Israel never fully possessed their possessions in the land of Canaan– the Lord prepared the land for them and gave them victory over their enemies – but some enemies remained – then they went back to the idols – then they were attacked by their enemies – eventually they were taken captive and they were subjected to foreign occupation.  Nevertheless, those possessions were theirs to possess all along!

You have possessions today that God wants you to possess now – we keep thinking, “When I get to heaven, then I’ll begin to enjoy the fullness of my salvation” or “When I get my fill of the world, then I’ll start concentrating on what I have in Christ.”  But you don’t have to wait.  There are some things in salvation that the Lord wants you to possess now.

A fellow inherited a beautiful country estate but he lived in the city.  So, he decided to sell it and use the money for something else.  He hired a realtor and asked him to describe the land in such a way that it would make it desirable to a purchaser.  After the realtor read the description to the heir, he changed his mind about selling it.  He said to his realtor, “You have just described the place that I have always wanted to own; I just didn’t realize that I already owned it.”

You know, some of the things that you have always wanted in life you already have in Christ – you just need to possess your possessions.  You possess:

Fellowship with God – 1 Jn 1:3 – you don’t have to wait till you get to heaven.

• With the Father, you are accepted in the beloved – you have love, provision, and protection – he can take care of anything you need.
• With the Lord Jesus Christ, you have righteousness, the cross, your High Priest, your best and most powerful friend and you have him all to yourself.
• With the Holy Spirit, you have filling, fruit, comfort, and supernatural gifts for your work in the body.

Eternal Life – 1 Jn 5:12, Jn 11:25-26 – you don’t have to wait to die to enjoy this life – imagine Noah and his family holding on to 8 strong spikes nailed to the outside of the ark in order for them to be saved instead of resting in the ark – you need to rest in the eternal security of your salvation in Jesus Christ.

Forgiveness of Sins – all of them – according to Col 1:14, your sins have been forgiven because of the blood of Jesus – you don’t have to wait till you get to heaven to realize this possession – you do not have to live in the past regrets for your sins – regret is just a clever way for sin to stay in the forefront of your mind.

Peace that passeth all understanding – Phil 4:6-7 – when you are not enjoying this possession it is because you have allowed something to pull you away from your tranquil estate – the Spirit’s fruit includes peace and prayer yields peace – you are letting some Canaanite or some Jebusite live in your Jerusalem [city of peace] with you – like Palestinians that trouble Israel, you’re letting your enemies of peace trouble you.

The Grace of God – 2 Cor 12:9-10 – The power of Christ rests upon you – you can handle anything in the grace of God.

Godliness with Contentment – 1 Tim 6:6 – contentment and godliness are your current possessions – the trouble with most folks is that they are not content – they see what the world has and they become discontented with Christ alone and they are allured as if the world had something better – this is what troubled Israel.

Wisdom from Above – Jas 3:17-18; Prov 8:17-21 – most people don’t see that this wisdom is readily available to them – durable riches, substance and filled treasures are obtained from this wisdom [in the Bible] – imagine having the mind of Christ in every decision – you possess this now.

The Gospel of Jesus Christ – Rom1:16 – you possess the most powerful tool on earth – you can tell anyone the gospel and if they believe, they’ll be saved and possess these possessions about which we have preached tonight. A woman was lying sick in the hospital.  A nun came by and said that she would call for a priest.  In the meantime, a saved woman came to the woman and told her about Jesus Christ.  She received the Lord and immediately her fear of and distress about dying left her.  When the priest came to give her last rights, he said, “I hope you can make a good confession so that I can absolve your sins.”  She said, “Let me see your hands.”  She looked at them and felt them and then said, “These won’t do.  The one who forgives my sins has nail prints in his hands.”