MARCH 15

The last two posts have dealt with actually becoming, in this life time, all Christ said we could be. Each generation has struggled with staying on the path of true humility as modeled by Jesus. As we try to mature in the Spirit and do the works of Jesus, we tend to get prideful and depend on ourselves or we shrink back in fear and false humility, never walking in confidence and power. Ask Holy Spirit to reveal the lies that keep you from walking in the fullness of your identity in Christ.

Please know that I have a long way to go. Old programing is hard to throw off. Christ has called us to be His voice and His physical body in the earth in our generation. Surely there is to be one generation who will reveal the glorious Bride that Christ died for.

I AM JUST WONDERING OUT LOUD HERE, but I wonder how differently the world would view the church if we would dis-entangle ourselves from the Old Testament law based religion and live the Christ life of humility and love. "Let your attitude toward one another be governed by your being in union with the Messiah Jesus." Phil.2:5-11

The Church is so sin conscious that to call ourselves saints, as the New Testament calls us, sounds like blasphemy. We are saints, not sinners. We are saints who sin but are being delivered from self-focus. Isn't self-focus what sin is? It makes us twisted and perverted from our original design. The Holy Spirit is trying to get us to be God focused and to live by every word He speaks to our heart, not get us so heavily envolved in church centered activities, that we make Christ jealous for our attention.

Pride is not dealt with by demeaning the true self that God created. God has assigned great value humanity. He expects us to move from sinner mentality, poverty and victim mentality, to true humility, self-giving and reigning in life in union with Christ. Christ died to forgive our mess and to restore us to our original purpose. To continue to say, "Oh, I'm not worth much," is to deminish what Christ expects from the new creation saint.

Romans 3:23 states, "We all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God," but the obvious benefit of the death and resurrection of Christ is to restore us. We were created for that glory. The price Jesus paid reveals the value of the people He purchased with His blood. Is it possible that the greatness of God's human creation actually glorifies God Himself? "We are to be blameless and pure children of God, without defect in the midst of a twisted and perverted generation. We are to shine like stars in the sky, as we hold on to the Word of Life, Christ." Phil.2:15

Humility is not thinking negative of ourself, but in seeing God as being the Source of our greatness. Without Him I am nothing.

Humility is not the absence of confidence, but strength displayed by drawing on the One who promised to never leave us alone. I am called to heal, love, and to give comfort as Jesus did for everyone who would receive Him. I am not called to point my angry, self-righteous finger at all that is wrong in my communty and nation or call fire down in judgment, or to enforce the Christian perspective that would fix our cultural mess. Jesus refused to do this and He could have.

Humility is born out of an awareness of God's presence and how much I need all of Him for all of me.