Tony and Riz Channel

Rest in Jesus' Finished Work

But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace [unmerited favor] in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
Ephesians 2:4-7

Ephesians 2:4–7 tells us that by God's unmerited favor, we are seated together with Christ at the Father's right hand. To be seated in Christ is to rest, to trust in Him, and to receive everything our beautiful Savior has accomplished on our behalf.

My friend, God wants us to take the position of relying on Jesus for good success in every area of our lives, instead of relying on our good works and human efforts to achieve success. What a blessing it is to be in this position of dependence on our Savior!

But instead of looking at Jesus, believers are misled by the devil into looking at themselves. For thousands of years, the devil's strategy has not changed. He is a master at accusing you, pointing out all your flaws, weaknesses, mistakes, and blemishes. He will keep on reminding you of your past failures and use condemnation to perpetuate the cycle of defeat in your life.

When the apostle Paul found himself sinking into self-occupation, he became depressed and cried out, "O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me?" (Rom. 7:24). In the very next verse, he sees God's solution and says, "I thank God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!"

Likewise, beloved, it's time for you to step out from being self-conscious and self-occupied, and begin to be Christ-occupied instead.

Today, you should no longer be asking yourself, "Am I pleasing to God?" Instead, ask, "Is Christ pleasing to God?" Because as Christ is, so are you in this world (1 John 4:17).

The old covenant of law is all about you, but the new covenant of grace is all about Jesus! The law places the demand on you to perform and makes you self-conscious, whereas grace places the demand on Jesus and makes you Jesus-conscious.

Can you imagine a young child growing up and always wondering in his heart, "Am I pleasing to Daddy? Am I pleasing to Mummy? Do Daddy and Mummy accept me?" This child will grow up emotionally warped if he does not have the security and assurance of his parents' love and acceptance.

That is why your loving heavenly Father wants you rooted, established, and anchored in His unwavering love for you. He demonstrated His love for you when He sent Jesus to become your sin on the cross so that you can become His righteousness.

Our part today is to turn away from ourselves and to look at Jesus!

Prayer:
In Christ - Your True and Constant Identity

Father God, I'm so happy to know that You see me in Christ and not in my flesh. Despite all my faults, as Christ is accepted before You today, so am I accepted and loved by You today. As Christ is pleasing to You, so am I pleasing to You. As He is before You, so am I in this world because You have placed me in Him. I rest in Christ and all that He has accomplished for me. Father, help me to keep my eyes on Jesus, my victory and my true and unchanging identity. In Jesus name, amen!

Sermon Clip:
Jesus Has Paid It All
https://youtu.be/eNlZRDny4Mk?si=_D4S1Z9LENqOYl9P

God Satisfies You with Long Life

With long life I will satisfy him, and show him My salvation.
Psalm 91:16

God's heart is never for you to die prematurely, nor to live a life that is miserable. Psalm 91:16 says, "With long life I will satisfy him, and show him My salvation."

This means that God not only wants you to have a long life, but He also wants you to have a satisfying life that is full of His peace, provision, and joy! In the verse, the word "salvation" is the Hebrew word Yeshua, the name of Jesus. So God will satisfy you with a long life that is full of Jesus and His grace!

Chronic illness, depression, or a short life is not, and will never be, part of God's plan for you. He wants you to experience a long, full life in which you walk in all the blessings of health, wholeness, and provision that He has given you through Jesus!

Reflection:
Flourish in the Fullness of the Lord's Blessings

Longevity is good, but not if you are sick or poor. So it's good news when the Bible tells us our heavenly Father wants us to live long, and He also wants us to have a good life! Isn't that such a comforting are reassuring promise from our Abba? Beloved, in God's plan for your life, there is no chronic illness or mental health condition, like dementia or depression. Instead He wants you to flourish in the fullness of His blessings, living a life filled with His peace, joy, provision, and protection. Take hold of His promise with both hands, and trust that what your Father says, He will carry out. Let His faithfulness and His love be your strength, today and always!

Sermon Clip:
God Satisfies You with Long Life
https://youtu.be/3F0HDFzDbHQ?si=zjhwbsMbD--4XhVg