Spiritual Eyes Enlightened

 

 

We humans run through life at a full tilt, feeling guilty over the past, worried about the future and missing the here and now. We live for the weekend, losing opportunities during the week to look for God’s guidance in the midst of our busy schedules. We sacrifice quietude for busyness in order to fill every moment of our day with material gain and accomplishment. We miss the adventures, which God has for us in each moment of our life

We accomplish nothing for God through our human striving. We also attempt to manufacture times of rest by reserving a vacation in the mountains, on the beach, on cruises or in resort areas. While this is often enjoyable, our only true rest comes by ceasing our human efforts and entering God’s rest through Christ within us (Hebrews 4:10). In the most stress-filled moments of our life, let’s retreat to that still, small place within our spirit where God’s Spirit waits for us.

It is only in the center of God’s will that we find true rest. Christ’s presence in our life makes all things more beautiful. A short break in your schedule to take a walk in nature will renew your soul. Relish the cool breeze coming off the water, the shade trees swaying in the breeze, the massive clouds collecting along the edge of the landscape, the vibrant flowers and lush green trees, the ancient oaks draped with Spanish moss, as well as meeting new people strolling through the park on their way to or from home or work.

Little do we realize that our best achievements occur only in the center of God’s will. There is no need for us to be anxious about anything. If we put God’s Kingdom as a priority in our life and seek Him with all of our heart – not part of our life, not just our Sunday morning, not just when it is convenient and there is nothing else going on in our life. Then, he can provide our life with everything we need (Matthew 6:28-33). We want to live a life that is pleasing in God’s sight (Hebrews 13:20).

We stop planning our works for God, in which we hope to obtain recognition, and we quietly go about our day. We follow the leading of His Spirit and do the works, which He ordained for us to do before we were ever born (Ephesians 2:10). We completely surrender our life to the great “I am” (Exodus 3:14). Christ totally permeates every chamber in our body, soul and spirit until we are infused with the Divine nature of Christ in us (2 Peter 1:4). Jesus lives His life in and through us.

Prayer:

Father God, we want to see the reality of Your Trinity dwelling in us in peace, and living with us in one accord throughout our everyday life (Romans 15:33, 16:20; 2 Corinthians 13:11; Philippians 4:9; 1 Thessalonians 5:23). Supply us with everything we need to live a Godly life in Christ Jesus (2 Timothy 3:12). We totally trust You with our life, as well as the moment of our death (Philippians 4:6-7). We do not rely on our human comprehension, but we pray that our spiritual eyes may be enlightened (Ephesians 1:18).

Thought for the Day:

Cease from striving; be still, and come to the personal realization the God truly wants to reign in your life. – Psalm 46:10

Dead to Sin

Read: Matthew 20: 1-15

“God gives us a heart and mind that is new and no longer feels satisfied with a sinful lifestyle.” - Philippians 2: 12-13

If a person can sin without any remorse, then he/she is not truly born again and the Spirit of God does not reside within them (Romans 6:2-4). If we are not willing to crucify all sinful passions and desires, we do not really belong to Christ (Galatians 5:24). If the Spirit of God does reside in us, however, then we are dead to any attraction to sin and to the world (Galatians 6:14). Sin does not appeal to us any longer, because we are not enticed by it. We are even grieved by sin now, because of the Holy Spirit within us. We died to sinful desires and we do not want to live in sin a moment longer. We are baptized into Christ’s death and raised in the power of the Holy Spirit to live a new life.

Once a person does choose to follow Christ, Jesus’ saving work on Calvary is appropriated to his/her spirit. If this same person dies physically the very next day, they are saved and will live for eternity in heaven, even though they never started the sanctification process. Think of the thief on the cross. He believed in Christ as he hung there next to Jesus. Our Savior assured him, "Today you will be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43). This person is justified and still gets "paid" a day’s wage...they still go to heaven; but they will have very few rewards in heaven and they lived a very sorrowful life here on earth (Matthew 20:1-15).

Once the Spirit of God moves in, our base nature no longer has any claim on us. We are not drawn to partake in the lower level of human behavior. Through Christ’s death, we put to death all the sinful longings of our body, so that we can live now in the resurrection power of Christ (Romans 8:12-13). We are like a seed of wheat. We have been buried with Christ in baptism and now we produce a fruitful life.

People who claim to be Christians, but who still continue in worldly fellowship with carnal friends and who continue to partake in a lifestyle of sinful behavior, risk the wrath of God falling on them because of this disobedience (Colossians 3:3-7). If we love the old way of living, we will lose our life forever; however, if we hate the sin-filled life we once lived, we will remain alive in Christ for eternity (John 12:24).

Due to God’s forgiveness of our sins, our eyes are wide open to His mercy. We give Him our body as a living sacrifice, consecrated to Him and accepted by Him. We no longer allow the world to squeeze us into its mold, but we submit to God as he remodels our actions and improves our attitude (Romans 12:1-2). We lay down the old nature, which has a propensity to sin, and we destroy any deceitful, indecent desires that linger in us. We can do this only because God gives us a heart and mind that is new and the power to stand against temptation (Philippians 2: 12-13). We no longer feel satisfied with a sinful lifestyle.

The tyranny of sin over us is broken and we are free from sin from now on, because we died with Christ (Romans 6:5-7). Since Jesus died for our sins, we are now alive in Him (Romans 6:8-11; 2 Timothy 2:11). He erased every record of sin against us by nailing it to the cross (Colossians 2:12,14,20). He died for us so that we no longer live for our self, but we now live for Him. Our past is dead and buried, and God gives us a fresh, new life (2 Corinthians 5:15,17).

Prayer:
Lord God, Your grace appears to every person who is born on this earth. You call us to refuse the draw of sin and worldly passions and to live a decent, self-controlled, godly life instead (Titus 2:11). Your Spirit works right along with us, replacing our old habits with the His fruit. He weaves into the fibers of our personality the works of love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, goodness, meekness self-control and faith (Galatians 5:22). We live upright and holy lives in honor of Christ who sacrificed Himself for us all (Ephesians 4:22-25; Galatians 2:19-20).

Thought for the Day:

Born Again Believers focus on spiritual desires and set our hearts on pleasing the Lord. - Colossians 3:1