What do we have to overcome? We can overcome the thoughts that make us think there is yet something for us to overcome. Jesus has overcome everything past, present, and future, and we in Him have overcome. What then is our greatest enemy? Daily hating ourselves: our looks, attitudes, situations, behaviors, finances, health, and many such things. We see ourselves as unlovable and if we but do this one thing or another both God and the world will love us.
But we are not asked to get the world to love us but to love God with everything we are and to love our neighbors as we love ourselves. Unfortunately, that is exactly what we do. We acquiesce to God out of a belief He hates us as much as we hate ourselves, we equally then hate our neighbor. I had a friend who one night, saw Jesus and Heaven. He was elated! Everything in heaven revealed Jesus. From flower to Throne. It was all Jesus. He was madly in love with Jesus. By the end of the conversation and like after catching a second wind he began declaring his love for himself. My, there was no end. He revealed his limits and odd propensities and declared his love FOR them. It took some 72 years of life, 45 years of trusting Christ, and a trip to heaven for him to come to love himself without flinching. Just the other day I shared the impact of that conversation with him and now you. "Now, you get to love your neighbor with that same enthusiasm and acceptance. It may take a while but probably not 72 years." Christ is not meant to be the first place in your life, but your very life. What can stop that from happening? By only thinking He needs, 'just a little help from you'. He will still succeed, but you will think you failed.
Yes, God can do you and of course, you already know the flip side of this. You cannot 'do' God. 24 the God who made the world and all the things in it. This one, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by human hands, 25 nor is he served by human hands as if he needed anything, because he himself gives to everyone life and breath and everything. Acts 17:24–25 (LEB) This sort of takes the wind out of the sails of self-effort. Instead, God's Spirit will blow you where you need to be, at the right time, and with the skillsets needed in order for you to do what you need to do which is to love your neighbor. I wonder, can He do that? I already feel silly for asking. Let's take a test. It is a yes or no test. This test only works if you have been humble enough to give in, give up, and give your life over in trust to Jesus Christ. Really!
1. Yes No Are you God? 2. Yes No Are you Jesus the Christ? 3. Yes No Are you Love in a specific human form? Who IS Love? Answer follows. 8 The one who does not love does not know God, because God is love. 16 And we have come to know and have believed the love that God has in us. God is love, and the one who resides in love resides in God, and God resides in him. 1 John 4:8, 16 (LEB emphasis mine) God is Love and we are made to reflect THAT Love. We reflect Christ. We are nothing but the object upon which He shines, the vessel He fills, the light that shines on the world, or the Temple in which He dwells. He is all in all, and that is Union--God living His Love (Himself) through us as if it were us, but we always know it is He. Answers: 1. NO, 2. NO, 3. YES Shocking thought. Only one way to sin? That thought is so incredulous that God sent His Spirit to help us grasp exactly what that sin is and the import of the same. Ready to know what that sin is?
8 And when he comes, he will reprove the world of sin...9 Concerning sin, because they do not put their trust in me; John 16:8a-9 (DLT) That makes it simple, to distrust Jesus is sin. To trust Jesus is righteous, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. Or, being at peace with God, self, and that other fellow. To continue distrusting Jesus is to continue distrusting self, God, and that other fellow. How has that worked out for you so far? The self list is endless. From day one we are being taught to be self-aware, self-disciplined, self-empowered, self-sufficient, 'you do you!' or just be self-absorbed. Simply put, 'depend on your-self!'
Then to confuse things we are being taught we live in a community, and we need to work as a unit with co-operation. But really, what is being said is that a single human knows their 'self' is not enough and hope a whole lot of 'not enough selves' will be enough. Okay, that is sort of like suggesting to all the freezing people swept off the Titanic to huddle, and then they will have both the heat and buoyancy to float and survive. No, not the individual self nor a bundle of insufficient selves have what it takes. It takes a LIFE raft. You've got it. God gave you one. Not bad, ha? 20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which 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 (KJV 1900) emphasis mine That self we are told to empower, God decided to crucify. Peter finally understood Jesus to say He had to die and took Him aside and declared He should not talk like that. To Peter's surprise, Jesus retorted something like, 'Satan, you don't like God things. We have nothing in common. You're free to go.' Yep! We can agree with God's plan or read another self-help book. "We love because He first loved us." (1 John 4:19)
So many seek to feel like once they have loved God enough and feel much better about themselves they can receive God's love. Nothing could be further from the truth. We love God when we realize He got in the first hug. Yep. When you weren't looking, He snuck up behind you and tapped you on the shoulder. Before you could turn completely around He gave the biggest bear hug and twirled you into an eternal giggle. When Jesus appeared He declared we needed to be as perfect as His Father in heaven is perfect. In another place, He declared that with men things like that are impossible, but with God all things are possible. Some people think the blood of Christ is some magic robe that if worn correctly hides their sin from God. This makes God as blind as Issac and we are the tricksters getting God to give us a blessing due to another. Nothing could be further from the truth. The power of the blood of Christ is as immeasurable as immediate.
John wrote in 1 John 3:5 "You know that He appeared in order to take away sins". Not hide sins but take them away. In 3:9 he says, "No one who is born of God practices sin, because His seed abides in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God." The seed is Christ and Christ does not sin. If we are in Him and He in us, He still does no sin. The good news is we don't have to sin. Sin has no mastery over us. The person of sin (Satan) is left without his keys to his new home. In short, sin has been abandoned. The issue isn't where you get to live for eternity but where God gets to live for eternity. You might escape damnation and that is grand, but God's purpose for Himself is much better. You are His Temple, a temple not made by human hands but one that is constructed, beginning with the cornerstone Jesus, and thereafter all His children (those who trust Him).
Yes, God has a new residence. Who is God? God is Love. Love has a new residence. In you, He takes command and accomplishes what He desires through reconciliation and fire. Everything in Biblical History points to heaven coming to this earth. You are part of that earth. You are His new residence. You have been transformed! You were a soul trapped by Mr. Sin into doing his thing all the while thinking it was you doing your thing.
Then what are you after you have put your trust in Jesus? You are a slave to righteousness. You are a saint. You have been sanctified (set apart for God's use). Miss this and you miss the mark. A triumphant life is His life living you. Now, you are a soul captured by Mr. Love into doing His thing, all the while thinking it was you doing your thing. |