Union with Christ - Transformation

 

Prior to coming to Christ, we were shackled with our old soul nature and a spirit dead in sin. We were crippled by having a body that started dying the day we were born, a dysfunctional soul, and a dead spirit to cart around with us as we danced through life to the tune of lies from Satanic spirits (1 John 5:19).

We did our best to survive and thrive. Yet, even if we are successful in the eyes of the world, we still lack the basic connection with the God of the Universe, who took on the form of a human being in order to bring us new life.

At times, even God's servants go off on our own tangents and smear God's name, purposes and direction for our life. We work in God's name, but do not follow God's will, which defames His name among the nations - the exact opposite of God's plan for us (Ephesians 2:7-3:19).

When we come to Christ, He forgives our sin, rejuvenates our body, gives our spirit new life, and heals our soul. This gives us the maximum benefit of having a wholesome body, soul and spirit in order to relate to the issues in our life.

Our God-shaped vacuum within us is no longer empty and lifeless, but filled with God's Spirit and renewed each and every day because we are Born Again. We have a purpose in life, our identity in Christ and our vision clearly focused on the will of God.

The old sinful nature died and we are resurrected in Christ. He is now our whole life (Ephesians 3:3-4). We experience the exuberant goodness of our God toward us through His love (John 3:16-17).

Christ's sacrificed His life on the cross to eliminate our sin debt for us and to guarantee the Holy Spirit's residence within us, if we will only humble our self in the sight of the Lord (James 4:10).

Prayer:
Father God, please forgive us for giving You a "bum wrap" and "bad press" among the society of nations across the ages and around the world. Our human behavior, done in Your name, tainted Your name and defamed Your honor among the nations. True salvation connects us to the living water within us, and allows it to flow from us to those You bring into our life (John 7:38).

Lead us in a level path in this exact moment, and all of the moments of our life, because of our enemies. Help us to walk in true holy living according to Your Spirit for Your name's sake (Psalm 23). Regardless of our circumstances, when You are involved in them with us, You turn all of them around for our good (Romans 8:28).

Thought for the Day:

With the same conviction we enjoy in knowing that we are born of God's Spirit through our salvation, which comes from Christ alone, we live with the fulfillment and power of realizing that our sanctification also comes from Christ alone. - Galatians 3:1-3

Covenant with Christ

God made many covenants with the Old Testament Saints, which He keeps even to this day. Then He sent Jesus to make a new covenant with those born after the Messiah's birth (Matthew 26:28).

Anyone humble enough to receive Him receives eternal life in return (John 3:16-17). He replaces our human, uncircumcised heart of stone with His heart of flesh and makes us a new creation in Christ (Romans 2:29; Ezekiel 36:26; 2 Corinthians 5:17).  

This new life in Christ enables us to mature spiritually and allows God's Spirit to conform us the image of Jesus, the Christ (Romans 8:29). The Spirit spurs us to desire more of God and a more intimate union with the Trinity within us.

He gives us the desires of our heart - not the carnal aspects which we covet from this world, but He puts His desires in our heart to replace our carnal, fleshly ones - which would not make us happy anyway (Psalm 37:4).

He does not fulfill our lusts for better health, a bigger home, sportier luxury car, lucrative job and a Hollywood model for a mate, which do not fulfill us when we get them. He gives us what we need to succeed in His calling for our life.

Existing only to do the will of our Father, Jesus lived in contentment, even through the crucifixion and death on the cross. He kept His focused on the prize of glory ahead of Him (Hebrews 12:2). 

Jesus gave us this example of how to live our own life. He glorified God with His life and completed the work which God gave Him to do during His lifetime on earth (John 17:4). We can do this too.

We delight in the Lord each moment of our day, content with His provision and wanting nothing more than to serve Him in any way He chooses. We rejoice as we see Him transforming us into the image of Christ and readily relinquish the earthly ties which hold us back from following hard after Him (Psalm 63:8).

Prayer:

Father God, circumcise our heart of the excess flesh which surrounds us, and set us free to serve You with abandon and dedication. Allow us to find our fulfillment, not in the things of this world, but in service to You each moment of our day. Our true joy comes from living in the center of Your will.

You did not create us to be happy in this world, but to live holy lives - consecrated to You in the same degree of covenant promise that You give to us. When we do, we find a joy that is deeper than the fleeting happiness we obtain from worldly prizes, and we live in eternal peace which starts the moment we surrender our life to Your love.

Thought for the Day:

Living in the center of God's will is very satisfying and brings us a more lasting joy than we can receive from anything this world has to offer.

The Importance of Christ in Us

 

Jesus came from God (John 1:14; Philippians 2:7-11); Jesus was God (Matthew 1:23; John 17:21) and God performed His will on the earth by abiding in a human body as Jesus (John 14:10; Acts 2:22).

God gives us a free will that allows us to choose or to reject His salvation. We can either accept His freedom from eternal destruction or reap the consequences of our choices.

In unbelief, we condemn our self (John 3:18). Every sin we commit stems from the root of unbelief. Once we believe in Christ, God works in us through His Spirit (Luke 4:14-15).

Every Born Again Believer is united with our triune God (John 17:21). The Trinity takes up inclusive residence within us (John 14:23; 1 John 4:15-16).

Our divine union is as intimate as the union between a husband and wife (Ephesians 5:28-30). We are buried with Christ in baptism and raised to walk in His new life.

Our old carnal self is crucified with Him and our body is no longer ruled by sin (Romans 2: 20, 6:12). Christ works His “ministry of reconciliation” in us and through us to the world around us (2 Corinthians 5:18).

Jesus gave us the ultimate example of surrender when He submitted to the suffering of Calvary in order to provide us with salvation.

We are reborn of the Spirit into a spiritual union with Christ (Romans 8:9, 16). Now, Jesus abides within us and wants to work through each of us. We are the visible presence of Christ in our world (1 John 4:17). 

Prayer:

Father God, when Christ moves in, we serve Him by the strength which You supply us (Philippians 2:12-13). This brings You glory and honor (1 Peter 4:10-11). It is no longer us, but You living within us by Your Spirit. You give us the desire and the power to work out our own salvation (Philippians 2:12-13).

We give You all the glory, honor and praise for opening the eyes of our understanding and bringing us to a saving knowledge of Your plan for our life (Ephesians 2:10). We walk in Your Spirit and fulfill the deeds, which You designed for us before we were even born.

Thought for the Day:

We are in Christ, but Christ is also in us.

- Galatians 2:20; Colossians 1 27; Romans 8:10; 2 Corinthians 13:5; Ephesians 3:16-17