Someone can spend a lot of time reading self-help material. They can experience the joy and health of working towards a goal.
But that doesn't give them eternal life.
In the same way, someone can spend a lot of time engaging their mind with Christian topics. They can pursue so-called Christian objectives, even self-sacrificially.
But that doesn't necessarily give them eternal life.
The only thing that gives eternal life is Jesus. By grace. Through faith.
Not the type of faith that works for eternal life with its own effort. But the type of faith that rests in and has received eternal life freely. And then works because it has received.
Oh to be always connected to Jesus in this real and living way, and not in the way of striving and self-effort.
Where self-effort is being depended upon, fear is present. For self-effort can never be enough to attain to God's holy Law.
But we have received not the spirit of bondage to a standard alone, resulting in fear - but we have received the spirit of adoption and sonship whereby we cry, "Abba. Father".
We repent of dead works and instead walk in the Spirit.
We walk in Who our spirit has become one with.
It becomes spontaneous, whenever we stay conscious of His indwelling and yielded to walk in Him. It's not contrived.
It bears the peaceable fruits of righteousness.
Love, joy, peace.
It gives us the content, approachable look.
It's really Him and His strength living through us. All we have to do is yield our body.
But that doesn't give them eternal life.
In the same way, someone can spend a lot of time engaging their mind with Christian topics. They can pursue so-called Christian objectives, even self-sacrificially.
But that doesn't necessarily give them eternal life.
The only thing that gives eternal life is Jesus. By grace. Through faith.
Not the type of faith that works for eternal life with its own effort. But the type of faith that rests in and has received eternal life freely. And then works because it has received.
Oh to be always connected to Jesus in this real and living way, and not in the way of striving and self-effort.
Where self-effort is being depended upon, fear is present. For self-effort can never be enough to attain to God's holy Law.
But we have received not the spirit of bondage to a standard alone, resulting in fear - but we have received the spirit of adoption and sonship whereby we cry, "Abba. Father".
We repent of dead works and instead walk in the Spirit.
We walk in Who our spirit has become one with.
It becomes spontaneous, whenever we stay conscious of His indwelling and yielded to walk in Him. It's not contrived.
It bears the peaceable fruits of righteousness.
Love, joy, peace.
It gives us the content, approachable look.
It's really Him and His strength living through us. All we have to do is yield our body.
No comments:
Post a Comment