Taking Ownership of what you Possess

Many believers have never taken ‘ownership’ of what God has given them - of what they already possess! They have great and powerful tools in their hands that much of the time are not recognised and seldom used. Yet 2 Peter 1:3-4 declares, “His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life (the natural) and godliness (the spiritual), through the knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these (promises) you may be partakers of the divine nature.”

The Moffatt translation says, “Inasmuch as His power divine has bestowed upon us every requisite for life and godliness by the knowledge of Him who called us to His own glory and excellence - bestowing on us thereby promises precious and supreme, that by means of them (the promises) you would participate in the divine nature.” This implies, when we take ownership of (and responsibility for) God’s precious promises we in fact engage in the divine nature. This enables us to live a victorious and prosperous existence (both in the natural and the spiritual).

Note, “All things” in the Greek refers to all things both spiritual and material, and “every requisite” means every necessity of life. Therefore, God’s divine power has catered for every necessity of life - and godliness! Another way of putting it is this, “God has already given us every conceivable thing that is essential to living both an abundant and a righteous life.” None of us has any excuse because we have been fully equipped!

With the scripture still ringing in your ears, let me ask you this; how often do you hear people praying, "Oh, if only God would bless me!" or, "Please God bless me... bless me with wisdom, with patience; bless me in this or that matter, bless me to get favour in my job, etc..." The list goes on and on. Yet, with all this sincere seeking and praying, so many believers often miss the true blessings of God. Why is that?

I remember an interesting story I once heard a pastor tell. One day as he was frantically searching through his house, in quite a state, his wife asked, "What are you looking for dear?" "My keys - I’m late and I’ve lost my keys! Haven't you seen my keys anywhere?" "What’s that in your hand?" she enquired. Much to his amazement, he discovered that he had picked up the keys without even realising it. They were already in his possession, yet he didn’t know!

Today, the question you should all be asking yourselves is simply this, “What have I got in my hand?” “What have I laid hold of without even realise it?” And, “Have I really taken responsibility for what God has given me?” In Ephesians 1:3 we discover that we have already been blessed with abundant blessings. "He has blessed us with every spiritual blessing," past tense. So what have we been blessed with? Everything! You have been blessed with the blessings of Christ Himself and these blessings are held for you IN HIM. Christ is the vessel in which God has deposited everything that is essential to life and godliness. Because you have Christ, you also have all the spiritual blessings of heaven. Through Christ, all the heavenly resources are now at your disposal. But are you acting like they are yours - have you taken ownership?

We have been given the keys of the kingdom. What we bind on earth can be bound in heaven, and what we loose on earth can be loosed in heaven (Matthew 16:19). The measure for everything we do, and every situation we are confronted with, is ‘heaven’. Is there sickness in heaven? Is there anxiety in heaven? Is there defeat in heaven? NO!

Remember, the blessings come to you through Jesus Christ and are received by faith (Galatians 3:14). "... Knowing that you were called to this, that you might inherit every blessing" (I Peter 3:9). You were called to inherit a blessing. Every blessing contained in Christ Jesus is your birthright; so therefore, you need to take responsibility for what you already possess! Why? Certainly not to consume them upon your own selfish desires. God has blessed you that you might be able to render a blessing to others. You are obliged to give from what you own - from what you possess!

What God told Abraham applies to you as well. "I will bless you and you will be a blessing... (Genesis 12:2). God has blessed you with every blessing (in Christ Jesus) and you are in fact a true blessing - whether you acknowledge it or not! This truth is the essence of the divine nature that you are now fully engaged in. Therefore, this is the real you! Like Jesus, you can be a blessing to all you come into contact with.

Through His divine power you have been given all things that pertain to life and godliness. However, what exactly has God placed in your hand in order for you to be (and act) just like Him? What great attributes do you already possess that you need to take ownership of? Here are seven:

[1] God has placed in your hand the power (ability) to obtain wealth, that He may establish His covenant (keep His promise) - Deuteronomy 8:18. You possess the power to become rich, but have you taken ownership of this ability? Due to the state of righteousness that you have secured in Christ Jesus, wealth and riches should be in your house (Psalm 112:3). What’s more, Ecclesiastes 5:18.19 tells us that you should be enjoying the good of all your labour because it is your heritage. “As for every man to whom God has given riches and wealth, and given him the power to ‘eat of it’ (to enjoy it), to receive his heritage and rejoice in his labour - this is a gift of God.”

God rejoices in the prosperity of His people (Psalm 35:27), however, He wants you to rejoice also. He wants you to enjoy your prosperity - this is a gift! Remember what Ephesians 1:3 said; “He has (past tense) blessed you with all spiritual blessings.” And Proverbs 10:22 says, “The blessing of the Lord makes one rich, and He adds no sorrow with it.” So use what God has placed in your hand and enjoy your wealth.

[2] God has given you talents (gifts) according to your own ability (capacity) - Matthew 25:15. The wise use of your gifts will result in greater opportunities, yet their neglect results not only in the loss of more opportunities but also that, which was entrusted to you in the first place. Every one of you, young or old, possesses gifts from God that bring about success in life. Have you identified these gifts? And if you have, have you nurtured and developed them? Taking ownership of what you possess means putting what you have to good use!

[3] God has given you all authority - Matthew 28:18,19. You can exercise this authority anytime because you were created to have dominion - to rule and reign in this life. You have been given the keys of the kingdom (Matthew 16:19) - they are in your hand right now! You have also been given the Name of Jesus - Mark 16:17. You can use what’s in your hand to cast out demons, heal the sick and set the captives free. Your authority places every demonic force under your feet. The sceptre of authority is in your hand - take ownership of it!

[4] You have been given the blessed Holy Spirit - John 14:16,17. You have been given another Helper, the Spirit of truth. Someone, who will do exactly what Jesus would do if He was with you in person. The Holy Spirit is closer to you than you are to yourself! He will lead you into all truth. It is through His eyes that everything is seen in a new light. Without Him you cannot see properly. Therefore, taking ownership of the blessed Holy Spirit is enjoying a fresh and accurate view of life. The blind can see if they are genuinely prepared to take responsibility for the Holy Spirit, His presence and ministry!

[5] You have been given God’s word - John 17:14. You have been given the means by which God makes Himself known, declares His will, and brings about His purposes. This Word is powerfully creative (Ezekiel 37:4); its purposes are irresistible (Isaiah 55:11); it is totally dependable (Isaiah 40:8); and this Word meets deep needs in the human heart and provides joy, satisfaction and confident direction that can be achieved in no other manner (Deuteronomy 8:3, Jeremiah 15:16).

God’s word has the power to penetrate all pretence and discern the thoughts and intents of the heart (Hebrew 4:12). The Word is a lamp to your feet and a light to your path (Psalm 119:105). However, unless you hold the Word up high you cannot get it to shine anywhere. The Word is also the sword of the Spirit (Ephesians 6:17). But a sword is of no use in battle if you do not (a) know that you have it in your possession, or (b) act like you own it (have not borrowed it for the day)! Too many believers treat God’s infallible word like it belongs to someone else - like it isn’t theirs! When you take ownership of the Word you become totally familiar with it.

[6] You have been given the glory which God gave to Jesus - John 17:22. The same honour, dignity and great worth that God gave to Jesus is yours! You need not suffer low self-esteem or poor self-worth. You have the glory of Jesus in you and on you! This is the glory of the resurrection. It is a glory for unity in fellowship (one to another) - the ability to be in one accord. But don’t forget, it’s also the power that quickens our mortal bodies. Of you have sickness in your body allow the glory (that resurrection power) to arise and shine!

“Arise, shine for your light has come! And the glory of the Lord is risen upon you” (Isaiah 60:1). Don’t accept the lies of the devil. You are valuable and precious in God’s sight, and to prove it, He has given you the same glory He gave His only begotten Son. Therefore, let go of every insecurity and take ownership of the glory you possess. When you do, you will move from glory to glory!

[7] You have the love with which the Father loved Jesus living in you - John 17:26. Perfect love casts out all fear (1 John 4:18). If you are in fear then take ownership of this perfect love - it belongs to you. This is a love that never ever fails (1 Corinthians 13:8) and it’s already in your possession!

“In all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For neither death not life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” – Romans 8:37-39.

Back to our opening scripture…

“Inasmuch as His power divine has bestowed upon us every requisite for life and godliness by the knowledge of Him who called us to His own glory and excellence - bestowing on us thereby promises precious and supreme, that by means of them (the promises) you would participate in the divine nature.” Implying that when we take ownership of (and responsibility for) God’s precious promises we in fact engage in the divine nature, and this enables us to live a victorious and prosperous existence (both in the natural and the spiritual).

Chris Demetriou, 11/10/2009