ARE YOU EXISTING OR LIVING, IF YOU DON'T KNOW CHRIST YOU HAVE NO LIFE, PERIOD. TO KNOW HIM IS TO LOVE, HIM AND THE HAPPIEST, MOST FULFILLED PEOPLE ARE THOSE IN LOVE AND HAVE PURPOSE FROM GOD, THAT IS BIGGER THAN LIFE.
Christians don't have to sin and have the power to overcome by faith: "Being made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness" (Rom. 6:18, KJV).
Jesus came to bring us life, and life to the full, i.e., a more abundant life per John 10:10 and most Christians are living defeated lives, succumbing to the so-called Anfectung (German used by Luther), or attack of Satan, our adversary, and opponent. Eternal life isn't just in reference to time but begins upon salvation and we share in God's very life! Christians don't have the right to live in the flesh, but the power to live in the Spirit! When we sin, we don't show our freedom, but demonstrate our slavery, if we are overcome by a sin, and if any brother is caught in a sin (Gal. 6:1, ESV, says, "Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness.
Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted"), not leading to death (1 John 5:16, ESV, says, "If anyone sees his brother committing a sin not leading to death, he shall ask...") we should pray and restore him. To live the abundant life you must learn to walk with God like Noah did: "Noah was a just man, and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God." "Enoch [also] walked with God, and was not, for God took him" (i.e., raptured him to heaven!).
We don't just have the selective indwelling, but the permanent residence of God in our hearts to stay in sync with God and on the same page as the Spirit! We are filled by God in order to accomplish a God-ordained and given task to His glory; we don't walk around on cloud nine or with our heads bowed in holiness. We must cultivate the fruit of the Spirit and it is grown by grace, not all at once, but over time--we must be patient. Love is the ultimate fruit of the Spirit, and the other eight winsome graces are but manifestations of it in various forms. We walk in love, speak the truth in love, do deeds in love, and demonstrate God's love by loving our neighbor and people will know we are disciples by our calling card of love as the keynote. ("They'll know we are Christians by our love!")
God gives us richly all things to enjoy per 1 Tim. 6:17 and will withhold no blessing from us that is for our own good (cf. Psalm 84:11 ) "... no good thing will he withhold from those who walk uprightly [walk with God!]"). We are blessed in all our endeavors and God makes it fruitful as we bear fruit that honors God in our work, which is done to bear the image of God. There is a false, prosperity theology, that says we can cash in on God's riches and we are automatically guaranteed riches and financial prosperity if we are right with the Lord. But this is not what being prosperous and successful is. Mother Teresa of Calcutta says, "God doesn't call us to success, but to faithfulness."
God doesn't want our achievements, he wants us and our obedience! We don't do anything for God, He only uses us as vessels of honor to accomplish His will and glory; for our purpose is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever, according to The Westminster Shorter Catechism (ca. 1646). God says for us to open our mouths wide and He will fit it in Psalm 81:10 and many times says He will satisfy our needs and meet them when we are in His will (cf. Phil. 4:19). God satisfies us with good things to enjoy, just as He gives food to all creatures. Even our appetite comes from God, for some people have lost theirs and no longer enjoy food, which was meant to be our portion of blessing, along with our work, according to Eccl. 3:13.
This is our portion: to find purpose and meaning in life through Christ--there comes a time of maturity when we aren't looking for fun, but meaning and impact, and we want to leave a legacy, not just be thrill-seekers, living for the here and now; we are to live in light of eternity and live for something bigger than ourselves--that's the key, not to just live for yourself, in your own little world and reality. Living for self or having selfish ambition is a recipe for disaster and a formula for suicide. We are meant to love others, not just ourselves! Albert Schweitzer said that the only truly happy persons are those who have learned to serve others.
When God gives us a ministry to our brethren and/or a mission to our lost friends and neighbors, we commence to live and realize our potential in with the aid of the Spirit's filling and anointing. Paul sums it up in Col. 1:10, ESV, as follows: "... bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God [Note that good works and knowing God are correlated!]." Soli Deo Gloria!
Christians don't have to sin and have the power to overcome by faith: "Being made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness" (Rom. 6:18, KJV).
Jesus came to bring us life, and life to the full, i.e., a more abundant life per John 10:10 and most Christians are living defeated lives, succumbing to the so-called Anfectung (German used by Luther), or attack of Satan, our adversary, and opponent. Eternal life isn't just in reference to time but begins upon salvation and we share in God's very life! Christians don't have the right to live in the flesh, but the power to live in the Spirit! When we sin, we don't show our freedom, but demonstrate our slavery, if we are overcome by a sin, and if any brother is caught in a sin (Gal. 6:1, ESV, says, "Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness.
Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted"), not leading to death (1 John 5:16, ESV, says, "If anyone sees his brother committing a sin not leading to death, he shall ask...") we should pray and restore him. To live the abundant life you must learn to walk with God like Noah did: "Noah was a just man, and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God." "Enoch [also] walked with God, and was not, for God took him" (i.e., raptured him to heaven!).
We don't just have the selective indwelling, but the permanent residence of God in our hearts to stay in sync with God and on the same page as the Spirit! We are filled by God in order to accomplish a God-ordained and given task to His glory; we don't walk around on cloud nine or with our heads bowed in holiness. We must cultivate the fruit of the Spirit and it is grown by grace, not all at once, but over time--we must be patient. Love is the ultimate fruit of the Spirit, and the other eight winsome graces are but manifestations of it in various forms. We walk in love, speak the truth in love, do deeds in love, and demonstrate God's love by loving our neighbor and people will know we are disciples by our calling card of love as the keynote. ("They'll know we are Christians by our love!")
God gives us richly all things to enjoy per 1 Tim. 6:17 and will withhold no blessing from us that is for our own good (cf. Psalm 84:11 ) "... no good thing will he withhold from those who walk uprightly [walk with God!]"). We are blessed in all our endeavors and God makes it fruitful as we bear fruit that honors God in our work, which is done to bear the image of God. There is a false, prosperity theology, that says we can cash in on God's riches and we are automatically guaranteed riches and financial prosperity if we are right with the Lord. But this is not what being prosperous and successful is. Mother Teresa of Calcutta says, "God doesn't call us to success, but to faithfulness."
God doesn't want our achievements, he wants us and our obedience! We don't do anything for God, He only uses us as vessels of honor to accomplish His will and glory; for our purpose is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever, according to The Westminster Shorter Catechism (ca. 1646). God says for us to open our mouths wide and He will fit it in Psalm 81:10 and many times says He will satisfy our needs and meet them when we are in His will (cf. Phil. 4:19). God satisfies us with good things to enjoy, just as He gives food to all creatures. Even our appetite comes from God, for some people have lost theirs and no longer enjoy food, which was meant to be our portion of blessing, along with our work, according to Eccl. 3:13.
This is our portion: to find purpose and meaning in life through Christ--there comes a time of maturity when we aren't looking for fun, but meaning and impact, and we want to leave a legacy, not just be thrill-seekers, living for the here and now; we are to live in light of eternity and live for something bigger than ourselves--that's the key, not to just live for yourself, in your own little world and reality. Living for self or having selfish ambition is a recipe for disaster and a formula for suicide. We are meant to love others, not just ourselves! Albert Schweitzer said that the only truly happy persons are those who have learned to serve others.
When God gives us a ministry to our brethren and/or a mission to our lost friends and neighbors, we commence to live and realize our potential in with the aid of the Spirit's filling and anointing. Paul sums it up in Col. 1:10, ESV, as follows: "... bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God [Note that good works and knowing God are correlated!]." Soli Deo Gloria!
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