No Longer a Sinner - The Glory of the Lord

 

Peter, James and John witnessed Christ's glory as the Beloved Son who pleased our Father (John 17:5). Jesus was on a mountain and appeared with Moses and Elijah (Matthew 17:2-8; 2 Peter 1:16-17).

Jesus is also our light who shines in our darkest hour. When we come to Christ, His glory shines in us and from us as the Light of the world, the light of life (John 8:12; Acts 6:15). We lay down our penchant to sin at His feet.

At salvation, He comes to dwell within us; however when He returns to claim us as His bride, we will see Him as He is and we will reflect His supernatural glory (John 3:1-2; Philippians 3:20-21).

In His face, we will see and understand the glory of God (2 Corinthians 4:6). Jesus will transform our mortal body into conformity with His glorious, immortal body (2 Thessalonians 1:10-12).

As we keep our focus on Christ, we are no longer affected by the events in this life; because our attention is absorbed by the only One who matters. Even in our hour of death, God's Spirit will sustain us and shine forth from us (Acts 7:51-60).

We mirror the glory of the Lord to the masses of unsaved people all around us. They know that something is very different about us (2 Corinthians 3:18). They are drawn to us by God's Spirit, and He gives us the opportunity to share Christ with them.

We may not even have to use words, because a Spirit-filled smile or a simple "Hello" will touch their hearts as no sermon ever did. Jesus bought us at a great price to Himself, now it is time for us to lay down our life for others (John 15:13).

Prayer:

Father God, You revealed Jesus to us face-to-face and His presence burns in our heart. We see Him in all of His glory and we submit to His sovereignty in our life. Your glory is gradually enveloping us by Your sanctifying process in our life. You will eventually craft us into the image of Christ on this earth.

The marks of the cross are on our heart; and we want nothing more than to bring You pleasure by our every thought, word and deed. You give us the deep, spiritual mind of Christ in exchange for the meager, carnal mind closed off to spiritual Truth (2 Corinthians 3:14-15). We are no longer our own; we belong to You, and we serve at Your pleasure.

Thought for the Day:

Let us reveal the glory of the Lord, which arises within us, to the world around us rather than the human pride, selfishness, hypocritical double-standard, frustration and carnality that we commonly feel within us. - Isaiah 61:1

Yield the Right of Way

 

We usually live our life fumbling around through one escapade after another. We bring calamity upon our self and our family by the choices we make. We fail to consult the Lord’s will, so He cannot direct our paths (Proverbs 3:5-6). Eventually, we are in the pit of despair so deeply that we have to call out to Him in frustration and anguish. We pray up a calm in our storm, and ask God for His showers of blessings for us in the midst of the raging tempest.

According to His unfailing love, God always answers us. He has a perfect plan for each of us (Ephesians 2:8-10). We arise in the morning, live throughout our day and fall asleep every night in the attitude of continuous prayer. Not on our knees, but bowed in our heart in ceaseless communion with the Father and His Son by the power of His Spirit. We walk in the reality of what we read in God’s Word. We grow stronger in our union with Christ day by day.

Surrendering our negative characteristics to God will rid us of them quicker than if we attempt to perfect our self. As we cease from our own labors, we enter into God’s rest (Hebrews 4:10). The Holy Spirit is in us perfecting us from one realm of glory to the next (2 Corinthians 3:18). He exchanges our negative characteristics with the fruit of His Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). As we keep our mind focused on God in worship to Him, He keeps us in His perfect peace (Isaiah 26:3).

Our main enemies are our carnal flesh, the glittering world and Satan’s lying wonders (1 John 2:16; Mark 4:19; 2 Thessalonians 2:9). However, God’s Spirit steps in and sanctifies our thoughts and desires until we are completely compatible with Christ in us and in total harmony with the will of God for our life (Ephesians 2:10). We bear much fruit, stand in the gap for our loved ones, soften God’s heart against sinners and plead for the salvation of the lost.

Prayer:

Father God, we yield our personal rights and self-will to You, and we ask You to purify us in our carnal thoughts, words and deeds. Your Spirit speaks to us from deeply within our hearts, confirming that we are Your children (Romans 8:16). We hunger and thirst for a closer walk with You. Remind us that only as we die to our self will we ever live in Christ. Our complete surrender and childlike faith will earn us a crown of life (James 1:12). As Your righteous children, we pray with confidence that You always hear us (1 John 5:14-15).

Thought for the Day:

Complete devotion, conformity and faithfulness to the Word of God bring us into total union with Christ.

His Hand in the Glove

Read: Colossians 1: 26-28

“I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” - Galatians 2: 20

While cleaning out a hall closet, I found an old, rectangular floral box full of mementos. One item in the box was a pair of white, Victorian lace gloves, yellowed with age. I slipped my hand into one of the gloves and immediately thought of how it resembled Christ in me, my hope of glory.

We are the glove and Christ is the Hand. The glove lies lifelessly in the dresser drawer or on the end table or hidden away in a coat pocket until the Hand has need of it. Then, the glove completely conforms to the Hand. The bit of lace has no power or animation apart from the Hand. In fact, it is actually useless in and of itself. The glove moves only as the Hand directs it. It is the exact image of the Hand.

I love this illustration. It takes all of the striving out of the Christian life for me, and gives me a clear image of Christ IN ME, my hope of the manifestation of God in my life. As I continue to conform to His image, God is in absolute control. This idea also clearly personifies Galatians 2:20 for me - I no longer live, but Christ lives in and through me.

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, thank You for reminding me that without You, I can do nothing; yet with You in me, all things are possible if I only believe.

Thought for the Day:

Conforming to the image of Christ is as easy as a glove fitting onto a hand.

Our Destiny Hangs in the Balance

Read: James 3:10-12

"Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him." - 1 John 2:15

Living Godly lives requires that we focus on living holy lives. However, in today's society with all of the glitter and glitz, it is so easy to get sidetracked. We start out by dabbling in sin, but we end up as sin’s slave. Holiness and sin cannot dwell together in the same person. There is only One Way to obtain freedom from this addiction to the world. That is through the leadership of the Holy Spirit within us. He will permeate and perfect us until we live for God alone, in the abundance of His righteousness, peace and joy.

Sometimes, the weeds of this world threaten to choke the very life from us. There is hope, however. The Master Gardener promised that in the end, He would separate the chaff from the wheat and burn the counterfeit in the eternal flames of hell. The difference between the chaff and the wheat is found in those who are not only convicted of sin, but who are also actually converted from sin and who live transformed lives. 

Prayer:

Lord, never allow any love for the world to dilute our love for You. Keep us unspotted from the world and overpower us by Your love.

Thought for the Day:

As we conform to the image of Christ, our spiritual identity will insure our eternal destiny.