December 18, 2013
“But when the Friend comes, the Spirit of the Truth, he will take you by the hand and guide you into all the truth there is. He won’t draw attention to himself, but will make sense out of what is about to happen and, indeed, out of all that I have done and said. He will honor me; he will take from me and deliver it to you.” John 16:13-14 The Message
What happens when Christ becomes the center of your life .. your real life? You begin to look at the world differently .. maybe not at first .. but you will begin to see the world through Christ’s indwelling Spirit. You’ll begin to have a love that is only possible because Christ has forgiven you .. created something totally new in you .. and is working his unconditional love through every fiber of your being. You won’t stay the same. You can’t because Jesus has moved in. An old desert-sainted-pastor described it this way: “the one and only characteristic of the Holy Spirit in a man or woman is a strong family likeness to Jesus Christ, and freedom from everything unlike him.” There is nothing coercive or forced about the life the Christ wants to live in you. His patience is timeless. His purpose in you is that you would know the same joy he lived .. and share the same life He shared with His Father. You’re no longer living life on your terms or trying to make life work in your favor. The world will constantly try to influence you to choose for yourself. But that’s not the life Jesus gave His life for you to live. Your life is meant to have a “strong family likeness” and “freedom from everything unlike him”. Only God can give that kind of freedom and build a family with such diversity. It’s not the freedom “you” want .. but the freedom Jesus gives you that sets you free. Freedom with a family likeness … you won’t be the same. It only takes a moment …
“Your old life is dead. Your new life, which is your real life — even though invisible to spectators — is with Christ in God. He is your real life.” Colossians 3:3 The Message
Ken Chester: Grace-Gripped is sent M-F to God’s Family bearing a strong resemblance to Jesus and friends of Priority One (kchesterp1@gmail.com) Thank you Oswald!
