No Longer Divided

Division wasn’t God’s original design. Life had been perfect in the Garden of Eden. Since the Fall, heaven and earth had been ripped apart. Sin had caused it. This impervious barrier between the natural and spiritual worlds remained intact until Mount Sinai when God began the process of dissolving that barrier and restoring His creation.

Prior to God giving the Law to Moses, no man could stand in God’s presence and remain alive. Man was protected by the veil separating the natural and spiritual worlds. However, at Mount Sinai, the situation changed. Moses stood on the mountain, enveloped in the cloud of God. Seventy elders climbed the mountain and witnessed the God of Israel. In His presence, they shared a meal and drank together (Exodus 24:9-11). Since the Garden, this was the first time man had stood in the glory of God’s presence.

Now Mount Sinai was completely in smoke, because the Lord descended upon it in fire. Its smoke ascended like the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mountain quaked greatly.
—Exodus 19:18

Alan Didio uses a Jewish rabbi’s illustration of a burning candle to explain the connection between the spirit and the body. The flame ascends higher as it burns, but the wick keeps it joined to the candle. In the same way, the wick joins your spirit to this world. Without your body, your spirit has no way to connect with the physical world. 

God is a spirit (John 4:24). In the Bible, He comes frequently as a fire. Yet, because of man’s sin, these appearances were short term. Without a wick, God would eventually return to the spiritual realm beyond the veil.

God’s love could no longer stand any division. Man couldn’t bring down the barriers. This is why God becoming flesh is so important. Jesus didn’t temporarily assume a physical body; He completely and fully became flesh, destroying sin and revealing that the physical and spiritual worlds could live together forever.

“Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them” (Acts 2:3).

In Acts 2, the Spirit of God, did not merely linger over the disciples; it “sat upon each of them.” As the Spirit of God found a wick, single flames rested upon each disciple and remained. His glory, which had long filled the temple and the tabernacle, moved into its new dwelling—man. 

Pentecost is the celebration that marks the reunion of the physical and spiritual worlds. At Pentecost, the power of the Spirit destroyed the barrier sin had erected since Eden. The spiritual and physical realms that the Fall had divided became as one.  

God created you to be One with Him spiritually. You have a hunger to be joined again to your Creator. He created you as a human being in His image and likeness. The Holy Spirit needs you to experience this Oneness with Him. You were created to carry His light on this earth. Pentecost is the assurance that you are no longer divided. The flame wants to sit upon you, and remain. Receive, and let Him burn.

No Longer Divided

Division wasn’t God’s original design. Life had been perfect in the Garden of Eden. Since the Fall, heaven and earth had been ripped apart. Sin had caused it. This impervious barrier between the natural and spiritual worlds remained intact until Mount Sinai when God began the process of dissolving that barrier and restoring His creation.

Now Mount Sinai was completely in smoke, because the Lord descended upon it in fire. Its smoke ascended like the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mountain quaked greatly.
—Exodus 19:18

Prior to God giving the Law to Moses, no man could stand in God’s presence and remain alive. Man was protected by the veil separating the natural and spiritual worlds. However, at Mount Sinai, the situation changed. Moses stood on the mountain, enveloped in the cloud of God. Seventy elders climbed the mountain and witnessed the God of Israel. In His presence, they shared a meal and drank together (Exodus 24:9-11). Since the Garden, this was the first time man had stood in God’s presence.

Alan Didio uses a Jewish rabbi’s illustration of a burning candle to explain the connection between the spirit and the body. The flame ascends higher as it burns, but the wick keeps it joined to the candle. In the same way, the wick joins your spirit to this world. Without your body, your spirit has no way to connect with the physical world. 

God is a spirit (John 4:24). In the Bible, He comes frequently as a fire. Yet, beacuse of man’s man’s sin, these appearances were short term. Without a wick, God would eventually return to the spiritual realm beyond the veil.

God’s love could no longer stand any division. Man couldn’t bring down the barriers. This is why God becoming flesh is so important. Jesus didn’t temporarily assume a physical body; He completely and fully became flesh, destroying sin and revealing that the physical and spiritual worlds could live together forever.

“Then there appeared to them ]divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them” (Acts 2:3).

In Acts 2, the Spirit of God, did not merely linger over the disciples; it “sat upon each of them.” As the Spirit of God found a wick, single flames rested upon each disciple and remained. His glory, which had long filled the temple and the tabernacle, moved into its new dwelling—man. 

Pentecost is the celebration that marks the reunion of the physical and spiritual worlds. At Pentecost, the power of the Spirit destroyed the barrier sin had erected since Eden. The spiritual and physical realms that the Fall had divided became as one.  

God created you to be One with Him spiritually. You have a hunger to be joined again to your Creator. He created you as a human being in His image and likeness. The Holy Spirit needs you to experience this Oneness with Him. You were created to carry His light on this earth. Pentecost is the assurance that you are no longer divided. The flame wants to sit upon you. Receive, and let Him burn.


 

You Were Created for Completion

In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.
—John 1:1

The Word existed in the spiritual realm before God’s creation of the universe. It was with Him in the beginning, absolute, perfect, and complete.

God created the world because He desired a place where time and substance could respond to the truth of His Word. He created man in His own image so His Word could live and produce fruit. The Torah, the Law and teachings of the Pentateuch, existed in the beginning before it was ever given to Moses on Mount Sinai. There, God gave the Ten Commandments, speaking to those He had delivered from oppression. He spoke the Word that had existed before time began.

“Did any people ever hear the voice of God speaking out of the midst of the fire, as you have heard, and live” (Deuteronomy 4:33)?

When God spoke His Word, His voice was heard by Jewish men on earth, and they lived. They didn’t die. His Word is creation. It's life. God’s voice met no opposition because the world was the Word’s creation. It was His life. The world had been saturated with the Word from the moment it was created.

You are God’s creation. When your spirit is quickened and you  receive the Word, you aren’t receiving something unknown. You are coming into agreement with the Word—aligning with who God created you to be. The Word works in you as God intended for it to work, reproducing its life within you.

Although, the Word existed long before creation, man lived in this world thousands of years without knowing the reason for his existence. God never gave His Word to Abraham, Isaac, or Jacob. But on Mount Sinai man finally discovered his purpose. God wrote it on stones at Sinai and later on hearts gathered in Jerusalem in anticipation of the Spirit. Both Sinai and the descent of the Spirit came with a sound and a demonstration of God’s presence. One event gave the Word, and the other gave its revelation. Pentecost is the moment God’s eternal Word touched His creation, revealing its purpose to those He had chosen.

You are God’s creation. You are chosen for His purpose. He created you to receive. The Holy Spirit stirs hunger in you for the completion of the Word in your life. And only the Holy Spirit breathes life into the Word that He’s given. Only He fills the spiritual hunger that He created in you. The fullest of God's fullness is available.  He never withholds. He pours. Just believe. 

The Jubilee of Pentecost

 

And you shall consecrate the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty throughout all the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a Jubilee for you; and each of you shall return to his possession, and each of you shall return to his family.
—Leviticus 25:10


In the Bible, the number fifty holds great significance. It symbolizes completion. This verse in Leviticus describes the Year of Jubilee, which was celebrated every fifty years. During the Year of Jubilee, debts were forgiven, slaves were freed, and property was returned to its rightful owner. The Year of Jubilee represented a complete restoration. When the fiftieth year arrived, it signified the completion of what had been and the release of something new.

The period between Passover and Shavuot is called Omer. It consists of forty-nine days, which forms a perfect square, symbolizing balance, stability, and divine order. During Omer, there are seven weeks of seven days. The number seven represents completion or fullness. When multiplied by itself, seven signifies the completion of completion, or the fullness of fullness. Pentecost, which occurs fifty days after Passover, follows a pattern of seven sevens, similar to how the Year of Jubilee follows seven sevens or forty-nine days. This period following Passover is the countdown to Pentecost, when something perfectly complete is released. The fullness of the fullness of God is set free.

“And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God,
That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh;
Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
Your young men shall see visions,
Your old men shall dream dreams” (Acts 2:17).

Luke was quoting Joel’s prophetic message from the Lord. The Lord’s words are full of absolute authority and determination. “I WILL,” God declares. God didn’t say that he might pour out His Spirit, or He was thinking about it. He didn’t say that His Spirit depended on how much the people equipped themselves. Instead, He spoke with unwavering determination about the promised outpouring of the Holy Spirit.

The disciples faithfully followed Jesus’ instructions and did nothing but wait in one place. They could not make the Spirit descend. It was all God’s timing. When the time of completion arrived, the Holy Spirit descended as a powerful rushing wind. God Himself filled each one present. The Holy Spirit infused each one with dynamic power, liberating them from their limitations and perfectly empowering them to spread the Gospel.

No effort you make can earn the promise of the Spirit. God pours out His Spirit on all flesh. This outpouring of God Himself isn’t limited to those who have tried to prepare themselves, but is true for all who expectantly wait with open hearts. God Word is true. When God says He will pour himself out on all flesh that is what He means. We can’t make anything happen. The Holy Spirit shall fill us if we choose to make ourselves available. 

Do you expect Him? He’s near. Abandon every preconceived notion and believe He wants to pour Himself into you. He’s determined for you to receive His promise.

The First Pentecost

 

When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
—Acts 2:1-4

We read of Pentecost as that incredible moment when the Holy Spirit descended from heaven, fulfilling Jesus’ promise and empowering the church to go into all in the world with His Good News. 

However, do we realize that Pentecost wasn’t the first Pentecost? The first Pentecost was called Shavuot. 

Pentecost comes from the Greek word, “pentekostos,” which means fiftieth. The Hebrew name for Pentecost is Shavuot and comes fifty days following Passover.

Shavuot is one of three pilgrimage feasts. Deuteronomy 16:16  says that God required Jewish males to travel three times each year to the temple in Jerusalem. Shavuot was one of these fixed times. God wanted to meet with His people in one place. Now consider the fact that we celebrate our New Testament Pentecost fifty days following Passover. Jesus was crucified and rose from the dead at Passover. Before He ascended to the Father, He told His disciples to gather in one place and wait for the promise of the Spirit to come. It wasn’t an accident that “Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven” were gathered in Jerusalem on the day the Holy Spirit would come (Acts 2:15). They were there to celebrate Shavuot.
 
Passover celebrates the Israelites being delivered when the angel of death “passed over” them because the lintels and door posts of their homes were marked with lamb’s blood (Exodus 12:13, 23, 27). God's divine punishment that killed all the firstborn sons of Egypt, except for those of the Israelites, convinced Pharaoh to free the Israelite slaves. Fifty days after the Israelites’ deliverance from Egypt, Shavuot, the first Pentecost, took place at Sinai. Moses came face to face with the Spirit of God (Exodus 33:11). He received the Law, which required the Israelites’ perfect adherence. Knowing we could never meet His Law, Jesus came as the Lamb of God to be slain at Passover one time, once and for all, to meet the Law in our place (Romans 6:10). On the cross, Jesus delivered us from the Law’s condemnation (Galatians 3:13). Fifty days later at Shavuot (Pentecost) the Holy Spirit came from heaven, to empower the great exchange that had taken place at Passover.

The Old Testament Shavuot pointed to a promise that that had not yet occurred. God had freed Israel from Egypt so they could meet the Spirit at Mount Sinai. Jesus freed us from the Law so we could receive the fulfillment of the Spirit. Jesus didn’t bring us out of bondage just to deliver us. He brought us out of bondage to bring us into His presence to fulfill His purpose in and through us.

At Passover, the kindling was lit, and at Pentecost the Holy Spirit breathed an inferno into each one present, eagerly awaiting His presence. God didn’t merely save you from hell; He saved you so that He could fill you and bring His purpose to life within you, allowing the world to experience the same new life you have received.

On the cross Jesus delivered you from death.Three days later He rose, giving you new life. Pentecost was the purpose of Passover. Without it, the Israelites would never have known the God who had delivered them. Without Pentecost, the church would have died, and we would have never known the grace and love of our Father. Without a personal Pentecost, your faith won’t come to life in the power of the Holy Spirit.

The day Hebrews celebrate each year is coming. The day Christians celebrate Pentecost is coming. The Holy Spirit has already come. Have you experienced a personal Pentecost? Has His tongue of fire rested upon you, filling you? Does He continually fill you?  

Come, Holy Spirit. Reveal to us Pentecost.

Walk Not After The Flesh But After The Spirit

Walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
Romans 8:1b


The Holy Spirit empowers us with new life. He’s eager to impart wisdom to guide us in everything and, especially, in our relationships. However, without a healthy relationship with God, we’ll find it challenging to build healthy relationships with people. When our hearts are not aligned with the Holy Spirit, our efforts won’t reflect God’s wisdom and strength. We’ll respond to other people out of the flesh. When we don’t grow in our relationship with God, there will be no profit in our relationship with others.

When we are aware of the things the enemy uses to create offense, jeaslousy, anger or emotional turmoil within us, then we are able to guard ourselves from responding as the world does. We can surrender to the Spirit, crucifying the desires of the flesh and refusing to carry unforgiveness as our hallmark.

We’ve all faced challenges in relationships. Some people bring persistent issues that require attention into a relationship. Others carry emotional and mental wounds from devastating experiences. The world offers numerous reasons to remain offended, wounded, and hurt. Yet, if you’re willing, the love of can God heal your issues and wounds, and He has the power to do so miraculously.

God’s Word—His truth—is an active and living force. It is sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing through the soul and spirit, and separating the joints and marrow. It unveils our deepest thoughts and desires. It ignites faith in God’s eternal truth. Our hope lies in the Word and in the relationship we share with the Lord. Amidst the chaos of filthy, muddy, tangled, and messy emotions, God’s Word stands more powerful than anything else. It reigns supreme. It heals supernaturally.

As a child of God, you possess Christ’s spiritual authority to govern your emotions and reactions. You have His authority to bring your thoughts and the images they evoke under the control of the Holy Spirit. If God’s truth doesn’t permeate you, this authority seems beyond your reach. Instead, you are emotionally wrecked. You heart isn’t in tune with the Lord’s. Your senses declare your pain is simply too overwhelming to bear. However, the truth is that you have the authority to reject your issues and embrace the healing of the Holy Spirit. If God’s Word permeates you, you will receive God’s wisdom to deal with your flesh.

“But the wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and the fruit of good deeds. It shows no favoritism and is always sincere” (James 3:17, NLT).

God’s wisdom is pure, full of mercy, and willing to yield to others. However, aren’t we sometimes biased towards our own feelings and desires? God’s wisdom teaches us to be impartial, to prioritize others over ourselves. We have the ability to live peacefully with others and extend kindness towards them. We have the power to relinquish the grip of resentment and hurt. We can earnestly seek God’s wisdom to gain His perspective on an issue, determine the appropriate response, and decide whether an apology is warranted. My friend in Christ, we have the Holy Spirit living within us. We can draw from our renewed spirit and demonstrate love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

God desires us to live in agreement with Him. We are called to walk after the Spirit and not our flesh. The Spirit has equipped and empowered us to do this. If we walk after the Spirit, we will remain in the Word, be open to His voice, and be always open to learn from Him.

When you know who you are in Christ, you are in tune with the Father. You never have to let pain or hurt define you. You have nothing to prove to anyone else. You don’t take offense, but allow any offense or emotional pain to roll off you shoulders. You walk after the Spirit and take authority over your emotions. You fulfill the desires of your Savior who brought you into perfect union with the Father.

Is your heart in agreement with the Father? Allow the Holy Spirit to examine your heart. Remain in the Word, be open to His voice, and to always learn from Him. There is power in agreement. 

Exercise Your Faith

Sometimes, we pray about things God has already given us authority over. We implore God to restrain the devil, even though God has already instructed us to do it. We beg God to move for us when He has already commissioned us to step out in faith. We plead with Him to unlock doors He has already given us the keys to open. 

We label this disobedience as humility, when it’s really refusing to submit to what God has told us to do. It’s like Peter refusing Jesus' offer to wash his feet. His refusal appears as humility, but it’s really renouncing the gift Jesus wishes to give him.

Jesus says in Matthew 18:18: “Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” 

Jesus instructs “you” to bind and loose. Not God to bind and loose. Jesus has redeemed and empowered “you.” His verdict of “not guilty” has already been rendered through the cross. It is finished. God has already seated you with Christ in heavenly places (Ephesians 2:6) and given you authority over all the power of the enemy (Luke 10:19). 

There’s no question that God is willing to move on your behalf. Are you prepared to exercise your authority and enforce the verdict He has made?

My friend in Christ, you are no longer a pauper. Jesus has made you a royal priesthood. He has declared you worthy. He has washed you clean. Don’t renounce His instruction. Come boldly as a son, a daughter, and a joint heir with Jesus. Don’t plead for what is rightfully yours. Declare the excellency of the One who has saved you. Exercise your faith, and walk in your inheritance.

Wisdom And Revelation In My Knowledge Of God

The book of Proverbs isn’t meant only to help the foolish and ignorant. It will make a wise man wiser and give more understanding to those who already have understanding. As Proverbs 9:9 says, “Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be yet wiser: teach a just man, and he will increase in learning.”

Proverbs 9:10 says, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.”

The fear of the Lord isn’t all there is to wisdom, but it’s certainly where wisdom begins. Those who have no fear of the Lord aren’t wise, regardless of how smart they are. This fear or respect of the Lord, honors His moral law and stirs obedience in us. Those who look for wisdom outside of the moral laws God has given are fools (Psalm 14:1, 53:1). Any search for wisdom must begin with seeking the Lord as the source of all wisdom.

“God gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding” (Daniel 2:21). 

Daniel realized that God was his total source. Many more of us would get more revelations from God if we would recognize Him as our only source. But many of us think our power and the strenght of our own hands have obtained us all we possess. 

“Whoever trusts in his own mind is a fool, but he who walks in wisdom will be delivered” (Proverbs 28:26). Trusting in yourself  is being self-dependent instead of God-dependent. It’s pride, and it’s foolish. It isn’t in man to direct his steps (Jeremiah 10:23). We have that choice, but it’s the wrong choice. We need God as our source. We need His wisdom.

“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways” (James 1:5-8). 

God gives wisdom liberally if I ask. But if I doubt Him, then why should I receive wisdom from Him? Why should I receive anything from Him? When I don’t recognize Him as my source instead of myself, I end up having not because I haven’t asked. I have not because I haven’t sought. I haven’t received because I have doubted His faithfulness. However, when He is my unchanging and never-ending source, I can ask for wisdom in faith and receive it. He never withholds His wisdom from those who truly seek Him.

When God’s wisdom is sought, His truth is revealed, but just because you know God’s truth doesn’t mean you will submit to it. What you know cannot become understanding until you apply it in your life.

For the Lord gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding” (Proverbs 2:6). Godly wisdom comes as a gift through His Word. 

If I desire God’s gift, I’ll honor God and His Word as my only source. I’ll believe Him and not doubt. I’ll unceasingly seek wisdom and revelation in my knowledge of Him and submit to it so I can understand what He has given me. 

May “the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 1:17-20).

Lord, give me wisdom and revelation in my knowledge of you. 


 

Confidence In Your Relationship With God

 

 

The only way we can come to God is in humility. God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble (James 4:6). Humility before God doesn’t demand anything based on what you do or your accomplishments or your worth. Humility is also not groveling and begging God to answer your prayer. Humility before God is coming to Him in confidence knowing that He gives mercy and grace in your time of need. It's knowing the worth Christ has placed on your life.

“Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16).

When you come boldly to the throne of grace, it doesn’t mean you come instructing God. That isn’t the surrender that expresses humility. That is pride. When you come boldly to God, you come knowing who you are in Christ. You come knowing your right-standing with Him. When you know and believe in your heart the righteousness that is yours in Christ’s “once for all” atonement for your sins, there is nothing standing between you and God. You have confidence in your relationship with Him. He’s your Abba Father.
 
“Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him” (1 John 5:14-15).
 
Do you have this confidence? When you are confident in your righteousness in Christ, you are at peace in your relationship with God. You walk in the freedom His grace has given you. You come freely to God without fear of reproach or judgment or retribution. You come knowing what the love of Jesus has redeemed for you. You come knowing your Father loves you and you will receive His mercy and grace to help. You come with a heart of praise because you believe.
 
True humility isn’t promoting yourself. Neither is it demeaning yourself. True humility only glorifies the Father. When you have confidence in your relationship with God, you don’t need to beg for mercy and grace. You don’t need to beg God to give you anything that He has already provided in the finished work of Jesus. You don’t need to beg for forgiveness, or healing or your needs to be supplied. Jesus paid the price for all these things long before you even existed.
 
“But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: ‘God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble’” (James 4:6).
 
You have received the grace of Christ. God pours more grace into the lives of those who have confidence in their relationship with Him and walk in true humility. You must believe there is nothing between you and the Father. No sin. No sickness. No need. In true humility, neither inflating or deflating yourself, present your needs to God with the confident assurance that Christ has made you worthy to receive the petitions you have asked of Him.

Complete In Every Good Work

There are two ways we work for God. One way is born of faith in Christ, and the other is born of the need for recognition and acceptance. One way is with the guidance and strength of the Holy Spirit, and the other is with our own strength. The first way surrenders to the righteous work of Christ in us. The second way works to prove its own righteousness. The first way is life. The second way is death.
 
“There is a way that seems right to a man,” Solomon said, “but its end is the way of death” (Proverbs 14:12).  
 
What appears right to our natural mind is what we think is right. What we think is carnal. And to be carnally-minded is death (Romans 8:6).
 
“I am the way, the truth, and the life,” Jesus said. “No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6).
 
We don’t work our way to God on our own merit. We come to God on Christ’s merit. He is the way, the truth, and the life. The only way to experience God’s acceptance and approval is by understanding spiritually who we are in Christ. And to be spiritually-minded is life and peace (Romans 8:6).
 
Yet, don’t we sometimes work for God hoping that He will heal or bless us—not seeing that if we spiritually understood the right-standing we already have in Christ, we would experience His life and peace? If we would labor with His power working in us and not on our own strength, wouldn’t we live the truth of the new person He has made us?
 
“To this end I also labor,” Paul wrote, “striving according to His working which works in me mightily” (Colossians 1:29).
 
Paul strived with God’s guidance and power. He shared the Gospel out of His right-standing in Christ. He knew He had nothing to prove to God. Christ had already proved him righteous.
 

“But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior” (Titus 3:4-6).
 
It is Christ’s mercy that saved us and His righteousness that works in us—not our own. The Holy Spirit draws and empowers us to work for Christ. We surrender to the righteousness that is ours in Him. We have God’s power but we must surrender our natural understanding—our ways—our ideas—our circumstances—our issues—our opinions—and everything to the new life we have received in Christ. Any work born of our need for acceptance and approval has no power. 

 

We are called to work for Christ. However, works born of our need instead of faith in Christ have no life (James 2:17). The difference lies in the motivation for our work. Is our work born of the incorruptible seed of God's Word in our heart or born of our own corruptible need to prove ourselves? 
 
When you know how much Christ values you, your life is no focused on self. It is focused on Him. You have no need to prove yourself. God’s Word transforms your understanding. You conform to your salvation by being renewed by His Word (Romans 12:1-2). Allow the incorruptible seed of God’s Word to take root and grow in your heart (1 Peter 1:23), and then you can labor out of the righteousness Christ has earned for you. Working without faith is death. Working out of the faith that is yours in Christ is life (James 2:20-22).
 
“Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us” (Ephesians 3:20).
 
It is God’s power that energizes us (Colossians 1:29).  It is His work in and through us that brings life to our “yes.” 

“May the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen” (Hebrews 13:20-21).