[050817] Notes from Suffering, the Spirit and other concerns! by Andrew Farley

The enemy has a voice, but he cannot touch you. He can accuse you and therefore keep you focused on your faults. He can tempt us - there is a war, but it's not a war where we actively and constantly cast out demons.. The enemy flings fiery darts, so the attacks come from outside. Fortunately, we have Christ within and without - He is our armor. Christ is our Helmet of salvation. Christ is our belt of Truth. Christ is the breastplate of Righteousness.

Demons cannot attack us, they can accuse us, but we have the Truth.

--

We're enjoying Christ and the grace of God! How do we let everyone else know to jump into the pool?

The answer is not to press a sense of urgency. There are people who are born for the missions, but do not allow yourself to grow up aiming for cookie-cutter perfection.. You are already made right and you have Christ as your righteousness. Your rightness is not according to your occupation or your occupancy.

On the other hand, it's not that we sit on our hands... look, Christ, the savior of all, is alive in you, and something's bound to happen! Get to know Jesus, and be ready!

You aren't stressing, but you aren't passive either, because of Christ alive in you.

--

When we really understand the grace of God, that leaves us anchored, not angered. We leave people off the hook for us to be free from resentment. The anger may be there, but really, are you going to live there? The fact of the matter is that we are all on a journey with Christ. Let it go. Forgive. Release.

--

When we add any sort of emotion as a requirement for our salvation, then there is no baseline or no way for us to say if anyone is saved; but the Truth of the matter is, if we call on the Name of Jesus Christ, trusting Him, not depending on any emotion, then we will be saved!

Adding emotion makes salvation immeasurable. Adding any other sort of requirement adds ambiguity and just promotes confusion - the focus should be on the fact that Jesus Christ already met all the requirements. Christ is alive in you. Know that you are saved. Know that you have eternal life, and your life is Christ.

Your faith is not a feeling. Christ knocked on your door, and the door was opened, and He came in and dined with you.

--

If we press on towards anything, we press on to know Christ and His finished work more.

There is a natural pressing on that is part of the adventure of being with Christ. If we knew everything there is to know about Christ, it'd be kind of boring, wouldn't it?

--

Do we have to consciously depending on the Spirit to live through us to be walking by the Spirit?

We should know that by default, we are in the Spirit. We are always in the Spirit. We are never in the flesh.

It could be possible to walk in the flesh, and suffer the consequences, but we will always be in the Spirit. Our walk may differ, but our location will always be in the Spirit. Walking in the flesh is possible, but eventually, we find out that it just doesnt fit because we are in the Spirit. Always in the Spirit.

Enjoying Jesus is walking in the Spirit. Enjoying is the Walk.

Christians can have more fun than anyone else. We're the only ones who can live out our destiny, live from the heart, totally forgiven for all our mess ups.. what's not to like about that?

Christians can have more fun than anyone else, but religion has us just trying to have fun.

How are you doing? You are okay.
How are you doing? God is well-pleased with who you are.


Don't get fixated on the walk, get fixated on the Savior.


_________________________
jb.redeemed
email me at jibee@rocketmail.com

May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you. May the Lord lift His countenance upon you and give you His Shalom. - Numbers 6:24-26