This 2019, I have decided to Spring Forward into all the Lord has planned for my life.
But this involves me dying to myself ... and how I see the world... and choosing instead to live each moment by springing forward (and stepping forward) into the new man that God has made me to be.
How do we do this? By focusing in the spirit realm - in the realm of my new identity in Christ (as a Son of God, as a Child of God, as His Ambassador and Priest of the Kingdom of God) versus how I see myself in this current world... I shed my old man and move forward into the new identity of who I am in Christ.
This is an important truth that we all need to embrace, because if we are to move forward into the God-given dream of our lives: The Lord does not see you according to the "old man" or the ways of your flesh... but instead, through the Cross of Jesus Christ, your Heavenly Father sees you as already risen and redeemed in the finished man of who you are in Him. By focusing on this, a heavenly transformation begins to happen in your heart and your mind ... and then, begins to spring forward into the reality of your daily life as well.
I get this from the teaching of the Apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 5. Let's read some of this together:
For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: (2 Corinthians 5:14)
Notice that it is the love of Christ that directed the Apostle Paul's life... and that should be true for you and me as well. This is found in the new commandment that Jesus gave us, where He told us, "A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another." (John 13:34-35)
As we receive the love of God that He has for us ... His amazing grace poured out for us through the Cross of Christ ... and see ourselves (and the person in front of us) through that amazing love and heavenly grace, we actually release the power to come out of our "earthly boundaries" to feeling and being accepted for "who we are through the love of Christ." This love sees us as treasures ... as precious children of God ... that God, Himself, would give His very life for, to know and love and be in relationship with - WOW!
And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again. Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more. (2 Corinthians 5:15, 16)
We find new life when we choose to not live our lives for ourselves, but for God ... and to actually die to ourselves, and let God live and love through us to touch the person who is in front of us. DOUBLE WOW!
Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. (2 Corinthians 5:17)
Scripture tells us that you are a new creature in Christ. Old things are passed away... and personally, God has been challenging me to see myself more and more through that new creature identity. That much of what we have been taught has been to fight our inner struggles by focusing on our flesh and beating it into submission... but I am discovering that the more I focus on how God sees me, and my God-given dream inside of me as a Kingdom of God citizen... the things of this world become unimportant to me, and fall away. My tastes for life change - and what brings me joy changes - and I actually become more "like a child of God" than a "fallen sinner" who is trying to get by.
And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. (2 Corinthians 5:18-19)
To be reconciled to God means that you are brought back into right relationship with God, not because of anything you have done... but rather, because of what God did through the Cross to release His great love into your life. You did not earn salvation ... He bought salvation for you and offers it to you as a free gift (that you have to choose to receive and walk in - laying aside your way of living life, to come alive with His way of living life and loving others ... which leads us back to the love of Christ compelling us to how we live our lives).
Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God. (2 Corinthians 5:20)
Of course, once you have tasted of the goodness of salvation and God's great gift... and it begins to transform your life and how you see things in the world ... it can't help but make you want to share God's goodness and love with the person in front of you (and the cycle begins again!)
The way to enter this transformed life? By choosing to step into it ... and this Spring of 2019... I have chosen to spring into it... fresh, new and alive with the love of Jesus! Won't you join me?
But this involves me dying to myself ... and how I see the world... and choosing instead to live each moment by springing forward (and stepping forward) into the new man that God has made me to be.
How do we do this? By focusing in the spirit realm - in the realm of my new identity in Christ (as a Son of God, as a Child of God, as His Ambassador and Priest of the Kingdom of God) versus how I see myself in this current world... I shed my old man and move forward into the new identity of who I am in Christ.
This is an important truth that we all need to embrace, because if we are to move forward into the God-given dream of our lives: The Lord does not see you according to the "old man" or the ways of your flesh... but instead, through the Cross of Jesus Christ, your Heavenly Father sees you as already risen and redeemed in the finished man of who you are in Him. By focusing on this, a heavenly transformation begins to happen in your heart and your mind ... and then, begins to spring forward into the reality of your daily life as well.
I get this from the teaching of the Apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 5. Let's read some of this together:
For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: (2 Corinthians 5:14)
Notice that it is the love of Christ that directed the Apostle Paul's life... and that should be true for you and me as well. This is found in the new commandment that Jesus gave us, where He told us, "A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another." (John 13:34-35)
As we receive the love of God that He has for us ... His amazing grace poured out for us through the Cross of Christ ... and see ourselves (and the person in front of us) through that amazing love and heavenly grace, we actually release the power to come out of our "earthly boundaries" to feeling and being accepted for "who we are through the love of Christ." This love sees us as treasures ... as precious children of God ... that God, Himself, would give His very life for, to know and love and be in relationship with - WOW!
And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again. Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more. (2 Corinthians 5:15, 16)
We find new life when we choose to not live our lives for ourselves, but for God ... and to actually die to ourselves, and let God live and love through us to touch the person who is in front of us. DOUBLE WOW!
Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. (2 Corinthians 5:17)
Scripture tells us that you are a new creature in Christ. Old things are passed away... and personally, God has been challenging me to see myself more and more through that new creature identity. That much of what we have been taught has been to fight our inner struggles by focusing on our flesh and beating it into submission... but I am discovering that the more I focus on how God sees me, and my God-given dream inside of me as a Kingdom of God citizen... the things of this world become unimportant to me, and fall away. My tastes for life change - and what brings me joy changes - and I actually become more "like a child of God" than a "fallen sinner" who is trying to get by.
And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. (2 Corinthians 5:18-19)
To be reconciled to God means that you are brought back into right relationship with God, not because of anything you have done... but rather, because of what God did through the Cross to release His great love into your life. You did not earn salvation ... He bought salvation for you and offers it to you as a free gift (that you have to choose to receive and walk in - laying aside your way of living life, to come alive with His way of living life and loving others ... which leads us back to the love of Christ compelling us to how we live our lives).
Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God. (2 Corinthians 5:20)
Of course, once you have tasted of the goodness of salvation and God's great gift... and it begins to transform your life and how you see things in the world ... it can't help but make you want to share God's goodness and love with the person in front of you (and the cycle begins again!)
The way to enter this transformed life? By choosing to step into it ... and this Spring of 2019... I have chosen to spring into it... fresh, new and alive with the love of Jesus! Won't you join me?
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