Blog In Audio:
Greetings,
Today I am going to begin to address seven things a leader must lead in – seven things a believer must live in.
The writer of the book of Hebrews addressed the foundations of our lives empowered by the Holy Spirit. It is Christ in us that gives us the reason of use in being a testimony of a member of the body of Christ. Whereas the Old Covenant was a matter of information and instruction of law, the New Covenant is the empowerment of our lives as believers by the power of God’s grace. The Old Covenant was an administration of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, but the New Covenant is an administration of an intimate relationship with God and the tree of life.
Hebrews 6:1 Therefore, leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ, let us go on to 7perfection, not laying again the foundation of 1repentance from dead works and of 2faith toward God, 2 of the 3doctrine of baptisms, of 4laying on of hands, of 5resurrection of the dead, and of 6eternal judgment.
In these verses seven things are revealed that every leader must embrace and seek to live in to lead others in doing the same. These are empowerments of God grace concerning:
- Repentance from dead works
- Faith towards God
- A way of life that comes by submersions in the Holy Spirit
- The life-giving authority of the laying on of the hands of Christ
- Living in the manifest presence of the Resurrection Life of Christ
- Embracing the Eternal Judgment of God’s Mercy
- Growing in the perfection of the maturity of Christ to release an inheritance to others beyond our lives
These seven realities are also seen in the testimony of seven things found in the foundation of the birthing of the New Covenant Church as seen in the book of Acts.
Acts 2:38 Then Peter said to them, 1“Repent, and 2let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall 3receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.”
Acts 2:42 And they 4continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and 5fellowship, in the 6breaking of bread, and in 7prayers.
The first thing that every leader must embrace and lead others to live in as well, is a repentance from dead works. This is not a repentance from evil. It is a repentance from being dead. It is a gift from God, not a discipline of the flesh. It is an empowerment of the Spirit of the Lord in our lives. The Spirit of the Lord gives us a desire empowered by being loved by God! Repentance is a gift, or granted to us by God when we embrace His love in our hearts.
Acts 5:31 “Him God has exalted to His right hand to be Prince and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins.”
Acts 11:18 When they heard these things they became silent; and they glorified God, saying, “Then God has also granted to the Gentiles repentance to life.”
When we seek external things to find love, to find our identity, it is because we lack an internal revelation of being loved by God. Receiving the love of God in our hearts makes us come alive to God in our hearts. The dry places of our hearts become empowered to be a watered garden of God’s presence. Paradise is restored in our lives – a place of knowing God, living with Him, and walking with Him in life. It is the desirable place of knowing God and it frees us from being dead in our hearts. Leaders must lead others by example in being loved by God in their hearts and no longer living in the shadows of illegitimate life sources that only leave us dead to repeatedly do dead works that never produce the fruit of life. It is not a repentance of condemnation and shame. It is a repentance unto life! It is knowing the truth of God’s love in our hearts. We were born to be loved by God! He loves us and He gives us the desires of our hearts! Those desires given to us by Him change our lives forever and it is a continually growing reality in our lives. This is not a one-time experience of turning to God in our hearts, but a daily turning to Him so the light of His life gives desires that come from being loved by God.
Food For Thought,
Ted J. Hanson
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House of Bread Ministry
3210 Meridian St.
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