Wednesday, January 23, 2008

....in the Spirit

I've been reconnecting with the joy of my salvation!  I'm overwhelmed with gratitude towards God, in Christ Jesus for the grace that is continually showered on me.  Dallas Willard says, the Kingdom of God (meaning: the reign, government, rule, leadership, control, administration, regulation, management, supervision of the Spirit) should be characterized by righteousness, peace, and joy in the Spirit.  This righteousness is more than goodness, it is God's transforming life working in me changing my very nature.  This is an ongoing supernatural phenomenon!  In the same way God's peace is pervasive, transcending even difficult times, when I give it to God in prayer. It is a peace that passes all understanding.  The peace that comes from life in the Spirit gives me freedom.  Allowing me to freely love my neighbor, family, coworker, house-mate, and even my "enemies," whoever they may be.  The joy that should characterize every disciple of Jesus is rooted in our identity "in Christ."  We love God because he first loved us.  This love was not a one time thing.  It is not pass tense or just something that happened once in the history of my conversion.  God is always loving us.  The Apostle John did not write that God was loving, he said, "God is Love."

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