God gives us a free will that allows us to choose or to reject His salvation. We can either accept His freedom from eternal destruction or reap the consequences of our choices. Every sin we commit stems from the root of unbelief. In unbelief we condemn our self (John 3:18). Jesus came from God (John 1:14; Philippians 2:7-11); Jesus was God (Matthew 1:23; John 17:21) and God performed His will on the earth by abiding in the human body of Christ (John 14:10; Acts 2:22). Now He works in us through His Spirit (Luke 4:14-15).
Every
Born Again Believer is united with our triune God (John
17:21). The Trinity takes up comprehensive residence within us
(John
14:23; 1 John 4:15,16). Our divine union is as intimate as the union between a
husband and wife (Ephesians 5:28-30). We are buried
with Christ in baptism and raised to walk in His new life. Our old carnal self
is crucified with Him and our body is no longer ruled by sin (Romans 2:
20, 6:12). Christ works His “ministry
of reconciliation” in us and through us to the world around us (2
Corinthians 5:18).
Jesus
gave us the ultimate example of surrender when He submitted to the suffering of
Calvary in order to provide us with salvation. Now, Jesus abides within us and
wants to work through each of us. We are the visible presence of Christ in our
world (1 John 4:17). We are born of the Spirit
into a spiritual union with Christ (Romans 8:9,16). When Christ moves in, we serve
Him by the strength which God supplies (Philippians 2:12-13). This brings God glory and
honor through Christ in us (1 Peter 4:10-11).
We
used to be slaves to sin, but now we owe our allegiance to Christ as slaves to
righteousness (Romans 6:1-18). Our human wisdom, goals and
ambitions are submitted to Christ in us. Even our physical life is His. Through
the sanctification process as we decrease, He increases within us (John 3:30).
We will also be raised with Christ into
immortality, because death no longer has any mastery over Christ. Jesus died
once for anyone who believes in Him. Through His life within us, we live
forever with God.
We
are filled with the Holy Spirit and are part of Christ’s Body (Romans
8:9). The Holy Spirit transforms our
life by giving us His fruit (Galatians 5:22-23). We respond by relinquishing the depravity in our life in exchange for
the holiness of God (Romans 12:1-2).
Our life is
hidden with Christ in God through the Holy Spirit (1
Corinthians 6:17; 2 Peter 1:4; Hebrews 3:14, 6:4; Romans 6:11). As we realize that we are
now dead (Colossians 3:3), Christ lives in us instead of us. He is more and more
able to express Himself through our body, spirit and soul – our mind, will and
emotions – as we live a surrendered life to Him.
Prayer:
Heavenly
Father, You are waiting for us in Heaven (Matthew 6:9), but You are always with us through Christ and the
Spirit. Jesus is always with us, even to the end of the age of grace (Matthew
28:20). As our triune God, You come to
make Your home in everyone who obeys the teachings of Christ (John
14:23). Jesus sent the Spirit of truth
to come and guide us into all truth. The Spirit speaks Your words to us and
reveals to us what is yet to come (John 16:13).
Thought for the Day:
We are in Christ, but Christ is also in us (Galatians 2:20; Colossians 1 27; Romans 8:10; 2
Corinthians 13:5; Ephesians 3:16-17).
