SIX GREAT PRIVILEGES OF GRACE

"Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years." -- Revelation 20:6

When John saw Satan bound by Christ and the saints of God reigning with Christ, his heart broke out with wonder, adoration, and praise. And in his praise he sets before us these six great privileges of grace. Are you born of God? Do you trust the Lord Jesus Christ? If you are a believer, these six privileges belong to you. Meditate upon them and rejoice in them.

1. YOU ARE "BLESSED!” -- Lift up your heart! Why should the children of God spend their days mourning and weeping. If Christ is yours, God is yours, time is yours, heaven is yours, eternity is yours. "All things are yours." Every spiritual, heavenly blessing, every blessing of grace is yours, unconditionally, in Christ (Eph. 1:3).

2. YOU ARE "HOLY!" – This, too, is a blessing of grace. It is not a work performed by man. To be holy is to be purged of all sin by the blood of Christ (Heb. 1:3; 9:26), perfectly righteous before God by the imputation of Christ's righteousness in justification (Rom. 5:19), and have the righteous nature of Christ imparted to you in regeneration (1 Pet. 1:4; 1 John 3:9). This is what you are now -- "HOLY!"

3. YOU HAVE "PART IN THE FIRST RESURRECTION!" -- That is to say, you are born again by the power and grace of God.(Read John 5:25; Eph. 2:1-6). The first resurrection is, without question, the new birth. It is a resurrection from spiritual death to spiritual life in Christ.

4. UPON YOU "THE SECOND DEATH HATH NO POWER." -- If you are blessed of God, made holy in Christ, and born again by the Spirit of God, there is no possibility of condemnation for you (Rev. 21:8; 1 Cor.6:9-11; Rom. 8:1).

5. YOU ARE "PRIESTS OF GOD AND OF CHRIST!" -- What a privilege! Every believer is a priest, a priest with immediate access to and immutable acceptance with the eternal God, through the blood and righteousness of Jesus Christ. He is our Aaron, our great High Priest. But we are Aaron's sons, those who do business in the holy place!

6. YOU "SHALL REIGN WITH HIM A THOUSAND YEARS!" -- You are a king! And kings reign! We reign with Christ now over our enemies. We shall reign with Christ in heaven until this gospel age is over (the 1,000 years). And we shall reign with Christ forever in the new creation.

Amen.

Grace Baptist Church of Danville - Grace For Today Radio Message #828

2734 Old Stanford Road - Danville, Kentucky 40422-9438

Donald S. Fortner, Pastor -Telephone 606-236-8235 - Email grace@mis.net