My speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power… —1 Corinthians 2:4
If in preaching the gospel you substitute your knowledge of the way of salvation for confidence in the power of the gospel, you hinder people from getting to reality. Take care to see while you proclaim your knowledge of the way of salvation, that you yourself are rooted and grounded by faith in God. Never rely on the clearness of your presentation, but as you give your explanation make sure that you are relying on the Holy Spirit. Rely on the certainty of God’s redemptive power, and He will create His own life in people.
Once you are rooted in reality, nothing can shake you. If your faith is in experiences, anything that happens is likely to upset that faith. But nothing can ever change God or the reality of redemption. Base your faith on that, and you are as eternally secure as God Himself. Once you have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, you will never be moved again. That is the meaning of sanctification. God disapproves of our human efforts to cling to the concept that sanctification is merely an experience, while forgetting that even our sanctification must also be sanctified (see John 17:19). I must deliberately give my sanctified life to God for His service, so that He can use me as His hands and His feet.
Not that I have already attained, or am already perfect… —Philippians 3:12
It is a trap to presume that God wants to make us perfect specimens of what He can do— God’s purpose is to make us one with Himself. The emphasis of holiness movements tends to be that God is producing specimens of holiness to put in His museum. If you accept this concept of personal holiness, your life’s determined purpose will not be for God, but for what you call the evidence of God in your life.
How can we say, “It could never be God’s will for me to be sick”? If it was God’s will to bruise His own Son (Isaiah 53:10), why shouldn’t He bruise you? What shines forth and reveals God in your life is not your relative consistency to an idea of what a saint should be, but your genuine, living relationship with Jesus Christ, and your unrestrained devotion to Him whether you are well or sick.Christian perfection is not, and never can be, human perfection.
Christian perfection is the perfection of a relationship with God that shows itself to be true even amid the seemingly unimportant aspects of human life. When you obey the call of Jesus Christ, the first thing that hits you is the pointlessness of the things you have to do. The next thought that strikes you is that other people seem to be living perfectly consistent lives. Such lives may leave you with the idea that God is unnecessary— that through your own human effort and devotion you can attain God’s standard for your life.
In a fallen world this can never be done. I am called to live in such a perfect relationship with God that my life produces a yearning for God in the lives of others, not admiration for myself. Thoughts about myself hinder my usefulness to God. God’s purpose is not to perfect me to make me a trophy in His showcase; He is getting me to the place where He can use me. Let Him do what He wants.
Good morning Lord and thank You for this day, this lesson and the Holy Spirit that guided our study and surrender. David and I believe that we got the message; that You do not desire our personal perfection, or service? In fact, You say that our Christian perfection it is not even possible this side of heaven; but that we become perfect only as we are surrendered and connected to Jesus. Is this the lesson God? That we are not to even concern ourselves with better outcomes from our prayers and Christian activity? That we are not to be concerned with becoming better Christians? That we are to only be concerned with our relationship with Jesus?
And God says…”Whenever you come to Me with an outcome already in mind, you become your own God. When you surrender yourself and your ideas and thoughts….and desired outcomes to Jesus, I can meet all your needs. Do you need to grow as a believer? Does your neighborhood church need to grow? Do your children need to come back from their prodigal journeys very soon? Perhaps. These are righteous, wonderful and honorable outcomes, but surrender means that you let go of them. You let go of your need to control the outcomes, regardless of how “right” they might seem. You let go of your wants and needs regardless of how lofty or “spiritual” they might seem. Seek first the kingdom of God, which is Jesus, and I will meet all your needs, including the need for the “right outcomes”. Just seek Jesus and an intimate surrendered relationship with Him.
Remember that all things work together for the good of those that love the Lord and are called according to His purpose. And when you acknowledge Me in all your ways I can make your paths straight. Let go of your own ideas about what would make yours a better, more “spiritual” or “Christian” world. In your daily life of surrender, let go of what you believe would make you and yours happy and let Me be God. I gave My Son for you, how would I withhold any good thing?”
Whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all. —James 2:10
The moral law does not consider our weaknesses as human beings; in fact, it does not take into account our heredity or infirmities. It simply demands that we be absolutely moral. The moral law never changes, either for the highest of society or for the weakest in the world. It is enduring and eternally the same. The moral law, ordained by God, does not make itself weak to the weak by excusing our shortcomings. It remains absolute for all time and eternity. If we are not aware of this, it is because we are less than alive. Once we do realize it, our life immediately becomes a fatal tragedy. “I was alive once without the law, but when the commandment came, sin revived and I died” (Romans 7:9). The moment we realize this, the Spirit of God convicts us of sin. Until a person gets there and sees that there is no hope, the Cross of Christ remains absurd to him. Conviction of sin always brings a fearful, confining sense of the law. It makes a person hopeless— “…sold under sin” (Romans 7:14). I, a guilty sinner, can never work to get right with God— it is impossible. There is only one way by which I can get right with God, and that is through the death of Jesus Christ. I must get rid of the underlying idea that I can ever be right with God because of my obedience. Who of us could ever obey God to absolute perfection!
We only begin to realize the power of the moral law once we see that it comes with a condition and a promise. But God never coerces us. Sometimes we wish He would make us be obedient, and at other times we wish He would leave us alone. Whenever God’s will is in complete control, He removes all pressure. And when we deliberately choose to obey Him, He will reach to the remotest star and to the ends of the earth to assist us with all of His almighty power.
Journal DJR
Good morning Lord, The key that stood out today is that perfect surrender leads to removal of all pressure. So, once again, we can use our “Peace Meter” to know how we’re doing. If we’re feeling pressure, or a lack of peace, it’s an indicator that something is un-surrendered. We’re hanging on to something… probably one of what we’ve come to call the Big Four… the need to look good, feel good, be right, or be in control.
It’s good that you are trying to stay connected and stay surrendered and let obedience flow out of that. Don’t stress that you have not perfected the surrendered life. No humans have. Rest in the fact that my death on the Cross covers all sins, even your lack of surrender
Thank you so much for what you did and what you offer. Lord I surrender, Help my lack of surrender.
I will, Keep coming to me and connecting with me and I will help you.
By the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain… —1 Corinthians 15:10
The way we continually talk about our own inabilities is an insult to our Creator. To complain over our incompetence is to accuse God falsely of having overlooked us. Get into the habit of examining from God’s perspective those things that sound so humble to men. You will be amazed at how unbelievably inappropriate and disrespectful they are to Him. We say things such as, “Oh, I shouldn’t claim to be sanctified; I’m not a saint.” But to say that before God means, “No, Lord, it is impossible for You to save and sanctify me; there are opportunities I have not had and so many imperfections in my brain and body; no, Lord, it isn’t possible.” That may sound wonderfully humble to others, but before God it is an attitude of defiance.Conversely, the things that sound humble before God may sound exactly the opposite to people. To say, “Thank God, I know I am saved and sanctified,” is in God’s eyes the purest expression of humility. It means you have so completely surrendered yourself to God that you know He is true. Never worry about whether what you say sounds humble before others or not. But always be humble before God, and allow Him to be your all in all.
There is only one relationship that really matters, and that is your personal relationship to your personal Redeemer and Lord. If you maintain that at all costs, letting everything else go, God will fulfill His purpose through your life. One individual life may be of priceless value to God’s purposes, and yours may be that life.
Good morning God, and thank You for this day, this devotional and the lessons You keep teaching David and me. The last paragraph of Chambers’ devotional seems to encapsulate Your teaching of the last months and years. There is only one relationship that really matters and that is your personal relationship to your personal Redeemer and Lord. If you maintain that at all costs, letting everything else go, God will fulfill His purpose through your life.
That seems to be the lesson You have given us over and over and over again. We are to be surrendered and connected to You through the cross of Jesus. From there we can live curious, obedient, and abundant lives, regardless of our circumstances.
And God says…”That is the lesson and that is the simple and everlasting way to the peace that passes all understanding. Be surrendered; that is give up your right to yourself, every day, at every opportunity, and be connected to Jesus. Allow the person of Jesus via the very Spirit of God to live through you, and I can fulfill My purpose through your life. Acknowledge Me in all your ways, and I will make your paths straight. Delight yourself in the Lord and I will give you the desires of your heart. Seek first the Kingdom of God and I will provide everything else you require for your daily life. Seek Me, and give up your right to look good, feel good, be right and to be in control. When you surrender these things you acknowledge Me as your God and I can lead you into all things.”
…by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. —Galatians 6:14
If I dwell on the Cross of Christ, I do not simply become inwardly devout and solely interested in my own holiness— I become strongly focused on Jesus Christ’s interests. Our Lord was not a recluse nor a fanatical holy man practicing self-denial. He did not physically cut Himself off from society, but He was inwardly disconnected all the time. He was not aloof, but He lived in another world. In fact, He was so much in the common everyday world that the religious people of His day accused Him of being a glutton and a drunkard. Yet our Lord never allowed anything to interfere with His consecration of spiritual power.It is not genuine consecration to think that we can refuse to be used of God now in order to store up our spiritual power for later use. That is a hopeless mistake. The Spirit of God has set a great many people free from their sin, yet they are experiencing no fullness in their lives— no true sense of freedom. The kind of religious life we see around the world today is entirely different from the vigorous holiness of the life of Jesus Christ. “I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one” (John 17:15). We are to be in the world but not of it— to be separated internally, not externally (see John 17:16).
We must never allow anything to interfere with the consecration of our spiritual power. Consecration (being dedicated to God’s service) is our part; sanctification (being set apart from sin and being made holy) is God’s part. We must make a deliberate determination to be interested only in what God is interested. The way to make that determination, when faced with a perplexing problem, is to ask yourself, “Is this the kind of thing in which Jesus Christ is interested, or is it something in which the spirit that is diametrically opposed to Jesus is interested?”
Good morning God and thank You for the Thanksgiving and gratitude reminders yesterday. And thank You for the lesson today about consecration, and how we might live more consecrated lives. Consecration or setting ourselves apart seems to me to be almost synonymous with surrender; giving up my rights to myself and choosing You and Your rest. Is that right Lord? When David and I speak about surrender and being focused on You we talk about how we are so easily distracted by the stressors of our days, the demands on our time, and how we get caught up in all of that. But then the song today stopped me in my tracks when I heard the chorus; just breathe.
And God says…”When you take the time to stop, just stop, and breathe Me in, notice how the world slows down, and the main things become the main things? When you focus on the cross of Jesus, notice how the needs you thought were so important become points of trust and faith. When you trust in Me with all your heart and do not rely on your own ways, means and frenetic activity, you allow Me to make your paths straight. When you take your hands off of your life and the “control” and “speed” buttons, and seek Me, I can then provide everything you need. And when you focus on Jesus and the cross you receive power to live an abundant life without concern or worry about the material things of this world. You also receive the power to live without concern about the ongoing pressures of everyday life. You begin to trust Me and know, simply know, that all things work together for your good. Take a moment , just breathe, and know that I am your God, and I love you more than you can ever imagine. ”
…except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ… —Galatians 6:14
If you want to know the power of God (that is, the resurrection life of Jesus) in your human flesh, you must dwell on the tragedy of God. Break away from your personal concern over your own spiritual condition, and with a completely open spirit consider the tragedy of God. Instantly the power of God will be in you. “Look to Me…” (Isaiah 45:22). Pay attention to the external Source and the internal power will be there. We lose power because we don’t focus on the right thing. The effect of the Cross is salvation, sanctification, healing, etc., but we are not to preach any of these. We are to preach “Jesus Christ and Him crucified” (1 Corinthians 2:2). The proclaiming of Jesus will do its own work. Concentrate on God’s focal point in your preaching, and even if your listeners seem to pay it no attention, they will never be the same again. If I share my own words, they are of no more importance than your words are to me. But if we share the truth of God with one another, we will encounter it again and again. We have to focus on the great point of spiritual power— the Cross. If we stay in contact with that center of power, its energy is released in our lives. In holiness movements and spiritual experience meetings, the focus tends to be put not on the Cross of Christ but on the effects of the Cross.
The feebleness of the church is being criticized today, and the criticism is justified. One reason for the feebleness is that there has not been this focus on the true center of spiritual power. We have not dwelt enough on the tragedy of Calvary or on the meaning of redemption.
God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ… —Galatians 6:14
When a person is newly born again, he seems inconsistent due to his unrelated emotions and the state of the external things or circumstances in his life. The apostle Paul had a strong and steady underlying consistency in his life. Consequently, he could let his external life change without internal distress because he was rooted and grounded in God. Most of us are not consistent spiritually because we are more concerned about being consistent externally.
In the external expression of things, Paul lived in the basement, while his critics lived on the upper level. And these two levels do not begin to touch each other. But Paul’s consistency was down deep in the fundamentals.
The great basis of his consistency was the agony of God in the redemption of the world, namely, the Cross of Christ.State your beliefs to yourself again. Get back to the foundation of the Cross of Christ, doing away with any belief not based on it. In secular history the Cross is an infinitesimally small thing, but from the biblical perspective it is of more importance than all the empires of the world.
If we get away from dwelling on the tragedy of God on the Cross in our preaching, our preaching produces nothing. It will not transmit the energy of God to man; it may be interesting, but it will have no power. However, when we preach the Cross, the energy of God is released. “…it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe.…we preach Christ crucified…” (1 Corinthians 1:21, 23).
Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their masters…, so our eyes look to the Lord our God… —Psalm 123:2
This verse is a description of total reliance on God. Just as the eyes of a servant are riveted on his master, our eyes should be directed to and focused on God. This is how knowledge of His countenance is gained and how God reveals Himself to us (see Isaiah 53:1). Our spiritual strength begins to be drained when we stop lifting our eyes to Him. Our stamina is sapped, not so much through external troubles surrounding us but through problems in our thinking. We wrongfully think, “I suppose I’ve been stretching myself a little too much, standing too tall and trying to look like God instead of being an ordinary humble person.” We have to realize that no effort can be too high.
For example, you came to a crisis in your life, took a stand for God, and even had the witness of the Spirit as a confirmation that what you did was right. But now, maybe weeks or years have gone by, and you are slowly coming to the conclusion— “Well, maybe what I did showed too much pride or was superficial. Was I taking a stand a bit too high for me?” Your “rational” friends come and say, “Don’t be silly. We knew when you first talked about this spiritual awakening that it was a passing impulse, that you couldn’t hold up under the strain. And anyway, God doesn’t expect you to endure.” You respond by saying, “Well, I suppose I was expecting too much.” That sounds humble to say, but it means that your reliance on God is gone, and you are now relying on worldly opinion. The danger comes when, no longer relying on God, you neglect to focus your eyes on Him. Only when God brings you to a sudden stop will you realize that you have been the loser. Whenever there is a spiritual drain in your life, correct it immediately. Realize that something has been coming between you and God, and change or remove it at once.
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Journal DJR
Good Morning Lord,
These points sound good and we agree with them more than ever… But working them out daily all day long is still problematic. I find that I start well and then the distractions of the day get me off track. I’m reminded of your parable of the seeds planted on the various types of ground. First you tell the story, Your guys don’t really get it, then you explain it to them in Matt 13:19–
The seed that fell on the footpath represents those who hear the message about the Kingdom and don’t understand it. Then the evil one comes and snatches away the seed that was planted in their hearts. 20 The seed on the rocky soil represents those who hear the message and immediately receive it with joy. 21 But since they don’t have deep roots, they don’t last long. They fall away as soon as they have problems or are persecuted for believing God’s word. 22 The seed that fell among the thorns represents those who hear God’s word, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life and the lure of wealth, so no fruit is produced. 23 The seed that fell on good soil represents those who truly hear and understand God’s word and produce a harvest of thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as had been planted!”
I see all of the mentioned types of soil in my life. But rarely do I see “good soil” and 30-60-100 fold returns on a long term and consistent basis.
We talk about Surrender and we do surrender. But it doesn’t seem to last. Especially in areas where we are competent… it’s like we say, “OK, thanks, Lord, I see what you’re saying, Now I can take it from here.” And off we go, running amuck. What’s up with that? Why can’t we surrender and stay surrendered?
Surrender is not only an event. It is a process. A continuing process. Even a lifestyle. If it remains only an event, you will continue doing just as you described and bounce back and forth between surrender and hanging on to your normal and worldly thinking. Part of your problem is how you define surrender in general. You see it as “losing” in the game or the wrestling match. Since you are so programmed to strive and compete and excel, you tend to fall back into that thinking and that mode as soon as you relax. Try this: Think of surrender as “getting set free” from those burdensome ways of thinking. They only lead to stress and missing the mark. Then you can maintain our connection longer and stronger. When one of the normal worldly thoughts creeps back in, rather than welcoming it, and jumping back on to the stress wheel, since it feels normal, you can see it as it is: an intruder into our connection. One to be reprimanded, sent away, and escaped from. Try thinking like that and let’s talk again tomorrow. Today, regularly check your “peace meter” If you are being successful at this way of living… your peace meter will show it. Regardless of the circumstances.
Have mercy on us, O Lord, have mercy on us! For we are exceedingly filled with contempt. —Psalm 123:3
What we must beware of is not damage to our belief in God but damage to our Christian disposition or state of mind. “Take heed to your spirit, that you do not deal treacherously” (Malachi 2:16). Our state of mind is powerful in its effects. It can be the enemy that penetrates right into our soul and distracts our mind from God. There are certain attitudes we should never dare to indulge. If we do, we will find they have distracted us from faith in God. Until we get back into a quiet mood before Him, our faith is of no value, and our confidence in the flesh and in human ingenuity is what rules our lives.
Beware of “the cares of this world…” (Mark 4:19). They are the very things that produce the wrong attitudes in our soul. It is incredible what enormous power there is in simple things to distract our attention away from God. Refuse to be swamped by “the cares of this world.”
Another thing that distracts us is our passion for vindication. St. Augustine prayed, “O Lord, deliver me from this lust of always vindicating myself.” Such a need for constant vindication destroys our soul’s faith in God. Don’t say, “I must explain myself,” or, “I must get people to understand.” Our Lord never explained anything— He left the misunderstandings or misconceptions of others to correct themselves.
When we discern that other people are not growing spiritually and allow that discernment to turn to criticism, we block our fellowship with God. God never gives us discernment so that we may criticize, but that we may intercede.
Good morning God and thank You for this day, this life, this lesson. This devotional talks to a number of indicators that tell us when we are not surrendered nor connected to You. We are in need of Your mercy and grace as we fall into contempt for things we do not trust or believe in other people and You. It is hard to trust the goodness of Your unconditional love, mercy and grace, when we feel so underserving and we have so little experience with unconditional love, mercy and grace. It is also hard for us to trust those traits in people, because we do not have much experience with people that live out those traits either. We are much more concerned about the big four issues of humankind that David and I talk about: being right, looking good, feeling good and being in control. How can I avoid being trapped in my own ideas of what is right and good for me and mine, and learn to trust You all the time? Is it just a matter of surrender and connection again?
And God says…”Well, how has it worked out for you to live in your own head and nature seeking to be right, look good, feel good, and to be in control? What have been the outcomes? How has that worked for you? You have enough experience with surrender and connection with Me to have experienced the peace that passes all understanding. You have experienced life abundantly even when you have not enjoyed material abundance. And you have lived knowing that all things are working out for your good, even when it appears that no good thing could possibly come out of your circumstance.”
“You have lived enough to know you can never meet your own needs. But when you surrender your own ways and means and seek first the kingdom of God, which is Jesus, you are then free to receive everything else you need from Me. When you trust in Me with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding and notions of how to “be right, look good, feel good and to be in control”, I am free to make your paths straight. Trust in Me, and believe. And when you cannot, trust that I will answer your prayers anyway. Believe and I will help you with your unbelief. Live out of that.”
In Him we have…the forgiveness of sins… —Ephesians 1:7
Beware of the pleasant view of the fatherhood of God: God is so kind and loving that of course He will forgive us. That thought, based solely on emotion, cannot be found anywhere in the New Testament. The only basis on which God can forgive us is the tremendous tragedy of the Cross of Christ. To base our forgiveness on any other ground is unconscious blasphemy. The only ground on which God can forgive our sin and reinstate us to His favor is through the Cross of Christ. There is no other way! Forgiveness, which is so easy for us to accept, cost the agony at Calvary. We should never take the forgiveness of sin, the gift of the Holy Spirit, and our sanctification in simple faith, and then forget the enormous cost to God that made all of this ours.
Forgiveness is the divine miracle of grace. The cost to God was the Cross of Christ. To forgive sin, while remaining a holy God, this price had to be paid. Never accept a view of the fatherhood of God if it blots out the atonement. The revealed truth of God is that without the atonement He cannot forgive— He would contradict His nature if He did. The only way we can be forgiven is by being brought back to God through the atonement of the Cross. God’s forgiveness is possible only in the supernatural realm.
Compared with the miracle of the forgiveness of sin, the experience of sanctification is small. Sanctification is simply the wonderful expression or evidence of the forgiveness of sins in a human life. But the thing that awakens the deepest fountain of gratitude in a human being is that God has forgiven his sin. Paul never got away from this. Once you realize all that it cost God to forgive you, you will be held as in a vise, constrained by the love of God.
This CO2- (Church Of 2) is where two guys meet each day to tighten up our Connections with Jesus. We start by placing the daily “My Utmost For His Highest” in this WordPress blog. Then we prayerfully select some matching worship music and usually pick out a few lyrics that fit especially well. Then we just start praying and editing and Bolding and adding comments and see where the Spirit takes us.
It’s been a blessing for both of us.
If you’d like to start a CO2, we’d be glad to help you and your partner get started. Also click the link below to see how others are doing CO2.Odds Monkey
Steve Harvey Introduces Jesus To A Secular Audience
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