Spiritual Discipline
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1 Timothy 1:6,7
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Hope Beyond Disaster
In the economy of God, there is always hope beyond disaster. Why? For the believer in Christ it resides in the fact of who God is. Though Christ was touched with the feeling of our infirmities and weaknesses, and can meet us in them, He is unchanged, and unalterable Rock which cannot be moved. There is hope in Christ because He is compassionate, merciful, and gracious, never ceasing to care for, and meet the deep needs of His child.
Dwelling In Christ In God
In matters pertaining to God, and the relationship of man with God, the majority of what we are called to believe is unseen with the natural eye. This is normal since the magnitude, and greatness of God exceeds man's capacity to know Him. And yet, when one is born of the Spirit, and Christ comes to dwell in the heart, He becomes our dwelling place, our sanctuary where we can meet with Him, worship and commune with Him. This relationship is everlasting, unchanging, with the exception of our increasing capacity to know His fulness on earth, to be fully realized one day in heaven.
The Humility Of Christ
Humility is a word which expresses lowliness in comparison to that which is higher, or greater. It is both a quality and an attitude in truth. When Christ was born in Bethlehem, it was in a lowly setting, as was the revelation of Himself among mankind during His ministry, meek and lowly of heart. But when He died on the cross to pay for our sins, tasting death for every man, He lowered Himself to save those were in the eyes of the world, too low to be saved.
The Father's Great Reward
Scripture tells us that God IS, and that He is also the REWARDER of those who diligently seek Him. What does this mean? God is the Divine Giver of all that is good, and perfect. That which He gives is the revelation of who and what He is. He gives good things for the blessing of mankind, but in the giving of Himself, His life by the Spirit of Christ, He have given us His all, that which is the highest and best.
The Call To Go Forward
The call of God is one to always go forward in one's heart, submitting to Christ, and trusting Him for all that is necessary to accomplish the will of God. God has called the believer to be more than a conqueror, a victory by virtue of the living Christ within him by the Spirit.
Golden Oil And The Light Of The World
When Scripture speaks of "golden oil," it is often concerning the Spirit of God, who is God, and yet that one who anoints the believer with His power to accomplish the will of God. The golden oil of Pentecost, poured out after the ascension of Christ into heaven, is the same today as He was then. The ministry of the Spirit in the church is to give light to the world. It is the light of the knowledge of Christ, so that by His truth and enablement, true faith can save the lost sinner.
God's Calling And Election
God calls daily, even every minute, to sinful man to turn to Him, look up, and away to Him, in order to be saved from sin and death. The gospel is that power of God which brings man to a saving knowledge of Christ. The election of someone by God unto salvation is His seal upon the believer, the Spirit of God residing in the heart. God calls and confirms those who truly seek Him, those willing to trust Him fully, surrendering all to Him.
Freedom And Freshness
The Lord Jesus promised freedom from sin by telling us that it was based on two things, the truth and the power of the Spirit. God always and only works according to the eternal truth of His word, but He does so when the Son, by the power of the Spirit sets the soul free from bondage to sin. The Lord Jesus summed it up by saying: "If the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed." This is true liberty, freedom, accompanied by the freshness that it brings.
The Unchanging Faithfulness Of God
The word "faithful" means that God can and will do all that He declares by His promises and commandments. Those who are faithful in following the Lord Jesus are those who see most His faithfulness, for God is actively working on their behalf in answer to faith. Faith in His faithfulness is the means by which one walks with Christ, following Christ.
The Prayer From Prison
Just as the Word of God cannot be shackled, and limited, in its power and effect, God accomplishing all of His purposes according to it, so prayer, true prayer cannot be held in by walls of stone. The God of the impossible, in every place beholding the good and evil, is also the One in every place waiting to hear the cry of the heart, whether in prison, or living in freedom. He is able to hear and answer.