The Special of the Day… From the Orange Moon Cafe…
(a repeat and rewrite from 2003)
“We”
"I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me. And the life I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me" (Galatians 2:20).
The wonder of the Lord Jesus Christ living His life in us and we living our lives by Him presents an ongoing opportunity for growth in God’s grace and truth. What is His part and what is our part in the relationship? If we could presently engage in an audible discussion with our Heavenly Father regarding His will and commands, the consideration might proceed as follows:
"Heavenly Father, the commands and standards of Your Word are beyond my abilities, I cannot fulfill them."
"Yes, that is true, My child, you cannot."
"Oh then, since You know my weakness, it must be that You will fulfill them for me. Thank You, my Father!"
"No, My child, I will not fulfill them for you."
"But, Father, I cannot do them. I have no strength equal to the task."
"Yes, My child, this is true, you most certainly have not and cannot."
"So then, Father, You must do them for me."
"No, My child, I will not do them for you."
"But Father, You seem to command something You acknowledge I cannot do, and that You will not do.
"This is true, My child. You cannot and I will not."
"But Father, how..."
“Still yourself and listen, My child. It is true that you cannot fulfill My will by your own independent means. It is also true that I will not fulfill My will for you. You cannot and I will not, but...
"Yes, Father?"
"You cannot and I will not - but together we will!"
"We will, my Father?"
"Yes, we will, My child. I will be the wisdom, the motivation, the power, the life, and most of all, the love that must fill and fragrance our every doing. You will be the trusting recipient of all that I am and all that I do. You will believe Me and by faith submit your whole being unto Me for My purposes and glory. Yes, I will be the Vine and you will be the branch upon which I bear My choicest fruit. Together, My child…”
“We will, my Father!”
"We then, as workers together with Him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain” (II Corinthians 6:1).
The presence of the Spirit of Christ in our trusting hearts draws us into a relationship with God wherein both the Divine and the human actively participate. Believers are not robots in whom our Father merely programs our responses and doings. He rather relates to us by revealing Himself and His truth in order to lead us to the conscious, decisive response of faith and devotion to Him. The relationship is personal and free. Neither party coerces the other, but rather seek to relate in a manner mutually satisfying to both hearts.
“When Thou saidst, Seek ye My face; my heart said unto Thee, Thy face, LORD, will I seek… Delight thyself also in the Lord… the prayer of the upright is His delight” (Psalm 27:8; 37:4; Proverbs 15:8).
God is always first. He ever calls, leads, draws, motivates, and enables. We respond to His moving within us. Our experience and application of the relationship proceeds in direct proportion to faith, submission and the determination to know our Lord in a manner pleasing to both Him and to us. Yes, the Christian life is "we" - Christ lives in us, that we may live by Him. No more sublime and wondrous consideration of grace can bless our hearts and minds as we realize the reason for our existence, namely, to be known by God, to know Him in trusting response, and to marvel in the mutual blessing possible that seems far beyond us, but which abides ever nearer than our next breath through the grace of the Lord Jesus and presence of the Holy Spirit within us. Yes, now, forevermore, and in this moment... we.
“Come unto Me… I will come.”
(Matthew 11:28; Psalm 5:7)
"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)
“I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me."
(Philippians 4:13)
“We have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.”
(II Corinthians 4:7)
Weekly Memory Verse
But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain Thee, how much less this house that I have builded?
(I Kings 8:27)
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Weekly Memory Verse
The Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister and give His life a ransom for many.
(Matthew 20:28)
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