Our condemnation was certain not only because of the inheritance of sin we received from Adam, but also because of the mistakes we made, consciously or unconsciously. When Jesus descended into hell, dying on the cross for us, He paid the price by suffering our sins and, in the filthy cellars of the kingdom of wickedness, He took away the power of the devil and his fallen angels to oppress us (Colossians 2:15). Today, we are free indeed.

In a nutshell, Christ spoke about our situation after we accepted Him as Savior and Lord: Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed. (John 8.36) Anyone who has understood Jesus' invitation can declare themselves saved, without fear of being happy. That's exactly what happened when we received Him and became God's possession. You became God's possession, and the Lord doesn't want that to be undone (Romans 11:29).

We need to teach the saved under our care that they are free from the wiles of the devil. We have an obligation to beget children for God as Jesus did when he walked in the world, teaching with authority, and not like the teachers in the synagogue. The Master said: Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.  (Luke 10.19) That way, there will be real Christians!

Never put fear in the hearts of church members, nor subdue them to stand at your feet. If you do, you will pay a high price at the judgment seat of Christ (2 Corinthians 5:10). Jesus spoke about following His example: For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you.  (John 13.15) Believe and live; otherwise, your faith will do nothing for your life. And what have you traded it in for?

We were resurrected together with Christ. Now, tell me: did Jesus come back to life with a disability? Some would argue: “He spent three days buried and, according to science, his neurons would have been destroyed”. But God does every work perfectly. The Savior and those who were resurrected did not return to vegetate; in fact, they rose completely healthy. You have been remade in Christ!

Saved by grace, we have been raised up in Christ and seated in heavenly places in the Son of God (Ephesians 2:4-7), which gives us authority over our lives. Think about it: we have been seated with Jesus to judge, by His Word, everything that concerns us. The saved cannot continue in error, doing the devil's will, and expect the Lord to fulfill His promises to them. They must judge themselves by what God says!

Let's take our place in Christ with modesty, without considering ourselves responsible for having such power. We have to fulfill the plan of the Most High and give the glory to the one who deserves it: Jesus. Our life will be successful when our love for Christ is demonstrated with holiness, sincerity and humility. The Lord loves us!

 In Christ, with love,

          R. R. Soares