The Special of the Day… From the Orange Moon Cafe…
(Thanks to Fred C. for inspiration on this one)
"The Gift of Himself "
To be alive, as God defines life, requires vital spiritual union with the Christ who declared, "I am… the life" (John 14:6).
"This is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in His Son" (I John 5:11).
We exist to be "the habitation of God through the Spirit" (Ephesians 2:22). Faith in the Lord Jesus ushers us into such an amazing relationship with the Creator and Sustainer of our being. God draws nearer to us than our next breath as our Christ-indwelt spirit becomes the essence of who we most deeply are. "Ye are not in the flesh but in the spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you" (Romans 8:9). The Holy Spirit births the person we were made to be, enlivening us by uniting us with Himself in a bond far closer than the Lord's disciples knew during their three years of walking in physical proximity with the Savior. As He told them of the Spirit, "He dwelleth with you, and shall be in you" (John 14:17; emphasis added).
Our response to this wondrous teaching of Scripture involves many aspects of faith, expectation, application and submission. First, however, we must simply accept and believe that the Truth is, in fact, true. In principle, most born again believers understand and affirm the gift of life in Christ. Our Heavenly Father, however, desires far more than merely intellectual assent to the presence of Christ's life within us. He would have us remember and believe the truth in times of the blessed, challenging, and mundane realities of life. Indeed, a greater and transcendent Life, the risen life of the Lord Jesus Himself, pervades all. We sometimes forget, neglect, or may even disbelieve that God is present and active in every moment. Nothing changes the truth for the believer, however. "I am with you always… I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee… To live is Christ" (Matthew 28:20; Hebrews 13:5; Philippians 1:21).
Whatever each day holds, we can face it as if alone. Or we can believe the truth. "I will dwell in them and walk in them" (II Corinthians 6:16). Consider Clark. A born again believer in the Lord Jesus, he awoke to a day that loomed with difficulty on many fronts, exacerbated by not having slept well. He looked into the mirror and saw a tired, perplexed face that portrayed a man far from able to meet the challenges that lay ahead.
Thankfully, as a believer, however, Clark also looked into the mirror of God's Word, discovering both his Lord and himself in the light of truth:
"Beholding as in a glass (mirror) the glory of the Lord, we are changed into the same image, from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord" (II Corinthians 3:18).
In the light of such assurance, Clark realized that, weak as he looked and felt, the truth of the matter was that "Christ in you, the hope of glory" glimmered within his innermost spiritual being (Colossians 1:27). He did not feel the truth emotionally. He did not sense it physically. However, the Spirit of God led Clark to affirm truth and reality in the moment, namely, the Bible's "Thus saith the Lord." "I do not face this day by myself, Father" he prayed. "I face it as Your living temple, graced by Your presence and the gift You are to me." Clark indeed obeyed the Lord Jesus, who commanded, "Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment" (John 7:24).
The challenges remained for Clark. It proved to be a difficult day, as expected. It most certainly had its moments. Throughout the day, however, a deep and abiding peace graced Clark's heart. At the end of the day, he looked back, remembered the Lord's reminder that morning, and breathed a prayer of gratitude. He had not faced the day alone. He had not lived as if he were just himself. He had rather remembered the gift of Himself that served as the primary truth of his existence. God had proven Himself to be exactly who He is and how He faithfully confirms Himself and His Word as we trust Him.
This is written as a simple reminder of a Truth we believe, but which requires frequent refreshing in our hearts and minds. At the greatest cost to Himself, the Lord Jesus has drawn nearer to our trusting hearts than we can presently fathom. He will never leave, and in this moment and forevermore, our Savior is the very Life of our lives. No greater gift could He have given to us so freely, the gift of His living presence, the gift of Himself.
"Your life is hid with Christ in God."
(Colossians 3:3)
Christ… is our life."
(Colossians 3:4)
Weekly Memory Verse
But there is forgiveness with Thee, that Thou mayest be feared.
(Psalm 130:4)
7637
No comments:
Post a Comment