Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

— 2 Peter 1:4

God has placed within our hands many exceeding great and precious promises:  promises of health, wealth, victory, power, peace, joy; promises of deliverance and total freedom.  These promises have a purpose beyond “Gee, I wish I could have them.”  They have been given to you so you can partake of, or take part in, the divine nature of God.  When you were born again and recreated, your old sinful nature was replaced with the divine nature of God.  Your very makeup has the same traits as Almighty God-–love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance (Gal. 5:22, 23).  You have God-potential and God-ability in you because Christ is in you.  But you can go your whole life and never take advantage of this new, wonderful nature.  How do you hook up to or connect to this new you?  Through the precious promises of God.  As you believe the promises, you will not only put on the new man and the new nature, but you will also put off the old man and escape the old nature.  Do not struggle or battle with the old nature and old faults, but put on the new man in your thought-life, and the old will leave at the same time.  Put on righteousness, and you will sin not!  Put on health and sickness will flee; put on the divine nature of God and the old corrupt nature will disappear.  It is your responsibility to put on the new nature by spending time in the promises of God.  Partake of, and start to live in, your divine nature today!

But ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.

— Romans 8:15b

You have received the Spirit of adoption, or the Spirit Who places you in the position of a son.  A child (immature offspring) of God is always waiting for God to do something, but a son knows he has already been placed in a state of victory in God.  He is not waiting on God to heal, and bless, and deliver him, but he knows God has given him a healed, blessed, and delivered position.  He is not waiting for God to send Jesus to the cross again to help him, but he is believing in what God has already done and has provided for him there.  God has healed him with the stripes, blessed him with every spiritual blessing, and sent His Word and already delivered him (I Peter 2:24; Eph. 1:3; Psalm 107:20)!  He is no longer complaining about his problems and what God is not doing, but he is crying “Abba, Father,” because he has been placed in the position of a son.  The basis for this relationship to God is not his own performance but the performance of Jesus, Who made him a new creation, and a son of God.  He is now standing fast in the truth or liberty with which Christ has made him free!  He is no longer entangled in the yoke of fear (Gal. 5:1).  He has moved into the “I am” realm–-I am healed–-I am blessed-–I am a son of God–-I am led by the Spirit!  Are you?

And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.

— Romans 8:17

When you were born into the kingdom of God, you became an heir of God.  You became the inheritor of all that Jesus paid for on the cross.  You are not only an heir, but the Bible says you are a joint heir.  Jesus was made alive, you were made alive.  He was seated at the right hand of God, you are seated.  He was given all authority in heaven and earth, you were given all authority in heaven and earth.  He rules and reigns, you are to rule and reign.  He is the Son of God anointed by the Spirit, you are now a son of God anointed by the Spirit.  You do not receive these things when you die, you received them when He died.  They are available to the Body of Christ today.  If you believe these spiritual inheritances, talk them, and live them, you will suffer persecution, not only from the world, but also from other Christians who are afraid to believe their wonderful inheritance.  Why are they afraid to believe?  Because they are still children who are not led by the Holy Spirit into truth, but are led by their natural circumstances.  They will not believe they have anything until they see it.  But they will never see it, because you can only see it​ when you believe it!  Jesus said if you believe, you will see the glory of God (John 11:40)!  Don’t try to figure it out or think it out, just get in the Word and believe the wonderful inheritance that is yours in Christ.

And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers.

— Ephesians 4:11

God has given gifts to the Body of Christ.  The five-fold ministry was given by God to the Church to help the Body of Christ mature and grow.  These are people who have been anointed by God to teach and instruct the Body of Christ.  If they were not needed in your life, God would not have given them to you as a member of the Body.  They are no better or worse than regular church members, they just have been given a different ability.  The leadership you are under will determine what you receive in your spiritual walk.  You cannot desire to live a powerful, supernatural Christian life if you are under leadership which does not believe​ in the power of God!  If they believe God doesn’t heal, then you will live sick; if they believe poverty is godly, you will live poor; if they believe you are still a sinner, you will live in sin.  You can only receive from the head what the head has!  Make sure you find a leader who is in line with God’s Word.  Then sit back and learn of the things of God.  Remember, they are not doing a job, but are a gift to you to enable you to mature spiritually.