New Life and Divine Design

Hello my friends, spring is blooming and it’s time to soak up some Vitamin D. Sunshine heals and strengthens body, mind, and spirit. I believe God speaks to us in the breezes and birdsong. Take time out to be still, be quiet, and be loved by your Heavenly Father.

A couple weeks ago, I shared my experience with what Oswald Chambers calls, “co-crucifixion.” Then, last week, a piece of my heart was exposed with the birth and death of my Ashley Nicole. God has pursued me my whole life. I see Him in my earliest memories and especially my teen years as I tried to find myself and Him. Because of His patient pursuit in my hardest days of doubt and angst and grief, I now experience what Chamber calls, “co-resurrection,” new life in Christ.

After we make the decision to be done with what holds us down and hides our divine design, His resurrection life penetrates our human nature. We are rescued from sin’s control and raised to new life with Him. What a deal. We give God what’s broken and He gives us the ability ~ the power ~ to have new life.

Galatians 2:20 reminds us, “My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”

And, in Ezekial, we read  “… I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart.” Jesus’ Spirit replaces our spirit. Our heart is now God-centered, not self-centered. 

Oswald Chambers explains, “The Holy Spirit cannot be accepted as a guest in merely one room of the house—He invades all of it. And once I decide … my heredity of sin should be identified with the death of Jesus, the Holy Spirit invades me. He takes charge of everything. My part is to walk in the light and to obey all that He reveals to me.”

When we become aware of wrong mindsets and behavior, we’re responsible to nail them to the cross where they belong. Sin has no power over us anymore ~ unless we let it. We choose to do die daily to anything keeping us from fully knowing our God-given design. In so doing, we not only live a full life, we also pass it to others.

God doesn’t dump all our stuff in a heap and leave us to sort it out. He continues to reveal it until we’re ready to deal with it. Not to condemn us. The enemy of our soul does that. The guilt we feel—sometimes a gentle nudge, sometimes a swift kick—is information to steer us. It’s our road map to freedom and Jesus walks the whole journey with us.

Our Heavenly Father is not only patient in our process of becoming, He delights in watching us grow out of ourselves and into the person He created.

So, we ask: What’s still hides my God-given identity? Some mindsets and actions that belong to our old nature are sneaky. They’re so comfy, we wear them like smooth skin under silk sheets. In reality, they are itchy, wool blankets waiting to be dug up from a moldy basement.

Yes, my friend, we don’t always feel so new, brave, or empowered. But we are. We don’t live by feelings, we live by faith. It’s not always easy, but we pray, we read Scripture and trust our new, resurrected life to lead us on a path to holiness. Holiness? Now there’s a churchy word. Join me next time as we bring a lofty word down to earth.

Courage and joy for your journey, my friend. 

 

 

 

Photo from Pixabay.com