October 16, 2024
Praying Friends,
Where does life come from? What is life’s origin? How does life come into being? These questions challenge our minds.
The gift of life is a mystery, even to the smartest of minds, even though the reproductive process has been well studied and understood.
The Bible is clear on this point, even though the mystery remains. Life originates from God Himself (John 1:4). He is life. He gives life. He sustains life. Whether it is physical life or spiritual life, it comes from God alone.
The life that we who believe in Jesus enjoy is a direct result of the cross, burial, and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.
He entered into death.
He defeated death.
He conquered death.
You know the facts: by nature, we lived in the realm of death. Even though we had physical life, we were dead to God, but now through faith in Christ, we have eternal life. This is the beauty of the gospel.
In Colossians 2:12-14, Paul said to the believers,
Having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through your faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead. When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross.
The death that Jesus defeated is ours to celebrate, and the life He provided is ours to enjoy!
When you put your faith in Him, whom God raised from the dead, the life He has becomes yours. You died with Him. You were buried with Him. You were raised with Him. You were made alive with Him.
You are alive with Christ! What exactly does this mean?
Firstly, it involves enjoying communion with Him. To have His life is to have divine persons living within. He is always near us, but we must cultivate our relationship with Him if we are going to experience and live in the enjoyment of this fully.
Whether it is the dark of night or the brightness of day, He is always with us. If life is painful or uncertain, or if things are good, He is present and real.
The conversation may be audible or silent, but it never needs to be interrupted, for He is at hand. He is acquainted with all our ways and even our thoughts are known to Him.
There may be anxieties that only He knows about. There may be fears that you can bring to Him. You may have distress, anger, frustration, or disappointment. These are feelings that He is quite able to handle. There may be joys that you can share. He desires to be closely involved in every detail of your life.
Secondly, to be alive with Christ means allowing His power to work in and through us. With our eternal Almighty God there is never a lack of power. It is our responsibility to access it and apply it as we step into each circumstance.
It may be an upward look before you rise to perform a difficult task. It may be a short prayer of appeal when you face a person who provokes or irritates you, or a silent whisper as you are unexpectedly faced with an undesired temptation. It may just be a sense of His presence as you go about your normal daily activities.
Experiencing God’s power is both a right and a privilege that we as children have. May each of us continually avail ourselves of all the resources God has put at our disposal.
Lastly, to be alive with Christ entails following in His footsteps. As we stay close to Him and draw from His power, He enables us to live lives of obedience.
To follow Him, to be His disciple, is to live in a way that honors Him. We all need to search our hearts, our attitudes, our actions, and our reactions to ensure that this is so.
Christ always honored His Father, and as we keep our eyes focused on Him, it will help us live fully alive.
Thank you for praying for our prodigals and for revival among us.
Love in Christ,
Bryan and Rachel
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