LIVING LIKE SUPERMEN
1. Reigning in life does not mean problem free living (John 16:33). It means:
a. In the midst of problems we have victory — peace, joy, wisdom, provision.
b. We experience all that Christ provided through the Cross — freedom form
sickness, sin, lack, turmoil, torment, etc.
c. We experience power from God to accurately represent Jesus in this life, both His character and power.
2. The Apostle Paul, whom God used to write this verse, reigned in life, in a very trouble filled life. Look at some things Paul said about himself. Rom 8:37; I Cor 15:57;
II Cor 2:14
a. He said he had learned how to live independent of circumstances. Phil 4:11
b. He said the threat of danger ahead did not move him. Acts 20:24
c. He said his conscience was clear. Acts 23:1
3. Paul did not reign in life because he was an apostle. He reigned in life because he was born of God (born again) and lived his life in light of that fact.
4. We have begun to study how to reign in life through knowing that you are born of God and that you are now part of a kingdom which will outlast all we see and can change what you see. We want to continue our study in this lesson.
1. Righteousness is right standing with God.
a. Righteousness gives us the ability to stand in the Father’s presence as though sin never existed.
b. Righteousness gives us the ability to stand in the face of satan, sickness, lack, fear, as an absolute master, unafraid and confident.
2. Righteousness is supposed to make us masters in this life. Consider these facts about righteousness.
a. Because our sins have been paid for through the sacrifice of Christ, God has eclared us righteous. Rom 4:22-25
b. But, more than that, God has made us righteous by putting His life in us.
c. When we were born again, we were joined to Jesus as truly as a branch is joined to a vine, and His life is in us. John 15:5; I John 5:11,12
d. Whatever is in Christ, in His life, is now in us — including righteousness.
I Cor 1:30; II Cor 5:21
3. God did this, put His life and nature in us, because it is part of His plan to make us sons and daughters who are conformed to the image of Christ. Eph 1:4,5; Rom 8:29
a. When we are born again, we receive eternal life (ZOE). Eternal life is the life and nature of God. John 1:4; 5:26; I John 5:11,12; II Pet 1:4; Heb 3:14
b. That life makes us God’s actual sons and daughters. We are born of God.
c. Through His life and nature in us, God carries out the process of conforming us to the image of Christ. We take His place in this life. II Cor 5:20; I John 2:6; 4:17
4. Man is a three part being — spirit, soul, and body. I Thess 5:23
a. The spirit is the part of man that contacts God. The body contacts the physical world. The soul is our mind, emotions, and will.
b. For the sake of understanding we could say it this way: Man is a spirit who lives in a physical body and possesses a soul (mind and emotions).
c. The Bible also says it this way — there is an inner man (the spirit and the soul) and an outer man (the physical body). II Cor 4:16
5. There are three aspects to being conformed to the image of Christ.
a. At the new birth, our spirits are conformed to the image of Christ through the new life we receive (ZOE). II Cor 5:17,18
b. After we are born again, we are to study and do God’s word, and begin the
process of conforming our souls to the image of Christ. Rom 12:1,2
c. When Christ comes for the Church at the rapture, He will make our bodies like His glorious body and finish the process. I John 3:2; Phil 3:20,21
6. Eph 2:3–Before we were saved, we were dominated by our body and our mind (soul). But, that has to change. God’s plan is that our spirit, which now has the life of God in it, dominate our soul (mind and emotions) and body.
a. We are told to take on outwardly the characteristics and behavior of the new man (life) within us. Eph 4:24; Col 3:10
b. We are to be spirit ruled. That doesn’t just mean ruled by the Holy Spirit. Our spirit, which now has the life and nature of God in it, is supposed to dominate and control our soul and body. Gal 5:16,17; Rom 8:12,13
7. To be conformed to the image of Jesus in this life means we act like Him, talk like Him, live like Him because that new life on the inside is transforming us on the outside.
a. Rom 8:29–Molded into the image of His Son [and share inwardly His likeness].(Amp)
b. The more we are conformed to the image of Christ, the more we will reign in life.
1. Gen 1:26; John 4:24–We are made in the image and likeness of God. That means:
a. We are in the same class as God. That doesn’t mean we are God. It means we are made in such a way that God can indwell us and fellowship with us.
b. We are eternal beings. Now that we do exist, we are going to live forever.
c. We can live independent of our bodies.
2. Paul understood that he was a spirit being who was to dominate his soul and body.
a. I = the spirit man. Phil 1:22-24; 4:13; I Cor 9:27; II Cor 5:6; II Cor 4:7-11
b. All of this enabled Paul to live independent of circumstances. Phil 4:11 For, however I am placed, I, at least, have learnt to be independent of
circumstances. (20th Cent)
c. Independent of circumstances is another way of saying reigning in life.
3. Your identity now is that you are a spirit being who has the life and nature of God in him.
a. John 3:3-6–That which is born of the Spirit is spirit. You are a spirit.
b. You are born from above (John 3:5). You are born of God (I John 5:1). You are of God (I John 4:4).
c. You must learn to see yourself from that standpoint. II Cor 5:16–Consequently, from now on we estimate and regard no one from a [purely] human point of view — in terms of natural standards of value. [No] even though we once did estimate Christ from a human viewpoint and as a man, yet now [we have such knowledge of Him that] we know Him no longer [in terms of the flesh]. (Amp)
d. That is how God sees you. When He looks at you, He sees His own nature. He put it there!! He wants you to see yourself that way.
4. To be spirit conscious really means to become God-inside minded.
a. You live your life with the awareness that you have the life of God in you, that God dwells in you.
b. You are aware that God now deals with you on the basis of these facts. You know that you can relate to Him on the basis of these facts.
c. You can deal with life and its troubles on the basis of these facts — the Greater One is in you. I John 4:4
5. The problem with this is that we are much more conscious of what we see and feel than we are of spiritual realities. That doesn’t change simply because we are born again.
1. Not seen doesn’t mean not real. It means invisible. Luke 2:8-15
a. Invisible means spiritual; spiritual doesn’t mean not real, it means you can’t see it.
b. God is a Spirit and He is invisible. Yet God is real. And, He is the most powerful Being there is. John 4:24; Heb 11:27; I Tim 1:17; 6:16; Col 1:15
c. All of the seen creation is the work of the unseen, invisible God who reigns over an invisible, spiritual kingdom. Heb 11:3
d. The invisible not only created the visible, but it can and does affect and change the visible. And, it will outlast the visible. Gen 1:3; II Cor 4:18
2. There are two other names for these realms — natural and supernatural.
a. Natural = of or relating to nature; conforming to the laws of nature or of the physical world.
b. Supernatural = of or relating to an order of existence beyond the visible, observable universe.
3. We were created to be the companions of a supernatural, miracle working God. Christianity is supernatural from start to finish. We are supernatural beings.
a. Supernatural = a departing from what is usual or normal, especially so as to appear to transcend the laws of nature, i.e.. miracles. Mark 4:39; Acts 3:6-8
b. We are supposed to be supernatural people, people who live and move in the realm of the unseen and transcend the laws of nature. II Kings 6:13-17
4. Most people, even followers of Christ, live by the natural.
a. Matt 16:6-12–Although the disciples had seen Jesus multiple fish and loaves twice at this point (Matt 14:15-21; 15:32-39), their first reaction to thinking Jesus wanted bread was “where and how are we going to get it?”.
b. John 11:20-45–Although Jesus has already raised at least two people from the dead at this point (Luke 7:11-16; Mark 5:38-43), it doesn’t even occur to Martha that Jesus would raise her brother from the dead.
5. One of the problems with the church at Corinth was that they were living as natural men rather than as supernatural men. I Cor 3:1-4
a. Spiritual = of the spirit, spiritual people or things; carnal = fleshly, carnal; earthly, material.
b. v3–For you are still (unspiritual, having the nature) of the flesh — under the control of ordinary impulses. For as long as [there are] envying and jealousy and wrangling and factions among you, are you not unspiritual and of the flesh, behaving yourselves after a human standard and like mere (unchanged) men? (Amp)
6. They were living like mere men when they had the very life and nature of God in them.
7. If we are going to reign in life, we are going to have to learn to live like what we are — supernatural men and women.
1. Recognize that it takes time and effort.
a. We must learn the new habits and language of the unseen kingdom to which we now belong.
b. The unseen realm, the unseen realities, have to become more real to you than what you see or feel. Your response to life, your thought and actions, must be based on these unseen realties.
2. These supernatural realities are only revealed to us in God’s word, so we must study the Bible. We must get good teaching. Eph 4:11-13
a. These supernatural realities become operative in our lives by the Spirit of God through the word of God. II Cor 3:18; James 1:22-24
b. We must take time to meditate in God’s word. Meditate = think and say.
c. As we do, the spirit man will be built up, become stronger. Acts 20:32
b. And, our minds will be illuminated by the Holy Spirit, and become renewed = subject to the word of God, in harmony with the new man on the inside. I Cor 2:12
3. These lessons will be waste of time unless we meditate on the truths of God’s word.
a. I am begotten of God. James 1:18
b. I am united with God. I Cor 6:17
c. I am a partaker of God’s nature. II Pet 1:4
d. I am of God. I John 4:4
e. I am born from above. John 3:3,5
f. I am born of God. John 3:3,5
g. I am a new creation created in Christ Jesus. II Cor 5:17
h. I am a master of everything connected with the old creation. I John 5:4
i. satan has no dominion over me. James 4:7
j. God’s very nature has come into my spirit. II Pet 1:4
k. His nature is absorbing me, taking me over. Eph 3:19
l. His nature is building into me the things I see and admire in Jesus. II Cor 3:18
m. God is in me. Col 1:27
n. God’s strength is mine. God’s ability is mine. Phil 4:13
o. God’s health is mine. His success is mine. I Pet 2:24; II Cor 2:14
p. I am a winner. I am a conqueror. I am a success because the Greater One with His great ability is in me. Rom 8:37
q. God in me is greater than satan who is the god of this world. I John 4:4
r. God in me is greater than the laws of nature that surround me. Mark 11:23
s. God, with His limitless ability, is at work in me. Phil 2:13
4. If we will take the time and make the effort to study and meditate on God’s word, we’ll learn to live like supermen.