INTRODUCTION
We are looking at the topic,Perpetual Possibilities Through Faith In Christ
. Perpetual possibilities in the past, present and in the future. Past, present, perpetual. All things are possible through faith in God. How do we have faith in God? Faith in His faithfulness. He is faithful and we can trust Him, we have trust in His truthfulness.
All provisions of God are at a higher level than the ground level, and for you to get to the upper level where the provisions are, you have a staircase to climb. You put your feet on levels 1 to 3 of the ladder and you are there. Point one of the message lifts you up to the first level of the ladder, point 2 takes you nearer to the provisions of the Lord, and at point 3, you can have all that you need. Salvation, forgiveness, restoration, renewal come to you. Healing, cure for the incurable, perfect health, total freedom, and complete deliverance comes to you. Salvation, success and significance come to you, the Lord will so touch you and your life becomes significant. So, get ready to climb and go up with me.
1. THE PAST PERFORMANCE AND FAITHFULNESS OF GOD (Psalm 103:1-5)
The past faithfulness of God has not changed, to the present, and the present becomes perpetual and what He has done in the past He does at the present time. What He does at the present time He will do in the future.
Psalm 103:1-5
– 1 Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.
– 2 Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:
– 3 Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases;
– 4 Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies;
– 5 Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
vs 1. Why is the Psalmist saying “bless the Lord, O my soul”? His soul got blessing, forgiveness, with all guilt and shame taken away. So, he calls his guiltless and set-freed soul to bless the Lord. He also called all within him, what does he mean? The blessing of God was not limited to his guilty soul but all within him. His heart, the centre of life got blessings. Maybe there is a hole in your heart, it will get the healing of God and all within your heart will bless God.
The broken heart that is sorrowful, downtrodden, with suicidal tendencies got the touch of God and became mended, so he said since there is no pain, hole in the heart or any other challenge, everything within you must praise the Lord. Trillion of cells are within the brain. When they are well-connected, no migraine headache, no disorganization or conflict in your personality. Some people have broken bones sustained in accidents of life. Some is broken spinal chords. All these can be fixed by the Lord and thanksgiving will follow.
When we are born into this world, every part of our bodies was sound and good. As we go on, the brain does not continue as it was, the mind, intestines, cells in the body are affected. Now we are going around in the world incapable because the parts of the body are no longer as they used to be. They are just declining and almost dying completely. The blood is the life of the man, there is clotting and lack of free-flow of the blood.
As you come to the Lord, He wants to do something good in you as He did it for people in the past. So, you can say with the Psalmist, “Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.”
vs 2. You thank God, not for what He did for others, but what He did for you. Forget not all His benefits. That man got miracles, signs and wonders in his life and family. You need a reminder so you don’t forget. Don’t forget the forgiveness He gave you, freedom, fruitfulness, healing, power to stand, overcome every Goliath. Restoration of all you lost, revival, reactivation, and regeneration of your personality. Hope out of hopelessness, the status He gave you, don’t forget. This is what He did for people in the past, and will do in the present and in the future.
Vs 3 “… Who forgiveth all thine iniquities…” The forgiveness on earth is limited. All have sinned and come short of the glory of God. You have offended many people – close-related people, those far-away, those who know and those who don’t know what you did against them. When a criminal is arrested and charged to court, his crying for pardon will not work. But note that the offense he was charged to court for is not up to 1 per cent of all his total offenses. If he is to be tried for all that he did wrong, he won’t have the time to do any other thing. So, when the judge says he forgives him, there are 99 per cent of things he knows nothing about. Forgiveness on earth is very limited. But when you come to God, He forgives you all your iniquities.
Vs 3 “… who healeth all thy diseases” There are many diseases that lead to the grave. Diseases broken into two is dis and ease. So disease is whatever disturbs your ease and convenience. In the fingers, toes, eyeballs, blood system, there are diseases. When you go to the doctor, you make a choice which one you want to talk about. After going through tests and all the ailments are discovered, you are treated for just one which you pinpoint and go back home with the rest.
But the healing of God is different. He heals all your diseases. What He did in the past He will do again. He heals, pardons, saves, takes all guilt away. His past performance translates to His present and perpetual performance. He will forgive your sin and soul. Whosoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be delivered.
B. HIS PROMISED PROVISION FOR OUR FORGIVENESS (John 1:29; Romans 3:23-25)
God provides for our forgiveness already and the provision is ours. Is it not wonderful that God knew that you will sin before Adam and Eve were created?
He knew that they would sin. How? Because we were told that Jesus, the Lamb of God was slain from the foundation of the world, so He made provision that Jesus Christ will be the Lamb of God to take away the sin of the world.
You thought you were doing something unknown, something that will never be discovered. God already knew it. People cover up things but before the thoughts came to their minds, God already knew. While you are pregnant of iniquity and you are covering up, hiding and running, God knows.
God called out to Adam, but he hid himself. That was not necessary because God already knew he sinned and made the provision. He thought ahead that we will need the light and heat of the sun, and He created it. He knew we will need water, so, he created the oceans. He also made provision for your needs of food, fish and meat before you were born.
The same thing with salvation and forgiveness. It has been there waiting until you realised that you need to be saved. This is why the Bible says “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God”. (Romans 3:23). So, nothing of sin comes to God as a surprise.
Vs 24 “Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:” Now, you can be justified. What can you give to have redemption? Nothing, because the Saviour has done the work over 2,000 years ago. He said on the Cross, it is finished. The ocean has been provided, and all you need to do now is connect your house to the source of water. Forgiveness, salvation, grace of God are all available. What is necessary is connection between Calvary and the condemned man.
Vs 25 “Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God.” Your little money is not enough to make propitiation for your sin. Jesus Christ has made the provision. The love, forbearance, and grace of God that brings salvation has been there from the beginning, before you sinned and it is still there. There will be no forbearance if there is no sin, and it has been there all the time.
Come today and the forbearance and love of God will come to you. All the water in the ocean is yours but you must pipe it to your house. Forgiveness is available, but you must connect to it by faith. The joy of salvation is available, but you must connect to Jesus to have it. Tonight, salvation, forgiveness and pardon you need will come because of the connection through Jesus Christ.
C. HIS PREEMINENT POWER THROUGH OUR FAITH (Romans 8:32,37)
Power has grace. When we were small, we had power to take our toys. As we grew older, we had power to take our chairs, as we get much older, we have power to carry heavier things.
The power of God that takes away sin, sickness, the power of God that beaks the power of satan, preeminent, prevailing and overcoming power is available to you. Not temporary power, but the one that goes on working for you after this crusade is deposited into your life. You will no longer feel weak, or fearful. When you ask, the power will come into your life.
Romans 8:32 “He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?” God did not spare His only begotten Son to substitute, give you His righteousness, but delivered Him up for us all. He will freely give us all things. How do you get these? By asking in faith. Everyone who asks in faith receives. If you stay faraway from the Giver of life, and you don’t seek, you will be refused, you won’t possess it. He that knocks the door of grace, mercy by faith will receive. God gives freely as you come with faith in His faithfulness.
Vs 37 “Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.” You come to Christ, and as you believe in Him, there is a word that comes to you – more. More than the guilty, sick, oppressed and fearful man. You become saved and a believer. You are more than a stranger in the kingdom, but now a son and daughter. More than the slave of satan, but an overcomer. More than a blind man just trying to find the way.
When you come to Christ, the dusty road is still dusty, and everything is still the same, but you are the one that is lifted higher, stronger and more victorious than them. You will walk with springs under your feet and you will be more than a conqueror. All those things that used to stop, hinder and impede your progress will still be there, but “in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us”. This is for everyone.
If I told you that I have much money and everyone should come and collect 100 dollars, and I tell you to stand and come here, it will not take you time to reach here. As you come, I’m presenting to you salvation that is greater, higher than 100 dollars. I’m presenting to you forgiveness that is greater than all earthly currencies. Eternal life that is greater than all earthly possessions.
Today, you have forgiveness, salvation, eternal life and your name written in the Book of Life in heaven. I’m talking about what Christ has provided. You are now the one to take action and receive what Christ has made available.
