Even Good People Fall Short

Many people base their righteousness on their thoughts, words and deeds. They are good people and they live an exemplary life with no overt issues, which would alert them to their sinful nature. Yet, even these model citizens must come to the place where their faith is based on what Jesus did for us, rather than on their self-righteousness.

Even good people sin in their heart (Matthew 15:19; Ecclesiastes 7:20). The inclination of the human heart, even from childhood, is to do evil (Genesis 8:21). Our spirit is dead at birth, and we have only a body and soul by which to relate to this world. We innately know that we are not complete; and we look to people, places and things to fill that void. This futile exercise is continually unsuccessful.

We end up weary and some contemplate suicide. Many people are too proud and self-righteous to call out to God for His salvation. Yet, anyone who does is Born Again in his/her Spirit. Our only requirements are to turn away from sin and to believe that Jesus died for us personally. Then, God molds us into His temple and dwells within us by His Holy Spirit.

We cannot earn our spot in heaven or our access to God. This requires perfection, and we all fall short of God's perfect glory (Romans 3:23). Only Jesus, the perfect Lamb of God, could take the punishment for our sins and give us the free gift of His righteousness in exchange (Romans 6:23). God's Spirit then leads us into all Truth and reminds us of His Word, which guides us throughout our lifetime (1 Corinthians 3:16; John 16:13, 14:26).

Prayer:

Father God, we are mere mortals and we are all born in Adam's sin (Job 15:14). However, You fill us through our entire being with all of Your fullness (Ephesians 3:19). Through the power of Your Trinity within us, we live victoriously as we walk in Your perfect plan for our life (1 Corinthians 15:57). Our carnal, worldly friends, relatives, associates and neighbors may attempt to draw us back into worldly pursuits; but as we focus on You, You keep us in Your perfect peace and on Your straight and narrow road (Isaiah 26:3; Matthew 7:13-14). Thank You, that as we surrender our life exclusively to You, we reap Your rewards (Matthew 5:12; Philippians 4:19).

Thought for the Day:

We find the fulfillment and completion we long for through Christ in us, who is our only hope of a glorious life now and throughout eternity. - Colossians 1:27, 2:10

Living in the Depths of God's Love

When we experience the true depths of God’s love poured out on our life, it is a simple thing to share that love with others; not only in spiritual matters, but in physical matters as well. When you clean someone’s home, fix them a meal, repair their car, take their children for an afternoon so they can relax together, or any other practical help, this is as much an expression of God’s love as quoting a Bible verse to them.

This love does not come from a natural heart, which drives us like a slave to serve mankind. Instead, it is born from the heart of God and motives us by God’s Spirit to serve only where He calls us (John 14:15). Take Jesus’ life for an example. He walked past human need every day and only stopped to minister when He heard our Father direct Him to do so (John 5:1-18). The more time we spend listening to God’s Spirit, the more harmony we have with His will.

The more we live in harmony with God’s will, the more His love, rather than our carnal impulses, motivates our actions. We walk in peace and serve in His love rather than out of human compulsion for the need. We serve in deep abiding joy rather than obligation or obsession, and we fulfill the law of God each moment of the day (Galatians 6:2). We are no longer a human doer, but a spirit-filled follower of Jesus Christ.

Living in the love and will of God is the happiest place on earth. This existence brings us ultimate fulfillment and completion. We live our life through intimate union with Him and in the expression of His divine nature, which places in our soul the fruit of His Spirit who lives within us (Galatians 5:22-23). His love is the true inspiration of our soul – our thoughts, choices and emotions. Our will is in complete union with His will.

Prayer:
Father God, as we walk by the direction of Your Spirit, we do not fulfill the humanistic desires of our carnal flesh (Galatians 5:16, 25). Teach us to replace our self-centered life with a Christ-centered life by relinquishing our will, goals, desires and opinions to Yours, though the daily ministry of Your sanctification. Remind us to submit to Your growth process through the trials You bring into our life; so that our suffering will be replaced by the joy of experiencing Your presence in them. We love without reward, because our motivation is to live in union with Your will.

Thought for the Day:

There is no intimate union with God without a life lived in prayerful communication with Him.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A New Identity

As we trust in Christ, He becomes more and more at home in our heart (Ephesians 3:17). We gain abundant life through Christ in us. He gives us complete freedom from sin and free access to His throne (Hebrews 4:16). We rejoice in Christ who is our hope (Romans 5:17). We place our complete trust in God’s faithfulness as we live for His glory. His Spirit transforms us into the perfected image of Christ (Galatians 4:19). We no longer view our self as a defeated sinner, but as a child of the King.

Those who are living in Christ, share in His identity. We are:

A holy temple (Ephesians 2:22)
A new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17)
Abundantly joyful (Philippians 1:26)
Accessed to His wisdom and knowledge (Colossians 2:3)
Blessed spiritually (Ephesians 1:3)
Chosen (Ephesians 1:11)
Complete in Christ (Colossians 1:17, 2:10)
Dead, and our life is hidden with Christ in God (Colossians 3:3)
Enduring no more condemnation (Romans 8:1)
Enjoying the wisdom of God (1 Corinthians 1:30)
Enjoying faith, hope, and love (1Timothy 1:1, 14)
Forgiven (Ephesians 1:7)
Free and confident in God’s presence (Ephesians 3:12)
Full of the triune God within us (Colossians 2:9-10)
Fully mature in Christ (Colossians 1:28)
Gaining excellence and assurance (1 Timothy 3:13)
God’s children (Galatians 3:26)
Guaranteed showers of God’s love (Romans 8:39)
Holy and faithful (Colossians 1:2)
Hopeful of living in glory (Colossians 1:27)
Hopeful of resurrection from the dead (1 Thessalonians 4:16)
House the Light of the world within us (Ephesians 5:8)
Lack no good thing (Philippians 4:19)
Living as a praise for God’s glory (Ephesians 1:12)
Living stones (1 Peter 2:5)
Near to God (Ephesians 2:13)
Promised life (2 Timothy 1:1)
Reaping what we sow (1 Corinthians 15:58)
Recipients of God’s grace  (Ephesians 2:7)
Rooted and built up (Colossians 2:7)
Seated in heavenly realms with Christ (Ephesians 2:6)
Living in spiritual reality (Colossians 2:17)
Thankful in any circumstance (1 Thessalonians 5:18)
The body of Christ (Romans 12:5)

Prayer,
Father God, as You replace our identity as a sinner with the identity, which You give us in Christ, we live successfully because our Victory is in the person of Jesus Christ who dwells within us. We are no longer separated from You, but one with You, because Christ lives in us by Your Spirit. We are more than conquerors because You love us (Romans 8:31-39). We give you the praise, honor and glory due Your name.

Thought for the Day:

We are complete in Christ who lives, and moves and has His being within us. - Colossians 2:10

 

 

It's Not Your Normal Beatitudes

 

Faith and works are opposites. We prove our faith by our works, but we cannot work to build up our faith (James 2:17). Exercising our faith brings us patience, until patience does her work of perfection in us (James 1:3-4). Everything in the spiritual life begins and ends with Christ. He authors as well as completes our faith, because He took our shame and conquered sin death. Now He sits in His rightful place on His throne at the right hand of God (Hebrews 12:2).

We always view the Beatitudes as attributes that Jesus requires of us in order for us to inherit His blessings. We look discouragingly at the long inventory, and abandon any hope of ever reaching such holy heights in spirituality. However, Christ in us turns the remarks of His message into a declaration of His work in our life, rather than an itemized list of accomplishments to which we should aspire (Matthew 5:1-12). Look at the Beatitudes from God’s perspective rather than from ours. 

As long as we live in pride, the eyes of our understanding are glazed over by our arrogance (Ephesians 1:18). We cannot understand God’s Word. Only when Christ reveals to us how poor in spirit we actually are, do we have any hope of inheriting the Kingdom of God. Realizing our depravity, we call on Christ to save us. We mourn our hopelessness and He comforts us with His salvation. Only by admitting our sinful state of corruption may we inherit the earth.

We live our life sanctified by His Spirit, hungering and thirsting after more and more righteousness until He satisfies our longing and fills our famished soul (Psalm 107:9). God shows us His mercy, as we are merciful to fellow sinners, and forgives us as we forgive others (Acts 17:11). When we submit to God, He guarantees that we will see Him, because He cleanses our heart from sin. Due to the work of Christ in our life, the Lord of peace allows His children to act as blessed peacemakers.

Even if we are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, Christ in us bears the pain and gives us the inheritance of His Kingdom as our own. Faith connects us to the reality of God’s Spirit, and His Spirit assures us of His faithfulness. We live by faith in the Son of God, because He loves us and gave Himself as a ransom for our sins (Ephesians 5:2). The Kingdom of Heaven is not about the carnal pursuits of eating and drinking, but about seeking His Spirit’s righteousness, peace and joy (Romans 14:17).

Prayer:

Father God, if our identity is wrapped up in our performance, we are slaves to society. We work our self into a frenzy to acquire success and this world’s goods. We work like slaves to secure a retirement that may never come. We run on a treadmill that leads to an endless road of hectic activity. As authentic Born Again Christians, You place Your boundless fullness in our human spirit. We ask You to use our body, soul and spirit for Your glory.

Thought for the Day:

It is time to stop taking God’s love for granted (Romans 5:8), and to start loving others with eternal, sacrificial love rather than only through impatient tolerance (John 13:34).

 

Understanding the Soul and the Spirit

 

The soul and the spirit exist in the body of every human being. Many people equate the two as one entity, but the Bible and many learned scholars realize that they function separately (1 Thessalonians 5:23). Animals have a soul as well, but not a spirit. They have a mind, will and emotions just like we do. The soul dictates our behavior. It is the expression of who we are: our personality, our choices and our feelings.

The soul is easily swayed by and finds consolation in the desires of the body. For instance, some foods we eat for our body, also comfort our soul. A physically loving relationship may also fill our soul with feelings of love. The soul registers every joy and heartache in our life, which take their toll on our mental and emotional well-being. We eventually run out of energy in our soul, because it is carnal and fleshly. We need Christ in our life.

Prior to salvation through Christ, our spirit is dead in sin (Ephesians 2:1,5; Colossians 2:13). The unsaved person only has a soul and body, with a deceased spirit within them, leaving a God-shaped hole that prevents them from living as a whole person. Everyone craves completion. We try relationships, addictions, job promotions, a family, a noble cause to promote, and so many other things in the hopes of finding fulfillment. Yet, when we reach our goal, it provides empty pleasure, because our spirit is still dead in sin.

Once our spirit is Born Again through salvation provided by none other than Jesus Christ, we daily submit our soul to the Spirit of God. If we allow our thoughts, emotions and choices to dictate our behavior, we often destroy our fellowship with God. At other times, we rely on our self-effort to emulate the Spirit in order to make Godly choices. Sometimes, we even vacillate back and forth between being led by our soul and our spirit. The Spirit of God uses His Word to divide our soul and spirit, until we walk continually in the Spirit (Hebrews 4:12).

If our soul gains ascendancy over our spirit, we live a carnal life. However, as we bring our soul to the cross of Christ, our soul gradually dies to its desires. Through Bible reading and prayer our spirit grows stronger. The desires of our flesh and the inventions of our soul eventually submit to God’s Spirit within us. God teaches us to walk in the Spirit moment by moment, allowing our soul to reflect His spirit (Galatians 3:1-3). We come to the place where all we crave is God’s will in our life, so that we will live a life complete in Christ (Colossians 2:10).

Prayer:

Father God, we are so glad that we are no longer dictated to by the negative thoughts and emotions of our soul. We gladly put them on Your altar, so that You can give us the mind of Christ instead (Philippians 2:5). You sanctify our soul according to Your plan for our life (1 Corinthians 2:16). Then, we no longer live by humanistic opinions, false worldly wisdom and carnal, man-made rules. We rise above susceptibility to Satan’s deception. As You crucify the carnality in our soul, we choose to follow the direction of Your Spirit rather than the desires of our body and soul during each moment of the day (Hebrews 4:12).

Thought for the Day:

We can trust in the faithfulness of our High Priest to bring us into a closer union with Himself, as we willingly lay our soul on the sacrificial altar of God.

Enjoying Life

Read: John 8:34-37

“Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God.”  - 1 Peter 2:16

The needs of each person’s soul differ, but we all love to play. Fortunately, God abundantly gives us all good things to enjoy (1 Timothy 6:17). There is a debate, however, between the ideologies of decency and decadence. Some believe there is no freedom in the face of morality. I contend that true freedom only comes within the safe parameters of these ethical boundaries. Otherwise, the mob rules and we all know that leads to chaos. Jesus agreed. He told us that we are slaves to sin, and reminded us that only the Son sets us free (John 8:34-37).

Sin makes us subservient to itself and there is no freedom in slavery. Fleshly indulgences are only enjoyable for a time. The dividends of depravity come in the form of ill health, addictions, unmanageable circumstances, jail terms, broken relationships, poverty and eventually death without peace (Luke 21:34). Paul gives wise counsel on how to live in Eph 5:15-19 NIV, “Be very careful, then, how you live - not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is. Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.”

The world tells us to ignore our conscience and to give in to the secular reasoning that “If it feels good, do it!” Who judges right from wrong if the Bible is not our standard? Society leaves it up to individuals, most of whom have trouble discerning truth in any form. Experience proves that a pursuit of money, immorality, fame, drugs, alcohol, relationships, looks and success only brings us temporary joy. In attaining these “prizes” we face a hollow victory. We immediately grow dissatisfied and want something more. The graveyards are full of people who died unhappily, even though they had one or more of these supposed guarantees to a happy life.

I see no need to fear moral restrictions. There is an unlimited amount of wholesome activities for spiritual people to enjoy, such as: learning something new, reading a book, taking a leisurely nap, canoeing the river, popping corn and watching movies, gathering with friends, sports, enjoying nature and developing new hobbies, to name just a few. We do not need to live a life of sin in order to enjoy life.

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, I am learning that there is no true happiness apart from You. I only experience completion in my life through my relationship with You. This is more fulfilling than any human relationship I ever enjoyed. Because You live within me, You are closer to me than any other bond. Jesus, thank You for coming to give us abundant life, which is filled to overflowing (John 10:10, Amplified Bible).

Thought for the Day:
How totally pointless the pursuit of self-indulgence appears after we attain it, and what a bitter taste of repulsion it leaves in our empty soul.

Gladness and Joy

Read: 1 Peter 1:8-9

"Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." -  1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

There are so many unhappy people in the world. They despise their job, disrespect their spouse, are irritated with their children, want a better house and car and wish they could go to some exotic island for vacation. They live vicariously through books and movies, trading this figment of their imagination for reality. They are usually so busy working to get more stuff that they do not have time to attend church and to develop their spiritual life.

Sadly, some Christians often fit into this category as well. We put our own pursuits above God’s directives. We lay up more treasure for our earthly tabernacle than we do our heavenly one. At other times, we are so involved with searching for God's will that we are often frustrated when God seems silent on the topics we address with Him in prayer. God’s will is simple. He wants us to be transformed into the image of His Son (Romans 8:29). If we keep our mind on Him, He will keep us in perfect peace (Isaiah 26:3). If we seek Him first, He will take care of every other component in our life (Matthew 6:33).

When we live each moment of the day in gratitude for what He already provided, He continues to abundantly supply our needs for that day as well. No matter how desperate the circumstances are in our life, He promises to work them out for our good (Romans 8:28) in His timing and in His way. As we live our life with open communication with His Spirit, He puts us in the right place, at the right time to give and to receive a blessing.

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, although Your love is too great to fully comprehend, let us experience this love each day as we follow hard after You (Psalm 63:8). Let us be made complete in You, with all the fullness of life and power that comes from You (Ephesians 3:19). Give us Your shield of victory and sustain us throughout the trials of this life with Your mighty right hand (Psalm 18:35).

Thought for the Day:

Gladness and joy will overtake us, and sorrow and sighing will flee away.- Isaiah 35:10