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'Christ in You...'
by Dale Krebbs
If you are a Christian, your life has been, predestined, ordered, directed, guided. You are cared for, guarded, and provided for.
You have been begotten and will eventually be born His child and live eternally.
There is one condition: all this is true, IF you "believe" in Jesus Christ, which means you believe that He lives, that He died for you personally, and you have now surrendered your life to Him:
"For God so greatly loved and dearly prized the world that He [even] gave up His only begotten (unique) Son, so that whoever believes in (trusts in, clings to, relies on) Him shall not perish (come to destruction, be lost) but have eternal (everlasting) life.- (John 3:16).
The Greek word translated "believes" carries in it the principle of obedience. This word includes both meanings together: belief plus obedience.
If you believe in this way, the following can be your life from now on:
"And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience.
Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest.
But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.
For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them." Ephesians 2:2-10.
If you are not a Christian -can you believe this?
You may be struggling with the answer. Don't be disheartened or afraid. Others have questioned their faith according to their feelings. God will help you believe. Scripture records this state of mind in another who questioned his belief:
"All things are possible to him who believes.” Immediately the boy’s father cried out and said, “I do believe; help my unbelief.” When Jesus saw that a crowd was rapidly gathering, He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “You deaf and mute spirit, I command you, come out of him and do not enter him again.” After crying out and throwing him into terrible convulsions, it came out." - Mark 9:23-26.
Belief is God's gift, so do not question your desire to believe. Yield to your belief. God help you to believe. You will receive the Holy Spirit to help you. He is the other member of the Godhead, who guides, encourages, enables you, comforts you, and will always be with you.
He will enable you to grow as God's child, and produce a "new you" that will live forever.You will grow into the very nature of God Himself.
"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law." - Galatians 5:22-23.
Will you surrender to Jesus, and strive to live what God has enabled you to believe?
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