Alive Only in Christ

“Most assuredly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear will live.”  John 5:24

There is so much to learn from God about “deadness.”  How many people throughout history experienced “deadness” only to discover God?

Here are some examples:  Sarah experienced the deadness of her womb (and Abraham – deadness in his body) only to discover God’s ability alone to give her a son, according to God’s promise – Isaac.

Hannah experienced deadness of her womb, only to discover God’s ability alone in giving her a son – Samuel – a man of God.

Elizabeth experienced the deadness of her womb, only to discover God’s ability alone giving her a son in her old age – John – a man of God – witness of the Light sent from God:  Jesus Christ.

And then through Paul, God taught about deadness of man in trespasses and sins.  But there is indeed another spiritual understanding of deadness that God also taught through Paul and continues to teach us today by His Word and Spirit:

The deadness of human ability to achieve the glory of God in these mortal jars of clay.

How then does it come?

Through faith in the Living Son of God within the heart.  “Christ in you, the hope of Glory.”  “And the LIFE I now live, I live by faith in/of the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself for me.”  (Colossians 1:27, Galatians 2:20)

This is the glory and mystery of the Gospel of God in Jesus Christ.

All people are dead. 

As believers we are to reckon ourselves dead.  Dead to what?

Dead to sin and its power.  And we are to reckon (count) ourselves ALIVE TO GOD in Jesus Christ and through Jesus Christ:  but only through Jesus Christ. (Rom. 6)

Faith is looking solely at Jesus Christ, through Him comes ALL things.  We live by Him; we walk by Him; we think by and through Him; we do by and through Him.

These women could NOT boast in themselves about these babies.  They could say that line out of the fictional, classic movie, “Gone With the Wind,” with their whole hearts:  “I don’t know nuthin about birthin no babies.”

But they did say along with the real Mary, chosen vessel of God to bear the Christ child:  “My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God, My Savior!” They gave glory solely to God, because He alone did it!

It’s the same with our lives and walk, experiencing life through the Resurrection Life and Power of the Son of God within our hearts.

“Oh, Lord – we look to you, our Life, our All.  We know it is YOUR WILL to be magnified in us by the power and Life of Your indwelling Son within our hearts.  AMEN!”

Trusting in Jesus Christ, our Life and Hope of Glory,

Sue Gaither

The Power of God

The Power of God

Oh my friends, how many of us truly know and understand the true power of God?

Paul wrote, “I am not ashamed of the Gospel of God – for it is the power of God to everyone who BELIEVES…”

In Ephesians 3, there is a precious prayer Paul prays – it’s an everlasting prayer for all generations to pray who come to faith in Christ.

The prayer is to be strengthened with might by the Holy Spirit in our inner man, according to the riches of HIS GLORY…

But for what?

To KNOW…to know and understand, apprehend, comprehend the LENGTH, the BREADTH, the HEIGHTH, the WIDTH, of the love of Christ – surpassing ALL knowledge – now listen to this:  TO BE FILLED UP WITH ALL THE FULNESS OF GOD!

“That I may KNOW HIM and the power of His resurrection…”

How many are praying for the power of God to know?  To know Jesus Christ – really, really, really, really, really KNOW HIM?  The ONE WHO IS ALIVE AND SITS AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD AND DWELLS WITHIN US BY HIS SPIRIT?

Some might be saying, “But I have this going on in my life, work is distracting me, that person is taking up all my time…” 

Friend, I believe God is definitely NOT stupid.  We all have responsibilities in the earth, things to do.  BUT THE REAL POINT is this:  The power of God is ABLE to give us the MIND OF CHRIST in the MIDST of ALL these things!

The power of our RISEN LORD within our hearts is ABLE to be our life, our all, the wisdom in ALL THESE THINGS.  He is the STRENGTH for all right decisions, HE IS the CHOICE we make on a daily BASIS, and HE IS THE POWER to even cause our minds to FOCUS SOLELY ON HIM and Listening to Him!

“We have this TREASURE in these earthen vessels, so that the excellency of the power may be of GOD – NOT OF US!!!!”

Therefore the real question is:  what part of NOT OF US – do we NOT understand?

Flood the throne today – let us all go to God to be taught by Him concerning all things and we shall surely indeed know the TRUE POWER OF GOD in JESUS CHRIST!

Loving the Lord’s way,

Sue Gaither