Sharing in the Atonement

December 23rd, 2011 by JDVaughn Leave a reply »

God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ . . . —Galatians 6:14

The gospel of Jesus Christ always forces a decision of our will. Have I accepted God’s verdict on sin as judged on the Cross of Christ? Do I have even the slightest interest in the death of Jesus? Do I want to be identified with His death— to be completely dead to all interest in sin, worldliness, and self? Do I long to be so closely identified with Jesus that I am of no value for anything except Him and His purposes? The great privilege of discipleship is that I can commit myself under the banner of His Cross, and that means death to sin. You must get alone with Jesus and either decide to tell Him that you do not want sin to die out in you, or that at any cost you want to be identified with His death. When you act in confident faith in what our Lord did on the cross, a supernatural identification with His death takes place immediately. And you will come to know through a higher knowledge that your old life was “crucified with Him” (Romans 6:6). The proof that your old life is dead, having been “crucified with Christ” (Galatians 2:20), is the amazing ease with which the life of God in you now enables you to obey the voice of Jesus Christ.Every once in a while our Lord gives us a glimpse of what we would be like if it were not for Him. This is a confirmation of what He said— “. . . without Me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). That is why the underlying foundation of Christianity is personal, passionate devotion to the Lord Jesus. We mistake the joy of our first introduction into God’s kingdom as His purpose for getting us there. Yet God’s purpose in getting us into His kingdom is that we may realize all that identification with Jesus Christ means.
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December 23, 2011

Journal Entry for Today-JDV

Lord, as You know, our Christmas plans changed a bit last  night. The priorities all changed as we were shocked with word that a member of the family displayed symptoms that could indicate a very critical medical condition. And without thinking the very first thing we did was pray.  Amazingly, worry and fear were not part of our response. We just knew he would be alright.

I must admit that my ability to respond in that way could have only  come from You. I don’t have the faith or spiritual strength to simply turn it  over to you like that.  Thank You for  that faith, hope and strength. I ask You to extend it to our entire family, and  give us the peace that passes all understanding.

And God says…”In this  world you will have trials, trouble and breakage. You live in a fallen world  with bodies that fail and age; in a world filled with a multitude of difficulties. But remember, I am your refuge and  strength, an ever-present help in trouble. You have no need to fear. Can I repair the breakage  to your bodies, families, homes, and or your provision?…I am the One that hung  the stars and spoke the universe into existence. I gave you my Son, and based  on the magnitude of that sacrifice, you can believe that I would not withhold any  good thing from you. Worry about nothing, but pray about everything and you  will know the peace that passes all understanding. You will know and live in a  peace that can only come from Jesus.”

 

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