Dead Works part 4
What you DO flows from what you BELIEVE. That's why repentance--or changing your mind in light of something that happened--is so important. The cross brought us out of the Old Covenant of works and labor, and into the New Covenant of resting in the finished work of Jesus. So what really needs to happen is that we need to stop waiting for a move of God (or, worse yet, trying to make something happen in our own strength), and we need to get a revelation of Jesus. Because the cross WAS the move of God that humanity was waiting for (whether they knew it or not). And now ALL of creation is waiting for the manifestation of the Son(s) of God. We ARE the Son(s) of God. But we need to eat the body and drink the blood of Christ in order to get that truth down into us. So that it can come up out of us. Look at Hebrews 9:14, because it says it better than I can: "How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?" And here's why that's important--if you're trying really hard to not participate in dead works... you're participating in dead works! Because you're trying to do it in your own strength. Its like going to the bathroom. The more you think about going to the bathroom, even if you're trying your hardest to think about NOT going to the bathroom... the more you think about it, the more you will need to do it. Because what you magnify is what manifests in your life. What you feed is what grows. So its not a battle against dead works. Its not this idea of "denying yourself" or, worse yet, "dying daily." Its not trying to be someone your not. Because by trying to be someone you're not (again) you're getting caught up in too much trying. Too much works and labor. And as a quick aside, I'm NOT saying you shouldn't try to do things. I completely believe in maximum effort. Rest is NOT inactivity. Rest is Holy Spirit directed activity. And the Holy Spirit always directs you to love. Which IS the maximum effort that you can give something; love is giving everything you have and everything you are. So I'm not saying you shouldn't try. I'm saying when it comes to Spiritual perfection you don't NEED to try. What you need is to LET the blood of Christ purge your CONSCIOUS of dead works. What I'm saying is that you ARE complete in Him. Right now. Already. With all of your "flaws" and with every mistake you've ever made, or ever will make. What you need to do is LET the mind of Christ that's already in you BE in you. How else would you change your mind other than letting go of the old and taking hold of the new? And did you notice WHY we let the blood of Christ purge our conscience from dead works? So that we can serve the living God! Dead works can't serve a LIVING God. But if you let go of those external, behavior modification laws... when you stop trying to be someone you're not... that's when you can actually BE who you are. When Jesus reveals Himself TO you, He also reveals Himself THROUGH you, and AS you! So instead of trying to get something you've already got... you can simply begin to enjoy it by receiving it and releasing it. By letting God love you, and loving others with that same love!