When we begin to unpack the holiness
of God’s character it is obvious that it is a perfection of such purity that our
intellects are unable to comprehend the magnitude of it all. God’s brilliance is
filled with such an awesome presence that He veils it for the sake of our existence.
Carnality is unable to enter His presence. That would apply to both the mental and
the physical realms. It is possible to pour oil and water into the same bowl;
they will occupy the same space but never mix. So is it with the flesh and the
spirit, two completely different realms, with the spiritual realm surpassing
the natural in every area when it comes to behaviour.
We know that angels exist because the
Bible is full of references about their roles in God’s global production. How
many of us in today’s day and age have actually seen an angel? They are not
seen by us but we can be seen by them, they intertwine in our world in a
physical state and not the other way around. They can be transformed into men;
we cannot be transformed into angels. None of us have wittingly entertained
angels, but some may well of entertained strangers, men who in fact are angels;
“Do not neglect to show
hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.” (Hebrews
13:2)
As
Christians we live our lives in the natural realm, we nurture the flesh in
order to stay alive but after salvation something miraculous happens to us, our
spirits are quickened. Our souls have been made alive by the Spirit of God; we
now have the Spirit of God who indwells us, He has house Himself in our bodies; “If
the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the
dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in
you.” (Romans 8:11) - This is not a natural
observation and if and when our consideration remains bodily these truths will
elude us; it must be observed through the eyes of the Spirit, which we now
have. This is the realm in which faith in the finished work of the cross works,
without the Spirits role in our lives we would remain faithless.
Once
we have been saved we are aware that something has happened but not quite sure
of the workings of it all. One day we swore like a trooper and the next day our
vile tongues miraculously vanished. Demonstrating the power of God’s Spirit in
a subtle and yet a very real way; these types of changes in a believers life
help us understand the gravity of being made alive in the Spirit.
The
honorable call God places on individuals lives is the greatest of honours;
their can be no greater tribute place on a single individual than the call of
God on their lives. Why do some remain faithful whilst others fall by the
wayside? Without being too super spiritual there is a simple way we can remain
true to that call; “So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live
according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to
death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are
led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.” (Romans 8:12-14)
– Transformation must be portrayed in believer’s life. The Spirit of God will
bring about the change and this is a given. How do the cogs of the Spirit bring
about this change in a believer life? God knows the intricacies of it all and
we know enough to confidently understand the teachings of Paul; “if by the Spirit you put to
death the deeds of the body, you will live”.
How
do I live out this truth as an active gesture in my life? Place a magnet on the
table and then take a metal paper clip and place it on the opposite side of the
table and you will notice nothing of value but move it closer and you will soon
obverse the magnets current beginning to draw it towards itself; even closer still
and the two become one. In type this is how we secure the call of God upon our
lives, we need to live as close to the magnet as possible. If we begin to drift
away from the magnet (the Spirit) we once again find ourselves walking in the
flesh and danger lurks. The further we move from Him the worse off we become.
The closer our lives revolve around the Word of God and His Spirit the holier
our lives are.
A
marksman once said, “Aim small and you will miss small”. This is good advice
when it comes to our application with our conduct in understand that we “have
been saved by grace through faith”. Grace was never intended as a licence for
us to sin rebelliously; “What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin
that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in
it?” (Romans 6:1-2)
This
truth must be understood if we are to walk as victorious Christians in a world
filled with sin. It is the way we are commanded to build upon the Rock. Judgement
is just over the horizon and we have been excluded from the wrath of God and
all because the Lord Jesus paid the price for our sin; this then is our tuition;
“Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, and make
straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint
but rather be healed. Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see
the Lord.” (Hebrews 12:12-14) – Let us
not be fooled into believing that we can live like we once did and still expect
rescue.
“The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all.
Amen.”
Signing
off
Tyrone
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