Inside Out part 4
The reason we seem to get so frustrated so often is that we're "trying to change." We think behavior modification is the way to go from "bad" to "good." But there's a fatal flaw to this plan: Jesus didn't come to make "bad" people "good." He came to make dead people alive. Because all a dead man can do is go through the motions of dead works. Trying to DO in order to BE instead of resting in the truth of who we already be! The "change" that we're trying so desperately to produce happened over 2,000 years ago on an old rugged cross. It happened when Jesus drew us all into Himself and died on the cross. See, we were already dead in our trespasses and sins. And what we needed was another death. The second death. So that we could have another birth. So that we could be born from above. Born of water, and the Spirit. That's what happened when God poured out His Spirit on all flesh. He drew us into Himself and He planted Himself in us. The hidden man of the heart was revealed through the circucision made without hands. The flesh--of human effort--was cut away to reveal God's heart beating with love in our chests. And that's so vitally important because (since it's all about love) it's all about the heart. As a man thinks in his heart, so is he. The issues of life flow from the heart. When we understand that Daddy loves us (from the inside) then that love can be shared with those we come into contact with. And that's the "change"! From death to life. From trying to earn Daddy's love and acceptance, to knowing and believing the love of Christ! Notice what Hebrews 6:1 says, "Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God." What is repentance about? Changing our minds about works and labor! Stoping the dead works, and starting to rest! But here's the key, until you KNOW (with a knowledge that passes knowledge... a heart knowledge instead of just a head knowledge) that the work is finished, you're always going to try to finish it. That's why Hebrews 9:14 goes on to say, "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?" We needed our conscience purged FROM DEAD WORKS. We needed repentance FROM DEAD WORKS. We needed the blood of Christ to flow so that we could stop trying to earn our bread with the sweat of our brows. We needed the Spirit (of truth) to lead and guide us into all truth. The truth that the Father loveth the Son and hath given all things into His hands. The truth that as He is, so are we in this world. The truth that Daddy loves us! And when we know that, deep down inside, then we can stop trying to earn a gift that can't be earned. We can start to simply receive and release the gift of God, which is eternal life! We can let what's inside come out. Naturally. We can fill ourselves with the fulness of God by testing the height, and length, and depth, and breadth of His love for us. And how do we test it? By using it! By loving others more than we ever thought we could. We have been filled to overflowing, and all we have to do is let what's inside come out. All we have to do is be ourselves. Know who we are, and BE who we are. Stop trying to be someone we're not. Stop trying to change. The change took place. Now we can rest in the truth of who we are in Christ. Who Christ is in us!