Many times we read portions of the New / Old Testament and we say, just like most of the rest of the people, I can never do this – it is impossible! Or even if we don’t say it, we at least think this – and we know that, at least for a long term period, we can’t do what the Bible says.
This is true: we can’t! And this is because we’re not supposed to do it, but Christ should do everything in us! The Christian life is Christ living in us! We have the divine life in us, and we now need to live by this divine life! Even more: we need to reign in life by being under the ruling of the divine life within!
Today I especially enjoyed what the divine life can do in us as we live under its ruling and continual supply – as revealed in Romans ch. 12. If we enjoy the Lord Jesus by spending time with Him in His Word, opening to Him, turning our heart to Him, and allowing Him to operate in us and renew us, then the divine life in us will grow, spread, and work in us.
All we need to do is allow Him, allow His divine life, to rule and reign in us by giving Him our cooperation – and this divine life in us will live the Christian life in a spontaneous way! Here are some things that Romans 12 talks about – what the divine life in us can do:
- When we reign in life by being under the rule of the divine life, we present our bodies as a living sacrifice (Rom. 12:2);
- When we reign in life, we are not being fashioned according to this age – rather, we are being transformed by the renewing of our mind (Rom. 12:2);
- When we are controlled by the divine life, we will think of ourselves in a sober-minded way, as God has apportioned to each a measure of faith (Rom. 12:3);
- For us to be faithful in a particular service that the Lord / the Body has entrusted us with, we need to allow the divine life in us to rule and reign (Rom. 12:7);
- In ourselves, we can’t, but the divine life in us can enable us to teach, exhort, give in simplicity, lead in diligence, and show mercy in cheerfulness (Rom. 12:7-8);
- As we are under the ruling of the divine life within, we will take the lead in showing honor to one another (Rom. 12:10b);
- The high virtues Paul talks about in Rom. 12:9-21 (like: weeping with those who weep, rejoicing with those who rejoice, bless those who persecute you, rejoice in hope, endure in tribulation, persevere in prayer, etc) don’t “naturally” belong to us, but we can live them out spontaneously as we live under the ruling of the divine life;
- The only way we can have & live the proper Body life is when we enjoy Christ and allow His divine life to operate in us and even rule and reign in us.
There are so many things that the Bible shows that we need to do / need to be – but not in ourselves! We are those who reign in life by receiving the abundance of grace (which is God Himself as our all-sufficient supply for our organic salvation) and the gift of righteousness (which is God’s judicial redemption being applied to us in a practical way). Lord, have a way in us!
