Declare the Decree part 2
Being a witness is a big part of our Spiritual life. And it goes well beyond just "Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so." Now don't get me wrong--I love that. I believe that if you read the Bible and come out of it with anything other than "Jesus loves me" you've completely missed the point. Having said that, there's a knowledge that passes knowledge. Heart knowledge rather than merely head knowledge. Experiential knowledge wherein you know something because you have a PHD in it. You Personally Have Done it. That's the kind of thing you can be a witness to, because that's the kind of thing you've literally witnessed. You can share your experience in Christ. And a man with an experience is NEVER at the mercy of a man with an argument. You can "think" whatever you want to think... but if I've been there, done that, and got the t-shirt then I KNOW what I'm about. And that's what God wants--He wants us to KNOW Him. He wants us to be able to fill ourselves to overflowing with what HE has already filled us with. And what He has already filled us with... is His love. That's what we experience. That's what we witness. That's what we are witnesses to. That's what we share. Look at Matthew 12:18 in the Message Bible, "Look well at my handpicked servant; I love him so much, take such delight in him. I've placed my Spirit on him; he'll decree justice to the nations." I really like this idea of declaring the decree. Of confessing the truth, if I can put it another way. Of executing God's righteous judgment. Taking what He has declared... and declaring it. Receiving it and releasing it. God's Spirit inside of us is what fills us up with Him. And when we know (and believe) that we are filled with Him... that's when we can experience His abundant, everlasting, eternal, Resurrection Life as He lives it in us, and through us, and as us. It's not about what WE do... it's about what HE does in us. It's about being still and knowing that HE is God. Letting God do what HE'S of a mind to do. Letting the mind of Christ (that's already in us) BE in us. God knows the thoughts that He thinks towards us. We need to start knowing those thoughts too. Letting HIS thoughts be OUR thoughts. Instead of trying to do what we think Jesus would do--and, again, I'm not against things like WWJD--we ought to just let Him do what He's of a mind to do. Just let go and let God, as they say. Just be still and know that HE is God. That HE is in control. He puts forth the decree. All we have to do is declare it. He puts forth the righteous judgment. All we have to do is execute it. On the cross, Jesus did all the heavy lifting. He did everything that needed to be done. That's why He said, "It is finished." We don't have to finish it. We don't have to do the work. Which doesn't mean we don't do anything. Rest is not inactivity, it is Holy Spirit directed activity. And the Holy Spirit directs us to declare His justice. His mercy. His forgiveness. His love. That's what this life is all about--letting the goodness of God that is in us come out. By knowing and believing that it's in there. And letting it out BY knowing and believing that it's in there. Filling ourselves to overflowing with what we've already been filled with. Knowing the truth, and sharing the truth!