CHRIST IN ME, OH THE WONDER AND GLORY OF IT ALL!

I came into this world with nothing, and I will leave behind all the earth’s collectibles. The wisdom of this world is foolishness in the sight of God,  and our own plans for worldly success amount to hay, wood, and stubble in God’s sight. “’For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,’ says the LORD. ‘For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts’” (Isaiah 55:8-9).

When we dwell in Christ He recreates our thought processes and gives us understanding of spiritual things.  We are not to walk in the darkness of our minds, but walk in the light of God’s Spirit. After we are children of God we can ask the Holy Spirit to transform us through the renewing of our minds so we can comprehend the things God has given us, and understand the blueprint God has laid out for our lives. “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God” (Romans 12:2).

God transfers His “ways and thoughts” to us through His Holy Spirit.  The Lord says for us to draw close to Him and He will draw close to us.  God’s word declares that the natural mind without God’s Spirit cannot understand the things of God. Our God is love and He wants every one of His children to understand Him and know Him personally.  The more we seek Him, the more God reveals Himself to us. “Incline your ear, and come to Me. Hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you” (Isaiah 55:3).

As we fellowship with God, and surrender our lives totally to His will, He often makes special promises to us hinged on obedience. When I was still a teenager, I had vowed to totally commit my life to Christ if He protected and watched over me until I married and had my own home. Christ kept His part of the vow and I didn’t. For a few years I served God as my Savior, but I was not totally surrendered to His will for my life.  Finally, the day came when God interrupted my fragmented life and asked me for a total surrender to His ordained will forever. You see, there cannot be true love without total commitment to the one we love. I had placed other gods before Him! One day I had an unexpected confrontation with God, and I got the message! The Spirit made it clear that it was either “total surrender” to Jesus Christ or I would no longer walk under divine leading and protection.

The greatest decision of my life was to totally commit my life to Christ and His kingdom. He made a covenant with me that day which has never been broken.  He said, “If thou will walk uprightly before me all the days of your life, I will divide with you the good of the land,” as well as other personal promises.  God is faithful, and I have felt His hand upon me through the sunshine and violent storms of life. I rejoice everyday for the choice I made that day sixty years ago.  I have been kept under the shadow of the almighty and have walked in fellowship with God.  Some of you that are reading this do not understand that it is possible to know God personally (as your way, truth and life) and interact with Him through His Spirit. “Afterward Jesus found him in the temple, and said to him, ‘See, you have been made well. Sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon you’” (John 5:14).

There will be a new heaven and new earth and the only things remaining will be those things which are eternal. For our lives to be eternal, we must be born again by the Spirit of God. The Spirit of almighty God within us produces eternal life, fruits, and works acceptable to Him. God will harness our faith to His great power and we will be empowered and equipped to do the works God has chosen for each of us. Imagine with me for a moment, the magnitude of the eternal works we can do when those works are initiated by God and anointed by His Spirit! God plans on a far grander scale than we can. “But as it is written: ‘Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him. But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God’” (1 Corinthians 2:9-10).

We are endued with God’s power through faith in God’s promises and our decision to be totally faithful and dedicated to Him. To be completely given to God is His perfect will for each of our lives. Freely giving our lives over to God  for His glory and the destiny God has chosen for each of us is the only way to attain to His highest calling for us. God’s door is standing wide open and His Spirit calls to us to be born of His Spirit and live our lives through Christ.  Our name doesn’t have to be Moses, Paul, or Peter to live our lives through Christ and bring glory to His name.  We are invited to come and eat of the bread of life and drink of His living waters. “For in Him we live and move and have our being, as also some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are also His offspring’” (Acts 17:28).

We are commanded to put to death the deeds of our flesh.  The flesh is not eternal, neither are the works of the flesh acceptable to God. The gift of abundant life is achieved only if we live our lives totally through Jesus Christ. “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me” (Galatians 2:20).

All the divine treasures are in Christ Jesus and through Him we share Christ’s inheritance. All scripture centers around the idea of “knowing and experiencing” God in our lives, and conforming ourselves to His will! Ignorance and refusal to believe in Him are condemned by scripture and will eternally damn the soul. “And they sang a new song, saying: ‘You are worthy (THE LAMB OF GOD)  to take the scroll, and to open its seals; for You were slain, and have redeemed us to God by Your blood out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, and have made us kings and priests to our God; and we shall reign on the earth’” (Revelation 5:9-10).

Paul tells us in: “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us” (Romans 8:18).  The following are the endowments of Christ:  “Saying with a loud voice: ‘Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom, and strength and honor and glory and blessing!’” (Revelation 5:12).  As God’s children we will inherit the glory and blessings of Christ!

All of the promises of God are in Christ. Stand on those promises and believe for the impossible.  If you have asked according to God’s will, you will see the miraculous workings of God fulfilled in your life. “And of His (CHRIST’S) fullness we have all received, and grace for grace” (John 1:16). All needs and lawful wants are covenanted or promised to God’s children. “For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us” (2 Corinthians 1:20).

My prayer:

Dearest Lord and Savior, I recognize that I have not given You all of myself and because of that, I have cut myself off from Your “highest and best.”  I want to walk triumphantly in life through You!  Oh Lord, I want the world to see You living in me. Forgive me for praying half-heartedly and not expectantly.  No wonder my life in You is not producing perfect fruit and perfect works.  I am receiving from You exactly as I am giving to You—half measure!  Please forgive me and make my life overflow with Your Spirit as I fully give You “all” of me.  

Take all of me, cleanse me, and purify me.  Make me a servant who fully pleases You.  Help my knowledge of You grow and increase my effectiveness and fervency in prayer.  I want my prayers to be acceptable and perfect in Your sight. Let my faith grow until my prayers become “mountain-movers.”  Help me to fully understand the power and the gifts I have in You.  May that power only be used for Your glory!   Amen.