Michael
continues: Staying secure in the fellowship with the Lord is to live free
without a guilty conscience; to live with
unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory God to change from the image
of the flesh to the image of the spirit of God in Christ in us. The image
of the Lord is the glory of the Lord reflected in us as we are transformed by
God's Spirit according to our “new nature”. When we set our affection on
things above instead of the things of this world, we become transformed. Our
challenge is to turn our eyes upon Jesus and to reflect His nature in our relationships
with others. We progressively become more like the man or woman that He
designed us to be. Sanctification is to be “set apart”, separated for the purpose
intended by the Designer. We are progressively sanctified as we grow up into
the purpose, the calling for which He designed us. For we are his workmanship, His masterpiece created in Christ Jesus
unto good works which he has foreordained that we should walk in it.
Ephesians
2:10 “For we are His
workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared
beforehand that we should walk in them.”
The
key to turning from sin is to turn to Him. Repentance starts with a broken and
a contrite heart. The devil will tempt us to look at the things of the flesh
instead of the things of the Spirit. He is the “deceiver” and the “accuser”. His
ploy is to distract our attention away from the things of the Spirit of God in
Christ in us. When we fall, God by His grace allows us to repent and
return to fellowship with Him. For
if we confess our sin, he is faithful and just to forgive our sin and cleanse
us from all unrighteousness. God expects us to be "fully lit" for
Him ... Let your light so shine before
men that they may see your good works and glorify your father which is in
heaven.
Upon
the journey of life, walking and stumbling are part of the trip. God
understands that we are weak in the flesh, so that our strength can be in His
power alone. When troubles come our way, consider it an opportunity of
great joy, for when trials arise, we can face those tests in the Spirit of
Christ ... the spirit of faith and boldness in His strength as men and women of
God. Adversity proves the power of God, who infuses His strength into us
so that we can overcome. For it is
God who worketh in us to will and to do of his good pleasure. The
victory is not in our power but in His ... we must decrease so that he may
increase.
The
adversary (the devil) will attempt to divide the body of Christ. He does this
with a critical spirit of judgment, criticism, and condemnation. For where there is strife and contention
there is confusion and every evil work – James
3:16. The devil rejoices when brothers and sisters in Christ criticize
and condemn each other. However, Jesus Christ came to reconcile us back to
fellowship with Him. We must meet each other at the foot of the cross. Then we
can respond to His calling to "let
no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to
the use of edifying that it may minister grace unto the hearers." This
is the way to defeat the critical spirit of judgment and condemnation. God has
called us to be “salt and light” in a world of darkness. Therefore, do all things without murmurings
and disputing so that you may be blameless and harmless, the sons and daughters
of God in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation among whom you shine as
lights in a world of darkness; holding forth the word of life; that I may
rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither labored in
vain – Philippians 2:14-16.
May
God richly bless you!
Your
brother in Christ, Michael
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