GOD’S WORD FOR MAY 14

OUR PERSONAL PROMISES:

      JESUS, YOU…… MADE KNOWN TO ME THE MYSTERY OF YOUR WILL—Ephes 1:8-9

      JESUS, YOU……ARE MY STRENGTH AND MY REDEEMER—Ps 19:14

      JESUS, YOU…… ARE MY PORTION –Ps 119:57

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THE WORD FOR TODAY

2 Corinthians 1:21

 “Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us is God,”

In “Abide in Christ” by Andrew Murray, we’re starting chapter 12, entitled: “God Himself Will Establish You in Him.”

These words of Paul (verse of the day above) teach us a much needed and most blessed truth – that, just as our first being united with Christ was the work of divine omnipotence, so we may look to the Father, too, for being KEPT and being FIXED more firmly in Him.

 “The Lord will perfect that which concerns me” (Psalm 138:8) – this expression of confidence should ever accompany the prayer, “Forsake not the works of your own hands.” (second part of the verse).  In all his longings and prayers to attain to a deeper and more perfect abiding in Christ, the believer must hold fast his confidence:

“He which has begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.” (Philippians 1:6).  There is nothing that will so help to root and ground him in Christ as this faith:

“He which establishes us……..in Christ……is God.”

How many there are who can witness that this faith is just what they need!  They continually mourn over the variableness of their spiritual life.  Sometimes, there are hours and days of deep earnestness, and even of blessed experience of the grace of God.  But how little is needed to mar their peace, to bring a cloud over the soul!  And then, how their faith is shaken!  All efforts to regain their standing appear utterly fruitless, and neither solemn vows nor watching and prayer avail to restore to them the peace they for a while had tasted.  If only they could understand how their own efforts are the cause of their failure because it is God alone who can establish us in Christ Jesus.

They would see that, just as in justification, they had to cease from their own working and accept in faith the promise that God would give them life in Christ, so now, in the matter of their sanctification, their first need is to cease from striving to establish a firmer connection with Christ themselves and to allow God to do it. 

“God is faithful, by whom you were called unto the fellowship of His son Jesus Christ.” (1 Corinthians 1:9). 

What they need is the simple faith that the acts of establishing in Christ, day by day, is God’s work –a work that He delights to do, in spite of all our weakness and unfaithfulness, if we will but trust Him for it.

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