John and Servanthood, Part 3

In our humanness, how can we ever hope to live this kind of life? Well, one way and one way only…in total reliance on the Lord and allowing Him to lead us into an Abiding Life. Now what does that mean? Simply put, it means to remain or stay around, stay close, and listen up! Another definition I heard once is “to settle down, and make yourself at home”…it speaks strongly of identity with Him, as it says in Hebrews, “bearing His reproach outside the camp”…living as He lived…for the Father’s glory. His reproach…what does that mean? He uses the word abide 11x’s in this chapter…it must be pretty important. Fellowship with Him, His life working in and through us to produce fruit, (Gal 5), being obedient is a key issue, and leaves us no excuse to continue on in our own, self-propelled manner. Obedience is a concept we take to very well, we would much rather do our own thing, and usually we think we are “entitled”…we live in a world like the time of the Judges. The last verse in that book speaks of that time frame, but it also addresses ours. “And every man did that which was right in his own eyes,” Judges 21:25. But let’s go back to the beginning for a little understanding…Adam and Eve…their obedience or lack of it. The Lord gave them one restriction in their perfect environment…don’t eat, and they did. Imagine that, perfect people, in a perfect environment, and yet sin entered the human race by way of our “federal head”…Adam. All of his descendants now carry his original sin. Christ, the Second Adam, perfectan, perfect life, provided the unblemished sacrifice the Father’s holiness required. He paid the penalty for the original sin of all those that would believe on His name and accept the gift of forgiveness the Father offers. Price paid, fellowship restored, glory coming. His sinless life and sacrificial death took care of the sin issue as far as the Godhead was concerned. Now, mankind could be  put back into relationship with God as HE intended from the beginning. When we are born again, the natural spirit (or “old man” as Paul calls it in Romans 6) is where the transaction takes place. know the flesh isn’t made new, we still have the same bodies. And guess what? The mind isn’t born again either…the Scripture tells us we are to “RENEW THE MIND”…HOW????   By reading and reading and reading the very Words of God, His thoughts, His rules, His loce and mercy. All the way through, we must allow His words to wash our minds and attitudes. We have many years of baggage accumulated in our minds that need to be gotten rid of, things we did and said and thought as unbelievers they are now unacceptable. We will give God this time of reading, meditating, memorizing and studying, and do it gladly once we realize what a waste we are in our pathetic, self-absorbed, unrenewed self interest. God means for us to listen to the Holy Spirit as He convicts us of our bad attitudes and behaviors…and DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT!!!!!!  It is not an easy thing to allow God to deal with our old man/flesh…it is messy, nasty and hurtful. It is  also a process that takes years and years, alot of hard work. But…here we are at the top of a new year, a good time to begin, so make a plan! There’s  saying, aim at nothing and you’re sure to hit it”…make a plan and work it, you’ll never be sorry! ABIDING…BECOMING ONE WITH HIM…NO GREATER GOAL FOR A NEW YEAR!