Tuesday, October 15, 2024

Orange Moon Tuesday, October 15, 2024 "The Gospel For Believers"

The Special of the Day… From the Orange Moon Cafe…



"The Gospel For Believers"


  

   

   The Lord Jesus Christ serves as the standard for what a human being should be in character, thought, attitude, word, and deed.


    "Walk even as He walked" (I John 2:6).


   We tend to compare ourselves with other human beings as the measure of whether we are what we ought to be.  This constitutes a far more comfortable evaluation than seeing ourselves in the light of Christ.  Indeed, we may think, rightly or wrongly, that we match up fairly well against Joe down the street.  But compared to the Lord Jesus, seated in the Heavenlies at the right hand of God in perfect devotion and faithfulness?  How can we ever be like Him, especially considering His singular existence as the God who became man, and the man who remains God? (I Timothy 3:16).  In this most exalted sense, there is no one in Heaven or earth like the Lord Jesus, nor will there ever be.


   Christlikeness, of course, depends on Christ's presence.  God made us to serve as the temple of His Son through the indwelling Holy Spirit who works to reveal in born again believers "Christ in you, the hope of glory" (Colossians 1:27).  Never can we merely seek to emulate our Savior by our own dedication, determination, and discipline.  Again, consider the standard: "walk even as He walked."  We cannot even see the summit of this spiritual and moral mountain of being and behavior, much less ascend in an expedition that fails before our first step.  Someone else must rather motivate, guide, and empower our journey, namely, the mountain Himself.  "I will dwell in them" He promises, and even more, "I will walk in them" (II Corinthians 6:16; emphasis added).  Yes, the Lord Jesus who died for us - the Gospel for unbelievers - now lives in us - the Gospel for believers (Galatians 4:13; Romans 16:25).  


   In every aspect and venue of our lives, the Summit beckons us.  If honest, our hope for ascent must be descent to the knees of our hearts in remembrance of our Lord's stark declaration - "without Me, my can do nothing" (John 15:5).  The Spirit of God then lifts us up to see the possibility for a life lived beyond our own capability - "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me" (Philippians 4:13).  Nothing without Him.  This means not even a step of ascent unto the holy mount of our Lord's character and way.  All things through Him - such grace assures our path upward in this day as Christ lives in us, and we live through Him.  The Spirit of God and the Word of God ever beckon us to affirm the Gospel for believers, namely, the good news of a Savior and a Lord who serves as the very Life of our lives.  We walk even as He walked as we remember and affirm that He continues to walk.  Now, however, He walks not merely with disciples, but rather within sons and daughters who believed the Gospel in the new birth, and continue to believe the Gospel in the life we live…


"Because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying Abba Father."

(Galatians 4:6)

"Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you perfect in every good work to do His will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in His sight through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen."

(Hebrews 13:20-21)


Weekly Memory Verse

    "For we which live are alway delivered unto death for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh."

(II Corinthians 4:11).


       

































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