Thursday, June 21, 2018

Your Life Will Shout Out How Much You Really Want To Be Like Jesus



You are…a royal priesthood… —1 Peter 2:9

{CHAMBERS} “By what right have we become “a royal priesthood”? It is by the right of the atonement by the Cross of Christ that this has been accomplished. Are we prepared to purposely disregard ourselves and to launch out into the priestly work of prayer? […] Until we get into this right and proper relationship with God, it is simply a case of our “hanging on by the skin of our teeth,” although we say, “What a wonderful victory I have!” Yet there is nothing at all in that which indicates the miracle of redemption. […] How long is it going to take God to free us from the unhealthy habit of thinking only about ourselves? We must get to the point of being sick to death of ourselves, until there is no longer any surprise at anything God might tell us about ourselves[…] There is only one place where we are right with God, and that is in Christ Jesus. Once we are there, we have to pour out our lives for all we are worth in this ministry of the inner life.”

{ELGIN} If the Father’s intent is that we be conformed to the image of His Son (Romans 8:29) – well what exactly is that.  Jesus was and the is the fulfillment of everything that the Temple represented – He is the sacrificial offering (John 1:29) – He is the Curtain (Matthew 27:50-51) – He is the High Priest (Hebrews 4:14) – and He is the obedient son doing the will of the Father (John 4:34). (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 who loved me and gave himself up for me.” 

Being conformed does not mean that we look different on the outside – but that we are transformed on the inside – which – by the way – results in a transformation on the outside.  When the Bible says that we are a royal priesthood – it’s similar to the Tribe of Levi who were priests … Jesus is the firstborn among many brothers . (Romans 8:29-30)  “For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.” 

Paul said that we are to offer ourselves as living sacrifices (Romans 12:1,2).  Jesus said “No greater love has one man than this, than to lay down his life for His friends. (John 15:13) He also said the second greatest commandment was to “love you neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:39) That does not mean to merely get along – it means to Agape them – Like Jesus asked Peter – Do you love Me? (John 21:17)  Asking – “will you lay down your life for Me?”

Jesus told the parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:14-30).  The first man was given one talent (a talent is a unit of measure – about 75lbs – for precious metals like gold and silver).  The man took it and buried it when he was given it with the intent that he would multiply it.  That is what so many do with their faith.  They hide it .. don’t let it follow its natural course which is to multiply itself. 

So – you knew this was coming! – how are you doing with your talent? Have you settled in to who you are in Christ and who are to be to the world you live in?  Or did you stick all that in the ground and press on with life the best you can. Are you being transformed on the inside and is it obvious on the outside?  I called a plumber the other day to ask him to do some work on a house we are restoring in Houston.  When he is with me – he talks about the Lord – being a Christian – well, he answered the phone and assumed I was someone else.  He started ranting with a heavy sprinkling of expletives.  I was finally able to interrupt his rant to tell him that I was Charley with Pathfinder. He realized I was not who he thought I was and his countenance changed immediately.  “Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.” (Luke 6:45) Is it evident to people you don’t know or who are not Christians that you are a Christian?    How would you answer the Jesus question “Do You Love Me?” Something to think about .. and perhaps talk about with the Lord.

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