The Special of the Day… From the Orange Moon Cafe…
"What Music We Can Make!"
The New Testament was written to and about human beings inhabited by the living God.
"God was in Christ… Ye are the temple of God… the Holy Spirit dwelleth in you" (II Corinthians 5:19; I Corinthians 3:16).
The light begins, of course, with the Lord Jesus Christ, the first human to be permanently inhabited by the Spirit of God. "And I knew Him not: but He that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, the same is He which baptizeth with the Holy Spirit" (John 1:33). The Lord Jesus then made possible our being indwelt by the Spirit from the moment we trust in Him, and forevermore. Our Savior birthed a new race of beings infused with the very life of God Himself. Thus, believers live not merely as ourselves, but as ourselves united with Christ.
Do we view ourselves accordingly? We must, for reasons of obedience to the Word of God, and also a corresponding life that bears witness to truth and reality:
"Reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord" (Romans 6:11).
"I thank my God, making mention of thee always in my prayers, hearing of thy love and faith, which thou hast toward the Lord Jesus, and toward all saints, that the communication of thy faith may become effectual by the acknowledging of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus" (Philemon 1:4-6).
The commands and standards of the New Testament transcend the callings of our innate human abilities by a vast measure. It would be a cruel joke to expect human beings to fulfill Divine mandates were it not for the Divine presence and working in our hearts. God does not act unjustly, of course. He rather imparts His very life into us as the motivation, guidance, and enabling whereby we think, speak, act, and relate in ways made possible only by His living presence within us.
James Stewart (the Scottish preacher, not the actor :) ) profoundly illustrated this truth:
"For what Christ has done is to make us feel, at all the gateways of our nature, the pressure and bombardment of the infinite energies of a world unseen. He has shown us how our little life, with unsearchable riches to draw upon, can be reinforced beyond all calculation. I may not be able to fight down some evil thing. But if Christ were here, He could. So then, if Christ is in me, He can. This transfusion of spirit and energy is really possible... If Mozart were in you, what music you could make! That cannot be. But here is something that can: if Christ were in you, what a life you could live! This is faith's logic. God wants you to know that you can rise above the level of your limitations. "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me" (Philippians 4:13).
In the Person of the indwelling Holy Spirit, God gave to us Himself when we believed. What music we can therefore make! What faith we can exercise. What obedience we can fulfill. What sacrifices we can perform for God's glory and the blessing of others. How we can love Him and the people He brings into our lives. What a life - His life - we can live to please our Heavenly Father by serving as tributaries through which rivers of living water can flow through us to reveal His beloved Son. What music we can make!
We awoke this morning with the Spirit of God moving within our hearts to remind us of His living presence. He beckons us to live this day not as if we are alone, but rather to "be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might" (Ephesians 6:10). We are not just ourselves as believers. We are ourselves as inhabited by the Spirit of the risen Lord Jesus. Moreover, He does not merely sit on the throne of our hearts. He rather promises a teeming presence of vitality within that leads us to do what we could never do without Him. "I will dwell in them and walk in them" (II Corinthians 6:16). This is truth. This is reality. This is the Gospel that promises not only the blessedness of redemption from sin, but also the power of redemption unto God-enabled faithfulness. Yes, the New Testament was not only inspired by the Holy Spirit. It was written to those in whom He lives. We must remember such "hope of glory," and go forth in the expectation of living above and beyond through the Christ who lives within our hearts and walks in our footsteps. What music we can make!
"And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work."
(II Corinthians 9:8)
"But by the grace of God I am what I am: and His grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me."
(I Corinthians 15:10)
"Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure."(Philippians 2:12-13)
Weekly Memory Verse
"For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith."
(I John 5:4)
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