God Manifesting Through You

January 7, 2018

Devotions:

        “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” ‭Philippians‬ ‭1:21‬ ‭KJV‬‬

        What did Paul mean, "For me to live is Christ..." ?

        Today we celebrate Russian Christmas where the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. Jesus was born of a virgin and became the second sinless human being, Adam being the first until he sinned.  Jesus lived a perfect life, a sinless life, before the Father and in that He condemned sin in the flesh, If that is all that He had done He would have left us in condemnation. But as the perfect, spotless sacrifice, He took our sin and died under the penalty of it and then was raised from the dead that we who receive this work receive His resurrection life.  So it is not our efforts to live right but our allowing His life to manifest through us even as Jesus lived to allow the life of the Father to manifest through Him.

        "You must have what He is (life) to be what He was (perfect).  Godliness is not the consequence of your capacity to imitate God but the consequence of of His capacity to reproduce Himself in you." W. Ian Thomas, The Mystery of Godliness

        So Paul was bragging, not on himself go be godly but upon God to manifest His life through him (Paul). This also comes with rest that God is well able to do what He has said.

        “Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,” ‭Ephesians‬ ‭3:20‬ ‭KJV‬‬

        “Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.” ‭Philippians‬ ‭2:12-13‬ ‭KJV‬‬