Greetings,
Grace is the overcoming power of Christ’s life within us. Grace changes us and it affects our spirit, soul, and body. It is the grace of God that causes us to be born again. Without being born again one cannot even comprehend the truth of the kingdom of God within the heart of a man or woman. It is a miracle. It is as miraculous as the Virgin Mary conceiving the Christ child. Christ in humanity is not just some form of religion used to manipulate the thoughts of our minds. Christ in humanity is a revolution and it is a revolution of grace. Christ ‘in us’ is the true testimony of ‘us in’ Christ. It is different than any humanly inspired religion. It is different than any religion inspired by any spirit, human or from the dimensions of heaven. Christ in the human spirit of man is the ultimate miracle of heaven implanted in the human heart. It is the salvation of the human soul. It is the inspiration of change to the thoughts, reasoning, desires, emotions, and imaginations of men.
John 3:1 There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 2 This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.” 3 Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” 4 Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” 5 Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’
Outside of Christ the human soul is susceptible to the influence of selfish desires, natural thinking, and even demonic forces. Every soul is motivated by spirit and when the human spirit is not empowered by the Holy Spirit of God from within, it is weak and vulnerable to the influence of other spiritual forces. Even with Christ in us we can become vulnerable to the foolishness of a soul disconnected from the Spirit of Christ within us. Christ in us is the hope of glory! It is not a knowledge about God that empowers us, but a knowing of Him each day in our hearts. This is the testimony of grace.
James 3: 13 Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom. 14 But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth. 15 This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic. 16 For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there. 17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. 18 Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.
The governing of the human soul apart from Christ in us is the knowledge of good and evil. The Tree of Life can only be discovered through the power of God’s grace in our hearts. Mercy ends the old system of being informed with what is good and evil and gives us access to the place of transformation unto life. It is the power of grace in the human heart that transforms us from within.
As leaders we must set an example of walking in the grace of God and we must set an example as to the miracle testimony of Christ within us. We are not leading people in a form of religion based upon what is right and what is wrong. We are not the same as the religions of the world. Good and bad people are stuck in the governing systems of the world, but only in Christ can they be transformed to become testimonies of God’s grace. We are in the world, but we are not of the world. We are ambassadors of a kingdom inspired by grace. We are only resident aliens in this world, but we are citizens of heaven by the transforming power of Christ within us. It is a miracle! We must show mercy to those who are in the world and live as children of God empowered by His life-giving grace. Grace is the testimony of God dwelling in our hearts and we must choose to embrace Him. The blood of Jesus enables all people to receive mercy that ends the old system of information, but the Holy Spirit in the human heart empowers each one to find God’s grace that empowers God’s life-transformation power from within.
Ephesians 2:19 Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, 20 having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, 21 in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, 22 in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.
We cannot measure people in the world by the standard of grace. We can only allow God’s grace to measure us in our hearts. We can then show mercy to those who are in the world and demonstrate what it looks like to be sons and daughters of God empowered by God’s grace. It is foolish to think that people outside of Christ cannot do good things, but it is also foolish to think that outside of Christ is the same as in Him. We must never measure good or bad people outside of Christ by the character of Christ. It is not in them. Even with one another the character of Christ is a work in progress by the power of Christ within us. We are new creations, but we are finding God’s grace to walk in the character, nature, way, power, and authority of who we are in Him.
To all who are leaders I say, “Lead as a leader of grace.” To every citizen of heaven I say, “Live as a person of grace.” To the family of God I say, “Don’t compare the miracle of New Birth in Christ with any religion of the world or any government of men. It is a thing of God’s doing and must be found by each one.”
Food For Thought,
Ted J. Hanson
Every time I hear or read that “being born again is as much a miracle as the virgin Mary conceiving the Christ Child”. I feel a little shaking and a little quaking in the foundation of religion, and I’m “not” referring to churches, I am referring to our personal Born Again “Experience”.
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I can feel at times the smothering of the blanket that has covered the testimony of being born again, it has tried to put out the flame of empowerment. But with the enlightenment of these words, as people believe what is said, you are igniting the flame that will burn off that blanket. Deb
Lovely Words of Life!