(Music) JERRY: Hello, everyone. I'm Jerry Savelle. Welcome to our broadcast today.
I'm thrilled to be able to share the Word with you. I've got a great message, I believe you're going to enjoy. I'm going to take you into our Heritage of Faith Christian Center, an outreach of Jerry Savelle Ministries right here in Crowley, Texas.
I was preaching on the subject of reigning in life. I want to read to you Romans chapter 5 verse 17, "They which receive abundance of grace and have the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ. " Amplified says, "Reign in life as kings.
" You and I should be reigning in life. Life shouldn't be reigning over us. We have dominion.
We have authority. We have a right to live blessed. We have a right to live healed.
We have a right to have the favor of God on our lives. In fact, we have a right to win in every battle, every adversity that we encounter. So I want to encourage you, listen very closely, I'm going to take you into that service when I was preaching this.
In fact, we're going to be talking about this for the next several weeks. I believe, praise God, if you pay very close attention, take notes if possible, you are going to hear something that will change your life forever. Reigning in life, it's exciting, so get ready now.
Let's go into that service where we're talking about, once again, reigning in life. JERRY: If you have your Bibles with you, open them to Romans chapter 5, Romans chapter 5. I'm led of the Lord to share with you one of the key revelations that I learned 48 years ago that began my walk of victory.
In verse 17, "For if by one man's offense, death reigned by one, much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ. " Let's read it once again, "They which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ. " Now, what are the two qualifying factors?
You receive abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness. That qualifies you to reign in life. How many of you have received abundance of grace?
How many of you have received the gift of righteousness? Then look at somebody and say, "I'm supposed to be reigning. " Amen.
We're not to live in defeat. We're not to fail all the days of our lives. We're not to be bound by the beggarly elements of this world.
Notice, "They which receive abundance of grace. " Who are the 'they'? I'm one of the 'they'.
Lift your hand if you're one of the 'they'. Look at somebody and say, "I'm one of the they. " So we have received the abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness.
2 Corinthians 5:21, the apostle Paul says, "For he hath made him . . .
" speaking of Jesus, "to be sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. " Now, notice a few moments ago we were referred to as 'they'. In this Scripture it's referred to as 'we'.
So look at your neighbor and say, "I'm one of the they. And I'm one of the we. " Amen.
He was made to be sin for us that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. So I'm one of the 'we'. That means I have been made righteous.
Notice back in Romans 5:15, he says, that it is a free gift. Righteousness is a free gift. That simply means, there's not anything you could do to earn it.
Amen. You can't do enough good works to get righteous. You can't be a good enough Christian to be righteous.
You can't avoid sin and finally get righteous. You were made the righteousness of God when he hung on the cross. Hallelujah.
When he was raised from the dead you were justified by faith. That means God's not mad at you and God is not holding anything against you. Hallelujah.
You're not an old sinner saved by grace. You can't be both. You were an old sinner.
You got saved by grace. Hallelujah. Now you're the righteousness of God.
Look at somebody and say, "I am the righteousness of God. " Tell somebody else, "And I'm supposed to be reigning in life. " Now, if you're not reigning in life, it's not God's fault, not God's fault.
Amen. So righteousness is something we must receive, it's a gift. If somebody offered me a gift .
. . In fact, I just came back from a tour and one of the churches I was preaching in, the pastor, after the service he said, "Brother Savelle, I have a gift for you.
" He had a beautiful watch that he wanted to bless me with. It was a Steve McQueen, Daytona, I mean, Le Mans watch. It was a duplicate of the same watch he wore in that race.
You know, I didn't say, "I'm so unworthy. I don't deserve that Steve McQueen watch. " I said, "Give it to me.
" I had it on before I got back to the hotel, praise God. I text him when I got back to the hotel and said, "I got my watch on. It's beautiful.
Thank you, sir. Thank you very much. " I texted him again, and thanked him for it.
It was a gift. I received it. Righteousness is a gift.
Go ahead and receive it. Amen. Just hold you hands up like this and say, "I receive it.
" Come on, pull it into yourself. I receive the gift of righteousness. Can you say amen?
Look at somebody at say, "How does it feel sitting next to a righteous person? " Amen. Now, righteousness is an old English word that simply means right-standing.
That means we have right standing with God. Romans chapter 5 and verse 1, "Therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. " What a great revelation.
Let this sink in. You know what, it amazes me how many Christians have not yet learned this. Some Christians still dealing with, "I'm so unworthy.
" You hear preachers talking about, preaching to their congregations, "There's none righteous, no not one. " That was true before Jesus gave his life. There was none righteous, no not one.
Preachers still say today, "Our righteousness is as filthy rags. " That was true before Jesus gave his life and we were justified. Amen.
You are the righteousness of God. You're not going to get righteous when you get to heaven. If you wait til you get to heaven it'll be too late, you might not make it.
You have to receive it as a gift. Amen. You can't earn it.
It's a gift. Say, "I'm the righteousness of God. I have right standing with God.
God's not mad at me. He's not holding anything against me. My sin has been remitted.
It's under the blood. The Son has made me free, and I am free indeed. " Give the Lord a shout if believe it, praise God.
Amen. So if righteousness is a gift, then we receive it. Now, go back to Romans chapter 5 verse 17, "They which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness, shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.
" So once again, this simply tells us that we have a right to reign in life because of the grace of God that's on our lives and because he's made us to have right standing with him. Another word for reign is the word dominion. To have dominion.
Which implies possessing sovereign power, possessing sovereign power. It also implies having royal authority, that's what reign means. Sounds like something kings might do, sounds like something kings might have.
You know, in the Old Testament you'll see Scriptures that talk about, in the reign of Darius, in the reign of a certain king, or so forth. Every king has authority, every king has dominion, royal authority. The Bible clearly states in Revelation chapter 1 verses 5 and 6, "Unto him that loved us and washed us from our sins, in his own blood, hath made us kings and priests unto our God.
He's the king of kings. " He's the big king. We the little kings.
Hallelujah. Amen. We have been made kings.
Start acting like one. You have royal authority. You have dominion, praise God.
Can you say amen? Don't walk around with your head down, feeling sorry for yourself. Pity party.
Talking about nothing works for me. Nothing good ever happens for me. You need to wake up to righteousness is what Paul said.
Awake unto righteousness. Amen. I don't go around saying I'm righteous because I'm so good.
I go around saying I'm righteous because he's so good. He made me righteous. I tell you the day I learned that 48 years ago, my life has never been the same.
When I found out, and I don't mind telling you, I didn't find it out on my own. I learned it from Kenneth Copeland. One of the first sermons I heard him preach 48 years ago about the reality of righteousness.
Having right standing with God. I never knew that. I thought God was mad at us.
That's what most Christians told me. You know? That God's holding things against us.
I grew up in a church where the pastor, he said all the time "We're just old sinners saved by grace. " We believed it. We didn't know any better.
I guess nobody in there read the Bible. I don't ever remember reading the Bible when I was a kid, other than I loved the story of Samson. I read the story of Samson.
That's all I read. I read one time about David and Goliath. I like little people beating up on big people.
I read about Samson, I wanted to let my hair grow out. I figured, you know, long haired guys, they bad. Hallelujah.
They didn't have anything to do with it. They didn't have anything to do with it. I never read the Bible.
Now I believe Jesus died. I believe he rose from the dead. I believed he was coming back.
I believed all those things. But you can believe all those things and still live in poverty, sickness, disease, lack, want. But the day I found out that I had right standing with God, that he was not mad at me, he was not holding anything against me.
Then I came across scriptures that said "The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. " The Amplified says "Makes tremendous power available. Dynamic in it's working.
" I thought, wow, if you could ever get to be righteous. Wouldn't you be a praying dude? Amen.
I found out I was righteous. Then I found scriptures like "The eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers. " I thought, man, if you could ever get to be righteous.
God would hear every prayer that you prayed. Then I found out where David said, by this time he's an old man and he says I once was young, but now I'm old. But I have never seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.
I thought, man if you could ever get to be righteous. Wouldn't that be something? I found out I already was.
Hallelujah. Amen. I'll never have to beg bread.
Never, never, never as long as I live. I'll never beg bread. Hallelujah.
My prayers are heard by almighty God. His eyes are over me. His ears are open unto my prayers.
It's not because of anything I did. It's because of what he did. Hallelujah.
You can't earn this. It's a gift. Go ahead and say I receive it.
CONGREGATION: I receive it. JERRY: Can you say amen? CONGREGATION: Amen.
JERRY: He has made us kings and priests. We are to reign in life. If you don't participate, I'm going somewhere else and preach.
I said did you know? CONGREGATION: Did you know? JERRY: Say it like you mean it.
Did you know? CONGREGATION: Did you know? JERRY: I have royal authority.
CONGREGATION: I have royal authority. JERRY: And that I'm supposed to be reigning in life. CONGREGATION: And that I'm supposed to be reigning in life.
JERRY: Life is not supposed to reign over me. CONGREGATION: Life is not supposed to reign over me. JERRY: I reign in life.
CONGREGATION: I reign in life. JERRY: I have right standing with God. CONGREGATION: I have right standing with God.
JERRY: And give the Lord a shout for it, hallelujah. Amen. You have right standing.
This is a vital Bible truth that still so many in the body of Christ do not know. That's the reason they talk defeat. They talk failure.
They talk lack. They talk sickness and disease. They don't ever intend to be the winner that God has called them to be.
They don't think they have a right to. Now, what we are supposed to do is reign in life. What is it we reign over?
Let's do a quick study here. What are we to reign over? Let's go to Romans chapter 5, verse 14.
"Nevertheless, death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come. " Then he goes on and talks about how that it is a free gift. Then notice in verse 12, "Wherefore as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin, and so death passed upon all men for that all men have sinned.
" Notice every person after Adam was born with the sin nature. You and I were born with the sin nature. Not because of something we did.
Because of something Adam did. As a result of that, we were born with the sin nature. It took the blood of Jesus to remit our sins.
It took his death and his resurrection to remit our sins. Then once we have received what he did at Calvary, then God remits our sins. He justifies us and then he tells us that sin shall no longer reign over you.
Can you say amen? CONGREGATION: Amen. JERRY: Sin will no longer reign over you.
It says, "Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal bodies that you should obey it in the lust there of. " Let not sin reign in your mortal bodies that you should obey the lust thereof. The only way that sin can reign over you is if you allow it.
Satan can't make you do anything unless you allow it. You know, there used to be a comedian on TV years ago. Some of you that are as old as I am you may remember a guy named Flip Wilson.
He did a skit. He talked about the devil made me do it. The devil cannot make you do anything.
You have to yield to it. Amen? That's what Paul is referring to in the very next verse, in verse 13.
He says "Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin, but yield yourselves unto God. Do not yield to sin, but yield yourselves unto God. " Sin is actually very easy to stop in your life.
You just refuse to yield to it. Amen. CONGREGATION: Amen.
Come on. JERRY: Brother Jerry. I just can't quit drinking.
Yes you can. Brother Jerry, I just can't quit smoking. Yes you can.
Brother Jerry, I just can't stop looking at pornography. Yes you can. Brother Jerry, I just can't quit cursing.
I can't stop using profanity. Yes you can. Amen.
You have to yield to it. Amen. The devil can't make you do anything you don't want to do.
Some of you men, that's what you tell your wives all the time. You can't make me do that. Why don't you get that feisty where the devil is concerned?
Then you treat your wife a little better. Okay. I feel some stones coming over here.
You have the authority. He knows you do. He's hoping you won't exercise it.
Even more so than that, he hopes you never find out that you have that kind of authority. Sin is actually very easy to stop in your life. You just refuse to yield to him.
CONGREGATION: Yes, sir. JERRY: In fact, the Bible says in Paul's writings in Corinthians, "Awake unto righteousness and sin not. " The greater revelation you have of your right standing with God, the less you're involved in sin.
CONGREGATION: Yep. Come on. JERRY: You're just not interested anymore.
Having right standing with God is so good that sin doesn't even come close. Amen? CONGREGATION: Amen.
JERRY: Are you still here? CONGREGATION: Yes. JERRY: Satan does not have the ability to make you do anything you don't want to do.
Now, the word yield means to give into it, to allow it to happen, to concede, to permit, to grant, or just simply to surrender. Now, in my mind I'm thinking, "That'd be the worst thing I could do is surrender to someone who's already defeated. " CONGREGATION: Yes.
Yes. Come on. That's right.
JERRY: To surrender to someone who's already been defeated at Calvary 2000 years ago. Why would I want to do that? Why would I want to surrender to a enemy that has already been beaten?
CONGREGATION: That's right. JERRY: Can you say amen? CONGREGATION: Amen.
JERRY: To surrender. That means that I would have to let go of everything I've been taught, let go of everything I've learned to yield to something. And the Bible says in the book of Hebrews that sin is for a season.
It has pleasure for a season. CONGREGATION: Yeah. Right.
Come on. JERRY: Why would I want to give up something that is eternal, everlasting for something that only lasts for a season? Can you say amen?
CONGREGATION: Amen. JERRY: The book of James chapter one verse 14, "But every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lust. " The Amplified says, "By his own worldly desire.
" That would say, if you aren't entertaining the thought then Satan has no authority over you. CONGREGATION: That's right. Yes, sir.
JERRY: If you're not entertaining the thought of something that is sinful then he does not have the ability to draw you into it. The Bible says, "If you do have thoughts that are contrary to the Word of God, you have the authority to cast them down. " CONGREGATION: Yeah.
Yeah. JERRY: Bring every thought into the obedience of Christ. Can you say amen?
CONGREGATION: Amen. JERRY: Sin begins with a thought. It can be defeated.
Amen. ANNOUNCER: Many people, even if they're Christians, are not living in the fullness of the blessing that God has intended from the start. God has called us to reign in life and that means we should be living in the fullness of the blessing.
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Call now or go online to JerrySavelle. org and request the powerful three CD series, "Living in the Fullness of the Blessing. " God wants each and every one of His children to live in the fullness of the blessing that he has pronounced on their lives.
It's up to you. Make the decision to rein in life and start living in the fullness of the blessing today. JERRY: Thank you once again for joining me today.
I trust you were inspired by the Word of God. Let me encourage you. Don't be just a hearer only, be a doer of the Word.
Reign in life. Take your dominion and your authority over your adversary. Don't let him rob you of God's best.
You have a right to rule in life and reign in life. Praise God. Today I want to make mention of our special offer, three CDs entitled, "Living in the Fullness of the Blessing.
" So many Christians today don't understand what it means to be blessed. They don't understand how to walk in the blessing. It's not just a religious word that we use from time to time.
It means more than just saying, "Bless you," when somebody sneezes. It's an empowerment. It's the empowerment to prosper, to excel, to rise above what holds other people down.
God wants you to live in the fullness of the blessing. You need to study Deuteronomy chapter 28 and particularly the first 14 verses. It talks about the blessing of Abraham.
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I know once you get them in your home you're going to enjoy every CD. In fact, invite friends and family over and I believe, praise God, you can have yourself a great Bible study. Once again, place your order today.
Don't forget all of our social media. You can log on to our website. We want to stay in contact with you.
We want to be a blessing to you. We want to continue to share with you what we've learned and how to overcome, how to rule, and how to reign. Once again, thank you for joining.
I look forward to talking with you and sharing the Word with you next week. Until then, remember, Jerry Savelle, reminding you that your faith will overcome the world. ANNOUNCER: Next week.
JERRY: Brother, I'm telling you, when you get a genuine revelation of your right standing with God, how good is that? It doesn't get any better. Right standing with God.
You get to run with the Creator of the universe and He's not mad at you. He is holding nothing against you. He considers you a friend.
He's a Father to you. How good is that? Amen.