Thursday, June 20, 2013

"Rusty Blades"



Part 2
        
      Discovering that former owners of our home actually used the razor blade discard slot in our medicine cabinet intrigues me.  For years I wondered if they'd done so, and seeing a host of spent blades on a stud in our walls confirmed that people of previous generations availed themselves of a convenient way to safely dispatch a potentially dangerous object.

     "
His divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him that hath called us to glory and virtue: whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; and to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and   godliness; and to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity" (II Peter 1:3-7).

     The Christian life involves affirmation of power already given, as opposed to attaining more of our Lord's enabling.  Our feelings, thoughts and experiences may not always align with such truth.  Nevertheless, the Holy Spirit who indwells us exists forevermore as the ever-present power of God.  Accessing His guidance and enabling for "life and godliness" flows from "the knowledge of Him," along with our confidence in His "exceeding great and precious promises."  Thereby virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness, brotherly kindness and charity spring forth as the fruits of grace first given, and then manifested.  "He that believeth on Me, as the Scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water" (John 7:38). 

    We could have opened our walls and discovered no spent razor blades despite the convenient slot for their disposal.  In like manner, the Spirit of Christ can inhabit us as the great power of God without our experiencing His promised working in us "both to will and to do of His good pleasure" (Philippians 2:13).  We must avail.  We must affirm.  We must access by faith the fact of our Lord's promise to empower a life of Divinely-fostered godliness.  Indeed, consider some aspect of walking with God wherein too many failures have characterized our experience.  The problem lies not in attainment, but in apprehension, affirmation, and access.  We either don't adequately know, or we choose to disbelieve the Truth of the abundant life of Christ that indwells our redeemed spirits.  Born again believers are super-charged vehicles of godliness through Christ.  To the degree we know and believe such truth determines the consistency of our faith and faithfulness to Him.  "Of Him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption" (I Corinthians 1:30). 

    Our residential ancestors use of a convenient tool encourages and challenges me to avail myself in this day of grace already given, and power ready to enable.  Christ Himself dwells in us by His Spirit.  Moreover, He promises to walk in us by the same (II Corinthians 6:16).  Our experience of such truth awaits our confidence and confession of a far greater salvation than we often realize, and a far greater Savior.

"
We shall live with Him by the power of God."
(II Corinthians 13:4)

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