No Longer a Sinner - Conformed to Christ's Image

God's glory within us increases incrementally as we cooperate with His Spirit's discipline and direction. We reflect this glory to the world around us and draw people to Him who want more of Him in their life as well.

His sanctifying work starts with the rebirth of our spirit and continues throughout our lifetime, as the imperfect in us is transformed into the perfected (Romans 8:29; 1 John 3:2).

As God's Spirit transforms us with the mind, likeness and divine character of Christ, we change from one stage of glory to the next (2 Corinthians 3:18). This is not a matter of Him changing us from one stage of sinner to the next.

We are no longer a worm, but a butterfly soaring in the spiritual realm of life. Our inner man is drawn by the Spirit of God into ascending realms of spiritual maturity, rather than Him dragging us out of our penchant toward one sin and then another (Ephesians 4:13).

This sanctifying work starts with the rebirth of our spirit and continues throughout our lifetime, as the imperfect in us is transformed into the perfected (Romans 8:29; 1 John 3:2).

Our cooperation with God's Spirit insures that our perfection continues without disruption until we are completely conformed into the image of Christ (Romans 8:18; 1 Corinthians 13:12).

Christ, who is the image of God and abides within us (John 1:14, 14:9), gives us both the desire and power to work out our salvation in cooperation with God's Spirit (Colossians 1:15; Philippians 2:12-13; Hebrews 1:3).

As we focus on Christ, as if looking in a mirror at His image in us, we reflect increasing stages of His glory. We realize that our carnal nature is all but dead, and that Christ is our whole life (Ephesians 3:3-4).

Prayer:

Father God, reveal to us that only the veil of sin, which so easily hinders us if we take our mind off Christ, will thwart our personal journey into perfection. Help us to allow Your Spirit to cut away the dead skin of the flesh, so that we walk in unity with Your Spirit and in the likeness of Christ in us.

Remind us to continually focus on Your glory reflected on the face of Christ within us. Fill us daily with Your Spirit and allow us to totally submit until He takes full possession of our body, spirit and soul - our thoughts, choices and feelings. Our whole desire in our life is to reflect Your glory to the world around us and to draw everyone in our sphere of influence to a closer walk with You.

Thought for the Day:
Our dark and sinful soul is transformed into the image of Christ as we consistently walk in His marvelous light. 

- 1 Peter 2:9

God is in Control - Regardless of Circumstances

As our fleshly, carnal appetites decrease, Christ in us increases. Negative emotions, such as: fear, insecurity, anxiety, depression, etc., along with their companion of mental and physical illnesses, decrease in us as well.

We enter God's rest and feel fewer negative emotions. Any negative emotion that does surface is a red flag to draw our attention to some aspect of our life that is overwhelming us or an unresolved conflict.

These unresolved issues paralyze us with fear; they control our thoughts, words and deeds; and they cripple us for the work of the ministry and the quality of our relationships.

As we focus on the presenting emotion, listen to the words in our mind associated with that feeling, and ask God for wisdom concerning the issues causing the emotion, we can find solutions or turn the problems over to God to work out in His way and timing.

God's Word calms our troubled soul, energizes our spirit and empowers our body with health and vitality. We make wiser choices, form more spiritual friendships and enjoy more success in life.

Even if fears and insecurities dog our steps, we learn to trust God's consistent presence in our life. We speak our mind and make sure we have a voice in choices made that affect our life.

There is no reason to fear, because God is always with us. Discouragement holds no place in our life, because He gives us His strength and He helps us. He supports us with His mighty right hand (Isaiah 41:10).

Prayer:
Father God, whenever we are afraid, remind us to put our trust in You (Psalm 56:3). There is no need for us to feel anxious about anything in this life, because through prayer and petition with gratitude in our heart for all You have already done for us, we can present our deepest and most frightening concerns to you (Philippians 4:6).

Then, Your peace, which transcends the issues of life, will guard our heart and our mind in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:7). This peace is not the carnal, fleeting peace that the world gives, but the peace of Christ within us. We have no need to feel worried, afraid or upset about anything (John 14:27).

Thought for the Day:

Even when life careens out of our control and we fear for our future, we can still trust in our God who is always in control.

Removal from the Rat Race

The best way to remove our self from the rat race we call life is to simplify our activities. We learn to walk in the Spirit (Galatians 5:15-25), to live by the faith of God's Son within us (Galatians 2:20) and to glorify God with our thoughts, words and deeds (1 Corinthians 10:31).

We focus our thoughts on God instead of the next goal we have for our life here on earth. He replaces our carnal character traits with His Spiritual fruit and leads us to do only His will for each day (Galatians 5:22-23).

His will is different for each one of us. He may call one as a pastor, someone else as a sales clerk, one as a car mechanic, another to serve Him as a lawyer or doctor, and someone else as a stay-at-home parent.

He removes us from the mental, financial and emotional roller coaster we choose for our life and puts us in a glass bottom boat so that we can see what is beneath the surface of life, as well as what is above the surface. Our spiritual understanding increases and our perspective broadens.

God leads us to restore broken relationships, resolve issues buried in our subconscious mind, to make new friends and to influence them for His Kingdom, and to be a neighbor who really cares about those living around us.

The power of God's Spirit, which raised Jesus from the dead, is an integral part of our life regardless of our vocation, social class, education and financial status.

We do not earn anything in life apart from Christ, but all that we have is a free gift, a by-product of our salvation in Christ. He provides our daily bread, like the manna in the wilderness and He meets all of our needs with His glorious riches (Matthew 6:11).

Prayer:

Father God, You complete us (Colossians 1:28, 2:10) by planting us in Your love, building up our faith, and using us for Your glory (Colossians 2:6-10). You provide us with the assurance of our salvation by filling us with Your Spirit and Your presence. Death and sin have no more dominion over us, because the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus sets us free from them (Romans 8:2).

Teach us who we are in Christ and sanctify our soul from one stage of glory to the next (2 Corinthians 3:18). Make us a new creation who lives to serve You with every breath we take and every move we make. Thank You for firmly rooting us by Your Word and guiding us by Your Spirit to walk in Your will for our life.

Thought for the Day:

God gives each one of us spiritual gifts, talents and wisdom in order to influence the world around us for His Kingdom, to serve in His Body and to bring light and hope to a society which chooses to doom itself to destruction and eternal torment.

- John 3:16-18; Romans 6:22-23