When I contemplate the completeness of God, I am aware of my own nature. I think I can best describe any human nature as "bits and pieces". We all have weak areas in our nature and also bits of strength. I have found that the stronger the area, the more danger to my spirit's growth in God. Where I am strong, I rely on myself! Where I am weak, I rely on God. I have had to learn to lean on God and follow the Spirit's leading. Probably the hardest thing to overcome is the strength of human opinions. Hebrews 4:11 (KJV) Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief. To enter His rest is to give over our own control and trust in being led by the Father's will. Our trust of full obedience despises the cost to our personal image and comfort.
These areas in our nature that are not surrendered to the Spirit's control rob the joy of the complete possession of the Spirit. It is God's desire that you be in His image. You are His workmanship! To the degree you are empty of self and yielded to His hand, He can fill you.
John 15:11 I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.
John 17:13 But now I come to You; and these things I speak in the world so that they may have My joy made full in themselves.
Ephesians 3:19 May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.
Colossians 1:9 So we have not stopped praying for you since we first heard about you. We ask God to give you complete knowledge of his will and to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding.
These are only a few of the Scriptures that speak of God's desire to bring you to a completion in Him. In ourselves, we are fragmented in our focus, our desires, our knowledge and understanding, in our emotional responses and in our strengths. But we are not left on our own, He is the Way to the Father and He has provided for the Spirit to be our Guide. He is ABLE to complete the work in you!
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Friday, June 17, 2011
The Nature of God -- Complete
It is difficult to comprehend the completeness of God because of our limitations. God has no need to make Him complete. That is why covenant is such a blessing to us for it allows us to tap in to God's completeness. He becomes available to us in covenant. We see that in the covenants He made with nature, for no person living is not exposed to the wonders of God's creation, from the vastness of the universe to the tiny petals on the smallest flower, and thus is exposed to the wonder of God and so may call on Him when their need is exposed.
To me, it is wonderful to contemplate God's completeness, but it is awesome to read in His Word that He wants to make me complete in Him! Colossians 2:9-10(NASB)9 For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form, 10 and in Him you have been made complete, and He is the head over all rule and authority.
Colossians 1:28 (NASB) We proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, so that we may present every man complete in Christ.
In covenant, it is all about identification. God identifies with us and we identify with Him. His purpose is to make you in His image. He has done everything to bring this to completion and Jesus has pronounced, It is finished! You must identify with His purpose for and in you. Philippians 1:6 (NIV) being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
We all have the ability to identify but it is up to each individual with what you choose to identify. Don't identify with faults and sins that "easily beset you", but identify with His complete power to deliver you. You are not alone in this work of crucifying your old nature. You are HIS workmanship! The cleansing work of The Blood is an ongoing power in you, so submit your self to His cleansing power to bring His victory in you.
To me, it is wonderful to contemplate God's completeness, but it is awesome to read in His Word that He wants to make me complete in Him! Colossians 2:9-10(NASB)9 For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form, 10 and in Him you have been made complete, and He is the head over all rule and authority.
Colossians 1:28 (NASB) We proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, so that we may present every man complete in Christ.
In covenant, it is all about identification. God identifies with us and we identify with Him. His purpose is to make you in His image. He has done everything to bring this to completion and Jesus has pronounced, It is finished! You must identify with His purpose for and in you. Philippians 1:6 (NIV) being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
We all have the ability to identify but it is up to each individual with what you choose to identify. Don't identify with faults and sins that "easily beset you", but identify with His complete power to deliver you. You are not alone in this work of crucifying your old nature. You are HIS workmanship! The cleansing work of The Blood is an ongoing power in you, so submit your self to His cleansing power to bring His victory in you.
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
The Nature of Our God-Protecter
In studying the covenants of God, we see likeness to other covenants. In the Nature of God is the essence of covenant making. He has embodied Himself in each covenant so that we are without excuse as mankind on the earth, for He is revealed to the extent we are invited to call on Him. The marriage covenant, though cut between mortals, is a part of both the Old and New Covenants of God, for each of these covenants demanded response in the marriage covenant. Under the Law, the expectation of the Old Covenant, a woman was under her father's protection until she married and then she was under her husband's protection. If she made a vow or an obligating pledge, it could be disallowed by her father, or, if married, by her husband. If they did not, the vow or pledge would stand. (Numbers 30:6-8) Adam's sin was his lack of taking his place as Eve's husband to protect her by rebuking Satan and refusing the temptation to sin against God's covenant demand.
In the New Covenant, Paul shows the identification the Lord accepts with each husband. When the husband accepts that identification with the Lord, he moves in great authority as his wife's protecter. This reveals another facet in the Nature of God. His caring and protective cover over each of us is awesome in the minute detail of His knowledge of us. Jesus said even the hairs of our head are numbered, and He knows our downsitting and our uprising!
In our present condition, we do not know how very much we need that protection. It is this ignorance that God covers. All that is required of us is that we seek Him. When we do, God is found by us. Daily come before the Lord seeking His guidance and wisdom, His protection and blessing. Why? This positions you before Him. Aaron was instructed to daily bless Israel with the blessing God gave him to use, so He could bless Israel. It is not that we are not covered by God in covenant, but this recognition of your need of Him keeps us in His knowledge of you. Your relationship with Him is made strong and you walk under His banner. Let me use a personal illustration. My husband and I will soon be celebrating our 63rd anniversary of our wedding vows. The first years were difficult with their own particular problems. Learning to blend two into one is a very personal problem, especially when self is still ruling. But as we grew in the Lord by yielding self to Him, we found great treasure in our marriage. We learned to communicate our need of each other and to receive help. We learned to communicate our love for each other and our trust. This is a part of living out a covenant. When our relationship with the Lord grew, our relationship with each other grew. We relied on the protection of covenant and learned to appreciate it. Your appreciation of God's protection will cause your understanding of it to grow. You will see how He protects in the smallest and profoundly miraculous ways. If it takes a miracle, He is able!
In the New Covenant, Paul shows the identification the Lord accepts with each husband. When the husband accepts that identification with the Lord, he moves in great authority as his wife's protecter. This reveals another facet in the Nature of God. His caring and protective cover over each of us is awesome in the minute detail of His knowledge of us. Jesus said even the hairs of our head are numbered, and He knows our downsitting and our uprising!
In our present condition, we do not know how very much we need that protection. It is this ignorance that God covers. All that is required of us is that we seek Him. When we do, God is found by us. Daily come before the Lord seeking His guidance and wisdom, His protection and blessing. Why? This positions you before Him. Aaron was instructed to daily bless Israel with the blessing God gave him to use, so He could bless Israel. It is not that we are not covered by God in covenant, but this recognition of your need of Him keeps us in His knowledge of you. Your relationship with Him is made strong and you walk under His banner. Let me use a personal illustration. My husband and I will soon be celebrating our 63rd anniversary of our wedding vows. The first years were difficult with their own particular problems. Learning to blend two into one is a very personal problem, especially when self is still ruling. But as we grew in the Lord by yielding self to Him, we found great treasure in our marriage. We learned to communicate our need of each other and to receive help. We learned to communicate our love for each other and our trust. This is a part of living out a covenant. When our relationship with the Lord grew, our relationship with each other grew. We relied on the protection of covenant and learned to appreciate it. Your appreciation of God's protection will cause your understanding of it to grow. You will see how He protects in the smallest and profoundly miraculous ways. If it takes a miracle, He is able!
Friday, June 3, 2011
The Nature of Our God-Merciful
We often think of the love God expressed in Jesus, but I want you to contemplate His mercy today. I often see the power of self-condemnation in talking with people. The efforts that we take to hide that condemnation reveals the depth of injury that it has caused us. In the extreme, it causes a person to withdraw almost completely from others in isolation. In other degrees, it can go from "just shy" to a complete "cover-up" brashness that appears arrogant.
Condemnation is a weapon the enemy uses against us. There is a reason to use a weapon in war; you face an enemy. So when Satan comes to condemn you, rejoice that he considers you his enemy. Therefore, it is "normal" for a Christian to know condemnation. It is not "normal" to entertain it or accept it, identifying with it, for we have no condemnation in Christ Jesus. (Romans 8:1)
In covenant, there is an exchange of enemies. The covering that covenant offers is partly this exchange. God takes on our enemies and we learn to fight the enemy of His purpose. God so completely took on our enemy on the cross that we can boldly say, "there is no condemnation!" That does not mean we won't fight the battle with condemnation, but it does mean that we learn the reality of identification. Do we identify with the condemnation that is coming against us, or, do we identify with Jesus, Who took our condemnation to the cross?
God, in His Mercy, gave us His Son to free us from all condemnation. Walk in His Mercy and be merciful.
Condemnation is a weapon the enemy uses against us. There is a reason to use a weapon in war; you face an enemy. So when Satan comes to condemn you, rejoice that he considers you his enemy. Therefore, it is "normal" for a Christian to know condemnation. It is not "normal" to entertain it or accept it, identifying with it, for we have no condemnation in Christ Jesus. (Romans 8:1)
In covenant, there is an exchange of enemies. The covering that covenant offers is partly this exchange. God takes on our enemies and we learn to fight the enemy of His purpose. God so completely took on our enemy on the cross that we can boldly say, "there is no condemnation!" That does not mean we won't fight the battle with condemnation, but it does mean that we learn the reality of identification. Do we identify with the condemnation that is coming against us, or, do we identify with Jesus, Who took our condemnation to the cross?
God, in His Mercy, gave us His Son to free us from all condemnation. Walk in His Mercy and be merciful.
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