Saturday, July 23, 2016

Why You Must Manage Your Mind - What Goes In And What Goes Out

My Utmost For His Highest
 
But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us…sanctification… —1 Corinthians 1:30
 
“The most wonderful secret of living a holy life does not lie in imitating Jesus, but in letting the perfect qualities of Jesus exhibit themselves in my human flesh. Sanctification is “Christ in you…” (Colossians 1:27). […] [Sanctification] is the gift of His patience, love, holiness, faith, purity, and godliness that is exhibited in and through every sanctified soul. Sanctification is not drawing from Jesus the power to be holy— it is drawing from Jesus the very holiness that was exhibited in Him, and that He now exhibits in me. […] The perfection of everything is in Jesus Christ, and the mystery of sanctification is that all the perfect qualities of Jesus are at my disposal. Consequently, I slowly but surely begin to live a life of inexpressible order, soundness, and holiness— “…kept by the power of God…” (1 Peter 1:5).” CHAMBERS
 
Living the Christian life is not some unreachable … something just beyond your fingertips.  Each of us, who is born again, has the capacity to live a life that demonstrates the reality that Christ is in us. (Galatians 2:20) “I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live, yet not I but Christ lives in me. And the life that I now live, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself up for me.” I memorized that verse soon after I was born again in 1976.  Sad to say I have not always applied it to my life as truth.  A dear friend, career missionary, once told me that there are two parts of sanctification.  First is the point that I am saved, born again and am set apart by virtue of my faith and being sealed by the Holy Spirit (Christ in me).  Second, I enter into a process of being sanctified.  Each day, I am being conformed into the image of Christ.  And, from time to time, the world can see glimpses of Jesus in me.  Not as often as I would like, but more today than yesterday.
 
Think about this. You cannot drive a car forward by looking in the rear view mirror.  In the same way, you cannot progress in your faith by focusing on your failures .. past sins … you will certainly wreck your car (life).  What you need is to embrace God’s forgiveness (1 John 1:9), repent, and focus your life and thoughts on Jesus. To continue in the metaphor, look ahead, out of the windshield.  (Philippians 3:13) People may tell you to learn from your failures, and you should.  But your failures should not rule your future. You must press on not retreat. (Philippians 4:8-9)  “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.”  You must manage your mind and you can only do that by the power of God in you.   CHARLEY

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