05/14/2017
We share in the death and resurrection of Jesus to obtain salvation, but we also share in the life of Christ, and that gives us great joy, peace, and holiness in our everyday lives. How can we be Christian and not manifest The essence of His living?
This morning I read Oswald Chambers' devotional message titled "The Habit of Enjoying the Disagreeable" in which He talked about living the life that Jesus did before the passion. It was a wonderful discussion of how and why we should exhibit the characteristics of Jesus... especially to those around us.
“always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies.”
2 Corinthians 4:10 ESV
Too often we back into a Holy life, we come to Jesus purely for the insurance policy, the promise of eternal life. Jesus does teach about that, and there is no story plainer than His encounter with the Samaritan woman at the well. He asks her for a drink of water, and this leads to His telling her...
“but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life."”
John 4:14 ESV
But, Jesus came for many other reasons too... He came to teach us about our Heavenly Father, how to live with one another, how to live with ourselves, to complete the promise of prophesy, to fulfill the law, and to serve as the lamb of God in redeeming us from sin. These are but a few.
“For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps.”
1 Peter 2:21 ESV
This morning I read about living my life as Jesus lived His. In some things it is easy... I breathe as He did, I walk as He did, I speak as He did, I am a man as He was, but in each of these things He brought more. I don't breath the Holy Spirit onto anyone, I don't walk in the paths of righteousness, I don't speak the gospel as He did, and certainly... I don't reveal myself to be the man He was to those around me. All of these common things of being human He taught us to do better, and in fact, He does this in every aspect of our lives.
So, although following Jesus gives us eternal life, He also gives us a mortal life that is abundant. If we live as He lived we will experience love, joy, peace, and holiness as we have never realized it before. This doesn't mean we will never feel pain, suffering, and heartbreak, but we will deal with them in a manner that will lift us up, and glorify God. The peace of God will come into our lives through them, and indeed, in all things.
“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.”
John 10:10 ESV
Jesus is all about life, eternal, mortal, and spiritual... Oswald Chambers ended His writing this morning with advice, and I will share it with you...
"Keep your soul fit to manifest the life of the Son of God. Never live on memories; let the Word of God be always living and active in you." - Oswald Chambers
Prayer:
Father, thank you for the life of your Son Jesus Christ in all of its manifestations. Thank you for His lessons in living, spirituality, and in the reward of eternity He offers. Your love for us is so much deeper than being immortal, but involves our living a perfect life in Jesus. Holy Father, help me to understand the lessons of Jesus and live my life accordingly. Help me to show others through my life what Your Son has shown me through His. Lord, you didn't send your Son to give mankind immortality, but to save his very soul... Father help me so that your plan, your will, be done in me.
Rich Forbes