Adopted by Our Holy God

In our humanistic society, it is impossible not to keep our focus on our self. We think about #1, sometimes to the exclusion of those whom we should cherish more than our own self.

We forget that Christ laid down His life for us and calls us to lay down our life for others. It is easier for most women to lay down our life, because our genes tend to be hardwired with the codependent nature.

However, there are also men in our society that have this emotional, compassionate nature that makes it easier for them to put others above their self.

The issue here is more about Christ increasing within our spirit and soul as our focus on our self decreases (John 3:30). We consider others as better than our self (Philippians 2:3-4).

This does not mean that we neglect our self - we are people too and we can minister to our needs in the same way that we care for everyone else. In fact, this habit keeps us healthy and more able to help others (Mark 12:31).

Yet, as our flesh decreases, we are new creatures in true righteousness and holiness (Ephesians 4:23-24). We are offspring of our holy God and His divine nature infuses every part of our body, spirit and soul - thoughts, choices and feelings (Acts 17:28-29).

In eternity, Christ will even transform our body to mirror His glorious, immortal one (Philippians 3:21).  God's Spirit completely sanctifies us, conforming us to the image and likeness of Christ, God's first born Son (1 Thessalonians 5:23).

Prayer:

Father God, You adopted us as individual members of Your Body, and placed Jesus is our head (1 Corinthians 12:27; Ephesians 4:15). Our body is Your temple and as the corporate Body of Christ, we are one with Your Spirit (1 Corinthians 3:16, 6:17). The world recognizes that You sent us on their behalf, because our life is a testimony of You to them (John 17:21-23).

Jesus gives us the glory, which You gave to Him, so that we can be one with Him, You and with one another (John 17:22). Help us to be patient and diligent as You slowly mature our spiritual growth until we share in the divine nature of Christ (Ephesians 4:13).

Thought for the Day:

We are crucified with Christ, and therefore, we live in this world for the glory of Christ; yet, it is not we who live, but Christ who lives in us and through us. - Philippians 1:21; Galatians 2:20

Union with Christ - Fully Human and Fully Divine

Jesus was fully human and fully divine when He lived on this earth. This same Christ is fully divine in us (1 Corinthians 2:12). As we live in union with Christ, we are also one in Spirit with Him (1 Corinthians 6:17; 1 John 5:12; Hebrews 3:14, 6:4).

Our belief in Jesus secures this merger (I John 4:15,16). We are now dead to sin because of Christ in us, and He lives His divine life in and through us (Galatians 2:20; 2 Corinthians 13:5; 2 Timothy 1:14).

In fact, the entire Trinity takes up residence within us (John. 14:23). God’s Spirit seals us and dwells in us, confirming our union with Christ and our adoption into God’s family (Romans 8:14; Galatians 4:6; Ephesians 4:30; 2 Corinthians 1:22).

When this fact becomes a reality in our life, God’s peace permeates our thoughts, choices and emotions. As we mature in Christ, we grow deeper in the wisdom and knowledge of God, and we realize that Jesus within us already overcame Satan and his kingdom of darkness.

In the same way that Jesus denied His humanity and walked in the Spirit of His divinity, we too consider our humanity dead in Christ. We allow Christ to crucify the deeds of our flesh and to integrate us with Himself in God (Colossians 3:3; Ezekiel 36:26).

Christ in us conforms our spirit and soul into an expression of Himself, and this affects our body as well. Jesus functions in His gifts and ministries through us, and He gives us the power and direction to walk in His will (Romans 12:8; 1 Corinthians 12:7).

Prayer:

Father God, remind us that all the power and authority of Christ’s divinity reside within us (Matthew 28:18). You pour out Your love into our hearts (Romans 5:5). You teach us all things (Ephesians 5:17). You prepare us for Your service, You strengthen us for the work and You give us victory over every challenge and obstacle as we walk in Your Spirit.

At Salvation, You crucify our humanity and fill us through our entire being with all of the fullness of Christ's divine nature. You give us the desire and the power to do Your will with our life (Philippians 2:12-13). All of this comes from Christ in us, who is our Lord and Savior now and for all of eternity (Romans 10:9; Colossians 1:27; Philippians 2:11; 1 Peter 3:15).

Thought for the Day:
Once we realize that our humanity is dead in Christ, we walk in the Spirit of Christ in us and no longer fulfill the desires and lusts of the flesh; we live with our mind on the things of the Spirit rather than on the temporal aspects of this earth; we live on the earth, but we are not part of the earth except as He directs us to influence this world for His Kingdom. - Galatians 5:15-25

Our Patched​ Humanity

Through a lifetime of fighting the circumstances, which life deals out to us, we are so encumbered by bandages that it is hard to function. Our body and soul often end up bruised, broken, patched up and in the hospital - on crutches, just to traverse our day. Our spirit is already dead in sin, and no help to us at all (Ephesians 2:1).

Once we come to Christ through salvation, He heals us from the inside out. Our works of righteousness have no influence over God's love for us or our eternal standing; but they are very necessary for our wedding garment as the Bride to our Savior, King Jesus (Revelation 19:8).

We start to focus more on the spiritual, eternal aspects of life rather than the humanistic, temporal issues. Life is no longer about us; but Christ is now our whole life (Colossians 3:3-4).

Even when our faith wanes, He helps our unbelief (Mark 9:24). Our spirit is perfect; but our soul - our thoughts, choices and feelings - is still in the process of healing and maturing in His faith within us (Galatians 2:20).

God elevates us as His adopted children and we no longer depend on our self (Ephesians 1:5). We turn our faith toward Christ and we live by the direction of His Spirit. His peace floods our soul and our pent-up anger dissolves (Isaiah 26:3).

God's Spirit conforms us to the mind of Christ and transforms our nature to Christ's divine nature (2 Peter 1:4). He exchanges our human weaknesses with God's strength; so we can do all things through Christ's presence within us (2 Corinthians 13:4; Philippians 4:13).

Prayer:

Father God, often when we pray, our mind is full of what we did and did not say or do. We cannot get in touch with our true needs, because we are not listening to our own soul. We are not listening to Your Spirit either, who wants to pray and function through us.

Yet, as we spend our time in complete and anxious-free prayers of praise, we learn to live unencumbered by things of this earth. We enter into a life of praising and worshipping our living Lord. As we trust in You alone, You make all things work together for our good (Romans 8:28). Our faith is built and strengthened as we see Your faithfulness in our life.

Thought for the Day:
Journaling our thoughts, feelings and prayers allows us to empty our soul from its load of cares and concerns; when we look back over what we wrote and the prayers of our year, we see God's hand, working in the details our life.