God's
Holy Spirit works in us, giving us both the desire and the ability to work out our
soul's salvation (Philippians 2:12-13). He already regenerated our spirit; and
when we see Jesus, He will glorify our body.
However,
in the meantime, He is sanctifying our soul - our thoughts, choice and
emotions. God's own glory and goodness, along with the divine nature of Christ
in us, coupled with the Spirit's power, all give us everything we need to live
a Godly life (2 Peter 1:3-4).
It
is our choice to submit or to rebel. The Apostle Paul struggled with the flesh,
until He realized the power of Christ in us, which has already set us free from
the Law of Sin and Death, as well as from condemnation (Romans 7 and 8).
God's
Truth always counteracts Satan's lies - which he uses to steal from, destroy
and kill us. There is no sin in the initial thought, which comes from satanic
temptation. It is our option to give in and sin, or to act in a godly manner.
This
is Good News to everyone, and especially to Believers, because we have the
power of God's Holy Spirit within us. Most people use their determination and
self-will to "be good." However, all of our goodness is only filthy
rags to God (Isaiah 64:6).
We
are saved, not by our works of righteousness, but according to God's mercy
through the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross
(Ephesians
2:8-9). If there had been any other way to atone for sin, God would have used
it, especially when Jesus cried out for mercy in Gethsemane's garden (Matthew
26:39).
Prayer:
Father
God, we are so grateful that You were willing to leave the glories of Heaven to
come to earth. You conceived Jesus by Your Spirit and You sacrificed Your Son on
our behalf. Thank You for sending Jesus in our place, and for giving us His
righteousness in exchange for our sins (2 Corinthians 5:21).
We
will praise You continually, now and throughout eternity for this wonderful,
free gift of eternal salvation, love and care. You are so worthy that we want
to focus every moment of our life on Your will and purpose for bringing us into
this world, and for permeating us throughout our entire being with all of Your
fullness.
Thought
for the Day:
God's
Spirit sanctifies us by giving us the desire and the power to walk away from
sin, and to embraces Christ's righteousness within us; we make the effort to follow
His direction as a new creation, with His power working in our inner being
producing His spiritual fruit.
-
Philippians 2:12-13; Romans 8:9-13; 2 Peter 1:5; 2 Corinthians 5:17; Ephesians
3:16; Galatians 5:15-25
