No Longer a Sinner - Free Indeed in Christ

 

The average Christian spends very little time meditating on the reality of our death in Christ; yet the truth of this concept releases us from our struggle with sin and our dependence on our human understanding.

We are crucified with Christ; and the life we now live, we live by the faith of Christ in us. The word "I" is eliminated from our vocabulary and the concept of Christ in vital union with us is paramount in the forefront of our mind (Romans 6:3-5).

Not I, but Christ is our mantra, our battle cry and our certainty (Galatians 2:20). We are dead and buried with Christ in God (2 Timothy 2:11; Colossians 2:12, 2:20, 3:3; Romans 6:4). We are risen and alive with Christ in us (Colossians 3:1). We sit with Christ in heavenly places (Ephesians 2:5).

We may suffer with Christ, but we gain our strength and power to live through every trial from Christ who shares with us His glory (Romans 8:17). He is the first born among many brethren, and we have all the attributes of the Trinity within us.

We live, move and have our entire being through Christ in us (Acts 17:28). Our union with Christ is as intimate as the union of the most loving husband and wife (Romans 7:4). He is our foundation upon which we are built (Ephesians 2:20-22).

Therefore, we have no more need to live in sin. We are free indeed in Christ in us, who is our hope of glory, clothed in His majesty from on high (John 8:36; 2 Corinthians 5:2).

Prayer:

Father God, as a branch, we cling to the Vine (John 15:1-10). You created us as Christ's body and He is our head (1 Corinthians 6:15, 19; 12:12). With Christ, we are all members of Your extended family (Romans 5:12, 21; 1 Corinthians 15:22, 45-49). You baptize us into this union with Christ (Galatians 3:27).

Christ sits at Your right hand; yet He also lives on this earth through His worldwide Body. To those who trust Him, He imparts Your power, purity, peace and passion to complete Your work on the earth. Thank You that we are dead to the power of sin's control over our life, and that we can now please You with our every thought, word and deed (Romans 6:11).

Thought for the Day:

We serve at the pleasure of our King; and we move, stay put or pass into eternity according to His eternal will and promises.

No Longer a Sinner - Christ Formed in Us

As we study the life of Christ, we can see how the Spirit of God is transforming us into His likeness with each passing day, changing us from one stage of Jesus' glory to the next (Romans 8:29; 2 Corinthians 3:18).

Since Christ abides in us, the Spirit in Jesus fills us to overflowing too. The glory of the Lord shines in us and on us and through us. His nature and character possess our entire being as we yield our self to Him.

He conforms us into a life filled with Christ in us and uses us for His purpose to draw people to Himself. He frees us from contentment with the flesh and gives us a hunger for the eternal.

The living Christ manifests Himself through us more each day. As we decrease by dying to our old, carnal self, He increases (John 3:30). His thoughts become our thoughts and His glory is revealed in and through us.

The more we focus on Jesus' life, attributes, power and holiness, and submit our will to the Holy Spirit within us, the quicker we become like Him and the more we exhibit His presence on the earth.

His love pervades every portion of our spirit and soul, and keeps our body in health and well-being. Even in times of trial and affliction, His abiding presence preserves us in His peace and fills us with His love.

God won our heart by His love and we entirely belong to Him as a servant to fulfill His will for our life (Ephesians 2:10). His joy is our strength and His love is our motivation to serve Him through all the days of our life (Nehemiah 8:10).

Prayer:

Father God, we bow before You in adoration and contrition, making our requests known to You through continual prayer throughout the day. Fill us with Your presence and manifest Yourself through us to the world around us. Use us for Your purpose and glory each moment of the day.

Thank You for becoming a human being through Christ, for filling us with Your Spirit and for giving Yourself to us in such a practical way. We look forward to living in Your Kingdom for eternity as joint heirs with Jesus of all that You have given Him (Romans 8:17).

Thought for the Day:

It is God's purpose to manifest the image of Christ in and through us, as we contemplate the glory of Christ and follow the guidance of His Holy Spirit through every moment of our day. - 2 Corinthians 3:18

The Name of the Lord - Meanings and Uses

 

Most names have a meaning and may describe the person's character, nature and attributes. This was true even in Bible times. God also used different names in order to describe Himself to us.

The main point is that the name of the Lord is a high tower; and when we run into it, we are safe (Proverbs 8:10). God never abandons us on this earth and is always with us (Hebrew 13:5). 

It is valuable for us to study and understand the power, provision and protection we have in God's name. The first word in the Bible referring to God is Elohim - a plural word denoting the Trinity and identifying God as Creator (Genesis 1:1, 26).

Other names are:

El Shaddai (Almighty one who nourishes and supplies)

Immanuel (God with us)

Eli (My God)

YHWH (God or the Lord)

Pater (Father)

Kurios (Lord)

I AM (John 8:58)

The Rock (Jesus)

God of hosts (Amos 5:27)

Branch (Zechariah 6:12)

YAH (Revelation 19:1-6)

Onoma (the Word of God, Revelation 19:13)

Shammah (present)

Maccaddeshcem (Sanctifier, Exodus 31:13)

Tsidkenu (our righteousness)

Yahweh Nissi (Our 'banner of victory that glistens')

Yahweh Shalom (our peace, full, complete, finished, and perfect)

Yahweh Adonai (the one who is and who reigns)

Yahweh Jireh (the one who provides and who sees before time)

Yahweh Rophe (The adequate healer)

Yahweh Sabbaoth (The Lord of Hosts of the armies of heaven)

Adonai (the One who owns and rules over all)

El Olam (the everlasting, unchanging and God of inexhaustible strength)

Jesus manifests God's name to us (John 17:6). We too glorify His name and consecrate our life to Him in holiness; so that we never bring shame to His name (Leviticus 21:6). We are a dwelling place for His name.

We proclaim God's name to one another in worship and sing His praises (Hebrews 2:12); we bless His name (Psalm 100:4); give thanks to His name (Psalm 140:13; Hebrews 13:15); call upon His name (Exodus 34:5; Acts 22:16; 1 Corinthians 1:12); and walk in His name (Zechariah 10:12).

When we focus our love on God, He delivers us. He sets us up on the Rock of Christ, when we believe in His Holy name (Psalm 27:5). God gives His angels charge over us, to protect our every step, and even to prevent us from stubbing our toe (Psalm 91:11).

Prayer:

Father God, teach us to give thought to the reverence, which we owe to Your name, and the power, which we have in Your name. If two or three gather in Your name, You are is in our midst (Matthew 18:20). If we receive a child in Your name, You and Jesus receive us (Matthew 18:5; Mark 9:37; Luke 9:48).

Remind us that whatever we do, even if it is a spoken word or some mundane action, You call us to do it in the name of the Lord Jesus. We give thanks through Christ to You (Colossians 3:17; Ephesians 5:20).

Thought for the Day:

When we remember and appeal to His name, God comes and blesses us. - Exodus 20:24; Numbers 5:27

Raised to Walk in a New Life

Jesus poured out His life on this earth for all of mankind. During three years of ministry, He had no place to lay His head (Luke 9:58). He was criticized for eating with publicans and sinners (Matthew 9:10). 

He experienced rejection, even from his own people (Matthew 13:57). Jesus ultimately laid down His life on Calvary’s cross for the salvation of anyone willing to accept His redemption (Revelation 22:17; Acts 17:11).

Then on the third day, He raised up His own life again to exactly fulfill the Biblical prophecies about His life, death and resurrection (Isaiah 7:14, 53:12; Psalm 49:15, 24:7-10). Jesus then delivered those who died prior to His death and set them free (Ephesians 4:8-9). 

He became the first child of God to raise from the dead (Colossians 1:18). Then God lifted Him up to the greatest measure of His glory and authority (John 17:5).

God raises us to walk in a new life as well. Since Christ now lives within us by His Spirit, His power and authority are working in the life of every authentic Born Again Believer. 

As we walk in His Spirit, we fulfill the will of God. We mature in our walk of faith and we realize the awesome attributes of God in us. This humbles us and causes us to bow to Him in complete surrender.

God’s Spirit points out sin in our life, and then we cooperate and allow His Spirit to transform us both with the mind and character of Christ (2 Peter 1:4; Philippians 2:12-13). He frees us from sin and the corrupt desires of our flesh. 

He cleanses us from the root issue causing our penchant for sin. We die to our humanity and allow God to mature us in the Spirit, so we can live in the fullness of His resurrected life (Ephesians 3:19).

Prayer:

Father God, You never, ever leave us or forsake us (Deuteronomy 31:8; Hebrews 13:5). We have faith in Your faithfulness. We rely on You and relinquish to You our worries, fears and insecurities (Matthew 6:25-34). 

 

Your love provides us with safety in the storms of life, as well as the provision we need in order to walk in our new life on this earth. Help us to glorify You on this earth just like Jesus did (John 17:4).

Thought for the Day:

Love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, goodness, meekness, self-control and faith are not dependent upon our circumstances or our feelings or even our health, but only on the Holy Spirit within us in our new life.

Our Net Worth

“Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. In Your book they all were written, the days fashioned for me, when as yet there were none of them.” -Psalm 139:16

In today’s society, we have charts and calculators that will determine our net worth quickly and accurately. They weigh our assets against our liabilities and give us the sum total of our value. What can we bring to God that has any value? No amount of human resources or assets can develop into anything of value to God. He said that even our best efforts are like filthy rags to Him (Isaiah 64:6). He despises all of our self-effort (Ephesians 2:8-10). Well, I can think of only one thing that will bring us closer to God and please Him more than anything else.

God inhabits the praises of His people (Psalm 22:3), which is the most valuable asset we have to give to our Almighty God. If we live with His praises on our lips, then our thoughts, words and deeds will flow from that attitude of worship and gratitude (Psalm 28:7). We will tell everyone of His goodness (Psalm 107:31). With the praises of God in our mouths, we also have the powerful double-edged sword of God in our hands (Psalm 149:6). Praising God makes us stronger to endure tribulation, as well as to do the work, which God calls us to do.

All of our striving in human effort to produce good works robs us of the opportunity to be led by God’s Spirit and to enter into His rest (Galatians 5:16, 25; Hebrews 4:3,10-11). Jesus is our example, and He always did only that which our Father commanded Him to do (John 14:31). He spent hours in prayer and communion with Our Father (John 17:9; 17:20). He is our vine, and we are His branches, extensions of His ministry in the world (John 15:4). God puts a new song in our heart, so we can praise Him (Psalm 40:3).

The gift of grace, which we receive at salvation washes away all of our sins (Ephesians 2:8). We did not earn salvation and we cannot improve upon it. There is no more condemnation for anything we ever did or do (Romans 8:1). Therefore, why should we strive for holiness when a place in heaven is already guaranteed to us? Although grace abounds in our soul, that is no reason for sin to flourish (Romans 6:1-2). Grace does not give us permission to continue sinning. The Bible holds a standard of holiness and perfection for everyone who is washed in the blood of the Lamb (1 Peter 1:15).

A life of holiness is our tribute to Christ for the sacrifice He paid by leaving His heavenly glory and taking on the form of a man. Our sacrifice in life is nothing compared to His horrendous crucifixion and death on the cross, which He endured in our place. We give Him the honor due His name by following in His footsteps of devotion to God. As Christ’s life flows through us, we bear the fruit of His Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). The attributes of love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, goodness, meekness, self-control and faith cause us to live as a guiding light in the world. His Light in us will lead people to Him (John 12:32).

Christians know that God’s Word is the absolute truth on which we base our life. We strive to live according to His precepts without compromise. We stand against the temptations of the world and the deceitfulness of Satan’s wiles, which strive to draw us away from God’s truth. The law of the Spirit of life sets us free from the law of sin and death, which was once our normal way of living (Romans 8:2). This freedom allows us to exalt in victory over sin and to live a purified life of worth in God’s Kingdom.

Prayer:

Father God, you know each of us intimately. You have a calling on our life in service for Your Kingdom. We are tapestries of Your creation, fashioned in our mother’s womb by Your creative needlework. Our life is an expression of Your artistic mastery as we live according to Your principles. Help us to always bring honor and glory to Your name.

Thought for the Day:

Each of us is fashioned by God and known by Him; therefore we walk in holiness as a praise to His name.