No Longer a Sinner - Divinity of Christ in Us

The Bible is full of symbolism. For instance, water baptism is a symbol of our death, burial and resurrection in Christ. We raise to walk in a new life with Him.

We do not die physically in baptism, but our flesh dies spiritually, and is now able to disregard the lure of sin in this world. Sin no longer tempts us as it used to, and we are free from its bondage.

We relate to Christ's new life in us to a greater degree than we connect to this world. We died together with Him; and it is Him, not us, that now lives in and through us (Galatians 2:20).

We are one with Christ; and through His divine nature within us, we die to the desire to sin. God adopts us into His family. We share in His benefits in His Kingdom of God as co-heirs with Jesus.

In Christ, we gradually become the righteousness of God (2 Corinthians 5:21). Our focus in life, our habits and the people we hang around with all change. Our life is spiritual now, rather than carnal and fleshly.

Our vital union with Jesus, puts us in right standing before God, our Father (John 15:1-11; Romans 6:3-11; Ephesians 5:30). He births our spirit, and we live a life which is pleasing to God. We are one with Christ and members of His Body.

Our old, carnal flesh - our intellect, emotions and will - is crucified with Christ and we died to sin (John 15:4; Romans 6:6, 8:11; Colossians 3:3, 9; 1 Corinthians 6:19; Ephesians 4:22). We are filled with the fruit of God's Spirit, which is the divine nature of Christ in us (Galatians 5:22-23).

Prayer:

Father God, remind us that the fruit of Your Spirit grows in us only as we abide in Christ and follow Your will for our life (John 15:4). Our living union with the Trinity allows us to fellowship with You every moment of our day and results in our eternal security (John 10:27-30).

Create in us a clean heart, and use us as a living testimony for Your glory (Psalm 51:10). Thank You for loving us unconditionally and changing us from the inside out. We look forward to You continuing to change our relationship with You by Your Spirit, until our human nature is altered to one that reflects Your goodness to a lost and dying world.

Thought for the Day:

As a Christian, we are transformed by God's Spirit from one stage of glory to another until we reflect to the world the exact image of Christ in us. - 2 Corinthians 3:18; Hebrews 1:3

The Divine Life

The divine nature of Christ was not changed when the Word became flesh (John 1:14). He was fully human and still fully divine.

All the fullness of the triune God resides within Christ, and Christ dwells within the spirit of every Born Again Believer (Colossians 2:9). We are the temple of God’s Holy Spirit, which resides within each of us (1 Corinthians 3:16).

Therefore, all the fullness of the triune God dwells within each authentic Christian. We often struggle with our human and spiritual natures, which war against one another.

However, we learn obedience through the things that we suffer, just as Jesus did (Hebrews 5:8). Even though we dwell in a mortal body, we are buried with Christ in baptism and raised to walk in newness of life (Romans 6:4).

We are transformed by God's Holy Spirit who renews our mind until we have the mind of Christ, and who enables us to absorb the truth of the Word of God (Romans 12:2; 1 Corinthians 2:16; Philippians 2:5, 4:8).

Through regeneration we come to identify, understand and seek after the things of God. We live a fulfilled life of faith, love and complete holiness, absorbed in the presence of God.

We have the divine nature of Christ within us (Colossians 3:3). As our life decreases, His divine nature in us increases (John 3:30; Acts 17:28). This makes a huge difference in how we face life and what we accomplish in it.

We have more faith, because of God's faithfulness to us. We have more power because we cease living in our own efforts. We enjoy God's divine presence within us, because we know that without Him, we can do nothing (John 15:5).

Prayer:

Father God, never let us feel superior or prideful because You dwell within us. Humble us in Christ's humility and remind us that it is only through Christ that we can accomplish anything good (Romans 7:18). You are the Vine and we are the branches, and You cut off any branch that does not bear the fruit of Your Spirit (John 15:2-5).

We cling to You with our whole being, knowing that this world holds nothing for us without You. You are our motivation, our success and our whole life (Colossians 3:4). We meditate on Your Word day and night, and we find our only source of life within the verses on each page.

Thought for the Day:

As Believers we grow to enjoy the divine nature of Christ, free from the passion of sin and loving only what He loves.

- Romans 6:6; 1 John 4:4; Galatians 5:22

Unity with God

Once we believe in Jesus Christ, rivers of living water flow from our innermost spiritual being (John 7:38). The righteousness of God is ours, no matter who we are, because we believe in Jesus Christ (Romans 3:22).  

We do not deserve or earn this relationship, but God loved us even while we were still sinners (Romans 5:8). Now that we are Born Again, we enjoy unity with God, which transcends any other relationship possible on this earth. 

We know without a doubt that He exists, and that He rewards those who seek Him (Hebrews 11:6). As our love for God increases, our love of sin, the flesh and the world diminishes.

We lay down everything that is contrary to the will of God or that robs us of time better spent with Him. God’s presence gives us confidence in His love and security through His presence. 

We abide in Him and He abides in us by His Holy Spirit (1 John 4:13). We no longer live a lifestyle of sin (1 John 3:9). In Christ, we are recreated, and our old sinful desires diminish as He renews our desires (2 Corinthians 5:17; Psalm 37:4). 

We no longer suffer from shame for sins and slights or omissions, which we formerly neglected (Romans 8:1). In our union with God, we love Him unreservedly with all of our heart, mind and strength (Matthew 22:37).

Our will and emotions are totally His. We feel His presence in our spirit and this affects our soul – our mind, will and emotions - as well as our body. He gives us unrestricted access to His at any time, for any reason presence (Hebrews 4:16). When we unite with the Lord, we are one spirit with Him (1 Corinthians 6:17). 

Prayer:

Father God, Satan wants our mind as his playground. Help us to refuse to allow him entry with his negative emotions and thoughts. When we realize that we are thinking about negative thoughts, remind us to take our thoughts captive, and to focus our thoughts only on what is factual, admirable, correct, pure, divine, worthy, excellent and worthy of praise (Philippians 4:8).  

When our soul is sad, downcast and disturbed within us, we can put our hope in You and praise You, our Father God, because we live in unity with You (Psalm 42:11, 43:5).

Thought for the Day:

Everyone who is baptized into Christ has been immersed in Him.

- Galatians 3:27

God's Spirit

A lack of peace and victory in our life occurs when we severe our connection with God’s Spirit by sinful behavior (Ephesians 4:30). If we will allow Him to do so, God’s Spirit will deliver us from the temptation of sin (Matthew 4:4). Christ’s victory on Calvary’s cross set us free from the power of sin and death (Romans 7:24-25). Christ in us is our only hope of eternal glory (Colossians 1:27).

Without the Trinity, we struggle to maintain victory in this sin-cursed world. As Christians, we often rely more on our own efforts in this world, than in relying on God’s Spirit within us. We are God’s handiwork, and He wants us to do only the works, which He created for us to do (Ephesians 2:10). We do not need to earn our connection with God, it is guaranteed (Ephesians 1:14).

The Kingdom of God cannot be found in our carnal attempts to please God, but lies in our righteousness, peace and joy, which comes from abiding in the Holy Spirit within us (Romans 14:17). God’s Spirit gives us everlasting life (Romans 8:13). He does not come and go in our life, reserved just for special occasions; but He is constant and reliable, always available to us through every moment of the day (Romans 8:9).

We did not earn our salvation by our human effort and we cannot walk in sanctification by human effort either (Galatians 3:1-3). The Spirit of God rebirths our spirit, which was dead in Adam’s sin. Then, He sanctifies our soul from one level of maturity to a higher plane of spirituality (2 Corinthians 3:18). Unless we live by the power and direction of God’s Spirit, we will not walk in fulfillment and victory in this life.

Prayer:

Father God, remind us to trust in You to bring us into Your will for our life. You give us the faith of Christ and the power of Your Spirit, so that we can walk uprightly in this world. Thank You that we are no longer a part of this world, even though we still have to live in it. Our flesh is crucified with Christ in baptism, and we are raised to walk in new life with You (Romans 6:4). Remind us that Christ is our life (Colossians 3:4), and nothing on this earth can satisfy the longing in our soul.

Thought for the Day:

If we trust in our self, we fail. Only God can work out His will for, in and through us. – Philippians 2:12-13

Our Abba Father

 

Our Father God is kind, generous and loving (1 John 4:8). Paul called Him “Abba Father” (Romans 8:15), which means “Daddy”. We have this intimate relationship with God that is sweeter than the best of human fathers. I grew up in an abusive home. My bipolar father never got treatment and took his mood swings out on my mother, brothers and me. I was afraid of Father God in my early days of faith. I viewed Him as the terrifying, smoky vision presented as the wizard of Oz.

One day, as I entered God’s courts in praise and prayer, God reminded me about the little man behind the curtain in Oz, who actually controlled that smoking mask. God showed me that He is not a terrifying being, or selfish ruler of the universe, but the caring God who actually helps us to have faith and hope, and who provided our salvation through Christ. We enter His throne room without fear, and with confidence that He hears our prayers and works in our behalf (Hebrews 4:16; Ephesians 3:12; 1 John 5:14).

Our Father God gives us an effectual, abundant life now, as well as later in heaven. He provides us with a myriad of blessings each and every day. He does not lead us into temptation (Matthew 6:13); but with each temptations presented to us by Satan or the world, God gives us a way of escape (1 Corinthians 10:13). He provides us with an abundant supply, safety and security as we look to Him to provide (James 4:2; Psalm 91). He gives us victory through Christ in us (1 Corinthians 15:57).

Satan accuses and torments us, but God gives every authentic Born Again Believer our identity in Christ as His beloved child (Revelation 12:10; 2 Corinthians 5:17). We are free from sin, and we are raised in Christ to live a new life, which is directed by God’s Spirit (Romans 6:4,10; Romans 8:14). We are God’s children and we fix our hope on Him as He perfects us (1 John 3:2-3). Every good and perfect gift in this life comes from Him (James 1:17). God abundantly meets all of our needs (Philippians 4:6,19).

Prayer:

Father God, Thank you for renewing our mind and for perfecting us in holiness (Romans 12:2; 2 Corinthians 3:18). Remind us to walk in Your Spirit, so we do not fulfill the desires of our flesh (Galatians 5:16-25), because our flesh is dead and buried with Christ in baptism (Colossians 3:3; Romans 6:4; Colossians 2:12). Help us to shed Your light from within us on all of humanity around us, because they are dying in darkness and sin (Romans 5:8).

Thought for the Day:

What we do in the flesh does not make us who we are in the Spirit. God will transform our flesh to walk in newness of life.