Focusing on our union with Christ is the key to living a
holy life. Since we are Born Again by the Spirit of God, Christ dwells within
us. We no longer practice sin. We cannot sin, because it grieves the Spirit
within us (1 John 3:9; Ephesians 4:30). If we can live one
moment without sinning, it is possible to live one hour, one day or one
lifetime without practicing sin, because the Divine nature of Christ abides in
us. We live in the moment, and Christ in us keeps us centered on His will.
We hunger for holiness. We seek first His Kingdom, and He
supplies all of our needs by His glorious riches (Matthew 6:33; Philippians
4:19). We walk in His power, love and self-discipline for His glory (2 Timothy
1:7). All of God’s spiritual power resides in Christ; and since Christ
lives in us, His divine power and authority are resident within us, just as it
was in the apostles once the Holy Spirit came upon them (Acts
2:43; 4:13).
We are often crippled by our fears, distraught over our
weakness and depressed because of our failures. However, God wants us to
remember that we have authority by His grace, and that His power in us is more
evident when we are at our weakest moment (2 Corinthians 12:9-10). It is
simply a matter of surrendering to His Spirit and submitting to His will. God
keeps us in perfect peace as we focus our thoughts on Him (Isaiah
26:3; Philippians 4:8).
Through Christ, we live a life of holiness and submission
to His Spirit (Matthew 28:18; Acts 1:8). We serve God by His
power resident within us. His power in us also defeats the devil and his demons
(1
John 4:4; Ephesians 1:19-21). His work is perfect in us and through us (Psalm
18:30). We focus less on our self, and long for more of His
holiness. We place our self in His service so that we can do the works, which
God prepared for us before we were ever born (Ephesians 2:10).
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, we thank You for your grace, mercy, love, power
and blessings that You bestow on us every day of our lives. We are humbled by
the knowledge that You had to live as a man and sacrifice Your life in order
for us to enjoy these advantages. Your strength is made perfect only in our
weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9). Remind us not to take Your
presence in us for granted or to underestimate the resources we have available
to us through Your presence in us.
Thought for the Day:
As long as we insist on working FOR God, He cannot fully
work IN and THROUGH us.
