We have received…the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God. —1 Corinthians 2:12
“My experience is not what makes redemption real— redemption is reality. Redemption has no real meaning for me until it is worked out through my conscious life. When I am born again, the Spirit of God takes me beyond myself and my experiences, and identifies me with Jesus Christ. […] My experiences are not worth anything unless they keep me at the Source of truth— Jesus Christ. […] Never support an experience which does not have God as its Source and faith in God as its result. […] Faith based on experience is not faith; faith based on God’s revealed truth is the only faith there is.” CHAMBERS
Keeping your faith real. When we are born again, there is a tendency to relegate our new life to the background and make the old life primary. Being a Christian can become an aspect of who we are, like being an American. When in fact, we have been born again … we have been given a do-over. Not so that that we can try to live a better life in the flesh … a better natural life, but so we can live a new life in the Spirit, in spite of the flesh. Redemption becomes our new reality. The verse that comes to mind is Matthew 22:37 … “Love God with all your heart, mind, soul and strength” … all the time. Working on my relationship with the Father should be primary … my heart must be devoted to God the Father, just like it was with Jesus. (John 17:20-21) “I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.” When that happens, the rest of my life flows from that relationship. ELGIN
Bondye Beni Ou (God Bless You)
Charley Elgin
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