Re:Verse passage–2 Corinthians 5:11-21, 6:1-2 (day five) There may be many answers to the question, but certainly one is that Christ died “so that those who live would no longer live for themselves but for him.” (vs 14, today’s reading) Unselfish service is the very definition of love. The man who LOVES his wife must consider her needs above his own. The person who LOVES Christ must do the same. BIG PROBLEM for those of us who are trapped in selfishness! Sometimes (often? always?) even our service to Christ is motivated by a concern for our own welfare or safety. If the reason that Christ willingly went to the cross was for me to be reborn into an unselfish life, shouldn’t I be more serious and honest about the level of love in my heart and life? Trusting the infinite Holy Spirit to supply every need, I will begin today! Trusting Him to accept even my failings, I will love Him! It is why Christ died.
This week God has been helping me understand something new (new to me at least). This in response to my prayers to show me how to live a life that pleases Him. I have become convinced that He died both to rescue us (save us from our sins) and to restore us. Jesus who is my Lord came to this earth as “the image of the invisible God” (Col 1:15) and declared that “the Son can do nothing of Himself” (John 5:19) and also that “I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5)
I am coming to understand that the only thing that pleases God is His Son living His life through me…. just as Jesus was the image of God because He allowed God to be expressed through His life. People saw God when they saw Jesus because of this. I know we hear this all the time, but it is really sinking down deep into my soul. This is really how I MUST live if I want to please Him. The absolutely amazing thing is that He is willing to do this. All I need to do is abide in Him… really, really abide in Him. I need to just trust, relax/listen and obey. He wants to live His life through me. I feel like David in that “Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; It is too high, I cannot attain to it.” (Ps 139:6)
It is a strange story but has been very helpful to me. I recently went to the store with my family. On the radio as we got out of the car someone asked a question about whether anyone has ever had an angelic encounter. I thought to myself, “why yes.” Then we went inside and as we were checking out the young man who checked us out was full of energy/life… being friendly and serving everyone. This stuck out in sharp contrast to my usual checkout experiences. Then he looked at me and it was as if he was looking down into my soul… I felt like I was in the presence of My Lord…not once but twice this happened. Now I have no idea what that was or was not…. except that it was not ordinary. However, it haunts me (in a good way) and I just keep thinking, God is it possible to be so filled with your LIFE flowing through me that others actually encounter You when they encounter me? I have become convinced that it is not only possible, but this is His purpose for me. Now, how exactly to do all this remains to be seen…. but I believe God does not give us a desire for Him that He is not entirely/amazingly abundantly willing to fill.
What an adventure…I am so thankful to be on.