FROM THE CRIB, TO THE CROSS, TO LIFE (1-2)

FROM THE CRIB, TO THE CROSS, TO LIFE*
*Part 2 OF 2*
*By Paris*

All blessing of this dispensation of Grace are wrapped up in a Person
and by means of the Word of God, we make spiritual progress as our
hearts learn to find everything in Him. The Son of God who loved me and
gave Himself for me.

Depending upon the Lord as our Life means that we are no longer
depending upon ourselves, and this is not easy. It is very difficult to
give up on ourselves, and to arrive at the conclusion that the Lord is
the only source of our peace and joy. As we give up on ourselves and
turn to the Lord we discover His life in us. The New Testament
informs us that we have a new Identity in Christ, "Know ye not that so
many of us as were baptized (Identified) into Jesus Christ were baptized
(identified) into his death." (Romans 6:4) "And be found in Him, not
having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is
through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God upon
faith: That I may know Him, and the power of his resurrection, and the
fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death"
(Philippians 3:9-10).

What a blessed truth has been imparted to us through the scriptures
given by the Apostle Paul. Never before the Apostle Paul was this truth
given, it was hidden in God, just as the New Covenant was hidden in the
Old Testament. May we have the boldness as Paul did to speak out for the
Mystery, that "The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye
may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the
glory of his inheritance in the saints. And what is the exceeding
greatness of his power to us-ward who believe according to the working
of His mighty power," (Ephesians 1:18-19.)

Paul stresses the importance of understanding who He is, (" I pray that
you) may be able to comprehend with all the saints what the breadth and
length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which
surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of
God," (Eph. 3:18-19.)

When we have experienced the intimacy of His love, the rest of life
falls into perspective. All the confusions and complexities of this
world are brought into subjection by His love and righteousness. Should
you be in such an extreme situation right now, don't waste time trying
to uncover a "way out." Allow God the latitude to do His perfecting
work of faith.

My prayer for each that read this, is that they will come to know this
wonderful truth, and experience the peace, and joy that comes with
knowing Christ as your Life, resting in the wits and the wisdom of God,
and not your own wits. If we have a purpose of our own it destroys the
simplicity and leisureliness which ought to characterize the child of
God. "For me to live Christ, and to die is gain" (Phil. 1:21.)

Paul stresses the importance of understanding who He is, (Eph. 1:18-19)
This I consider to be my life verse, that I may know! When we have
experienced the intimacy of His love, the rest of life falls into
perspective. All the confusions and complexities of this world are
brought into subjection by His love and righteousness. Should you be in
such an extreme situation right now, don't waste time, allow God the
latitude to do His perfecting work of faith.

In His grip, by His life, Paris

Dear God of faithfulness, how delightful to realize that my persistence
of faith in You hinges on Your faithfulness toward me. I see that I can
continue to depend upon You, because you are fully faithful to me. What
expectation this gives me as I consider Your great promises! You will be
faithful to fulfill every one of them, as I place my trust in You!

*

FROM THE CRIB, TO THE CROSS, TO LIFE *
*PART 1 of 2*
*By Paris*
*

We must have birth to have Life, Christ born as a babe to become a King,
went to the cross to become a Saviour, and thru the burial and
resurrection we can have the Exchanged Life. Jesus said I have come to
give you life. He also said "I am the truth, the way, and the Life."
(John 14:6)

God called Jesus Christ to what seemed unmitigated disaster. Jesus
Christ called His disciples to see Him put to death; He led every one of
them to the place where their hearts were broken. Jesus Christ's life
was an absolute failure from every standpoint but God's. What seemed
failure from man's standpoint was a tremendous triumph from God's
because God's purpose is never man's purpose.

We can focus on the birth, or focus on the death, but even more
important in this age of Grace is to focus on the Mystery, that we are
buried with Him, raised with Him, seated at the right hand of God the
Father, in Him.

Why not focus on Christ our Life? And not what we can do for Him. But
what He has done for us, and will do in and through us. (Phil 2:13.) Few
today see or stand upon the fact that our history in Adam, ended at the
cross. When we believed that the Lord Jesus Christ died for us, we were
taken out of Adam, and put into Christ. Our past will plague us until we
acknowledge that we are now a new creation in Christ, (2 Cor. 5:17), and
that we are safely hidden in the risen Lord Jesus, (CoI. 3:3).

The secret of being like the Lord Jesus is, that we are to know Him; and
what He has done for us. Knowing this, that our old man was crucified
with Him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we
should not serve sin," (Romans 6:6). When did this happen, lets take a
look at Galatians 2:20. " I have been crucified with Christ:
nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life
which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who
loved me, and gave himself for me." Yes, this took place 2000 years ago,
and you were their also.

The things that happen do not happen by chance, they happen entirely in
the decree of God. God is working out His purposes.

If we are in communion with God and recognize that He is taking us into
His purpose, we shall no longer try to find out what His purposes are.
For we will know He is our Life. "And to you --dead as you once were in
your transgressions and in the uncircumcision of your natural state--He
has nevertheless given you Life with Him ...." (Colossians 2:13 Weymouth.)

Praise God, what a blessed truth this is, that we do not have to perform
in order to be accepted by Him. Scripture tells us that He has "blessed
us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly sphere in Christ, (Eph 1:3.)
"According as He hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the
world, that we are to be holy and without blame before him in love."
(Eph. 1:4) "To the praise
of the glory of His grace, wherein He hath made us accepted in the
beloved" (Eph 1:6.)

We are to rest in Him, to give up our self efforts, in other words
distrust not in our own strength, and instead of striving to live like
the Lord Jesus allow Him to live His life through us as He greatly
desires to do.

The spiritual babe has faith for the wondrous fact that he will go to
heaven when he dies. The spiritual father has faith for the
inexpressible fact that he has died in Christ and that he is a new
creation, and that his life is hid in Christ in God. (CoI. 3:3.) Many
have been mislead by thinking that by reading the Bible you become like
Christ, transformed but you will find diligent students of the Word who
may never say anything incorrect in doctrine yet who never seem to grow
in Grace and walk in spiritual reality.

*
*Your Christian walk is no accident --- it is an Echo of*
*who you are in Christ*