These words of our Lord refer to our initial conversion, but we should continue to turn to God as children, being continuously converted every day of our lives. If we trust in our own abilities, instead of God’s, we produce consequences for which God will hold us responsible. When God through His sovereignty brings us into new situations, we should immediately make sure that our natural life submits to the spiritual, obeying the orders of the Spirit of God. Just because we have responded properly in the past is no guarantee that we will do so again. The response of the natural to the spiritual should be continuous conversion, but this is where we so often refuse to be obedient. No matter what our situation is, the Spirit of God remains unchanged and His salvation unaltered. But we must “put on the new man . . .” (Ephesians 4:24). God holds us accountable every time we refuse to convert ourselves, and He sees our refusal as willful disobedience. Our natural life must not rule— God must rule in us.To refuse to be continuously converted puts a stumbling block in the growth of our spiritual life. There are areas of self-will in our lives where our pride pours contempt on the throne of God and says, “I won’t submit.” We deify our independence and self-will and call them by the wrong name. What God sees as stubborn weakness, we call strength. There are whole areas of our lives that have not yet been brought into submission, and this can only be done by this continuous conversion. Slowly but surely we can claim the whole territory for the Spirit of God.

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December 28, 2011

Journal Entry for Today-JDV

Lord, I am learning that for me to respond as a little child I am to look to You for guidance in all things. I am beginning to understand that I am to simply my surrender all things, all of my life to You… Thank you for teaching me that all things are out of my hands; and surrendered to Yours. In this way You will live Your life through me. And I am learning that in daily living You can only take control of those things that I release and surrender to You.

And God says…” Trust in Me with all your heart; do not trust your own understanding and I will crown your success.  If you want Me to guide your every step then you must give every step to Me. When you respond as a little child; I am able to be your Father. When you take control of your life I cannot. Listen to the Spirit and He will; guide you in all things, just as a Father leads His child.

 

John 16:12-15 (MSG)

 “I still have many things to tell you, but you can’t handle them now. But when the Friend comes, the Spirit of the Truth, he will take you by the hand and guide you into all the truth there is. He won’t draw attention to himself, but will make sense out of what is about to happen and, indeed, out of all that I have done and said. He will honor me; he will take from me and deliver it to you. Everything the Father has is also mine. That is why I’ve said, ‘He takes from me and delivers to you.’