REMEMBER GOD YOUR CREATOR!

Wednesday, 9.13.2023

Tonight, I am going to talk about being created in the nature/image of Christ – God is our Creator. He is the God who gives life to the dead and calls those things that be not as though they were.

“The Life of Faith” by Cornelia Nuzum – Chapter 3: Remember Thy Creator.

Cornelia was born in West Virginia in 1856. She served for many years as a missionary along the Mexican border. Cornelia Nuzum learned to trust God for challenging needs in difficult circumstances.

Since Adam & Eve violated God’s instructions in the Garden of Eden, we are all born sinners with sinful, selfish natures. When we first come to Christ, we have nothing in us like Him, but in the new birth God created in us the nature of Christ.

In Christ, We Become a New Creation

In Christ, we become a new creation. The old things have passed away and ALL THINGS have become new. Old things are old conducts that do the opposite of what God wants you to do – immorality, lying, cheating, dishonesty, stealing, being easily provoked etc.

2 Corinthians 5:17 (NKJV)

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, ALL THINGS have become new.

2 Corinthians 5:17 (NLT)

This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!

2 Corinthians 5:17 (AMPC)

Therefore if any person is [ingrafted] in Christ (the Messiah) he is a new creation (a new creature altogether); the old [previous moral and spiritual condition] has passed away. Behold, the fresh and new has come!

Tell the story when my dad challenged me (sat me down at the age of 13-14 years old) telling me that I am at the fork in the road of life – to choose between the wide gate (easy but leads to destruction – those who enter by it are many) OR the narrow gate (hard that leads to life – those who find it are few).

Leonard Ravenhill Quote:

“There are three persons living in each of us: the one we think we are, the one other people think we are, and the one God knows we are.”

Align yourselves with what God has created you to be. You have the heart of God! You have a new spirit in you! You have a desire to obey God!

God puts inside us a desire to obey Him so that we can walk in His nature, not because we have to but because we want to.

Our God is a good God! He does not leave us high and dry. He changes us from the inside out. He wants us to have His desires in our hearts. Better yet, He puts a new spirit and a new heart within us and a desire to obey God! Check out this scripture in Ezekiel.

In my own life, first-time experience to come to America (Lexington, KY) – it was in July 1986. Again my dad on our way to the airport reminded me to find a church to worship – First Assembly of God. Me being 22 years old – first time on the plane, first time traveling overseas let alone to America, going to University of Kentucky to get my education – that was not my first priority, even though I knew going to church was important. I was just too excited about leaving my home country and experiencing going to a new place to get educated. But God….

As soon as I arrived in Lexington, KY, the Holy Spirit within me gave me the desire to get that information, even though I didn’t know anything about how to go about it. Tell the rest of the story……

Ezekiel 36:26-27 (NKJV)

I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you. I will remove your stubborn hearts and give you obedient hearts. I will put my Spirit in you. I will enable you to live by my laws, and you will obey my rules.

Ezekiel 36:26-27 (AMPC)

I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27 I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them.

Ezekiel 36:26-27 (NLT)

And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart. And I will put my Spirit in

you so that you will follow my decrees and be careful to obey my regulations.

He gives us the desires in our heart so we act and do God’s nature, not because we have to but because we want to. That is better than being forced to do something that’s not you! His nature becomes your nature. Remember: the old things have passed away and ALL THINGS have become new.

Being more like Jesus is a process – our inner man is being renewed day after day.

This is the heart of our Father God! He wants us to have what He has – all of it! He wants us to think, behave, and act like Jesus did when he was walking on this earth.

Colossians 3:1-11 (NLT)

Since you were brought back to life with Christ, focus on the things that are above—where Christ holds the honored position—the one next to God the Father on the heavenly throne. 2 Keep your mind on things above, not on worldly things. 3 You have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 Christ is your life. When he appears, then you, too, will appear with him in glory.

5 Therefore, put to death whatever is worldly in you: your sexual sin, perversion, passion, lust, and greed (which is the same thing as worshiping wealth). 6 It is because of these sins that God’s anger comes on those who refuse to obey him. 7 You used to live that kind of sinful life. 8 Also get rid of your anger, hot tempers, hatred, cursing, obscene language, and all similar sins. 9 Don’t lie to each other. You’ve gotten rid of the person you used to be and the life you used to live, 10 and you’ve become a new person. This new person is continually renewed in knowledge to be like its Creator. 11 Where this happens, there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, uncivilized person, slave, or free person. Instead, Christ is everything and in everything.

He wants us to put on our new nature and be renewed as we learn to know our Creator and become like Him! It does not happen overnight. It’s a daily walk with Him. Every day we become more and more like Him, but we must be intentional. That means we have to allow our new nature to rule. And it is our responsibility to let it happen.

It’s our responsibility to allow the new desire in us to happen.

Colossians 3:12-15 (NLT)

Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. 13 Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. 14 Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. 15 And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.

You know, it is our responsibility to let our new nature take place. Now that God has put in you a desire to obey, are you going to resist or yield to your new nature to be like Jesus? The choice is yours!

To be created in the likeness of Him. Remember your Creator as you are examining the areas of your life where you need to grow – walk in love, compassion, forgiveness, meekness (being patience), humility etc.

Ask God the Creator to help you be more like His Son Jesus!

Tell the story of my conversation with my mom a few weeks ago about a situation: it is very easy for us to focus on the bad stuff and talk about it, instead of calling the result of what we want to see happens.

This situation reminds me of the scripture in Romans 4:17 when he was reminding us that Abraham believed God that He has made him a father of many nations.

Romans 4:17 (NKJV)

(as it is written, “I have made you a father of many nations”) in the presence of Him whom he believed—God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did;

Background story Romans 4:1-16

Abraham believed God. Abraham received the promise through faith not the law (works) based on a right relationship with God. If keeping the law was the reason to receive the promise, then our faith would mean nothing. That’s why the promise comes by faith.

The word “call” here is no ordinary call. It’s a special “call,” a call with a divine purpose, service, and dedication. The speaker has the authority to dictate the nature of the calling. This is also translated “to name” – the giving of attribution to someone or something.

The Greek word for “call” is Kaleō –

• to call out loud, utter in a loud voice; to invite; to name; to speak, to cry out
• The root word of Keleuō – to command OR to order

Let’s see the different translations of this to capture the heart of this scripture.

Romans 4:17 (ESV)

As it is written, “I have made you the father of many nations”—in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist.

Romans 4:17 (AMPC)

‘As it is written, I have made you the father of many nations. [He was appointed our father] in the sight of God in Whom he believed, Who gives life to the dead and speaks of the nonexistent things that [He has foretold and promised] as if they [already] existed.

Romans 4:17 (NET)

(as it is written, “ I have made you the father of many nations ”). He is our father in the presence of God whom he believed – the God who makes the dead alive and summons the things that do not yet exist as though they already do.

Romans 4: 17 (NLT)

That is what the Scriptures mean when God told him, “I have made you the father of many nations.” This happened because Abraham believed in the God who brings the dead back to life and who creates new things out of nothing.

So, what are you going to do when you see things in Christ that you lack?

Do you need to love someone who has hurt you badly? You may have people in your life for whatever reason that it seems impossible to love. Remember God your Creator! Cry out to God to create in you a real true love for that repulsive person. Believe that He will create that love for those people in you! Because it is God’s nature to love because God is love.

1 John 4:7-8 (NKJV)

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. 8 He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.

1 John 3:10 (AMPC)

By this it is made clear who take their nature from God and are His children and who take their nature from the devil and are his children: no one who does not practice righteousness [who does not conform to God’s will in purpose, thought, and action] is of God; neither is anyone who does not love his brother (his fellow believer in Christ).

Do you need to have compassion to forgive those who have wronged you to cause you loss and suffering? I am talking about fully forgiving this person as if the wrong had never been done. Remember God your Creator! Cry out to God to create in you a true compassion to forgive this person and erase the memory of the wrong that has been done to you.

Remember it is God’s nature to forgive when we sincerely come to Him and acknowledge our sin.

Colossians 3:13 (NLT)

Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.

How about a lack of meekness (the quality of being patient – humility)? Do you receive undeserved criticism? Do you talk back when falsely accused? OR do you resist when evil is done to you in return for the good you have done? Remember God your Creator! Cry out to God to create in you Christ’s meekness so that like Him you will not open your mouth nor resist things done to you, but like Him, pray to God to forgive those who have wronged you.

Isaiah 40:28 (GW)

Don’t you know? Haven’t you heard? The eternal God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, doesn’t grow tired or become weary.

Cornelia Nuzum Quote:

“No matter what your lack, shortage, or need is, the great Creator stands ready, able, and willing – yea more – He longs to create in you whatever you need to make you like Christ and an able, successful worker for Him”

I am growing in my spiritual walk with Jesus every day! There are areas in my life that I still need to work on. I constantly remember God my Creator! I continually review myself. Am I walking in Him? Am I allowing the nature of God to manifest in and through me?

Actions Points:

• Ask yourself this question – Am I walking IN God? – Rooted and built up in Him? Colossians 2:6-7
• Be imitators of God – Ephesians 5:1 – Follow, do, and impersonate what God does – Call those things that be not as though they were!
• Are you allowing the nature of God that’s already in you to manifest in every of your daily life affairs? – in dealing with people around you: your spouse, your parents, your children, your in-laws, your teachers, your boss