At
Salvation, Jesus makes us a new creation. Our old nature, habits, abusive
language, negative actions, thoughts and emotions slowly fade away as God's
Spirit changes us from one stage of glory to the next (2 Corinthians 3:18).
We
get so impatient when our carnality rises up and we make a mistake, hurt a
friend or embarrass our self. It is hard to accept our humanity. However, God
loved us while we were still sinners (Romans 8:5), so we can accept our self as
well - just as we are.
God
wants us to praise Him for our "hurts, habits and hang-ups" that
prove that we are human. As we surrender these areas to Him, His Spirit makes
all things new (2 Corinthians 5:17).
He
who started a good work in us will finish it, day by day until Jesus returns
for His bride (Philippians 1:6). He makes us a blessing regardless of our
faults. We are His Temple (1 Corinthians 6:19), and He is perfecting us as the
Bride of Christ without any spot or wrinkle (Ephesians 5:27).
Just
like He did for Job (Job 42:10), God restores to us what Satan stole from us -
our childhood, youth, resources, family, health, vocation, etc. Through our
trials, Christ is manifested in us and through us. We are uniquely His.
Jesus
was a man; He worked as a carpenter's son most of His life. Yet, even though He
was also God, He learned obedience through what He suffered (Hebrews 5:8).
He
begged our Father to release Him from carrying our sins to the terrible crucifixion
and death on the cross (Matthew 26:39), but set an example for us all, by willingly
doing our Father's will in all things.
Jesus
abides in us by His Spirit. His divinity dwells in us along with our humanity.
This gives us the same opportunity that Jesus had to live, move and have our
being in the Spirit (Acts 17:28).
This
fact allows us to stop trying to be good; and instead, to focus on Christ in
us. We rejoice in the God of our salvation (Habakkuk 3:18). Through Christ in
us, we are already redeemed. Our ticket to heaven is already paid for by His
blood.
Prayer:
Father
God, teach us to focus on Christ in us rather than our own foibles and
idiosyncrasies (Colossians 1:27). Remind us that Your Spirit transforms us into
the image of Christ in our thinking, feelings, and actions. They are now inspired
by You (2 Corinthians 3:18).
Please
use our weaknesses as an example of what a Spirit-filled Believer looks and
acts like. Our humility, grace and dependence on You alone, motivates others to
follow us as we follow Christ (1 Corinthians 11:1). Allow us to bring many
others to heaven with us.
Thought
for the Day:
We
do not earn our status in the Son; He already guaranteed that position by
sacrificing His life in our place.
