April 19, 2009

“It wasn’t so long ago that you were mired in that old stagnant life of sin. You let the world, which doesn’t know the first thing about living, tell you how to live … It’s wonderful God didn’t lose his temper and do away with the whole lot of us. Instead, immense in mercy and with an incredible love, he embraced us. he took our sin-dead lives and made us alive in Christ.” Ephesians 2:1-5 The Message

What are the ingredients of the Jesus-Life…?

You’ve been given a “new way of life”. Your old life was world-fashioned … stagnant on the outside and sin-dead .. sin-sick .. and sin-tired on the inside. But God made you alive in Christ. The Jesus-Life is God-fashioned out of “immense in mercy” and “incredible love”. Your life is “renewed” through the life of Jesus on the inside and working through you on the outside. It is His life that will be seen in the world you live in. Christ is working through your life. Your focus is not to be on “trying” to think up things to do .. but .. instead .. focused first on Christ in everything you are doing today. It may be filled with a list or nonstop schedule. It may be a day of picking up things, cleaning up kids, and grabbing a moment’s rest. It may be frustrating .. filled with temptations .. never-ending struggles. God is in the Son-shaping business. He is shaping the life of His Son in and through your life today. You aren’t going to make Him walk off the job in your life. He will work patiently .. deeply .. and intimately in you today. You can try to live life the old way and you will end up worn out .. or .. you can let Jesus take over and live his life in you. It only takes a moment …

“And then take on an entirely new way of life —  a God-fashioned life, a life renewed from the inside and working itself into your conduct as God accurately reproduces his character in you.”  Ephesians 4:24 The Message

Ken Chester: Grace Gripped is sent M-F to God-Fashioned Followers of Jesus and friends of Priority One (ken@priorityone.org)