Every believer whether he knows it or not has been blessed by God with everything he needs for living the abundant life, spirit, soul and body. That is the message of God’s grace and love. All that was lost through sin has been restored and multiplied unto us through Jesus.
Nevertheless, we see many well-meaning Christians who seem to live in the midst of great lack in one or more areas of their life. The availability of all the resources of heaven is of little meaning if we don’t know how to make those blessings real in our lives. That is why Jesus gave us the keys of the kingdom. (Mt. 16:19) If God’s blessings were automatic, we would all be the same. The moment a need arose, God’s grace would make it go away. But we know that is not how the kingdom functions.
Spiritual keys unlock the potential of the blessings that are in heavenly places. Jesus said, “To you it has been given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God, but to the rest it is given in parables.” Paul said, “Let a man so consider us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God.” Understanding how the Kingdom works is the key to receiving of God’s blessings.
Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. (2 Pet. 1:2-4)
It is through the knowledge of God that grace and peace come into our lives, and it is through His promises that we can partake of His nature and escape the corruption of the world. Though the Christian with no knowledge is blessed, it is unlikely that he will receive and enjoy God’s blessings. God’s people are destroyed for lack of knowledge, not for a lack of blessings!
The Power of Righteousness Releases Blessings
But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. (Mt. 6:33)
Matthew, chapter 6 is an enlightening discourse by Jesus that reveals the power of a transformed heart, the power of forgiveness and the power of spiritual focus. Jesus was speaking to the religious who lived in fear and worry. He explained that the key to abundant living was found in seeking first His kingdom and His righteousness. In other words, God’s provision is not received by fear, worry and religious tradition.
The most important revelation that I have ever received was the revelation of righteousness. When I ‘saw’ in my heart that I had been transformed and made the righteousness of God in Christ (2 Cor. 5:21), not only did my true identity begin to emerge, I was also instantly freed from guilt and condemnation. I was no longer a failure trying to be successful. A seed had found its way into my heart and was going to transform my life based on my new identity in Him. This was the most important key of the Kingdom in my life.
Without a revelation of righteousness, the other keys of the kingdom will become mere formulas and 12 step programs. Righteousness isn’t just a doctrine. It is a transforming reality. The ability to accept yourself, value what God has placed in you, and stand before Him with joy and no fear is indescribable. You no longer measure yourself against others.
For You, O Lord, will bless the righteous; With favor You will surround him as with a shield. (Ps. 5:12)
Don’t Stumble!
For if you do these things you will never stumble; for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. (2 Pet. 1:10-11)
This is quite a promise! The Holy Spirit is revealing a way to receive an abundant entrance into the Kingdom and never stumble! This is what grace does. But grace without knowledge is only potential. Lots of people have untapped potential. Many Christians leave God’s grace untapped as well. What are the things that we must do in order to enter into the abundance of the Kingdom?
But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. For, if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. . . . Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble; for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Some will complain that this sounds like ‘works!’ But these aren’t works to be saved, or works to make God love us more. These are keys. These qualities already exist in our recreated spirit. It is just a matter of being aware of them and releasing them. Virtue, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, kindness and love are all a part of the ‘new man’ that we have become. But if we choose to live in the flesh and not walk by the Spirit, we bury the nature of Christ and lose the abundant entrance to the kingdom. That is why so many continually ‘stumble’ through life. Their ‘new man’ is a doctrine but not a reality in their daily lives. They are blessed doctrinally, but poor in reality. They are not partaking of His divine nature.
Put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him. (Col. 3:10)
Faithfulness and Blessings
But the fruit of the Spirit is … faithfulness (Gal. 5:22)
A faithful man will abound with blessings. (Proverbs 28:20)
Though we have already been blessed in Christ, those blessings reach us by means of various ‘keys’ of the Kingdom. Faithfulness is one of those keys. Faith or faithfulness is a fruit of the Spirit, part of our recreated nature. The potential for faithfulness exists in every believer. This is not something that we have to work up, but rather something that flows from us as we walk in the Spirit.
We will always have the option to live by the flesh or live by the Spirit. The carnal Christian (1 Cor. 3:1) is just as blessed as the spiritual Christian, but he will seldom see those blessings. Those who sow to the flesh reap corruption. But the faithful Christian is sowing to the Spirit and positioning himself to continually reap the harvest of God’s grace in his life.
So then those who are of faith are blessed with believing Abraham. (Gal. 3:9)
The promises of God’s grace are available to all. Faithfulness is one of the keys to receiving them. Faithfulness is not legalism. Just because we do something more than once or twice does not mean we have become legalistic. It means that the nature of Christ in us is faithful.
Generosity
He who has a generous eye will be blessed, For he gives of his bread to the poor. (Proverbs 22:9)
One of the most important keys of the kingdom and secrets to unleashing the blessings of God in our lives is the key of giving. Giving is the very essence of the heart of God. For God so loved the world that He gave…. When we truly are walking in God’s heart, we will be givers. His perfect love casts out fear and giving is the result.
And remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ (Acts 20:35)
Do you want to be ‘more blessed?’ Aren’t we already blessed? Yes, we are, but how do we unlock those blessings?
But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work. (2 Cor. 9:6-8)
This passage makes it very clear that God’s grace abounding unto you depends upon the attitude and the abundance of the giving heart. He is able to make ALL grace abound to you! How? By your cheerful, abundant giving. God loves a cheerful giver! But I thought God loved everybody? Yes, He does, but the cheerful giver has entered into His very nature. It is like the parent of a child who sees his child putting into action all the parent has taught them. The parent’s heart swells with pride.
Giving is the nature of God and when the nature of God becomes your nature (when you choose to live from your re-created spirit), you will also be a cheerful giver. It isn’t a work or an effort to get something from God. It is an extension of God’s life in you.
Now may He who supplies seed to the sower, and bread for food, supply and multiply the seed you have sown and increase the fruits of your righteousness, while you are enriched in everything for all liberality. (2 Cor. 9:10-11)
God supplies seed to the sower, not to the hoarder. God’s Kingdom is multiplied through giving. The fruits of your righteousness are increased through giving. This is one of the most powerful truths that exists in the Kingdom.
There is one who scatters, yet increases more; And there is one who withholds more than is right, But it leads to poverty. (Prov. 11:24)
Words
If anyone does not stumble in word, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle the whole body. (James 3:2)
We are ‘word’ creatures. God is a Word God, and has created all things by the Word. All things are held together by God’s Word and God has given to men the ability to determine their destinies by words. Words are the most powerful thing in the universe! Consider the following:
Words have the power to attract abundance to our lives.
A man’s stomach shall be satisfied from the fruit of his mouth; From the produce of his lips he shall be filled. (Prov. 18:20)
Words can make alive or kill.
Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit. (Prov. 18:21)
Words can become snares to our lives. Many live in captivity due to things they have said.
You are snared by the words of your mouth; You are taken by the words of your mouth. (Prov. 6:2)
Words can bring health and healing.
The tongue of the wise promotes health. (Prov. 12:18)
Words can give life to others.
A wholesome tongue is a tree of life. (Prov. 15:4)
Our words can deliver us from trouble, or into trouble.
Whoever guards his mouth and tongue keeps his soul from troubles. (Prov. 21:23)
One of the most important keys of the Kingdom and a powerful means to unlock the blessings of God in our lives is through the power of faith filled, love filled words. When our words flow from the Spirit and not from our emotions and feelings, we are sowing from our righteousness and His words will multiply His grace in our lives.
For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned. (Mt. 12:37)
Blessed In What You Do!
But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does. (James 1:25)
We have been created to ‘do’ things. God’s original purpose for Adam was that he would have dominion, subdue the earth and dress and keep the Garden. He was going to be a doer of God’s will and word. God’s purpose for man has not changed. We have been re-created for good works.
For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. (Eph. 2:10)
Once we understand that our works do not save us, we can enter into the freedom of our works revealing the nature of Christ within. When we begin to release the grace of God in us to the world around us, blessings find us.
"If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you. Most assuredly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master; nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him. If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.” (John 13:14-17)
“Blessed are you if you DO them.” Though we have been blessed with all blessings in Christ, there are keys to releasing God’s blessing in our lives. Being a doer of His Word is one of those keys.
Therefore whosoever hears these sayings of mine, and does them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. (Mt. 7:24-25)
Once again, our efforts must flow from our born again nature, not from our flesh. We do the Word when we allow it to motivate us to bless and serve others. When we love, we are doers of the Word. When we forgive, give, bless, and pray for others, we are doers of the Word. These things flow from our righteousness.
Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. (James 3:18)
Be Blessed!