God is intentional, purposeful
and relentless... His will, will be done on earth. No place do we see this
truth more clearly than in God’s intervention into the lives of His chosen
ones... those who choose Him. Jesus said “You shall be perfect”... you shall
become spiritually mature, what the Apostle Paul called being “conformed to the
image of His Son.” As saints, God predestined us... before ended us... He fixed
our end before, in eternity past, that we would be molded and shaped by life
into the very nature of His Beloved Son. This is how God wills and works His
good pleasure in us, transforming willing hearts. And, He gives us His very own
life, character and nature... He gives us His Spirit, His indwelling implanted
essence, that He (the Holy Spirit) might manifest Christ in us... it’s His job!
The Fruit of God’s Spirit is His provision for the integrity of our lifestyle.
The Fruit of the Spirit is the product of God’s transformation process, turning
lumps of coal into His radiant jewels: As we willfully submit to the Lordship
of Jesus and willfully crucify our old Self nature, the Holy Spirit renews our
minds in His Love, Joy Peace, Longsuffering, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness,
Gentleness, and Self-control... we put on Christ. You see... salvation is not
an end in itself, but the beginning, the first step in a vital life-long
process of transformation into Christlikeness, for there is no salvation
without conformation into the nature of Christ... let’s not be deceived here...
salvation without change is merely fool’s gold... not the real deal! The
adversity that turns our hearts and minds Godward “works together for good”...
eternal good, enabling us to release more and more of the implanted Christ-life
as salt and light to an unsavory darkened world. God is intentional, purposeful
and relentlessly relentless... He has a common plan for all His children, to
make them like His only begotten Son... the firstborn among a multitude of
adopted brethren. Our paths, the pressures of earth-life that form Christ in
us, are unique, but we are all coal being processed into brilliant diamonds,
glowing with the fire of God’s love. God’s will, will be done on earth, for He
loves us too much to leave us the way we are... “I will make them My jewels.”
AS WE BEHOLD HIM...
WE BECOME LIKE HIM...
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