Growing into Christ

 

In our growth into Christ, we acknowledge that we are indeed crucified with Christ, we are dead and our new resurrection life is hidden with Christ in God (Colossians 3:3-4).

We are raised from spiritual death with Christ, and we set our mind on the eternal aspects of life. We feast on His Word until it dwells in us richly. The cares of this life fade away and we abide in His unlimited rest, peace and joy.

We live by the faith of the Son of God through every new adventure He devises for us (Galatians 2:20). Even in secular employment and activities, we do all in the name of Jesus (1 Corinthians 10:31).

As we seek first His Kingdom, He provides us with everything we need to fulfill His purpose with our life (Matthew 6:33). Christ in us is greater than Satan and all of his demons (1 John 4:4).

God's Spirit gives us the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16), and helps us to take our carnal thoughts captive and make them obedient to Him (2 Corinthians 10:5).

We understand the things of God by His Spirit, having His discernment in every area of life (1 Corinthians 2:5-15). We do not have to strive and strain to die daily to our flesh.

We simply fully embrace the truth that Christ lives in us and wants to live through us. We are raised with Christ in newness of life and we will appear with Christ in glory at the end of this age (Romans 6:4,8,10).

These facts have practical relevance to our walk in Christ each day on this earth. They give us hope, faith and the power to walk in the Spirit, to pray without ceasing and to love God with our whole heart.  

Prayer:

Father God, through Christ in us, we minister to one another and to the world around us (Galatians 2:20; Colossians 3:1-16; Ephesians 2:5-6).  Enable us to set our affection on eternal matters and not to worry about or stress over the issues in this life. You gave us citizenship in Heaven with You now (Philippians 3:20).

Remind us that we have no meaningful life apart from Christ in us. Help us to adopt His purpose to seek and to save the lost; His perspective of doing Your will; and His practice of prayer, humility and obedience (Luke 5:16, 19:10; Philippians 2:5-8; Hebrews 5:8).

Thought for the Day:

Since we are fully human, we often feel like we are fighting life, the world and Satan all alone; but if we remember that Christ in us is fully divine with all the power of the triune God, then we can step aside and allow Jesus to deal with any situation that is troubling us.

 

No Chasm Remains

A false sense of separation between a saved person and God thwarts our spiritual growth. In truth, there is no chasm at all. Jesus closed the gap between God and man by his sacrifice and resurrection. The saved are in Christ and He is in us (Galatians 2:20; Colossians 3:3). The righteous shall inherit peace as we pursue unity with Christ who lives in us. He is both our Lord and Christ (Acts 2:36; 2 Peter 1:11; 3:2,18; Romans 10:9; 1 Corinthians 12:3). He reigns in power and majesty (Romans 1:4). Knowing Jesus, will give us eternal life. In Christ are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge (John 17:3; 11:25, 14:6, 1 John 5: 12-13; Colossians 2:3).

The one, who dies in the righteousness of Christ, has no sin accounted against him/her. There is no iniquity found in them or charged against them. Jesus submitted to the power of the devil and death to pay the price for the consequences of our sins (Hebrews 2:14; 1 Corinthians 6:20; 7:23; Genesis 2:17); however, He came forth from the grave having proven that He is victor over both (John 19:30; Acts 2:24). Now Jesus provides this same resurrection life to anyone who repents of their sins and submits to His Lordship in their life (John 11:25; 1 Peter 1:3; Romans 5:10).

Conversely, having been deceived by demonic spirits who are fallen angels, the lost and dying world around us refuse to believe in the name of the Lord. They deny Him continually. Although many realize their lost condition every day of their life, they ignore God’s call. They refuse to submit to Christ, because they fear losing their personal freedoms, rights and control over their own destiny. Sadly, eternal judgment will come upon them, because they denied the Lord and found their confidence in their carnal revelries instead. Their pride causes them to believe that they are gods. Only humility and surrender to Christ will change this situation.

Jesus sacrificed Himself and He lives within us so that we might become His extension during our lifetime. Together we accomplish great things for His Kingdom (John 14:12). We are complete in Him (Colossians 2:10). By His presence in us, we are the expression of His divine life and character. He gives us His victory that overcomes this world’s trials and temptations (1 John 5:4). We are slaves of righteousness and unstoppable victors because He lives within us (Romans 6:16-19, 8:37). He is our Lord, and we obey His direction each moment of our day (Luke 6:46; 1 Corinthians 6:19,20; 7:23; Romans 14:7).

When someone persecutes us, Jesus takes it personally (Acts 9:5). He will take vengeance on our behalf (Hebrews 10:30; Jeremiah 51:6). Jesus thinks of us as an extension of Himself. He is the vine; we are His branches. We are His expression in the earth all throughout our daily experiences. We take off the garment of sin and put on Christ as our cloak of righteousness (Galatians 3:27). He will come again to gather us to Himself for eternity (2 Corinthians 3:17-18). Whatever we do for the least of our brethren, we actually do it for the Lord (Matt 25:40). We are a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17).

Prayer:

Father God, You are everything to us. We want only what You want in our life and in the world. Help us to sanctify Christ as Lord of our life (1 Peter 3:15; 1 Corinthians 1:30) until we are conformed to His image. Listen to Jesus as He makes intercession for us (Hebrews 7:25). Remind us that there is more to our walk with You than our initial salvation. You also want to perfect us and use us for Your glory.

Thought for the Day:

Many people attend church because they are terrified of the fires of hell, they enjoy the fellowship of Christians, or they want to impress someone or meet clients for their business. What is your motive?

The Choice is Ours

Read: Phillippians 3:1-11

"Apart from Me you can do nothing." - John 15:5

The Bible declares that Christ lives in us (Galatians 2:20). Scholars call this theme “Paul’s Obsession”, because he used the phrase “Christ in me” or “In Christ” more than 170 times in his writings. If we have Jesus Christ living in us, He daily delivers us from sin’s dominion by His resurrection life within us (Romans 5:10). He also gives us new values, priorities and goals in life (2 Corinthians 5:17). He gives us His peace that transcends human understanding (Philippians 4: 6-8). If we do not have the Son of God living in us, however, we do not have any of this (1 John 5:12).

Christ’s salvation goes beyond the spirit to the soul and body as well (1 Thessalonians 5:23). The original Biblical language uses three words for salvation: sotheis, sezosmenos, and sozomenos." They mean that believers are currently saved in our spirit through Justification, that we will be saved in our body when we see Jesus through Glorification, and lastly that we are being saved in our soul – our mind, will and emotions - through the lifelong method of Sanctification. Salvation is a process, three stages in an exciting journey that gets sweeter as the days go by.

I desire to know Jesus more intimately every day and to see myself grow into His beloved, mature child. My right standing before God is by faith in all that Christ accomplished on my behalf. I do not have to work for or earn this position. If I really believe this fact, then I will take advantage of the opportunity, which He gives me, to get to know Him more intimately as my redeemer, friend and brother. I do this by spending time reading God’s Word; by prayer – talking and listening; by attending a Bible teaching church; by fellowshipping with other Christians and by sharing with others what God is doing in my life.

On a recent trip to visit my friend in the hospital, I spoke to a lady in the elevator whom I did not know. She wore a beautifully ornate cross around her neck. I asked, “Do you know the Jesus who died for us on the cross?” Shocked at my question, she blurted out a bit sarcastically, “Well, not personally.” I felt so sad for her, so I said, “Well, He wants to have a personal relationship with you. Just read your Bible and attend a Bible teaching church and He will be your best friend just like He is to me.” The elevator door opened and I never saw her again. I truly hope she took the time to meet my best friend.

God freely offers everyone this gift of a personal relationship with Him. We have the option to either embrace His friendship or to refuse to acknowledge Him. The choice is ours. God gives us this opportunity to get to know Christ and to grow in our understanding of His power, His resurrection and in what He has to offer us in eternity. We can experience first hand both Christ’s sufferings and His victories as we walk through our trials with Him within us. Apart from Him, we can do nothing (John 15:5); but in Him we are conquerors over every trial, because He loves us (Romans 8:37).

Christ suffered rejection by the religious leaders of His day. They did not believe they were actually crucifying the living God, because they did not recognize Him for who He was. We do know Him, however. We have the opportunity every day to fellowship with Him; to walk in His mercy, power and grace; to be led by His Holy Spirit and to live with Him in eternity in Heaven. When we put our trust in Jesus and allow Him to live in us and to work through us, His power flows through us and from us as it changes the world around us.

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, thank You for Your death on Calvary’s cross, which paid the penalty for my sin (Romans 5:8). Thank You for Your resurrection that gives me life in my spirit, soul and body. Thank You for Your redemption that guarantees me a place in eternity with You. Thank You for life to live on this earth. Help me to make every day count for Your glory.

Thought for the Day:

Jesus gives me the opportunity to be one with Him in perfect love and acceptance, apart from any good deeds, pious performances or imposed restrictions, which come from my  self-effort.