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Jesus
Christ has made available to everyone who trusts in him
a supernatural empowerment beyond the imagination of
man. With Him we are more than conquerors not in a dim
and distant future but here and now in the place God has
placed each one of us. Power is available to meet the
battles of life, its trials and temptations, losses and
sorrows and to live the life abundant.
God has not called his servants to an ordinary, mediocre
sort of life, but to the perfection of a sublime
holiness as he said to his disciples: 'Be perfect as
your heavenly Father is perfect.'
The Bible speaks of perfection, of holiness, of purity
and of power elements which constitute victory.
'Perfection,' said a professor of theology, 'is an
unrealizable ideal towards which we progress through all
eternity. Is such perfection attainable in this world?
'Be ye therefore perfect even as your Father in Heaven
is perfect' exhorts the Bible in Matthew 5:48. The word
'therefore' evidently refers to what has been said just
before. What is that? Simply,a command to be full of
love.
William Barclay quoting a Jewish scholar writes the
verses (4348) preceding the exhortation to be perfect
constitute the 'central and most famous section' of the
Sermon on the Mount. This portion describes the
essential Christianity in action. And Jesus condemns The
professing Christian or the professing Church is weak
because they fall short of the standard set by Jesus in
these verses.
Towards the end of His earthly life, our Lord said: ' A
new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one
another ; as I have loved you, that ye also love one
another.' (John 13:34)
Again in Romans 13: 10 we read: 'Love is the fulfilling
of the law' All the commandments get fulfilled when we
truly love our neighbours. (verse 9)
However human love is imperfect and always will be. But
does not the Bible say: 'The Love of God hath, been shed
abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given
unto us.'
(Romans 5:5) This supernatural empowerment is the vital
element in the victorious Christian life.
This love is poured out and diffused abroad filling,
quickening and invigorating all our powers and
faculties. This love is the spring of all our actions;
it is the motive of our obedience; the principle through
which we love God. This vigorous fire of love consumes
what is unholy; refines every passion and appetite.
Our Lord said: 'And I have made known unto them thy
name, and will make it known that the love with which
You loved Me may be in them and I in them.' (John 17:26)
We have this prayer from St Paul indicative of the
importance of learning this love: 'That Christ may dwell
in your hearts through faith, that you being rooted and
grounded in love May be able to comprehend with all the
saints what is the width and length and depth and
height---To know the love of Christ which passes
knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness
of God. (Ephesians 3: 17)
And is love alone really sufficient? Does love indeed
banish sin from life? Does perfect love mean holiness?
To answer such questions one must turn to 1 Corinthians
Chapter 13:
Love suffereth longit drives away all impatience. Love
is kindleaves no room for unkindness. It is not puffed
up pride finds no place in the heart. Seeketh not its
ownself is dead; selfishness unknown. Is not provoked
anger and wrath will not be seen….Love never fails.
If perfect love casts out this great procession of sins,
and fills our entire being, we might well cry out in an
ecstasy of thankfulness and delight: “To me to live is
Christand Christ is love.”
The indwelling Christ Sin is overcome only by the
indwelling Christ. When He is our life, then indeed we
know Him. 'And this is life eternal that they might know
Thee, the only true God and Jesus Christ whom Thou has
sent.' (John 17: 3)
The popular way is to fight your temptations. The idea
seems good and wise and appeals to us. But in the Bible
we are told to flee from sin, from youthful lusts, from
idolatry and the like. Are we ever told to fight
temptation? We are to stand, not to struggle.' Having
done all things stand. 'The shield of Faith is able to
quench all the fiery darts of the evil one (Ephesians
6). 'Faith does nothing: faith lets God do it all.'
Jesus Christ has won the victory for us. 'I live' says
St Paul, 'Yet not I, Christ liveth in me.' 'Ye are of
God,' says John, 'and have overcome them.' How? Why?
'Because greater is He that is in you than he that is in
the world.' (1 John 4:4) The secret of victory is in the
indwelling Christ. Victory is in trusting, not in
trying.
'This is the victory that overcometh the worldeven our
faith' (1 John 5: 4) All sins have their roots in Sin in
the heart. Sin has been overcome by Christ. Victory over
sin is a gift of God and not a result of self effort.
'Thanks be to God, who giveth us the victory through
Jesus Christ our Lord' (1 Corinth15: 57) Christ has said
He will come and dwell in our hearts by faith. Surely
this is better than having Christ as my example or
helper.' For it is God, who worketh in you both to will
and to work, for His good pleasure.' (Phil 2: 13)
When He comes and takes the entire possession of our
being , He brings the victorious life and we can say: 'I
live and yet no longer I, but Christ lives in me; and
the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the
faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself
for me.:” (Gal 2: 20)
St Paul says there is a great secret hidden from age to
age but which it pleased God to reveal to him . What is
it? 'Christ in you, the hope of Glory!'(Colossians 1:
27)
'All power is given unto Me' said Christ. 'Lo, I am with
you all the days.' (Matthew 28: 18, 20)
Watchman Nee, a widely respected Chinese Christian
leader, writes in his Normal Christian Life: 'Do you
know my friends that the Spirit within you is very God ?
Oh that our eyes were opened to see the greatness of
God's gift.! Oh that we might realize the vastness of
the resources secreted in our own hearts! I could shout
with joy as I think, 'The Spirit who dwells within me is
no mere influence but a living Person; He is very God.
The infinite God is within my heart!'
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