Maturing in Christ

When we attempt to overcome the sin in our life that so easily ensnares us, we often fall back into temptation; then we feel shame both for the sin and for failing to overcome it.

We are admonished to be holy as God is holy, yet we can only do this by allowing the Holy Spirit to give us both the desire and the power to walk in increasing realms of God's glory each day (Philippians 2:12-13).

The foolish Galatians had to learn to trust God to sanctify them with the same faith that allowed them to trust Him for their salvation (Galatians 3:1-3). We are to live in this same manner.

Paul struggled with walking in a manner worthy of the Lord (Colossians 1:10). The duality of flesh and Spirit within him kept him on a roller coaster most of the time (Romans 7); however, he finally realized that the Spirit of life in Christ already set Him free from the law of sin and death (Romans 8:2).

He no longer needed to struggle with sin, but to walk in the Spirit who frees us from the law of sin and death. As we draw near to God in dependence, worship and praise, then we resist the devil, and he is bound to flee from us (James 4:7-11).

Through Calvary's cross, Christ exchanged His righteousness for our sin; we simply need to access this free gift by confessing our sin and trusting in Jesus for salvation (John 17:11-23; 1 Corinthians 6:17). Then, the Holy Spirit brings us into ever increasing maturity in Christ (2 Corinthians 3:18).

We learn to walk in the Spirit each moment of the day, led by the still, small voice of God (1 Kings 19:12) within our spirit (Galatians 2:20). We know we are in God's will when we follow that perfect peace (Isaiah 26:3), regardless of what our mind is telling us to do, or what conventional wisdom or human reasoning wants us to do.

Jesus gave us His righteousness and we now live as Jesus did in the world. We are an expression of His divine nature, because He lives within us (1 John 4:17; 2 Peter 1:4). This allows His living water within us to fill us to overflowing and to spill out into the world around us (John 7:38).

Prayer:

Father God, we thank You for Your vigilant watch care over us (Psalm 121:4). You protect us from Satan's wiles and temptations (Ephesians 2:2). Help us to realize that Christ in us enables us to live a life free from the demoralizing and destructive sin that tries to entrap us (2 Corinthians 4:10-11) and to actually, factually not just positionally, live a holy life, just as Christ in us is holy (Matthew 11:28-30; 1 Corinthians 6:17).

Thank You for keeping us, strengthening us, guarding us from our flesh, the world and the devil (Isaiah 42:11; Psalm 4:8). We give You all of the praise and glory for the maturity we attain over our lifetime. We strive only to stop following our human reasoning and to enter Your rest (Hebrews 4:10).

Thought for the Day:

We no longer struggle with life on our own, because the Trinity of God abides within us, and the Holy Spirit gradually but consistently replaces our negative attributes with Christ's righteousness.

Pray without Ceasing

By repenting of our sinful lifestyle and believing in Christ as our Savior, we are made children of God (John 3:16-18). We are set free from the law of sin and death by the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:2).

Exchanging our old nature for a new nature in Christ creates true righteousness and holiness in us (Ephesians 4:24). God helps by disciplining us for our sin, in order for us to share in His holiness (Hebrews 12:10).  

Submitting to His discipline allows us to exhibit His fruit to the world around us. We know that when Christ does appear, we will be exactly like Him, because we shall see Him in all of His glory (1 John 3:2).

Growing in our union with Christ starts each new day in a time of aloneness with God. Night owls do this before they go to bed, and morning doves pray when they wake up.

God also created the earth in such a manner that half the world is awake while the other half is sleeping. This way, we keep God company twenty-four hours a day!

We enter a realm of oneness with His Spirit and pray according to His will. We thank Him for His daily provision of our needs and appreciate Him for who He is.

Then we share our apprehensions and questions with Him. We feel His presence in our spirit; and sit quietly, listening for His still, small voice in answer to our prayers (Philippians 4:6; 1 Kings 19:11-13).

Once we make our requests known to God, we release all anxiety. Discarding all doubt and fear, we feel the peace of God, which transcends human reasoning and protects our soul and spirit in Christ (Philippians 4:6-7).

Prayer:

Father God, Jesus is part of Your Trinity, yet He spent hours communing with You while He lived on this earth (Luke 6:12). Prayer is essential, but the way that we insist on praying could prevent us from walking in Your Spirit. You taught the disciples how to pray and never told them stay in their prayer closet.

You love our focused attention during our times alone with You in our prayer closet; yet You also encourage us to pray throughout our day and walk as Your Spirit directs each moment. You may lead us to sit in our prayer closet to remove us from all distraction; but remind us that we do not stop praying when we leave our secret place.

Thought for the Day:

The Lord draws near to everyone who comes to Him with sincerity and integrity as the motive of their heart. 

- Psalm 145:18

Unity in the Spirit

Read: Matt 5:21-44

“Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace.” - Ephesians 4:3

Rather than to live as the worldly culture arounds us encourages us to do, God calls us to live holy lives. He is holy and expects holiness from His Bride (Psalm 51:2). We are neither to be conformed to this world (Romans 12:1-2), nor to our former carnal lusts and desires. True freedom comes to us as we first submit to God’s will for our life, and then as we consider one another’s needs and meet them (Hebrews 10:24; Philippians 2:3).

Relationships often end because misunderstanding causes a parting of the ways. Conventional wisdom says the mature, sensible, persuasive one is expected to bring the walls of division down. Often, however, it is the offended party that must tear the walls down from inside their soul first, and then deal with the barriers between them and the one who offended them.

Another problem arises when we raise walls between God and our self. He reaches out to touch us with His gentle love, but we resist and run from His advances. We do not see how wonderfully kind, tolerant and patient God is with us. We act as if He means nothing to us or that He intends to harm us. We cannot see that his kindness is intended to turn us from our sins and to restore our relatioship with Him (Romans 2:4). Jesus broke down the walls of partition between God and mankind (Ephesians 2:14), giving us an example to follow.

Little do we realize the dynamic power resident in our living Lord (Colossians 2:9). The Old Testament is full of incidences where He proved His righteous power to mankind. Yet, He is also a gentle lover, who woos us with a still, small voice rather than a raging storm, a rumbling earthquake or a fiery tempest (1 Kings 19:11-12). He gave us the example of the prodigal son’s father who waited daily in anticipation of His son, and then ran to meet him when he returned home (Luke 15:20). Our Father God is also waiting for us with open arms.

It would be so idyllic if everyone could dwell together in unity, especially those who live in the household of God (Psalm 133:1). How peaceful life would be, if everyone would be of like mind, and there would be no division or arguments. However, a perfect joining in the same mind and in the same judgment can only come through surrendering to the Lordship of Jesus Christ and being led by His Spirit moment by moment throughout our life (1 Corinthians 1:10).

The Unity of the Body of Christ is created through our union with Christ living in us (2 Corinthians 1:21). This unity in the Spirit stands out in contrast to the attitude of independence and individuality so prevalent in our culture today. The Spirit brings each individual Christian into the unity of the Spirit and into one Body of Christ. We have fellowship in His Spirit and affection and compassion for one another, having the same mind and maintaining the same love for God and each other, united in spirit and intent on furthering His Kingdom on the earth (Philippians 2:1-2).

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, it is truly pleasant for brethren to dwell together in unity (Psalm 133:1). Help us to live in like-mindedness toward one another according to the mind of Christ and to dwell with one mind and one mouth glorifying You. Show us when we build walls of sin that distance us from Your presence and from one another. Help us to break down these walls of division and to dwell in Your courts forevermore.

Thought for the Day:

There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. - Ephesians 4: 3-6

Or So It Seems!

Read: Romans 8: 26-28

“How much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask Him?” Matthew 7:11 (NKJV)

Sometimes, because of the circumstances in our lives, God appears unavailable, judgmental, distant, unjust, condemning, neglectful, and even unkind. We look at Him from an earthly, carnal perspective and expect Him to act like a human being instead of a holy, omnipotent God. God’s ways are so much higher than our ways that we often fail to see His provision when it comes, or His love when it is offered, or His direction when He speaks in His still, small voice. Often, we fail to believe it if we do not see it with our own eyes!

In actuality, nothing happens to God’s children that He does not allow. Look at Job! For a season, his life lay tattered and ruined by Satan’s design. What we often fail to realize is that Job sat at Jesus’ feet throughout his whole ordeal. Then, in the end, God blessed Job with an abundance of every good thing, which this life offers. We can learn from Job’s example.

We can also learn from Paul when he begged God three times to heal him of the infirmity in his flesh. God told him, “My grace is sufficient for thee.” Paul accepted God’s answer and surrendered his will to the Lord’s will. King David’s baby was sick. He fasted and prayed for days, begging God to save this child’s life. When the child died, David accepted God’s will, got up and bathed and returned to his kingly duties. Eventually, God gave him another son by Bathsheba, and God chose Solomon to continue the bloodline of our living Savior.

We can take encouragement from the lives of the characters that God chose to include in the Bible. They and all of their fellow soldiers for Christ put up a good fight throughout their lives, but they were all merely human. Life is never as it seems. God puts a silver lining on every black cloud. He causes the earth to revolve, the stars to remain suspended in the sky, and a blade of grass to flourishes before it withers and dies. Therefore, we too can rest in complete confidence that God will work all things out for our good too.

Prayer:

Lord, remind us that in you all things are possible. All humans go to one of two destinations when they die, help us to reach as many as we can, and to help them to choose life and peace rather than the torments of hell for eternity.

Thought for the Day: 

We tolerate the intolerable and bear the unbearable only by keeping our focus on Jesus, who keeps us in perfect peace.

God's Encouragement and Direction

Read: 1 Kings 19:5-12
“Be still, and know that I am God.” - Psalm 46:10 (NKJV)

God showed great understanding and mercy by sending an angel to comfort Elijah when he ran from Jezebel’s wrath. In his moment of deepest despair, Elijah found comfort in the angel’s presence and strength from the angels provision of food, which was already prepared for him to eat. This helped Elijah on his following journey of forty days through the desert to the mountain where Moses received the Ten Commandments.

Elijah witnessed a great miracle by God, yet he still fell prey to feelings of depression and abandonment. He actually believed he was not able to make a difference in the lives of God’s people. God met him on this mountain, however. Not in the way that Elijah imagined, but in a still, small voice.

I sometimes feel helpless in my daily walk with the Lord. However, I need to realize that in order for Him to use me, my self-sufficiency must decrease, so that He can increase in my life. When I lay aside my busy schedule and go to the solitary place to seek Him, He always encourages me and gives me clear direction. As I sit in His presence, He robes me with His strength to carry out whatever ministry He lays before me. This is when I can shine for His glory.

Prayer:

Lord, help me to live as an instrument of Your love in the world around me. Strengthen me each day to do Your will, and remind me that You use only vessels fashioned by Your hand.

Thought for the Day:

Set aside daily, quiet, undisturbed time, in which to enter into the presence of God in order to worship Him and to listen for His guidance.