Christianity Oasis Forum

[Netchaplain]

Regardless of where one is in Christ, the Father is continually conforming us at our individual level. This conformation, which is ongoing in all believers, is centered on servitude to the Father, which is how Christ's life and teachings were exemplified to us. The Spirit did everything using Christ. This is best evidenced concerning the Lord's resurrection. Jesus said nobody took His life from Him because He gave it, and in this passage, notice He said that He had the "power to take it [up] again", but there's no indication that He used this power for His resurrection; because the Father raised His Son by His Spirit (John 10:18).

I believe that Christ revealed that the Spirit, and not Himself, was doing the works of the Father - using Him. Christ was doing God's will (in yielding to the Spirit), but the Spirit was doing God's works. This is the exemplar and meaning of "Walking in the Spirit".

Doing God's will is the same for us and is performed by understanding that His way of doing everything is that it is to be His Spirit doing His works - in and by us. Our work of God is to "yield to God" (Rom 6:13), to His Spirit, in understanding that we are instruments of the Spirit's use, not the Spirit is our instrument of use. "Not by (our might), nor by (our) power, but by My Spirit" (Zec 4:6).

Being legal-minded will see this as being passive and disobedient because it's not being done by you. The legal concept derives from the thought that since Christ did for me, I will do for Him; as if it's a debt, in that we owe Him and therefore, attempt to repay Him. Though this has the appearance of good intention, it hides from us our pride of life in thinking that we can also be credited in some way for what God did for us--for the sake of self-respect.

This is a common conception which occurs early in our Christianity and it takes some time to come to the understanding that salvation is a gift, not an agreement or contract, as in a covenant. I don't believe God intended Adam, Israel or anyone to have the ability within one's self to be right with Him, which would only result in an external unification with Him; but rather planned it to be an internal union with Him--in His Son and Spirit.

The believers whom God has conformed thus far to the maturity of teaching His Word in truth can be encouraged in knowing that, even though what is shared may not be received yet due to lack of understanding, there will eventually be times of receiving from the Father.

How far along could one be if many of these elementary teachings of the Word of Truth were learned early on in the outset of his Christian life!