Alive in Christ

There are many signs of our growing maturity in Christ, but freedom from sin is one of the most obvious. We consider our self dead to sin, because Jesus Christ made us alive in Him. He became sin for us and paid the penalty we owed. We are not held in bondage to sin and death any longer, because Christ liberated us on Calvary's cross (Romans 6:1-11; 2 Corinthians 5:21). Sin no longer appeals to us.

Because of Christ, we are already seated in the Heavenly realm through His Spirit (Ephesians 2:6). By the law of the Spirit of life in Christ, Jesus set us free from the law of sin and death, which formerly controlled our thoughts, words and behavior (Romans 8:2). We may fall into sin now and then, by walking in the flesh instead of in the Spirit; but sin does not control us any longer (Galatians 5:15-25).

God's Agape love takes our focus off our self-centered microcosm of the world. It enables us to see a need in others, and to lay our life down for them as Christ did for us (Galatians 5:14). We can serve even those whom we feel no natural affection toward, because they are part of God's Body and He loves them through us. 

If sin still controls you, then you do not have the Spirit of God in you; and if you do not have God's Spirit within you, you are not Born Again (Romans 8:9; Hebrews 10:26; 1 John 3:6-9). This means that you can now make a true confession of your sins, place all of your faith in Christ, and completely surrender to His lordship and His Spirit in your life (Matthew 25:3).

Prayer:

Father God, my heart is broken and my eyes flood with tears as I intercede for those who will perish in their unbelief if they do not turn their heart to You now (John 3:16-18). You never send judgment without sending a warning first. There have been record weather events, constant wars and rumors of wars, false messiahs, more famines and earthquakes than ever before in history, and there is not one Christian nation left due to a falling away and their love for You growing cold (Matthew 24:5-8). These are all signs to warn people to turn back to You and Your mercy and grace; yet, the world revolves without notice that You are calling them to come home to Your love

Thought for the Day:

The more we serve God and others, the more the desire to sin diminishes in us. - Romans 12:10; Matthew 23:12; Proverbs 13:10

A Living Witness

 

Sinners are helplessly drawn into sin, and can do nothing else (2 Corinthians 4:3-4). We cannot expect them to act any other way (Luke 23:34). Their spirit is dead in sin. Satan uses all the tools in his arsenal to deceive them and blind their eyes to God’s Truth. They need a Savior. God puts us in their lives to develop witnessing relationships with them (1 Corinthians 9:22). We serve them, as Christ served His disciples; in order to win some of them to Christ (1 Corinthians 9:19).

We are a poor witness to the unsaved, as long as we dabble in the same deception and sinful practices that they do. We also get sidetracked in ceaseless religious activities that actually prevent us from doing God’s will. It is only when we walk in obedience and the power of God’s Spirit that we can hope to make an impression on anyone for God. When they see God’s power manifested in our life, and they see answers to our prayers, they will want to draw away from a sinful lifestyle and rest in God along with us (Mathew 11:28-29; Isaiah 11:10).

They will cease their works, as we have rested from ours, because they too will enter into the rest of the Lord (Hebrews 4:10). They will abide in Him, live in His abundant life, and live a life of praise for all that the Lord is, as well as for all of His benefits (John 10:10; Psalm 103:2). They will also achieve holiness through their relationship with Christ rather than by adherence to the law. When we abide in Christ, He brings rest to our soul. We depend upon His peace within us through every obstacle we experience in life.

When we are immersed in Christ, we serve Him effortlessly, because we work, not through our own efforts, but by His Spirit within us. We are dead, and our life is hidden with Christ in God (Colossians 3:3). Therefore, when Jesus works in us, He does His works through us. He changes lives by using our body, soul and spirit. We do not need to strive to endeavor to live by Jesus’ example, because He lives His life through us. We make no effort except to enter His rest (Hebrews 4:10).

We do not attempt to accomplish a great feat or crusade for Christ, because that would defeat His will for our life, unless He leads us in that direction. We simply obey His Spirit moment by moment throughout the day. He sprouts the fruit of His Spirit in us, and we share them with all those He leads us to speak to or to visit. We are not saying the words, but He is speaking them through. We are a lifeless glove, and He is the hand that controls our movement.

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, once we come to You for salvation, You live in us and love our whole world through us. We follow Your Spirit and You use us to pour out Your forgiveness, love, patience and gentleness on those You bring into our life. Our neighborhood, family, job and acquaintances are our mission field. Remind us that Christianity is a relationship with You, not a religious tradition (Acts 17:25). It is not only about attending a church once a week, but also about surrendering to Your Lordship in our life. As long as our soul is at rest in You, we no longer need to strive to perform religious works (Philippians 1:6). Christ is all and is in all (Colossians 3:11).

Thought for the Day:

Cultural Christians give Christianity a bad name, because they keep one foot in the world; and simply dabble in the faith, rather than immersing themselves in the Living Word.