Embrace the Within no. 193

“We have therefore been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory and power of the Father, we too might walk habitually in newness of life [abandoning our old ways]. For if we have become one with Him [permanently united] in the likeness of His death, we will also certainly be [one with Him and share fully] in the likeness of His resurrection” (Romans 6:4-5 AMP).

I need to “. . . walk habitually in newness of life . . .” to walk in a way that shows Him. Hope is my confidence BUT faith is an action.

“Therefore if anyone is in Christ [that is, grafted in, joined to Him by faith in Him as Savior], he is a new creature [reborn and renewed by the Holy Spirit]; the old things [the previous moral and spiritual condition] have passed away. Behold, new things have come [because spiritual awakening brings a new life]” (2 Corinthians 5:17 AMP). Paul says new creature and not creature with some new additions. Paul doesn’t say creature with some modifications. Paul doesn’t say creature with a new spoiler or rims. Paul says a new creature which has let the old creature die.

I think that is the root of hypocrisy, at least, that has always been the root of mine. Having a heart that isn’t changed because I am keeping my old creature and just putting on a new coat of paint. BUT I need to let that creature die and get buried so I can resurrect as something new.

It’s easy to get caught up in the ways of the world. I live within the world. BUT, as followers of Jesus, I do not conform to the world. I am an Ambassador of His Kingdom. And that means a totally different way of doing things. That means doing things like Jesus did things. Walking and talking and acting like Him rather than my fallen family, friends, and nation. And that is going to take becoming a new creature in a lot of ways. That is going to take being open to taking up His cross and walking daily in His Will. It is going to take dying to who I was and who I am and following obediently. It is going to take all of who I was. BUT that walk is going to overflow who He wants.

Jesus gave me the best do over. I get to take advantage of cleaning the slate and starting over in His Way. I get to die and come back while I am alive today so that I can have confidence that when I go to the other side of eternity, the same transformation will occur. My walk today is modeling my future transformation. On the other side of eternity I will be totally and completely transformed. Why not take advantage of a small taste of that transformation today?

It is one thing to look forward to the confidence of eternity with Him BUT don’t forget that eternity is here and now. His Kingdom is here and now and forever, “'Now having been asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He replied, ‘The kingdom of God is not coming with signs to be observed or with a visible display; nor will people say, ‘Look! Here it is!’ or, ‘There it is!’ For the kingdom of God is among you [because of My presence]’ (Luke 17:20-21 AMP). And I can allow Him to transform me today. Or I can choose to fight and boast and be proud. I have chosen to submit to my king.

We all have a choice. My body, my choice. God gives us the choice to go all in for Him. He provided the path and a rather simple and explained path forward with Him. All He wants is a relationship. And too often all I want to give Him are works. I want to treat this like a business transaction. I want to look at the ledger and see that the good things I do balance the bad things I do. That only cheapens the grace He gave. That only makes this into a transaction I can believe I can repay. Because once I understand I can’t repay Him. Once I understand this has nothing to do with me and everything to do with Him. The more accepting I am that I need to change, then the more accepting I will be to make that change.

Grace and Shalom to your home.

I love you. I forgive you. Have a blessed and abundant day!

#ThinkBetter #BeBetter #NoKingButChrist #EmbraceTheWithin #NotMyWayYHWH

Embrace the Within no. 192

“While we were still helpless [powerless to provide for our salvation], at the right time Christ died [as a substitute] for the ungodly. Now it is an extraordinary thing for one to willingly give his life even for an upright man, though perhaps for a good man [one who is noble and selfless and worthy] someone might even dare to die. But God clearly shows and proves His own love for us, by the fact that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:6-8 AMP).

It takes a lot to sacrifice as far as your own life because we love ourselves a lot more than anything else. I think that is why suicide baffles and confuses and amazes and bewilders us. How can you abandon the one thing in which we are often so proud? Self.

It might be that we could sacrifice ourselves for family or friends in an act of selflessness in our love for their innocence or goodness. BUT I am not good in myself. And while I was broken and sinful and proud and arrogant and boastful and unrepentant and despicable, Jesus still died for me.

Jesus that has all the power in both the heavens above and this earth here chose to surrender His life as far as death for me. I don’t know about you BUT I have done a lot of stuff that isn’t worthy of anyone sacrificing anything. I have been a broken mess that just went along with the systems of the world. I looked for salvation in the ways of the world. I thought that working without Him would change the world into something better. BUT that is just stupid. I was sinful in thinking that human intelligence was somehow going to fix the problems that human intelligence caused. I was proud which led to arrogance and boasting. I knew better than the Christians I knew so I was unrepentant about their faith. And all that pride turned my heart into something despicable that I had to hide from even myself in the pain that I was living. And even through all that, He sacrificed everything. And He had a lot more to sacrifice than I will ever amass. And there is nothing I have that is even in the realm of possible repayment. No amount of lifetimes of work would ever make a dent in repayment.

And that is the wonderful thing about His sacrifice. It was His gift. He isn’t asking for repayment. He isn’t asking for perfection. He isn’t asking for me to give up anything. He is asking for a relationship. And through that relationship, ALL that He wants is us to learn about Him.

If I just spent more time looking beyond the hypocrites and into what He asked, then this journey would have been much shorter. If I would have just talked to Him rather than looking at other imperfect folks making mistakes, then I would have established a relationship and a walk with Him. If I would have got out of my own way, then I would have been much better at walking in His Way.

I pray that His sacrifice is appreciated for the gift He is. I pray that I take the time each day to build my relationship with Him through prayer, study, and action. I pray that I walk a better walk with Him by denying myself, taking up His cross, and following obediently. I pray that through my walk with Him I will become a better Ambassador of His Kingdom.

Grace and Shalom to your home.

I love you. I forgive you. Have a blessed and abundant day!

#ThinkBetter #BeBetter #NoKingButChrist #EmbraceTheWithin #NotMyWayYHWH