“But if God himself has taken up residence in your life, you can hardly be thinking more of yourself than of him. Anyone, of course, who has not welcomed this invisible but clearly present God, the Spirit of Christ, won't know what we're talking about. 10 But for you who welcome him, in whom he dwells—even though you still experience all the limitations of sin—you yourself experience life on God's terms. 11 It stands to reason, doesn't it, that if the alive-and-present God who raised Jesus from the dead moves into your life, he'll do the same thing in you that he did in Jesus, bringing you alive to himself? When God lives and breathes in you (and he does, as surely as he did in Jesus), you are delivered from that dead life. With his Spirit living in you, your body will be as alive as Christ's! 12 So don't you see that we don't owe this old do-it-yourself life one red cent. 13 There's nothing in it for us, nothing at all. The best thing to do is give it a decent burial and get on with your new life. 14 God's Spirit beckons. There are things to do and places to go! 15 This resurrection life you received from God is not a timid, grave-tending life. It's adventurously expectant, greeting God with a childlike "What's next, Papa?" 16 God's Spirit touches our spirits and confirms who we really are. We know who he is, and we know who we are: Father and children. 17 And we know we are going to get what's coming to us—an unbelievable inheritance!” Rom. 8:9-17 Msg.
I love the fact that God’s Spirit lives in me! What an honor that He would “take up residence” in my life. He has set me free from obsession with myself and directed my heart upon the ever arriving Kingdom of Jesus Christ. He is showing me the way, the truth, and He is showing me life.
“But what happens when we live God's way? He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard—things like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity. We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people. We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments, not needing to force our way in life, able to marshal and direct our energies wisely.” Gal. 5:22-23 Msg.
A heart that is alive with the life of God. No more of that old dead life. No longer do we have to feel the pressure of performing. He produces a quiet confidence in us. We have a champion on the inside. The old me is going and the new me is dawning. The former Chris has been crucified with Christ and no longer lives. He has been buried and raised to an ever-increasing expression of life the way God intended for it to be-like Jesus.
Yes, I am still dealing with the old magnetic pull of sin like everyone else, but now there is another stronger pull upon my heart. I am choosing to go with it. “God’s Spirit beckons”. I love that! Beckon me God! Call me! Be the dominant voice of my life. Drown out the voices of my dead past.
I am ready to go to new places. God is making this life an adventure-a quest-an obsession with knowing and becoming like His Son Jesus. What will be next? Where will He lead me? His Spirit has touched my deepest places of fear and insecurity. My search for identity is over. I have found myself in Jesus. I now know more fully who I am and I know more of who He is. This is settling me. This new awareness of life is bringing about a completely new creation. God’s life-It is in me!
What’s next Papa?
I leave you with my version of an ancient prayer:
I get down on my knees before our Father, the one who gave you and me and everyone else the air we breathe.
May He strengthen you by his Spirit in the deepest places of your being.
May Jesus receive a wide open invitation from you and fill your heart with mind-blowing love.
May you spend the rest of your life discovering that there is no way to actually measure how massive His love is for you.
May you live amazing lives, full in the fullness of God.
May you live in the possibilities of God—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams!
May you come to know that the amazing greatness of His power is at work in you!
May God receive maximum Honor from your life!
Chris
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3 comments:
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Hey i'm new on here. I came upon this site I have found It exceedingly helpful & its helped me a lot. I hope to give something back & guide other users like it has helped me.
Thank's, Catch You Around.
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