Because the true believer is enabled by God through the Holy Spirit (He resides in all who are born again) there is a lot of what is “natural” to us now. But we must “put it on” (verse 12 of Colossians 3:12-17).
In the blink of an eye, the new believer passes
from death – to life,
from condemnation – to no condemnation,
from a destiny in hell – to a destiny in heaven,
from mere humanness – to a child of God.
– Source: That Moment In Time
Where’s my natural?!
I have often asked myself: “What are you waiting for?” It’s not happenin’ through osmosis, as they say. The nature of God does not become “ours” automatically. We must “put it on”. The Christian walk calls for concerted effort. We have to get off our proverbial backside, as it were, and …move-out. Let’s move!
I am not what the enemies of my soul say I am. I am brand new now.
Source: I’m not what he says I am
Satan is the big accuser. Jesus Himself calls Satan a liar and deceiver. 1 I refuse to accept Satan’s lying accusations against me. I refuse his false depiction of me. I am not what he says I am.
I am what God says I am. God says I am a brand new creature — in Christ. I am not the sum total of all my sins. Why? Because all my sins are gone gone gone gone. Because God Himself has declared me clean, cleansed by His judicial court. If (since) God has removed my sin “as far as the East is from the West…” then who but the Accuser would bring it up again, and attempt to lure me back to that old self? Do you?
I often tell myself, (self-talk), and converse with God, something like this:
“I can be more and more like Him. I can change little by little as I grow in my faith. I can ‘[enjoy the spiritual well-being experienced by believers who walk closely with God]’ (v11 of 2 Corinthians 13:11-14).”
We can be more of Him and less of our old nature. What are you doing with your time? Got time for cleaning out the darkness in you?
Source: Streaming from my soul
Clean-out the darkness
It’s not easy to clean-out the darkness inside us, but it’s not complicated. The Bible teaches we have to work at it:
1. Examine yourself. What’s happening inside you? – 2 Corinthians 13:5
2. Put your eyes in front of God’s Word, and learn from Him. Learn God’s ways. – Matthew 6:23
3. Begin changing your inner self little by little. “Clean the inside of the cup” – Matthew 23:26.
Put it on, let it become natural for you as a brand new creation of God. “Examine and change your inner self to conform to God’s precepts” (Matthew 23:26).
Stream from your insides, as Matthew said it… “a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, bearing with one another, forgiving. Put on love (the perfect bond of unity). Let the peace of Christ rule in your heart. Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you. Teach and admonish. Sing with thankfulness in your hearts to God. Do all in the name of the Lord Jesus.”
Enable the good of God to happen in you – by choosing to listen to His Holy Spirit. He enables us to actually become brand new – from the inside out, since we have been changed and given new life in Christ.
12 So,
as those
who have been chosen of God,
holy
and beloved,
put on
a heart of compassion,
kindness,
humility,
gentleness and
patience;
13 bearing with one another, and
forgiving each other,
whoever has a complaint against anyone;
just as the Lord forgave you,
so also should you.
14 Beyond all these things
put on
love,
which is the perfect bond of unity.
15 Let the peace of Christ
rule in your hearts,
to which indeed you were called in one body; and
be thankful.
16 Let the word of Christ
richly dwell within you,
with all wisdom
teaching and
admonishing one another
with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs,
singing
with thankfulness in your hearts to God.
17 Whatever you do
in word or deed,
do all in the name of the Lord Jesus,
giving thanks
through Him
to God the Father.
– Colossians 3:12-17 NASB
See this list format here (of Colossians 3:12-17)
11 Finally, believers, rejoice!
Be made complete
[be what you should be],
be comforted, be like-minded,
live in peace
[enjoy the spiritual well-being
experienced by believers who walk closely with God];
and the God of love and peace
[the source of lovingkindness]
will be with you.
– 2 Corinthians 13:11-14 Amplified Bible (AMP)
FOR MORE:
Be this everywhere all the time
Rely on the Spirit of God in you
Being wise in a very unwise world during these end times
If I were to let sin reign in my body
When we face difficult times in our life
Footnotes
- John 8:42-44 Amplified Bible (AMP)
“42 Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father [but He is not], you would love and recognize Me, for I came from God [out of His very presence] and have arrived here. For I have not even come on My own initiative [as self-appointed], but He [is the One who] sent Me.
43 Why do you misunderstand what I am saying? It is because [your spiritual ears are deaf and] you are unable to hear [the truth of] My word.
44 You are of your father the devil, and it is your will to practice the desires [which are characteristic] of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him.
When he lies, he speaks what is natural to him, for he is a liar and the father of lies and half-truths.”
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