Assurance of His Promises

When Christ takes possession of our spirit, He gives us His rest for our soul – our mind, will and emotions. His righteousness, peace and joy give us a new life, which replaces our life of worry and deprivation (Romans 14:17). He provides all of our needs according to His glorious riches (Philippians 4:19). We live in ceaseless wonder at the sacrifice He made for us, and the heavenly home, which He provides for us, as we abide in Him forevermore (Psalm 16:11).

We no longer seek to sanctify our self by crucifying our flesh or by our works for God (Galatians 3:1-3), but we accept the work of Christ on the cross for us, which gives us eternal salvation simply by our relationship with Him (John 17:3). By faith, we accept His sacrifice on our behalf (Hebrews 7:22), and we submit to His Spirit as He crucifies the deeds of our flesh (Romans 15:16).

The nation of Israel is a perfect example of God’s people who try in the power of their flesh to live for God (Hebrews 8:7-9). They occasionally made great strides, but they constantly failed to keep the law. We have no more success than they did in obeying God’s Word on our own. We fail just as miserably.

As we rely on our triune God, He sanctifies us through our union with Christ (1 Corinthians 1:2,30), the washing of the water of His Word (Ephesians 5:26) and our obedience to His Word (Hebrews 12:14; 2 Timothy 2:21-22). We are the sons of God (1 John 3:2), members of Christ’s Body (Romans 12:5), and filled with the fruit of His Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). We do not work for God, but Christ lives and works in and through us (Colossians 1:27; Ephesians 2:10).

Our justification, sanctification and glorification are not obtained through our human effort, but by the work of our triune God within us (Titus 3:5). Our Father God provides our sanctification (Hebrews 8:10-12; Philippians 2:12-13), Jesus is the instrument of our sanctification (Ephesians 5:26), and the Spirit does the work of sanctification within us (2 Thessalonians 2:13; 2 Corinthians 3:18).

 

Prayer:
Father God, Your Word is truth and You sanctify us by it (John 17:17). We are heirs of Your promise (Ephesians 3:6). We find our rest in Your everlasting arms (Deuteronomy 33:27). Thank You for giving us Jesus as both the fulfillment and the guarantee of Your covenant with us. You cause us to walk in Your ways and to keep your statutes (Ezekiel 36:7), and You give us Your assurance by Your promises (2 Corinthians 1:20).

Thought for the Day:

The more we abide in Christ, we deeper we realize the security and blessings of our position and promise in Him.

 

It is Impossible to Live for God

 

 

It is impossible to live for God in this world; but it is quite possible for Christ to live His life in and through us. A life hidden with Christ in God is our true and solitary reality (John 15:19; Colossians 3:3). Christ in us will make us successful in His calling for our life, so that we can enjoy His rewards both now and in eternity (Ephesians 2:10; Galatians 2:20). Christ is in us regardless of our temporal experiences, and He gives us His promises and seals us with His Spirit (Ephesians 1:13-14; 1 Peter 2:4).

No matter what circumstances life hands us, our faith grows as we watch the mighty hand of God deliver us from all of our troubles (Psalm 55:18; James 2:1-4). Christ finished everything He started, both during His lifetime and now in ours (John 4:34, 17:4; Romans 9:28; Philippians 1:6). As we die daily, Christ is formed in us (1 Corinthians 15:31; Galatians 4:19). This makes no sense to an unsaved person, because Christ’s deepest work in us is perceived only by those born of His Spirit (1 Corinthians 2:14).

God’s beauty makes us hunger for more of His presence in our life (Psalm 27:4). His Spirit unites us with Him as one  (1 Corinthians 6:17). We walk in His will, and speak and do only that which His Spirit directs us to say and accomplish. He expresses the will of our Father through us now, and He will also escort us through death to dwell with Him forever (John 6:40). In Christ, dwells the fullness of the entire Godhead, and we are complete in Him, lacking nothing (Colossians 2:9).

Our humanity is actually dead to sin; so we can now listen to Christ instead of to the thoughts in our mind (Romans 6:6,11; Colossians 3:3-4). The unrivaled resource of God’s power is given to all of us who surrender to Him (Ephesians 1:17-19). As we walk in His will, He supplies all of our earthly needs (Matthew 6:33). The banks may fail, and we may lose money in the stock market; but by investing our whole life in God’s Kingdom, we shall always prosper (Matthew 6:19-21). 

Prayer:

Father God, our natural abilities are dwarfed by the greatness of Your power within us (Ephesians 1:19). Once we realize that You are our only hope and ability, we cease from our own efforts and rest in You (Hebrews 4:10: Ephesians 2:8-10). We are a blank canvas on which You paint Your masterpiece that is uniquely who You desire for us to be (Ephesians 2:10). Remind us to cling to You in every trial (Acts 11:23) and to rejoice in You for every victory.

Thought for the Day:

Our worries will blind us to the peace of God, which is available within us, even in the midst of disquieting distress and overwhelming obstacles.