The need to work toward a successful life in this world is
a lie from Satan. Even after salvation, we often feel disappointment with life.
We hope that certain people will act a certain way in order for us to feel
secure. We can even disappoint our self! We tend to trust in our government, our parents, our mate, our children, our teachers or even our pastors. We can work for God and burn out,
because we do not allow God to work through us by His Spirit.
When we work for God we receive no lasting power, peace or
joy. There is no permanent fulfillment in planning our own life and asking God
to bless it. When we choose to act separately from our Father, we easily fall
into sin (1 John 1:8). It is only as we surrender to
God’s Spirit each moment of our day, and follow His leadership each step of the
way, that we find deep peace and joy. We walk in His Truth, just as He is in
the truth (3 John 1:4).
God does not help us to perform works for Him. He lives His
life in and through us. Jesus set us free from the law of sin and death; it
holds no power over us, unless we choose to give in to it (1 John
2:1). However, when we sin, we have an advocate with our Father and He
forgives us because He is just and faithful (1 John 8-9). The
Father uses our spirit to search the motives of our soul and to form the nature
of Christ in us (Proverbs 20:27).
Our old, carnal nature dies at salvation. We became a new
creation, partakers of the divine nature of God through His promises, and we
escape the lusts of the world (2 Corinthians 5:17; 2 Peter 1:4). They
hold no more power over us. When we come to this place in our life, we step out
of the realm of sin and the flesh, and we walk into the arms of God. We are
eternally united with Christ as our brother and fellow heir (Ephesians
5:8).
As we trust in God’s faithfulness, nothing can separate us
from His love, or snatch us out of His hand (Romans 8:35-39; John 10:27-29). If we
seek His eternal promises, He will supply all of our earthly needs (Matthew
6:33). The banks can fail, we can lose money in the stock market, but by
investing in God’s Kingdom, we shall always succeed (Matthew
6: 19-21).
Prayer:
Father God, You intended for our salvation to be more than
Christ dying for us, but that He also lives in and through us (2 Peter
1:3). He lives in us by Your Spirit and He helps us to understand who we
are, not as a human being, but as Your child (Galatians 2:20). Help us
to live for Your purposes and not our own goals and dreams (Philippians
1:21). We look forward to Jesus returning again to bring us to Himself (Titus
2:12-13).
Thought for the Day:
Denying our self is essential to spiritual freedom.
