Wierwille, V.P.-The Believer's Opportunity
The Believer’s Opportunity
Another Study in Abundant Living by VICTOR PAUL WIERWILLE This book is in the public domain. For more teachings by V. P. Wierwille, E. W. Bullinger and others, go to: www.eternallyblessed.org The Scripture used throughout this study is quoted from the King James Version unless otherwise noted. Any explanatory insertions by the author within a Scripture verse are enclosed in brackets [ ].
I want to share with you your opportunities as a believer, your responsibility as a believer, and what you are doing when you believe God. That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world: Holding forth the word of life;...
Philippians 2 :15 ,16 a. This is addressed to the Church, the saints. Believers have the opportunity to live a blameless and harmless life because they are the sons of God. (That which is born within by the miraculous power of the Holy Spirit, is referred to, in the Bible, in the masculine gender; therefore, all believers are sons of God, both men and women.)
If you are a son of God now, it is because Christ is living within you. You have power, you have the ability to do certain things that the world cannot understand with a natural mind. When a man is converted, born again, the nature of God is living in him and he has eternal life. Until that experience, he is dead in trespasses and sins. The nature of God cannot sin and it cannot die. It is eternal life once God has performed the miracle of rebirth in a believer’s heart and that believer can never lose that birth. John 10:28.
God says that the sons of God are where? "...in the midst of a crooked and perversed nation, ..." Have you ever considered yourself as a hub of a wheel? If the hub is centrally perfect and the spokes properly aligned, the perimeter of the wheel will roll along smoothly. But if the center is out of alignment what happens? Have you noticed where God put us? As believers we are right in the middle, set like a jewel, with every opportunity "...in the midst of a crooked and perversed nation,..." I am indicating to you the Word of God in this study in abundant living, that you may apply it and go forth believing, while all about us are many who do not believe.
"...among whom ye shine as lights in the world:" I wonder how many of us know the Bible so that our light has been shining. As a believer you will be called on to give an account of this passage of Scripture when you appear before the throne of God. John 12:46 states, I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness.
We are to be lights in the world holding forth the Word of Life. He was that light and now, He says, we are as shining lights holding the Word of God forth as it is in truth the Word of Life. You need not ask a person if he is saved. Only do what the Word says, hold forth the Word of Life that they may see. Think of the privilege that is ours just to reach one person in a life time with the Gospel, even just one. The person we reach maybe a key person in a community or in a whole area. The person you have reached for Christ may be the one person who will win hundreds of thousands. Someone once won the great religious saints of all times, yes, someone who was holding forth the Word of Life. It is a believer’s opportunity and it is a believer’s responsibility, to hold forth the Word of Life. In II Corinthians 5:17 we read, Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
I was taught to believe that this passage of Scripture meant that when Christ came and lived within a man then that person was a new creature. Please read the verse again and note very carefully, "Therefore if any man be in Christ (IN CHRIST)..." This verse does not say anything about CHRIST being IN this man. Compare Colossians 1:27, ...Christ in you (IN YOU), the hope of glory:
II Corinthians chapter five verse seventeen is talking about a man being IN Christ. The miracle of the new birth means CHRIST IN you to stay. He is continuously there. However, Christ in your heart does not automatically put Him in your mind. Romans 12:2 states, ...be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind,...
Philippians 2:5 stipulates, "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:" II Corinthians 5 :17 is speaking about the believer who has renewed his mind, who has been transformed by the renewing of his mind according to the Christ who lives within. "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature:..." It is one thing for God to abide IN YOU, it is quite another thing for you to abide IN CHRIST.
If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. John 15:7.
You are a new creature in your mind as you renew the mind according to the Word. "...old things (in the mind) are passed away;..." Old desires, old longings, and old temptations disappear, "...behold, all things are become new."
II Corinthians 5:18 goes on to state, And all things are (ARE) of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ,...
Thus, we are reconciled to God by Jesus Christ. We lost our spiritual connection with God by way of Adam and Eve, and thereby the sin passed on to all men, for all are dead in trespasses and sin.
Jesus came and repaired the broken line, Jesus made the proper connection again.
...all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Christ Jesus and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation. II Corinthians 5:18b.
We were reconciled to God by Jesus Christ and now He has given to the sons of God the ministry of reconciliation. What then is your job as a believer? He has given you the ministry of reconciliation. What does the word "reconcile" mean? The word "reconcile" means to bring back together. That which has been separated is reconciled when it is brought back together. He has given to you, as a believer, the ministry of reconciling. All you have to do is to witness to the great opportunity every man has in Christ Jesus. Do not criticize anyone , do not find fault with anyone. We show forth the love of God, show people that Jesus Christ died for them over nineteen hundred years ago. We must show the power of God, show what a believer has in Christ, show how great Christ is. That is the ministry of reconciliation. What a ministry we have! To wit, (namely) that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them (Oh, wonderful!) and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. II Corinthians 5:19. The Spirit of Christ abides in your heart, therefore, you have the ministry of taking His Word and reconciling people to God.
All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned everyone to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. Isaiah 53:6. When a sheep has gone astray, what is the difficulty? It is lost. "All we like sheep have gone astray..." Everybody is lost. Reason: "...we have turned every one to his own way:..." Every man has turned to his own way. We lost the way, because we turned to our own way. God had to do something about it, so He reconciled us to Himself in Christ Jesus. How? by "...laying on him (Jesus) the iniquity of us all." God laid all our iniquity and all the iniquities of every person on Jesus. The usual difficulty with the teaching on salvation is due to so many doctrinal differences in the denominations. Some have made it seem so hard while others teach that you just grow into it like mushrooms. Neither one of them is true. You must be born again from above, which is easy because of what Jesus did. God laid on Jesus the iniquity of us all — the sin of us all. Its literal meaning is that you were laid upon Jesus. When we understand that the iniquity of us all was laid upon Jesus, we can begin to comprehend why Jesus cried, "My God, my God, for this was I spared." The devil will try to talk you out of your power, and say to you, "It is not so important that you believe this. You just cannot do it." The devil will have more arguments than you can "shake a stick at." Quote him the Word. He cannot stand the Word. When Jesus was tempted in the wilderness how did Jesus defeat Satan? Jesus quoted Scripture to him.
I would like for you to begin to see in this study that the believer’s high opportunity is a ministry as a son of God, a ministry of reconciliation — putting back together that which has been broken or separated between God and man. Then you will be able to also understand that passage of Scripture in Matthew 16:19,
...whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
Why is this so? Because you are a son of God.