Romans 15:3Pg2
Romans 15:3 (ESV) For Christ did not please himself, but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me.”
continued…
Look at Jesus’ words in Romans 15:3. The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me.
In other words, reproach does not belong to us anymore. Jesus took all of our reproach upon Himself when He died on the cross. Our reproach is DEAD. He took it to the grave and when He arose from the dead, He left it buried.
Then why do we still hear and feel the effects of reproach?
The devil has outsmarted us. Even though he has been defeated, we believe the false evidence in the world and in our own lives. He is the master deceiver, and we buy into it when we hear the sounds of reproach—when we’re afraid.
God tells us hundreds of times in the Bible, Do not fear. Why? Because what we fear is not even real.
False Evidence Appearing Real
I’m not saying it’s easy, but we can reject fear by clinging to the truth. But we must first recognize the lie. How do we do that? God’s Word.
Jesus said in John 15:7, “If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.”
It is through the Word of God that we become wise and gain spiritual insight. The Bible is the weapon God gave to us to fight the fight of faith (Ephesians 6:17). It is by faith that we overcome the lies of the devil.
King David lived in this victory during much of his life. He said in Psalm 27:6, “And now my head shall be lifted up above my enemies all around me, and I will offer in his tent sacrifices with shouts of joy…”
When our head is lifted up, we can see. The more we seek the truth in the Bible, the more we gain discernment. Then when we hear the sounds of reproach coming our way, we can recognize them and shut them down with the sword of the Spirit—the truth of God’s Word.
Living in Victory
Our minds are sharper because we’re filling it with the supernatural power of God’s Word. We must participate with Christ on a journey of faith to walk in the victory He won for us.
Whatever pain we have experienced because of our ignorance of the truth or a weak faith, God uses in His master plan to help us identify with Christ and His sufferings.
Whatever hardships we have experienced cannot compare to the pain Christ experienced upon the cross. The physical pain was bad enough, but the torture of His soul when God turned His back upon Him was the darkest of the dark.
Christ suffered His Own reproach when His very own rejected Him. Those He was sent to save falsely accused Him and then turned Him over to be tortured and crucified.
Nothing that we have gone through is wasted. It is meant to help us identify with the sacrifice of what our Savior went through for us. It draws us closer to Him.
Study the Bible verse of Romans 15:3, and discover the truth about who you are in Christ.
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