Personality is the unique, limitless part of our life that makes us distinct from everyone else. It is too vast for us even to comprehend. An island in the sea may be just the top of a large mountain, and our personality is like that island. We don’t know the great depths of our being, therefore we cannot measure ourselves. We start out thinking we can, but soon realize that there is really only one Being who fully understands us, and that is our Creator.Personality is the characteristic mark of the inner, spiritual man, just as individuality is the characteristic of the outer, natural man. Our Lord can never be described in terms of individuality and independence, but only in terms of His total Person— “I and My Father are one” (John 10:30). Personality merges, and you only reach your true identity once you are merged with another person. When love or the Spirit of God come upon a person, he is transformed. He will then no longer insist on maintaining his individuality. Our Lord never referred to a person’s individuality or his isolated position, but spoke in terms of the total person— “…that they may be one just as We are one….” Once your rights to yourself are surrendered to God, your true personal nature begins responding to God immediately. Jesus Christ brings freedom to your total person, and even your individuality is transformed. The transformation is brought about by love— personal devotion to Jesus. Love is the overflowing result of one person in true fellowship with another.

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December 12 2014

Journal Entry for Today-JDV

Lord, this sentence in today’s devotional caught my attention …”Once your rights to yourself are surrendered to God, your true personal nature begins responding to God immediately.”  I examined this sentence a number of ways and it left me wondering.

And God says…”You are a child of God and as My child you take on My characteristics…. as Paul wrote in his second letter to the Corinthians….¹⁸ But we Christians have no veil over our faces; we can be mirrors that brightly reflect the glory of the Lord. And as the Spirit of the Lord works within us, we become more and more like Him. When you surrender to Me your rights to be who you want to be, in essence your personality, you give Me permission to mold and shape you more and more into My image day by day, hour by hour.  When you are connected to Jesus, by the Spirit of God living within you, you begin to resemble Him, just as He resembles Me.  You are transformed. You no longer have to keep to the rules or regulations; you are free…as Paul wrote in verse 17… The Lord is the Spirit who gives them life, and where he is there is freedom from trying to be saved by keeping the laws of God.”