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God Is At Work In You
God is at work “in you.” What is He working on? Your “will.” What does He want you to do? “Act according to His good purpose.” How does He accomplish this? Through your mind: “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 2:5).
God can speak to you audibly, through circumstances, or through another person. But because God can give you His thoughts or guide your thoughts, your mind is the meeting room where He will most often communicate with you. That’s why Satan will try to place evil thoughts in your mind. If he cannot succeed, he will try to fill your mind with fear and worry. If that doesn’t work, he’ll settle for having you watch hours of “worthless things” on television or the Internet. The Psalmist prayed: “Turn away my eyes from looking at worthless things” (Psalm 119:37). To hear from God and recognise what He’s saying to you, you must make your mind a protected environment. And one more thing: Your desire to hear from God must take precedence over every other desire you have. Social reformer Dorothy Day, who did much work on behalf of the poor in the 20th century, spoke of what she called her “notions”—ideas that had the unmistakable stamp of God’s authorship in her mind. George Fox and the Quaker tradition called them “concerns.” Others speak of “promptings” or “leadings.” The good news is if you truly want to hear from God, and you’re willing to prioritise your life accordingly, He’ll speak to you.
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You Have Full Forgiveness
How many times must the apostle Paul, who was once known as Saul the persecutor of Christians, have had flashbacks to Stephen’s stoning? Or the countless other Christians he hunted down like animals? Paul was an eyewitness, which means those snapshots were sealed into his visual cortex. When he closed his eyes, those images could have haunted him for the rest of his life. By today’s standards, Saul would be seen as a violent persecutor. But he had an encounter with Christ that blinded him.
He regained his physical sight after 3 days, but the grace of God enabled him to turn a blind eye to his forgiven sin forever. If God turns a blind eye to confessed sin, shouldn’t we? That doesn’t mean we deny our sin or ignore it. If you underestimate your sinfulness, you depreciate the grace of God. Paul called himself the chief of sinners (1 Timothy 1:15). Perhaps that’s why he appreciated the grace of God so much. The reason many of us label others by their sin is because it makes us feel better about ourselves. We think: “I may not be perfect, but at least I haven’t done that!” But Paul was explicit: “All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). God doesn’t grade your sins like the legal system, as misdemeanours and felonies. No, you are either in sin or in Christ. You’re either guilty or you are fully forgiven. Not only have your sins—past, present, and future—been atoned for, but at the point of believing faith, God forgave you and credited your account with the righteousness of Christ.
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Live Like You Believe It! (2)
The Archbishop of Canterbury was acquainted with an actor named Mr. Butterton. One day he asked Butterton, “What is the reason you actors on stage can affect your congregations with the speaking of things imaginary, as if they were real, while we in church speak of things real, which our congregations only receive as if they were imaginary?”
Butterton replied, “We actors on stage speak of things imaginary as if they were real, and you in the pulpit speak of things real as if they were imaginary.” The world needs Christians who speak like they believe what God said in His Word is true, and who live accordingly. When Abraham was 80, God promised him he would father a son. 20 years later, it hadn’t happened, but Abraham was standing firmly on God’s Word: “He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform” (Romans 4:20-21). William James, the first educator to offer a course in psychology, said, “If you want a quality, act as if you already had it.” He also said, “Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does.” Saint Augustine said, “God loves each of us as if there were only one of us.” If you fully grasp the truth of this, it’ll set you free from fear because that’s what God’s perfect love does (1 John 4:18). God can’t love you any more or any less because He already loves you unconditionally, eternally. You just need to live like His beloved.
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Live Like You Believe It! (1)
A fascinating experiment was conducted a half century ago. 3 men tested their strength on a gripping machine, with an average measure of 101 pounds of pressure. Then the participants were given a strong negative suggestion, and the experimenter told them, “You cannot grip because you are weak.” Under the power of suggestion, their average grip strength fell to 29 pounds of pressure.
Then the experimenter said, “Now you can grip.” Their average grip increased to 145 pounds of pressure. Their strength was increased 5-fold when they said, “I can,” versus when they said, “I can’t.” It helps to think of Scripture as a script. While the reality of your circumstances often feels as if you are off script, you’ve got to take your cues from God’s Word. You’ve got to live as if you are who God says you are, you have what God says you have, and you can do what God says you can do. If you believe the enemy’s lies, you’re in deep trouble. But if you believe God’s Word, it’ll get you and keep you out of trouble. When you’re lonely, don’t forget His promise, “I will never leave you nor forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5). When you feel like you’ve lost your way, remember His words: “A man’s heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps” (Proverbs 16:9). When you’re battling illness, you can stand on His promise: “‘For I will restore health to you and heal you of your wounds,’ says the Lord” (Jeremiah 30:17). The word for you today is—live like you believe it!
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