This Treasure in Earthen Vessels

"But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us."  2 Corinthians 4:7

I am now confident that God has not asked us to live by "New Years' Resolutions," and empty self-generated promises.   Paul, the Apostle, preached "Christ in you, the hope of glory."  Throughout his letters he revealed God's plan in this age of grace - not to live by flesh and blood efforts to ACHIEVE fruitfulness of righteousness - BUT to live by faith in/of the Son of God within the inner man to REALIZE fruitfulness of HIS righteousness.

If it were not grace, we should have experienced by now "three strikes and you're out!"  But God's grace is His enduring love as He Himself teaches us that we are living by a new law. But better yet, a living Person:  "The Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus. "  Romans 8

What patience God demonstrates through Christ as we have our minds renewed.  I truly believe God understands more than we realize the incredible warfare against the saint's mind to understand the living, powerful Risen Christ - especially dwelling inside every child of God.

We are not good nor do we "do" good, because we have pulled ourselves up by the "bootstraps."  We are not good, nor do we "do" good, because we within our own selves have perfected certain disciplines.  If this were so, Paul would not have written in Philippians 3 the following:

"for we are the true circumcision, who worship in the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put NO confidence in the flesh, although I myself might have confidence in the flesh.  If anyone else has a mind to put confidence in the flesh, I more..."

Then Paul went on to explain how he was a pretty good specimen of a Hebrew due to his knowledge of the Law, his zeal, a Pharisee, etc.  He was the epitome of discipline and zeal.  But he was able to see that inside he was nowhere near the true righteousness, joy, and peace that ONLY comes through Christ.

For then he says these amazing words:

"Yet in view of ALL these things, I count these things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them rubbish so I may gain Christ."

Was this some new religion now?  In a nice way I just want to say, "Heck no!"  The world does not need another religion and Christianity is NOT a religion.  Christianity is CHRIST - the RISEN ONE WHO is the power of endless life coming into the heart.  Through Him we discover the power to be fruitful people not having performed it by the efforts of man, but through faith in Christ.

The hardest thing for me to "do" in my life was to NOT "KEEP TRYING!"  That's a revelation that God will give.  The life of Jesus in us, is a rest, a real rhythm, NOT a try so hard you burn out.  The devil does not want us to know the true Jesus, especially inside our hearts.

It's almost I can hear the Lord shouting these words:  "DISCOVER ME!  DISCOVER WHO I AM in you - DISCOVER that it is by MY LIFE within that you live, move and have your entire being!"

So matter what the "maze" we have to work through in order for HIM to be real in our hearts, God will meet us and demonstrate all the truth to our hearts.

We  "press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus."  Philippians 3:14

Sue Gaither