So, what does "God's Property" mean?
If you are saved, acknowledged that you are a sinner and received Jesus Christ as your Savior, from the second you did that, you are no longer your own. Why? because you were bought back with the price of Jesus Christ's precious blood that He shed on the cross!
Jesus purchased you out of the market place of sin by dying on the cross for you ( became a substitute - because the wages of sin is death - he died in your place ). And since He bought you, you belong to Him!
To use an old and possibly hated parallel, when a slave master buys a slave, he or she has a right to do what they wish with the slave. After all, they bought the slave!
Just like you buy a car, you get into it and you expect it to take you where you want to go. It would really be something if you got into your car expecting to go downtown to do grocery shopping, and your car decided to take a cross-country trip to California or New York City!
You would be outraged! After all, you shelled out hard-earned money to buy the car in the first place. Now, instead of your car doing what you want it to do, the car does what it wants to do! Hold that thought. . . . .
God expects the same of us. He made a provision for man to be freed eternally from sin by sending His Son ( Jesus ) to Earth, to go up and eventually die on the cross for the sins of mankind. Now, if man WANTS to come back to God, he can through accepting what Christ has done for him/her on the cross.
But, man himself must make that choice, God will NEVER MAKE HIM CHOSE! God will never violate man's personal sovereignty ( freedom of choice ) even if it results in eternal hell fire ( for the unsaved ) and chastisement ( for the saved )!
Once man makes the choice to accept Christ, the bible says: "You are no longer your own, you are bought with a price." What price is that? The price of Jesus' Precious Blood which was shed on Calvary's Cross!
This means, now YOU BELONG TO GOD and HE IS YOUR MASTER! Previously SIN was your master and you did it's bidding. You went through great lengths to satisfy it. Now, that God is your master, you ( who say you are a believer in Christ as your Savior ) do what your Master tells you to do. Yea, even the things you don't like, or agree with . . . . . . . Why? Because your Master, The Most High God of The Universe told you to do it!
Not only are you GOD'S PROPERTY, but everything you own belongs to God! The Bible says: "The cattle on 1000 hills belong to him." Whatever you own has been LOANED TO YOU FOR A SEASON! Why? To glorify God's Kingdom!
Can you sing? You now use that beautiful voice to sing to the glory of The Most High! Can you act? You now use that talent to bring glory and praise to God's Kingdom! Do you write? You use the talent that God has blessed you with in order that Gods Kingdom be magnified! Do you have a good-paying job? You realize you are a steward over your finances and devote your money ( tithes and free will offerings ) to the Kingdom so that missionaries can go out, that your local church will have money to pay the electric bill and rent, etc! Are you creative? You realize the creativity God blessed you with is to enhance the Kingdom! Are you good with electronics and computers? The Kingdom of God needs Christian GEEKS!
Thinking of getting married? Remember, as a man you are getting married in order to be a manifestation of Christ's relationship with the Church. He loved her so much that He willingly lay down His life for her. As a woman, you a manifestation of Christ in submission to your husband as Christ was submissive to His Father in Heaven.
In having children, Christians are admonished to raise them "in the nurture and admonition of the Lord". Why? Christian parents are responsible before God to lead their children to Christ and the God who allowed them to be born, in the first place! That's right, they are not YOUR's, they are GOD's!
As my Pastor often says: "There should not be so many unsaved children in the world." That's why the bible says: "To teach them to observe all things . . . . .".
You even realize that even your own body is "A temple of the Lord." So you can't just toss something down your gullet, just because it tastes good. If you have high blood pressure, you have no business eating tons of salt. Or a whole cake if you have a problem with "Sugar". Why? Because you will be too sick to be of use to the kingdom. God wants you to be a living testimony, which you cannot be if you are laid up and too sick ( unless it is under "certain circumstances" - JOB ). God's will is that you properly take care of your "vessel" so it will be available for HIM to use at any time.
This also goes for decision making. You will find out that a lot of things you were involved in while you were "in the world", have no interest whatsoever to you now. Or if they do, you have to make a choice between "that stuff" and God's. It behooves you to decide for God. Because if you don't God will bring you through trials and tribulations using that very thing you cling to. Why? To bring you to where you will have no choice but to give it up.
All of a sudden, something you really, really, loved will lose it's "shine", and you privately wonder, "Why am I involved in this? or Why am I doing this?" or "Why did I just order this off the internet?". What you really mean is: "How is God's Kingdom glorified by me being involved in or doing so-and-so?" But, unless God, through the Holy Spirit gives you a personal revelation, you won't see that for a few years, or decades, yet. . . . . . . .
Example: I preciously was a "Bag Maven", meaning I loved shopping for bags/pocketbooks! They were literally not safe from me in the store, and as a result, I have tons of them at home packed up in storage boxes. Now I look back at the things and wonder "What was on my mind?" and "Why did I waste so much of God's money on these?". The money I spent could've helped pay airfare for my Pastor and his wife to go Ghana, West Africa to teach the Word of God to our African Brothers and Sisters. . . . . . .
My bag buying/hoarding was a "sublimation" ( a substitute for love and satisfaction ), and until I realized all I needed was in Christ, I was not going to stop the shopping. Now, one of my Sisters and I are thinking of starting an online store to sell off our "sublimations". Hers was jewelry. Who know who else in our local church has a "stash". That money needs to be redeemed ( bought back ) and reinvested in the Kingdom of God!
We are called to be modern day Robin Hoods. We as Christians PLUNDER from the rich ( the world system ) and give to the poor ( The Kingdom Of Light ), so that it will continue to flourish. Why? Because people need to hear about the love of God for them and become saved. Also because the world system will NOT support the Kingdom of God. Indeed it wants us DEAD! So God uses US! Hello? Who else is He going to use?
Now, instead of feeling like a slave, with a chain or rope around your neck, where you can't do anything or go anywhere. The fact that you belong to God, and you are His Property is LIBERATING! You are no longer tied to the world system and it's power, urges, drives, and trends. You are no longer FORCED to COMPROMISE and FIT IN like a chameleon and if you don't, you are REJECTED and tossed aside!
You belong to God now, and you don't need to be phony and live a life of pretense! He knows you and loves you "just the way you are". If He did not love you, He would not have BOUGHT you! After living a torturous life of trying to live up satanicly motivated expectations, you can leave all of that behind, and relax now. Because God ( The Creator Of The Universe ) cares for you.
God's people are simply loved by God. In turn, they love what God loves and hate what God hates. Anyone who opposes you opposes GOD! Because you belong to Him, HE will come to your aid and fight your battles! You must come to the realization that and get out of His way!
You do that with a heart that remains in fellowship with Your Heavenly Father, repentant, humble, and bowed down before Him. God will use you, but you must trust, obey, and surrender to Him. Only then will you truly become God's Property. Not only in word ( or title ), but in deeds. So, that others may see your good works and glorify God in Heaven!
As Paul said: "Faith without works is DEAD."
