Meekness and Grace

God's Spirit slowly transforms our life in Christ from one stage of glory to the next until we have the mind, character and nature of Christ in us (Romans 1:1, 6:18).

We are no longer slaves to the negative attributes of our human personality, but we are free indeed (John 8:36). We grow in meekness and grace in order to live in total surrender to the loving hands of the Master Potter (Isaiah 64:8).

God's Spirit teaches us to draw near to God and to resist Satan's temptations, so that he has to flee from us (James 4:7). We no longer live as slaves to sin, dancing to the beat of Satan's tune.

We are free to live in Jesus' holiness and righteousness, which He exchanged with us for our sin (2 Corinthians 5:17). We no longer live in habitual sin (1 John 3:9), because Christ poured out His love for us while we were still sinners (Romans 5:8).

God reconciled us to Himself through Christ's sacrifice on Calvary's cross (Colossians 1:20). He molds us into a spotless Bride for His Son. We end up as a glorious Bride without any blemish or wrinkle (Ephesians 5:27).

As we maintain our daily focus on Christ, He authors and completes our salvation in spirit, soul and eventually in body (Hebrews 12:2; James 1:4). We live in union with Christ and we purpose to further God's Kingdom in the earth (Luke 2:49).

Like Jesus, we can do nothing from our own strength, wisdom or resources. We need our Father, our Savior and their Spirit. We are one with them now and throughout eternity (John 5:19, 10:30).

Prayer:

Father God, Jesus has Your mind and through His presence within us, we share Your mind as well (1 Corinthians 2:16). Our union with You increases and deepens as we keep our mind on You (Isaiah 26:3). Help us to repent of our dependence on our human wisdom and understanding, which limits our usefulness in Your Kingdom.

We want to walk away from our humanity, including our goals and good works, and embrace Your divinity within us. Teach us to follow Your Spirit as He guides us through every step of our day until we learn to acknowledge You in all of our ways (Proverbs 3:5-6).

Thought for the Day:

We can learn to fellowship with the Trinity and to listen to God’s Spirit within us as we put on the mind of Christ and accomplish His will for each moment of our life.

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.

Relinquishing Our Hold on This Life

 

We have no need to fear death or to cling to this life. We can relinquish our desires to succeed in this society, because it is only a vapor on a cold winter's day (James 4:14). It quickly dissipates.

Our dependence on earthly advantages leave us insecure at best. As we value our temporal life with less importance and put a higher priority on our spiritual life, our levels of stress, fear, anxiety and depression about our life on this earth diminish.

Satan's lies and negative self-talk, which comes from significant others in our life and fills our mind, attempt to rob us of our confidence in God's love.

It is important for us to reject these negative thoughts and attitudes as they pop up and replace them with God's truth (Philippians 4:8). We agree with what God says about us in His Word. http://vintagelawrence.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/ANDERSON_WhoIAmInChrist.pdf

As we develop a habit of prayer, this proves our dependence upon God. It humbles us and glorifies God who holds all power, glory and honor in His hands.

Only as we snuggle in the palm of God's hand are we safe. He prevents life from separating us from His love (John 10:27-29; Romans 8:35-39). We are sealed in Him by His Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13-14).

As a child of God, Christ is in us and we are the temple of His Holy Spirit (Galatians 2:20; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20). There is no need for us to belittle our self or to believe these negative lies. 

God cares about our heartaches and He bears our burdens as we share them with Him (1 Peter 5:7). He helps us in all of our troubles (Psalm 46:1). We go to God with every distress and He keeps our tears in His bottle to revenge in His way and timing (Psalm 56:8).

We can pray in our own words about the real issues which affect our life. Our needs, feelings, wounds and failings are His concern too. We can trust Him to meet all of our needs as we make His Kingdom our priority in this life (Matthew 6:33).

Prayer:

Father God, You are our God, and You save us and preserve our life as we trust in You (Psalm 86:2).  You already know the end of time from the beginning; and Your purpose will stand through it all as You carry out Your pleasure (Isaiah 46:10). As we read accounts of Your goodness throughout Your Word, it builds our faith. We sing joyfully of Your righteous choices in the affairs of our world.

You are compassionate and gracious, a good, good God; and we are loved by You. You are slow to anger and great in loving kindness and You never send judgment without first sending ample warning and time to repent. You are good to all; and we see Your tender mercies through Your works in times past, as well as today (Psalm 145:7-9).

Thought for the Day:

God is the Lord of hosts and is exalted in all the earth, our God who is holy in all of His righteous decisions; and when we pass from this life to Heaven, we go immediately into the presence of God. - Isaiah 5:16