May 23, 2012

“When God lives and breathes in you (and he does, as surely as he did in Jesus), you are delivered from that dead life. With his Spirit living in you, your body will be as alive as Christ’s!” Romans 8:11 The Message

When you made the trade you traded your old life for a new life in Christ. There wasn’t anything fair about the trade .. except that God helped you to see that He really wanted to make the trade with you. He met you on your side of the equation .. explained what He was offering .. and never complained once about what you were bringing to the trade. What you could never have imagined or realized was what life becomes when the Lord lives and breathes in you. You realize after the fact that the life you traded away was a dead life. Sure .. you had some good times .. a few good memories .. but it was still a dead life. The best you could ever do was wear a disguise that looked like you were living. And God patiently pursued you through all of your disguises to offer you His authentic original design for your life in Christ. He did it because He wanted you to breathe the air of grace. And His rules are simple: Start living the life that Christ wants to live through you. That life will begin to bear “a strong family likeness to Jesus and freedom from everything unlike him”. You may find some old disguises hiding in the back room of your heart but Jesus will help you throw them out. You might even find yourself trying one on but you’ll discover it doesn’t fit any longer. You won’t be able to breathe in it. In Christ .. you make a permanent trade .. the best one you’ll ever receive .. the one trade that only takes a moment. God thinks you’re worth it …

“My counsel for you is simple and straightforward: Just go ahead with what you’ve been given. You received Christ Jesus, the Master; now live him. You’re deeply rooted in him. You’re well constructed upon him. You know your way around the faith. Now do what you’ve been taught. School’s out; quit studying the subject and start living it! And let your living spill over into thanksgiving.” Colossians 2:6-7 The Message

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