Union with Christ - Spiritual Rest and Victory

Very few people in these modern times abide in God's rest (Hebrews 4:10). We are too overcome by the stress of the multitude of activities that we allow to rule our life, by the consequences of our choices and by the people with whom we fellowship.

We lack discernment, will power and wisdom; we take on too many tasks at one time; and we spend too little time in God's presence, growing into a spiritually mature Saint (John 15:16; Ephesians 4:11-14).

Unless we grasp the fullness of our identity in Christ, we fall short of all that God wants to do in us and through us. We do not earn this divine life by our good works; it is a free gift which comes along with Salvation (Ephesians 2:8-20; 2 Peter 1:4).

Christianity is not a religion. It is an intimate union with the Lord of Hosts living His divine life in and through every authentic Believer (1 Corinthians 6:17).

As God Word strengthens us, we overcome this world and we also live victorious lives over the wiles of Satan (1 John 2:14). We scatter the darkness by turning on God's Light.

Deceiving thoughts flee at the mention of Jesus’ name. Satan cannot initiate anything in our life without God’s permission; and if we submit to God and resist the devil, he is obligated to flee from us (James 4:7).

Satan may try to distract us from serving God, but as we keep our mind on Christ, we remain in perfect rest and victory as His Holy Spirit leads us through each moment of the day (Isaiah 26:3; Philippians 4:7).

Prayer:

Father God, You gave all of Your spiritual blessings and everything pertaining to life and godliness to all of Your Saints in the past, to those present with us now, as well as those who will be born in the future (2 Peter 1:3; Ephesians 1:3; 1 Corinthians 2: 20-21). Your love flows to all of us through thousands of generations of those who love and serve You with our life (Deuteronomy 7:9; Exodus 20:6).

Remind us that You work Your power in us and You are able to do more in us and through us than we can ever imagine or accomplish for You on our own (1 Corinthians 1:24; Ephesians 3:16, 20; Colossians 1:11; 1 Peter 4:11). You give us an abundant supply of power for everything we need in order to sufficiently accomplish Your will for our life (2 Corinthians 3:5, 4:7, 9:8).

Thought for the Day:

We do not pound out a meager existence for our self in this life, but we live in the fulfillment of abundant life through Christ in us. - John 10:10

No Longer a Sinner - Missing the Mark

When we sin, we miss the mark of perfection modeled by Jesus and His sinless life. As unbelievers we have no choice but to walk in sin, because Satan is our father and he is the father of lies (John 8:44).

However, once we come to Christ for forgiveness of our sins and for His redemption of our life as a sinner, we no longer live in habitual sin. We may miss the mark now and then and sin; but it is no longer our lifestyle.

If we continue to live in habitual sin, we are still dead in sin and do not have the Holy Spirit within us (Romans 8:9). We are not Born Again by the Spirit of God, but we continue to live as slaves of unrighteousness and we reap its destruction (Romans 6:15-23).

Maybe we were convicted and we called out to God for salvation; yet we were never converted. Salvation is a two-sided coin: The prayer of faith on one side, but the repentance of sin is on the other side (Mark 1:14-15).

If we are Born Again, we are embodied by God's Spirit and we are no longer a sinner. We are a Saint. At first this is only true positionally in our eternal standing with God, because we are still in need of sanctification in our soul.

As we pray without ceasing, allow God's Spirit to do His sanctifying work in our soul - our thoughts, choices and emotions - and walk according to the Spirit's direction for each moment of our day, we are literally free from the law of sin and death (Romans 8:2).

We grow in the grace and knowledge of Christ and our flesh decreases as He increases within us (2 Peter 3:18; John 3:30). He fills us through all of our being with all the fullness of God. We have the richest measure of His presence and we are a body wholly filled with God (Ephesians 3:16-19).

Christ is our whole life (Colossians 3:4), and we live to do His will with each moment of our day. We enjoy our times alone with God - even the silent moments when He is just enjoying our company. We walk in His truth and spread His peace every place we go.

We are amazed at the divine appointments that God sets up for us along the way. People are encouraged and blessed by the presence of Christ in us, and we are blessed to watch Him work in and through us.

Prayer:

Father God, let there be peace in the world, and let it begin with Your Saints. Remind us that we are free from the law of sin and death by the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1-2). We no longer live a lifestyle of sin, although we do miss the mark of Your perfection once in a while.

As long as we humble our self, admit our failings and desire to live Godly in Christ Jesus (2 Timothy 3:12), we remain in Your Spirit and follow His guidance to live in Your will each moment of our day. Thank You for empowering us by Your Spirit to live as Your ambassadors while we remain on this earth.

Thought for the Day:

God wants to use us for His Kingdom: He may lead us to fill a physical need for someone in the name of Jesus; a tear-filled face gives us the opportunity to share the compassion of Christ; a blank stare or faraway look in someone's eye allows us to infuse His love and joy into a frustrating or perplexing situation - be ready, willing and able to serve in Jesus' name. - Matthew 10:41

No Longer a Sinner

 

We were all sinners at one time; but as Born Again Believers, that is in the past tense. That is no longer our spiritual identity. We are now saved by grace (Ephesians 2:8-9). God calls us Saints (Ephesians 2:19; Psalm 31:23). This word means “holy one.” If we call our self a sinner, we may focus on sin and fall into sin. If we realize that we are Saints, we will focus on holiness and live a life set apart for Christ.

Who we are is what determines what we do. If I am a miner, I will mine. If I am a seamstress, I will sew. If I am a mechanic, preacher, teacher, laborer, sales person...you get the picture. Since I am a Saint, I will live a holy life unto the Lord (1 Corinthians 15:10). We may still fall to temptation and sin, but it is as a Saint not as a sinner, because we no longer live in a lifestyle of sin.

We often want to change our circumstances; however, God put them here for our edification, admonition and education. Do not struggle so hard against the areas of your life, which you do not like (Acts 26:14). God allows circumstances into our life, not to punish us, or to force us to do something we do not want to do, but to enlarge our borders (1 Chronicles 4:10) and to equip us to help others who come to us in their time of need (Luke 22:31-34).

God will create a clean heart in us (Psalm 51:10). We are coheirs with Christ and we inherit all of God’s promises with Him (Romans 8:17; Hebrews 6:12; 2 Peter 1:3-4). We can trust God to keep us in the palm of His hand and to continue to perfect us as His chosen priesthood and royal nation regardless of what is going on in our life (1 Peter 2:9; Isaiah 49:16).

Prayer:

Father God, teach us to live in the awareness of Your calling on our life (Ephesians 2:10), so that we can walk according to Your will for our life. Help us to accept with joy what You provide for us, the good, the bad and the ugly. You always supply what we really need, even if it is a trial. As we prove faithful over the little things, You will give us charge over much (Matthew 25:21-23). 

Thought for the Day:

Our faith does not rest on men's wisdom, but on God's power within us. – 1 Corinthians 2:5

Lessons from the Hammock

 

A hammock strung between two trees calls out to us to come and rest. It gently sways in the breeze, tempting us to sit and rest for a while within its silken folds. It lures us to cease from our weary activities. Christ too calls to us to cease from our labors and to rest in Him – to relax and to get to know Him better. He encourages us to live a life of praise as He fills us with His peace, so He can work in and through us to further His Kingdom in the earth (Psalm 145:13, Galatians 2:20; Colossians 3:3). This is easier to think about than to do, however, because we live like busy little bees.

We frightfully flit around from one activity to another, scurrying to make a living and to amass security in this life alone. If we listen, God reminds us that there is no need for us to entertain anxious or fearful thoughts about anyone or anything. We have access to the throne of God any time day or night. We enter His gates with gratitude for what He already does for us, and then we make our new requests known to Him. His love covers our multitude of sins and fills every fiber of our being (1 Peter 4:8). He gives us His strength and courage, even when the situation is scary or disturbing.

Jesus took on our poverty, so that may obtain His riches in glory (2 Corinthians 8:9). He exchanges our sin for His righteousness (2 Corinthians 5:21). When God looks at us, He does not see a struggling human being, but a glorified Saint because of Christ in us (Romans 1:7). By faith we have the evidence of these things, which we cannot see with our human eyes, but which God affirms are so. His peace guards our heart and mind, because of the sacrifice Jesus made on Calvary’s cross for us all (Philippians 4:6-7).

All that remains for us now is to cease from our self-efforts and to enter God’s wondrous place of abiding rest, which He prepared for us before the beginning of time. We rest from our works, just as God did from His, and we surrender our life to Christ, so that He can live His life in, through and instead of us by His divine power and authority (Hebrews 4:10; 1 Peter 1:4). His presence in us allows us to do greater works than He did while He lived on this earth, because through His Body all over the world, He can reach so many more people all at one time (John 14:12).

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, thank You for Your sacrifice that gave us the opportunity to share in Your riches in glory (Philippians 4:19). Remind us to find our rest under the shadow of Your wings (Psalm 91:1). Help us to live as a Godly example of an authentic Believer so that others will see us and glorify You (Matthew 5:16).

Thought for the Day:

The human soul is restless until it finds its rest in God through Jesus Christ. - Colossians 3:3-4