January 4, 2016
Scripture reading:.... Matthew 18:3.......... and He said, Verily I say unto you, except you be converted (born – again), and become as little children (a child is totally dependent on its parents, and Believers must be as dependent on Christ), you shall not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven (failure of total dependence on Christ and the cross, will pull one into unbelief, and, thereby, a lost condition).
These words of our Lord referred to our initial conversion, but we should continue to turn to God as children, being continuously converted every day of our lives.
If we trust in our own abilities, instead of God's, we will produce consequences for which God will hold us responsible.
When God through his sovereignty brings us into new situations, we should immediately make sure that our natural life (the flesh) submits to the spiritual, obeying the orders of the Spirit of God.
Just because we have responded properly in the past, is no guarantee that we will respond properly again. (The next time)
The response of the natural (the flesh) to the spiritual should be continuous conversion, but this is where we so often refuse to be obedient.
No matter what our situation is, the spirit of God will always remain unchanged and His Salvation will not be altered.
But we must, "put on the new man..." (Ephesians 4:24).
God holds us accountable every time we refuse to convert ourselves, and he sees our refusal as willful disobedience.
Our natural life (our flesh) must not rule – – God must rule in us!
To refuse to be always continuously converted, puts a stumbling block in the growth of our spiritual life.
There are areas of self – will in our lives, where our pride pours out contempt on the throne of God and says,..." I will not submit."
We defy our independence and self – will and call them by the wrong name.
What God sees as stubborn weakness, we call strength.
There are whole areas in our lives that have not yet been brought into submission, and this can only be done by this continuous conversion.
Slowly but surely we can claim the whole territory (our flesh) for the spirit of God!
Scripture reading:.... Matthew 18:3.......... and He said, Verily I say unto you, except you be converted (born – again), and become as little children (a child is totally dependent on its parents, and Believers must be as dependent on Christ), you shall not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven (failure of total dependence on Christ and the cross, will pull one into unbelief, and, thereby, a lost condition).
These words of our Lord referred to our initial conversion, but we should continue to turn to God as children, being continuously converted every day of our lives.
If we trust in our own abilities, instead of God's, we will produce consequences for which God will hold us responsible.
When God through his sovereignty brings us into new situations, we should immediately make sure that our natural life (the flesh) submits to the spiritual, obeying the orders of the Spirit of God.
Just because we have responded properly in the past, is no guarantee that we will respond properly again. (The next time)
The response of the natural (the flesh) to the spiritual should be continuous conversion, but this is where we so often refuse to be obedient.
No matter what our situation is, the spirit of God will always remain unchanged and His Salvation will not be altered.
But we must, "put on the new man..." (Ephesians 4:24).
God holds us accountable every time we refuse to convert ourselves, and he sees our refusal as willful disobedience.
Our natural life (our flesh) must not rule – – God must rule in us!
To refuse to be always continuously converted, puts a stumbling block in the growth of our spiritual life.
There are areas of self – will in our lives, where our pride pours out contempt on the throne of God and says,..." I will not submit."
We defy our independence and self – will and call them by the wrong name.
What God sees as stubborn weakness, we call strength.
There are whole areas in our lives that have not yet been brought into submission, and this can only be done by this continuous conversion.
Slowly but surely we can claim the whole territory (our flesh) for the spirit of God!