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The holy spirit from God is born
within us the moment we confess the Lord Jesus and believe that God
raised him from the dead. This spiritual miracle is so great that
many have difficulty accepting that God could be so good or that His
grace could be so great. We have absolutely nothing to do with
this new birth other than to accept it and let it happen. The
simplicity of the Word of God is too much for many to handle. Men
and women always think that they have to do something. They will
tell you: "Yes, salvation is by grace, but you still have to do a
little work."
Romans 11:6
And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise
grace is no more grace. But if it
be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more
work.
We limit God when we change
His Word. Grace is grace and works is works. Salvation
cannot be by grace and "a little work." Salvation is a gift of
God's grace. God is the one who creates holy spirit in us and God
is the one who makes us His children. From the moment the gift is
given we are sons and daughters of God and joint heirs with
Christ.
As God's children we have
rights. Satan no longer has legal rights over us unless we allow
him to interfere with our God given standing. A child must learn
about his father and family standing in order to claim his rights as a
son. We limit God when we do not know or exercise our rights as
children of God. For example, a child of the President of the
United States has a right to see, talk to, and ask things of his
father. I would have much trouble even getting in to see the
President. In Christ we have access to God! We have a legal
right to approach Him with boldness as a son or daughter to ask for
anything that we might need.
Ephesians 3:11-12
According to the
eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord:
In whom we have
boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him.
Hebrews 4:16
Let us therefore come
boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find
grace to help in time of need.
The grace of God given us at the time of the new birth is
so big that it will take eternity for us to fully realize it. We
are children of God! We have been given direct access to God by
the believing action of the Lord Jesus Christ. We did not have
anything to do with gaining access. But we have it! Christ
has brought us in to God's presence as sons. Now we must claim
our legal rights and use that access with boldness and
confidence. God's grace does not end with salvation. God
wants to continually show us His grace and mercy. He is always
there for us to provide help in time of need; not because we deserve it
but because God is a God of mercy and grace and we ARE His
children. God gives us help freely, without even a second
thought. He is our Father and He just loves to give to His
children. We limit God when we let the Devil talk us out of our
legal access to the throne of grace.
Colossians 2:10
And ye are complete
in him, which is the head of all principality and power;
In the text the word "complete" is a unique fourth degree
construction. In English you could say "completely, completely, completely,
complete." Jesus Christ was our complete substitute for
sin and the consequences of sin. NOT ONE THING was left
undone. There is NOTHING left for us to do to stand righteous
before God. If we are ever going to live the abundant lives that
God wants us to live we must begin to realize the finished work of
Christ. When we begin to see and act according to the greatness
of what we are in Christ, we will manifest holy spirit and walk in a
power that has not been seen since the first century.
When we renew our minds
according to God's Word and transform our thinking up to the level
of "sons of God" we no longer limit God. We need not talk
of worry, doubt, and fear. We need not talk of lack or
need. We need not talk of anxiety or sickness. We forget
the negatives of this world and live abundantly because we are what God
says we are; we have what God says we have; and we can do what God says
we can do.
2 Corinthians 9:8
And God is able to
make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all
sufficiency in all things,
may abound to every good work:
Have we been limiting
God? We must be if we do not have all sufficiency in all
things. God has provided all sufficiency for His children.
We must allow God to fulfill His Word in our lives. God is able
and He will make all grace abound toward you so that you have every
thing you need to live an abundant life and abound to every good
work. We limit God when we try to do His work relying on our own
ability. It is God's ability and grace that is needed for us to
have all sufficiency. It is time for us to realize that God is
our sufficiency and strength.
We frequently limit God by
accepting what the world offers our senses. Just as the heavens
are higher than the earth, the spiritual is higher than the physical
world. In the spiritual realm God's Word, and not human reason,
is most important. As children of God we live and experience both
the physical and the spiritual. But the truths of the spiritual
are not subject to human reason. Rather, the spiritual supersedes
the natural.
1 Corinthians 2:14
But the natural man
receiveth not the things of the spirit of God: for they are foolishness
unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually
discerned.
When we were born again with
holy spirit in us, we became spiritual men and women with the ability
to look beyond the senses world. We have dwelling within us the
spiritual ability to understand and live by the spiritual rather than
being limited by the natural.
Ephesians
3:20
Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above
all that we ask or think according to the power that worketh in us,
God's ability in our lives
is exceeding abundantly above all that the senses reason can ask or
think. It is His power in us that makes us super
conquerors. The most important question is how much are we
allowing God to work in us? The question is never one of God's
ability or or His willingness. God is ready, willing, and able to
do for us. The question is are we limiting God by not allowing
His power to be manifested in our lives.
Michael
& Christine Cortright's Fellowship Homepage