The Special of the Day… From the Orange Moon Cafe…
"By Principle and Presence"
The disciples' wise request - "Lord, teach us to pray" - led to their Lord's model and familiar prayer, "Our Father, which art in Heaven…" (Matthew 6:9). Of even greater impact, it led to the gift of His personal and praying presence in the hearts of those who trust Him.
"Because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of His Son, crying Abba Father" (Galatians 4:6).
This truth about prayer speaks to our Heavenly Father's ways regarding all things in our lives. He teaches us by principle and enables us by presence. "Teach me Thy statutes" asked the Psalmist about the ways in which he should live. "I am the way" declared the Lord Jesus of Himself as "Christ, the power of God" (Psalm 119:124; John 14:6; I Corinthians 1:24). The Apostle Paul echoes this truth in one of the most assuring and reassuring declarations of Scripture regarding the life to which God calls us:
"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).
Only "all grace" leads to "every good work." The primary reason for such provision given for the living of life as God commands involves the standard...
"Walk even as He walked" (I John 2:6).
Who is the "He?" Were it anyone other than the Lord Jesus, we might seemingly have some hope for independently taking steps of a walk in conformity with God's will. Because it is the Lord Jesus, not one faithful footfall can be trod apart from God's promised measure of grace. "Without Me, ye can do nothing" declared our Lord (John 15:5; emphasis added). Make this specific. We cannot think, speak, act, or relate in accordance with God's will by our supposed human abilities. We can never muster enough devotion, dedication, determination, or direction to "walk, even as He walked." Even a cursory reading of the Gospels renders us helpless and hopeless to trust and obey our Heavenly Father as does the Lord Jesus.
Thankfully, a reading of the epistles reveals that we were never meant to walk as Christ walked apart from a most blessed promise…
"I will dwell in them and walk in them" (II Corinthians 6:16).
Christ walks in us, that we may walk through Him. This is the promise of grace regarding the steps of our lives, including the next one. "I cannot! I can! Through Christ!" We "walk by faith," affirming our Savior's presence and its promise of motivation, guidance, and enabling (II Corinthians 5:7). Indeed, challenges with obedience to God always raise questions regarding His grace in Christ.
"How am I not availing myself of the only power that exists whereby I can do my Father''s will?"
"How am I not 'looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith?'"
"How am I seeking to do by my own abilities that which cannot possibly happen thereby?"
"How am I forgetting that the same power that raised Christ from the dead now dwells within me to raise me from hopelessness to holiness?"
Most of all, the personal and solemn remembrance - "How am I forgetting that the Lord Jesus died for me, that He might live in me as the power for all faith and faithfulness?"
God does not call His children to make the first brick without straw. He rather supplies the straw in the superabundance of His Son and the Holy Spirit. He then leads and empowers us to mold bricks that could not possibly exist apart from His presence, provision, and power. Long ago, the disciples' request for teaching regarding prayer led to their Savior's indwelling presence as the power of prayer. The same truth applies to every step of a life that requires supernatural enabling by a supernatural Christ. "Walk even as He walked?" Impossible! Unless He walks in us. Which He does in every believer as God's gift of grace no less freely given than our salvation. Yes, our Lord teaches us the principles of how to live in the Scriptures. He then imparts His presence in us to enable their fulfillment. "So great salvation" exulted the writer of Hebrews regarding so great a Savior who walks in us that we may walk through Him (Hebrews 2:3).
"As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in Him" (Colossians. 2:6).
Weekly Memory Verse
All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all.
(Isaiah 53:4-6)
7651
No comments:
Post a Comment