victory for us over the law of sin and death, which was operating in our body. Jesus condemned sin in the flesh.
_(Please read Romans 7:1 – 8:17)_ He broke the power of the flesh that was holding us and threatening us that we cannot overcome the desires and temptations of the flesh.
Satan comes around and keeps feeding us lies that we are still addicted to certain sins of the flesh. I see many Christians living defeated lives in the area of the flesh. We swallow the lie of the devil but we are not willing to believe the truth of what Jesus has given us and appropriate His victory over the lust of the flesh.
Jesus wants us to live in the power of the Holy Spirit to overcome the lust of the flesh. _Galatians 5:16 I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh._
Temptations will come but it is yielding to temptation, which is sin. At that point, when temptation is engulfing us, we can by faith appropriate the victory of Jesus over the flesh and live in the empowerment of the Holy Spirit.
Are you ready to throw away the garment of the flesh that has been gripping you and give yourself to Christ for you to be fruitful?
Lastly, there could be other old paradigms that may be a garment over you. Will you throw away whatever those garments may be and come to Jesus to live a fruitful life for Him?
_Luke 14:33 So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple._
*Thought to ponder*
```God longs for us to enjoy the liberty that He has made possible and available to us.```