Around, but not within

And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death. (Romans 8:2)

Because - due to the fact that - don't miss that - it is a FACT that you belong to him, having the power of his life-giving Spirit indwelling you. NOW, live free from the power of sin that you once were controlled by! Fact determines reality - start living in the FACT. A fact is that which actually exists or is the case; reality or truth - there is no argument that stands against the FACTS. We are freed, so we need to stop living like 'bondmen' - bound to serve sin's every whim, impractical advice, or evil intent. 

Both righteousness and unrighteousness have a power 'backing' them. Righteousness has God's life-giving Spirit backing its every encounter. Unrighteousness has the power of our sin nature offering all manner of confusing thought, 'options' from which to choose, and ill-intentioned suggestions. It is good to remember that God is not a God of confusion - he is a God of peace, order, and reliability. The choices he offers will produce greater peace within, giving order to our lives, and stand the test of time.

Therefore, we live a different life after God's Spirit takes up residence in our hearts. It may take a bit for our mind and will to 'catch up' with what God's transformative Spirit is doing within, but the more we declare 'because we belong to him', the more we will begin to shut-down those contrary desires and confusing thoughts. The power that once controlled you is broken - it is a fact. The power that now operates within you is making you whole again - it is a fact.

Sometimes we just need the FACTs in order to contradict the untruth we are being asked to believe and submit to. FACT - you are a new creation in Christ Jesus. FACT - you don't belong to you old 'sin master' any longer. FACT - you have all the resources to live free right at your disposal. FACT - as a new creation in Christ Jesus, you are more than a conqueror. FACT - the power of sin still exists AROUND you, but no longer WITHIN you! Just sayin!

Muscle or Cognizant Memory

When anyone is in Christ, it is a whole new world. The old things are gone; suddenly, everything is new! (2 Corinthians 5:17)

Suddenly? Really? It may seem to some of us that the 'whole new thing' isn't all that 'new' - some of that 'old stuff' hangs around for a while, or crops up from time to time, making it kind of hard to say everything became 'new' when we said 'yes' to Jesus. It isn't uncommon that the hurts and hangups of yesterday can creep up from time to time, all because we have both muscle memory and cognizant memory. Muscle memory is when we do something without even giving it much conscious thought. Cognizant memory is when we actually think upon it, then act upon it, oftentimes making a very 'determined' decision to pursue something we might know to be entirely wrong for us. Either way, we struggle with those things that creep up on occasion, making us wonder if this 'new us' really 'took hold' when we invited Christ into our lives! Truth be told, we might believe the 'bridge' to our past is broken so well that we could not pass that way again, but if we are honest, some of us actually hold onto some 'building materials' just in case we decide to 'go back' that way again!

Rather than doubt that all things have become new, we have to reassure ourselves over and over again that when Christ declared us 'new' he also provided us with the means to let go of those building materials. We may have stockpiled a few loads of that stuff that ties us to the past, but as long as we are willing to put forth the effort to obtain some new 'building materials', our present doesn't have to be tied to our past any longer. As our new year continues, we may have committed to getting into God's word - actually dusting off that bible, cracking the barely opened pages, and setting forth into a 'reading plan' of sorts. Reading is good, but we may lack the 'building material' of actually taking the time to record just a few words or thoughts about what that scripture we're reading is saying about our lives, how to let go of some of that 'old stuff', and what to do when things like 'muscle memory' find us acting as we acted before we said yes to Christ. It is one thing to be given the new building materials, it is another to learn how to use them. It may not be journaling we are missing, but it could be we don't have a strong support system of other believers. 

Either way, we need to ask Jesus what we are lacking, then listen closely to what he says will help us to break the bonds to our muscle or cognizant memory that keeps us focused on what we 'were' and stops us from seeing what we 'are' and 'are becoming'. Just sayin!

Out with the old, in with the new

God, the one and only—I’ll wait as long as he says. Everything I need comes from him, so why not?  He’s solid rock under my feet,    breathing room for my soul, an impregnable castle:  I’m set for life. My help and glory are in God—granite-strength and safe-harbor-God—so trust him absolutely, people; lay your lives on the line for him.  God is a safe place to be.  (Psalms 62:1-3,7-8 MSG)

David had such a personal relationship with God. He was always "My God" to David.  He wasn't just the God of his Fathers, but he was up-close and personal with God. He had developed an intimacy with God, sharing freely of his own heart, and in turn, I believe God shared his heart with him. He points us to the "granite-strength" of God in many of his psalms. He also reminds us to consider the safety of God's protection and covering. These are not foreign concepts as taught and understood by David - somehow he came to know God as his "granite-strength" and "safe-harbor" - probably in the 'thick of life events'. I think David faced some tough stuff in life which exposed him to the inadequacies of his own strength as much as he experienced the need to "run for shelter" into the arms of one who could comfort like no other. We'd do well to take a lesson or two from this man - the man God honors with the words, "A man after my own heart". Maybe he was a man who actually wanted to live life with a "transplanted" heart! You know - the exchange of his own hardened heart with the heart beating afresh with the love and grace of God himself.  

There is much to be said about being at the point in life where you need a heart transplant. In fact, it is a most desperate condition. When the heart is not functioning well, nothing else in our body seems to function at capacity either. Without the constant and steady pumping of blood throughout our bodies, we have no life for our cells, no energy source for our brain, and no carrying capacity to transport toxins to the organs which will assist in their removal. The circulatory system is really like an intricate system of highways and byways - each carrying either life to or "garbage" away from some point within us! When these don't function well, it is worse than the traffic jams on a busy highway in rush-hour traffic! Transplant recipients will tell you that the "exchanged" organ means new life to them. There is renewed energy and capacity - often allowing actions once only dreamed of as possible. The same is true when we exchange our hardened and damaged "spiritual hearts" for the "vitality" of God's heart! We who were so used to producing nothing but death are infused with a newness of life. There is a vitality which gives us capacity beyond our imagining. 

"God is a safe place to be". I cannot improve upon this thought! Yet, we often choose "places" outside of his protection and care. We choose to live with "damaged hearts" instead of coming into his watchful care. Where the heart goes, so does all of our earthly activity.  If the heart is burdened and hurting - the activity we reflect will reveal the intensity of hurt and the crushing weight of the burden. We want new hearts, but we fear the transplant! We hold onto what barely works when offered newness and vitality.  Silly us! In a spiritual sense, the heart is made up of our emotions and is closely tied to our will. If we are used to dealing with our damaged emotions, those "highways" of "good emotions" become blocked by the bad emotions. We see only the traffic jam of the "bad" and not the wide open spaces of the "good". God is "granite-solid". Granite is one of the most durable of stones. It is also widely used due to the durability and impenetrability of the stone itself. I don't know about you, but when I need to make an exchange of this hardened heart for a new one, I want to be able to "stand" on the integrity of the one making the exchange possible. I want to know what I am receiving is "solid" and will stand the test of time! God has proven to be "rock solid" - time tested and true. When we really "get" this, we don't hesitate to "lay our lives on the line". Isn't that what a transplant recipient does? They lay their lives on the line - knowing one "sort of working heart" will be removed before there is any "space" created for another "working heart". To receive the new, they have to be willing to part with the old. To stand upon the solidness of God's grace, we need to be willing to lay our lives down.  Just sayin!