No Longer a Sinner - The Express Image of God's Person

At Salvation, Christ moves into our spirit by His spirit. God charges us to stir up this gift within us and to grow in His nurture and admonition (Ephesians 6:4).

He takes possession of every piece of our self, which we willingly relinquish to Him, cherishing our submission to His love and pleased at our total surrender to His wisdom and grace.

The Christ, who is described in the Word of God, abides within us if we are a Born Again child of God (John 16:14). His Spirit conforms us into His image a little more each day that we remain submitted to God's will through continual prayer.

Jesus is the express image of God and we are the image of Christ on this earth (Colossians 1:15). We are filled with all of His anointing, power, wisdom, strength and goodness. His love and peace permeate every cell in our body.

We abide in a committed union and communion with Christ in us. God's Spirit replaces our carnality with the image and likeness of Christ as we relax and trust in Him.

Most authentic Christians seek to do God's will, prepare our heart, relinquish our idols, long for a more intimate union with Him and desire to be more like Him each day.

Putting aside the sins which so easily distract us from walking in the Spirit (Hebrews 12:1-3), we still our soul of idle thoughts and vain imaginations and sit in silence to hear from God.

God's glorious Spirit rests in us and fills us with divine power to function in the ministry into which God calls us. We are inspired, encouraged and fulfilled when we see His work in and through us.

Prayer:
Father God, we praise You for the assurance You provide for us through Your Spirit within us. He is the earnest of our inheritance and our proof for our salvation. Thank You that He leads us in Your will for each moment of our day and continues His perfecting work in our soul and spirit.

Let our face shine from Your glory within us, teach us during our times of devotion and meditation and fill us through our entire being with all of Your fullness. Reveal to us Your glory in us and that which is to come, and shower us with Your mercy and grace as we serve You in the work which You called us to do.

Thought for the Day:

We do God's works for His glory rather than our own works for our glory; He infuses our soul with His confidence; and we trust in Him, even in His silences which are times of rest for our soul.

Unashamed Confidence

Nothing, which comes into our life, is a surprise to God. He saw it all before the beginning of time (Ephesians 1:4). We have unashamed confidence in His goodness and mercy.

On the cross, Jesus completed the work of redeeming, sanctifying and perfecting us (Hebrews 10:14). Now, He is working through us to perform His purpose in each situation in our life as it occurs.

As we grasp the fact of who we really are in Christ, we live by faith in the eternal, and not by sight in the temporal realm of life (2 Corinthians 5:7).

When trials and tribulation afflict our life, we no longer have to overcome them, because Christ lives in us (Galatians 2:20). We have His joy in our tribulation, because we know that God has a divine purpose for us in it.

Trials are simply another adventure in Christ; an opportunity for Him to show His divine nature through us and to prove His abundant love to us. Even in death we are victorious.

God allowed Job to experience devastating loss in his life; but He used Job for His glory in each one of them. In the end, God gave Job much more than he ever lost (Job 42:12).

We enjoy God’s presence in our life now, and we look forward to dwelling with Him where righteousness reigns forever and ever, in the new heaven and new earth (2 Peter 3:13).

Prayer:

Father God, when we forget that we are simply aliens and pilgrims in this world, we take life too seriously (Hebrews 11:13; 1 Peter 2:11). We put all of our effort into attaining success in this world; and yet, we are never fulfilled. Give us spiritual eyes to see Your reality as we trust in Your mercy and goodness.

Help us to believe Your Word and to allow it to transform our life as we live by the direction of Your Spirit through each moment of every day. We look forward to the time when You decide to take us home to live with You in glory.

Thought for the Day:

As we continue to live in Christ, we walk in His holiness; when He returns for His bride, we will face Him with unashamed confidence. - 1 John 2:28

A Life Worth Living

Life is only worth living as we live it for God. Jesus surrendered all to Our Father - even His crucifixion and death on the cross (Matthew 26:36-56). He gave us this example to follow.

God is more than one who answers our prayers. He is Supreme Ruler of the universe. We owe Him our allegiance. The least we can do is to surrender all to Him.

Once we realize the true meaning of Christ abiding in us, we appreciate our unity with Him, depend on Him for every breath we take, and trust in His grace and love.

He gives us power for our service for Him, gladness in our fellowship with Him and His Saints, and security in His goodness and provision for all of our daily needs.

Since God supplies all of our needs, if we do not have something we want, this means that we do not really need it at this time in our life. As we wait patiently on His timing and will, He will put His desires in our heart and we will live in true contentment.

When we surrender to God our cares in this life, we not only improve our outlook on life, but also our physical health, our emotional balance and our spirit's well-being.

We dedicate every waking moment to Him: serving in the vocation, ministering in the neighborhood and church family, and dedicating our fun times to the service to which He calls us.

We enter His rest, bask in His presence and walk in His will each moment of our day and night. We join all of creation in groaning for His glorious redemption and appearing (Romans 8:19-22).

His abiding presence in our life fills us with hope, gives us His joy as our strength and inspires us to live in the happiest place on earth - the very center of His will.

Prayer:

Father God, remind us that sin separates us from You, and apathy will rob us of the joy of our salvation. You reveal to us Your path of life and in Your presence is fullness of joy (Psalm 16:11). You never hide Your face from your children as we walk in Your will and love You with our whole heart, soul, mind and strength (Luke 10:27).

We joy in Your continual presence in our life, we delight in doing Your will which You write on our heart, and we draw from Your constant strength which supports us throughout our day (Habakkuk 3:18; Psalm 40:8). We owe You all of our praise and dedicate our life only to you.

Thought for the Day:

We rest in undisturbed repose, unimaginable joy and a life blessed with quietness and worship as we totally surrender every aspect of our life to God.