God wants us to abide in Christ, who dwells in us, and is
the wisdom of God for us. Jesus, who had no sin, took the shame of our sins
upon Himself and nailed them to Calvary’s cross. As we grow in Christ, our
former accomplishments become meaningless, and we gain the righteousness of
Christ in exchange for our sins (Philippians 3:8-9).
God blesses our union with Christ, which gives us all of
the power and authority resident in the Heavenly realm (Ephesians
1:3-4). This merger with Christ begins with regeneration and
progresses through our obedience to His predetermined will for our life (Ephesians 2:4-5, 10). We do
not boast of our own accomplishments, because we see our self as we really are
in God's eyes.
Our only boasting is actually about His goodness and love
for us (1 Corinthians 1:30-31). Our carnal nature slowly dies
through sanctification, and Christ lives out His purpose in and through us (Galatians
2:20; Colossians 3:3-4). We no longer follow our own agenda or dreams for our
life, but we focus solely on the will of God for each moment of our day.
Through His love, God draws us to Himself by His Spirit and
desires that we share with Him the glorious blessings He arranged for us to
enjoy with Him in eternity. No human mind has ever conceived, nor has any eye
ever seen, nor has any ear ever heard of the extent of these benefits, which God
prepared for us (1 Corinthians 2:9).
By faith, Christ richly dwells in us, and He deepens our
roots in Him and establishes us in His love. Out of His glorious riches, God
strengthens us with power from His Spirit within us (Ephesians
3:16). God's Spirit gives His power to all of His Saints, so that
we can comprehend the fathomless dimensions of our Father's love (Romans
8:38-39).
Prayer:
Father God, those of us who persevere in our union with
Christ will appear with Him, and rule and reign with Him in Your Kingdom for
all of eternity (John 10:27-38; Romans 6:14; Colossians 2:11-12, 3:1-3). Remind
us not to rely on human effort, but on Christ's finished work on Calvary's
cross, and the effects of His sacrifice in our life. Help us to walk in Your
Spirit each moment of every day (Galatians 5:15-25). Fill us with the fullest
measure of Your complete character and nature (Ephesians 3:17-19).
Thought for the Day:
As we see our self in the wide scheme of God's eternal
plan, we lose all anxiety over the here and now.
