Receiving Christ’s Blessings
Galatians 3:5-29 shows us that Jesus (the seed) inherited all the blessings and promises given by God to Abraham. This means all these same promises and blessings are given to the children of God when they accept Jesus as their Lord and Saviour. Many of these blessings are automatic and we receive them the moment we become born-again. Things such as justification (being made right with God) happens immediately as does being saved and inheriting eternal life in Heaven with God. Sanctification, being declared righteous and being made Holy (set apart and consecrated for His purposes) are also immediate. The calling of God over your life and the gifts of the Holy Spirit such as discerning between spirits, wisdom, word of knowledge etc are all given by God without repentance (Romans 11:29). This means they are free gifts and given by Him to be used by you for others and He won’t take them away.
What about the other blessings such as walking in wholeness which includes prosperity, joy, peace, self-control and good health? Clearly this is not automatic as so many Christians are struggling and not walking in these things. This brought me to wondering how we receive these blessings. I have heard various suggestions and one was to follow the commandments of God so we could receive these blessings. This would mean then that as we followed the moral law of God we get blessed. This didn’t sit right with me as it would mean coming back under the law and doing works to receive blessings. The new covenant is very clear that all our blessings come through Christ. For if the inheritance is of the law, it is no longer of promise; but God gave it to Abraham by promise (Galatians 3:18, NKJV).
Another suggestion I heard was that we just needed to believe and renew our minds by reminding ourselves what is ours by declaration and claiming them. I know that this principle does work as I have read testimonies of release when people have done this but when I tried this nothing much happened. What was I doing wrong – did I not believe enough or declare enough?
When I sought God about this He spoke to me a wonderful revelation that really amazed me so I felt to write it down for others. This is what He showed me ~ “Christ has all the blessings. There is an exchange at the cross - His life for your life. Christ is your hope of a blessed life (1 Peter 1:3-5). The more of Christ in you the more blessed you are. Christ in you, the hope of Glory (Colossians 1:24-29, NKJV). What does laying down your life for His sake look like? You lay down your life for the sake of His body – the Church. The sufferings you go through are to establish and perfect you. Some of these things are orchestrated by Me, and some are orchestrated by the devil but I work all things together for good. Your testimony is for others to show them how God has been at work in your life, to give them hope.
Why are My Children still suffering affliction? They are hanging onto their sins. I went ahead of you and prepared the way by laying the world’s sins on Jesus – He bore the iniquity (guilt, blame, punishment) in His own body. You need to follow suit and also give your sins to Him. They have to be laid down. You still need to let go of them. Put off the old man and put on the new.
The moral law of God is how all Christians should live. The law is good and holy and right (Romans 7:12). Do you receive blessing when you follow the law? You need to resist the devil so he flees from you (James 4:7-8). In this sense living right blesses you because you don’t give the devil power over you (which negates his ability to afflict you) but following the law to release Christ’s blessings is not how you receive them. What does the law have to do with Christ? He fulfilled the whole law. He achieved sinless perfection as He followed the whole law without sin. You follow Christ! You model His example and the way He lived. How did He live? He followed the Commandments of God. You also need to follow the commandments of God. You are to love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul and might and love your neighbour as yourself (Matthew 22:37-40). The whole law and the writings of the prophets are summed up in these two.
Does this release the blessings? No, your blessings are released when you turn to Christ. Is there a difference between turning to Christ and following Him? When you turn to Jesus you are turning away from sin. Sin hinders the blessings. It is the letting go of the sin that releases the blessing”!
"Whose soever sins ye remit (yield up, let go, surrender, forgive), they are remitted (forgiven) unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain (keep), they are retained (kept, not forgiven)" (John 20:23, KJV).
What this verse is saying to us is this; 'If you hold onto your sins and do not confess them or turn away from them, and also are unable to forgive others then God is unable to forgive you! This means that sin in our lives may block us from receiving the blessings and all things that are good that God has for us.'
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9, NKJV).
So repent [change your inner self—your old way of thinking, regret past sins] and return [to God—seek His purpose for your life], so that your sins may be wiped away [blotted out, completely erased], so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord [restoring you like a cool wind on a hot day]; and that He may send [to you] Jesus, the Christ, who has been appointed for you, whom heaven must keep until the time for the [complete] restoration of all things about which God promised through the mouth of His holy prophets from ancient time (Acts 3:19-21, AMP).
And I said, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ And the Lord said, ‘I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. Get up and stand on your feet. I have appeared to you for this purpose, to appoint you [to serve] as a minister and as a witness [to testify, with authority,] not only to the things which you have seen, but also to the things in which I will appear to you, [choosing you for Myself and] rescuing you from the Jewish people and from the Gentiles, to whom I am sending you, to open their [spiritual] eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness and release from their sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified (set apart, made holy) by faith in Me.’ (Acts 26:15-18, AMP).
For be sure of this: no immoral, impure, or greedy person—for that one is [in effect] an idolater—has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God [for such a person places a higher value on something other than God] (Ephesians 5:5, AMP).
So we see that ‘turning away’ from the sins that God put on Jesus is a requirement for the release of many of the blessings that Christ has for us. "Turning away from sin" refers to the act of intentionally and purposefully changing one's thoughts, attitudes, behaviors, and actions in order to forsake and distance oneself from sinful patterns, habits, and desires. It involves a genuine repentance and a decision to no longer engage in activities that are contrary to God's will and commandments.
Following Jesus is walking as He walked and following the commandments of God. Following the commandments is all about avoiding the sins that cause affliction. Afterward Jesus found him in the temple, and said to him, “See, you have been made well. Sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon you” (John 5:14, NKJV).
In other words when we accept Christ as our Lord and Saviour and believe in Him (He takes the blame for our sins and make us right before God so that we inherit eternal life). We then confess our sins and turn away from our sinful behaviours (to put to death the old man so the new man who is whole, healed and sinless can be resurrected). We then submit to Gods ways and resist the devil so he flees from us (so we can no longer be afflicted).
I find this revelation very interesting and see now why satan is trying to eradicate the teachings of repentance and the necessity of purging sin from the Body of Christ in the Church today. He knows if he can take this out of the teachings people won’t walk in the fullness of the blessings Christ has for them.
By Tania Francis