BELIEVER’S CONFESSION OF FAITH

                           By Pastor Max Solbrekken, D.D.

     "What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's." (1 Cor. 6:19, 20).

       THE BELIEVER’S CONFESSION OF FAITH: ‘I am not my own. I am God's property, purchased by Christ’s blood alone! My body is the temple of the Living God. He lives in me and I live in Him. I have been crucified with Christ and the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself for me!

      I have been CRUCIFIED with Christ because He took my place on the cursed Tree. I have been BURIED with Christ through water baptism. I am RISEN with Christ into newness of life through the Blessed Holy Spirit. I am SEATED with Christ in Heavenly places through adoption! (Gal.3: 26, 27; 4: 4-6). And when Christ returns for His own, I will be READY to meet Him and will LIVE with my Lord forevermore! I shall therefore STRIVE to glorify Him in my body, soul and spirit!    

     The Bible declares: “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me.” (Gal.2: 20)

      St. Paul stated: “Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into His death? Therefore we are buried with Him by baptism into death: that like as Jesus Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in the NEWNESS OF LIFE.

     “For if we have been planted together in the likeness of His death, we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection: Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that is dead is freed from sin. Now if we be DEAD with Christ, we believe that we shall also LIVE with Him.

      “Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead, dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over Him. For in that He died, He died unto sin once; but in that He liveth, He liveth unto God. Likewise reckon ye yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Rom.6: 3-11)

I AM SECURE IN JESUS CHRIST!

      The Bible states: “NO WEAPON that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgement thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of Me, saith the Lord.” (Isa. 54: 17; 1 Cor.1: 30)

      I am secure in Jesus Christ. A Gospel Song in the Norwegian language says: ‘No Accuser can reach me and no enemy can destroy me. I am clean, clean, clean, in Jesus’ Blood!’

      I am bone of His bones and flesh of His flesh and a member in particular of His Body! (Eph. 5: 30). He has no sickness or disease in His body and since I am a partaker of His life, I should not have any either. My prayer is that He will pour His health and strength into me and grant us the Gifts of the Spirit to bring HEALING to all who are reaching out to Christ in faith!

      JESUS HAS NO SIN, so I must flee temptations that war against the soul and ask our Lord to give me the power to live above sin and live a righteous life. My chief desire and joy should always be to seek our Heavenly Father’s face and do His will in all things!

     St. Peter declared: "Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the PRECIOUS BLOOD OF CHRIST, as a lamb without blemish or spot:

     "Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last days for you, who by Him do believe in God, that raised Him up from the dead, and gave Him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God." (1 Peter 1: 18-21)

      THE ALMIGHTY, EVER LIVING ONE stated: “Because thou hast made the Lord, which is my refuge, even the Most High thy habitation; there shall NO EVIL befall thee, neither shall any PLAGUE come nigh thy dwelling. Because He hath set His love upon Me, therefore, will I deliver him: I will set him on High, because he hath known My name.

      “He shall call upon Me and I will answer him. I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him. With long life will I satisfy him, and show him My salvation.” (Ps. 91:1, 2 9, 10). What does this mean? Exactly what it says: No evil means NO EVIL!

NOTHING SHALL HURT YOU!

     JESUS commanded His Seventy Disciples: "And into whatsoever city ye enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you: And HEAL the sick that are therein, and say unto them, The Kingdom of God is come nigh unto you." (Luke 10: 8, 9).

      "And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through Thy name. And He said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from Heaven. Behold, I give unto you POWER to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you." (Luke 10:17-19)

     THE GREAT PHYSICIAN stated: “…I am the Lord that healeth thee.” (Ex. 15: 26); “And ye shall serve the Lord thy God and He shall bless thy bread and water; and I will take sickness away from the midst of thee.” (Ex.23: 25)

     “Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless His holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; Who healeth all thy diseases; Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; Who crowneth thee with loving kindness and tender mercies; Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s.” (Ps. 103: 1-5)

       “Surely He hath borne our SICKNESSES (heb. nasa), and  carried our PAINS (heb. sable): yet we did esteem Him stricken, smitten of God and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: The chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes we are healed.

      “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned everyone to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all. Yet, it pleased the Lord to bruise (crush) Him. He hath put Him to grief…” (Isa. 53: 4-6, 10)

JESUS CHRIST OUR HIGH PRIEST!

    Jesus Christ our Intercessor prays for us constantly. As our High Priest He entered into the Holy of Holies with His precious blood for He is also the Sacrifice as well as the Mercy Seat (expiation, covering). His death on Golgotha for our sins satisfied the Father, meeting the demands of Divine Justice on our behalf.

      Jesus of Nazareth, True God from Eternity and True Man by His Virgin Birth bore our sicknesses (heb. nasa) and carried our pains (heb. sable): “Surely He hath borne our sicknesses and carried our pains: yet we did esteem Him stricken, smitten of God and afflicted.”   (Isa.53: 4).

      He paid for our SINS by shedding His pure and perfect BLOOD for us on the CROSS: “But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement of our peace was upon Him and with His stripes we are HEALED.” (Isa. 53: 5)

      The Gospel of St Matthew and the Epistle St. Peter confirm this great truth: “When the even was come, they brought unto Him many that were possessed by devils: and He cast out the spirits with His Word and healed all the were sick: That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the Prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities and bare our sicknesses.” (Matt.8: 16, 17)

      “Who His own self bare our sins in His own body on the tree, that we being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by Whose stripes we are healed.” (1 Peter 2: 24) Basically, Jesus Christ of Nazareth was found ‘Guilty of Love in the First Degree’: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting Life. For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.” (John 3: 16, 17)

      Again, the Holy Bible declares: “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him.” (John 3: 36) Amen.