Preached by Apostle Aje Pelser
Harvester Reformational Church, Cape Town
Moments that release the Beloved.
1. Jesus was called God’s Beloved after his baptism.
What needs to be buried with Christ today for you to realize that you are also His Beloved?
Mat_3:17 And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”
After Baptism came affirmation even before Jesus did his first miracle. In fact, testing and temptation came next and Jesus learned to use that affirmation and confidence in God’s word to overcome the accuser.
Our Identity in Christ as sons and daughters of God is always a target of the traducer, the deceiver, the liar, Satan or the devil. Know your enemy’s tactics, because he is jealous of what was stripped from him. He is angry because he has been removed from the glorious presence of God.
Imagine you knew a place with the perfect climate, where you had all your bills paid, where everything belonged to your Father, where you had perfect peace, joy in believing and right standing. That is what we have in Christ, and that is what the devil lost. He hates it when you do well. He hates it more when he throws everything he has against you and you still believe in God, like Job. When we rejoice in our sufferings it delivers a knockout punch in the spirit.
2. The Beloved was reminded of his purpose at the transfiguration.
Mat_17:5 While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them; and suddenly a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!”
The Gospel of Luke gives us a reason for this event that is astounding in its potential repercussions for us who believe:
Luk 9:28 Now it came to pass, about eight days after these sayings, that He took Peter, John, and James and went up on the mountain to pray.
Luk 9:29 As He prayed, the appearance of His face was altered, and His robe became white and glistening.
Luk 9:30 And behold, two men talked with Him, who were Moses and Elijah,
Luk 9:31 who appeared in glory and spoke of His decease which He was about to accomplish at Jerusalem.
3. The Beloved fulfilled prophecy from Isaiah when he performed miracles and reached out to the lost.
Mat_12:18 “BEHOLD! MY SERVANT WHOM I HAVE CHOSEN, MY BELOVED IN WHOM MY SOUL IS WELL PLEASED! I WILL PUT MY SPIRIT UPON HIM, AND HE WILL DECLARE JUSTICE TO THE GENTILES.
Let’s have a closer look at the prophetic purpose of Jesus Christ:
Isa 42:1 “Behold! My Servant whom I uphold, My Elect One in whom My soul delights! I have put My Spirit upon Him; He will bring forth justice to the Gentiles.
Isa 42:2 He will not cry out, nor raise His voice, Nor cause His voice to be heard in the street.
Isa 42:3 A bruised reed He will not break, And smoking flax He will not quench; He will bring forth justice for truth.
Isa 42:4 He will not fail nor be discouraged, Till He has established justice in the earth; And the coastlands shall wait for His law.”
Isa 42:5 Thus says God the LORD, Who created the heavens and stretched them out, Who spread forth the earth and that which comes from it, Who gives breath to the people on it, And spirit to those who walk on it:
Isa 42:6 “I, the LORD, have called You in righteousness, And will hold Your hand; I will keep You and give You as a covenant to the people, As a light to the Gentiles,
Isa 42:7 To open blind eyes, To bring out prisoners from the prison, Those who sit in darkness from the prison house.
Isa 42:8 I am the LORD, that is My name; And My glory I will not give to another, Nor My praise to carved images.
Isa 42:9 Behold, the former things have come to pass, And new things I declare; Before they spring forth I tell you of them.”
4. The Beloved made disciples who also become Beloved.
Joh 21:20 Then Peter, turning around, saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following, who also had leaned on His breast at the supper, and said, “Lord, who is the one who betrays You?”
Rom 16:5 Likewise greet the church that is in their house. Greet my beloved Epaenetus, who is the firstfruits of Achaia to Christ.
The name Epaenetus means Praiseworthy or Laudable. (Abarim publications.)
An interesting discovery was made in Rome of an inscription in which was the name of Epenetus, an Ephesian.
He was one of the first Christians in the Roman province of Asia. (ISBN)
5. Beloved Disciples are willing to risk their lives for the Gospel.
Act 15:25 it seemed good to us, being assembled with one accord, to send chosen men to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul,
Act 15:26 men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
6. Grace makes us accepted in the Beloved.
Eph 1:5 having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will,
Eph 1:6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.
Eph 1:7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace
To summarize, moments that release the Beloved in us:
1. The moment when we bury the old ways and sin
2. The moment when we focus on purpose
3. The moment when we fulfill prophecy
4. The moment when we become a disciple
5. The moment when we are willing to lay down our lives
6. The moment when we believe we are accepted in the Beloved