◄ The Life Within ►

According as His divine power He hath given us all that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him that has called us to glory and virtue.
2 Peter 1:3

Fragile Self

A tiny cornflower seed embodies the life of a cornflower within its fragile self. The little seed contains in full reproduction of the life from which it came. We too are complete in Him – and our life is hid with Christ in God, and like the cornflower seed, all of Christ is embodied within our “new man,” And we will be fully like Him when we see Him as He is.

 Christ In Me

It is not to be me that lives, but Christ Who lives in me. It is not to be the good works I do, but Christ, Who works through me. Day by day we are being conformed into the glorious likeness of the Lord Jesus. Does not your heart glow within you as you assimilate these gracious truths?

Divine Life

The divine Life in the believer’s new nature is to grow and develop throughout life. The believer’s new life within, is to be conformed into the likeness of Christ’s life. God is the great Husbandman. He will plant you in the place best for you, and we do not need to do things to ensure that conditions are good for growing.

Favourable Conditions

God will put you where He wants you to be, so you can grow in grace as He wills. God will provide you with all the favourable conditions you need for growth... even though God’s favourable conditions may conflict with what you would prefer!!

Heavenly Husbandman

The little cornflower seed quietly rests and grows where the gardener plants it, however too often we object to the place where our divine Gardener places us! And sometimes we try to assist the heavenly Husbandman to our own detriment. But those that seek to develop by self-effort are the ones that will inevitably fail. We are simply to submit to God’s correction; rest in His love and focus upon Him. And those who do will bring forth twenty, fifty and a hundred per cent fruit.

Two-Part Process

God has already wrought together every strand of His eternal purpose in you. The first part was the revealing of the Father’s perfect likeness in the Son:- "He that has seen Me has seen the Father.” John 14:9 The second part is His process of conforming you into the likeness of Jesus. Moulding us and conforming us to become like Christ – often through suffering. That Christ may be seen in me. That Christ may be seen in you.

William Law

William Law agrees, and writes: "A root set in the finest soil, in the best climate, and blessed with all that sun and air and rain can do for it, is not so sure of its growth to perfection, as every man may be whose spirit aspires after all that which God is ready.. and infinitely desirous to give him. For the sun doesn't meets the springing bud that stretches toward him with half as much certainty as God, Who is the Source of all good, communicates Himself to the soul that longs to partake of Him.

Godly Living

"Not only is our life positioned in Him – it is complete In Him. God has given us all that we need to live a holy and godly life: according as His divine power, He hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through knowledge of Him, Who called us to glory and virtue". 2 Peter 1:3 If only we believed our life were truly complete in Him – and then, were to act on it.

Miles Stamford

Miles Stamford puts it this way:- "When you fight to get victory, then you have lost…. you have lost the battle at the very onset. Suppose the enemy assaults you in your home or in your business. Suppose he creates a situation with which you cannot possibly deal. What do you do? Your first instinct is to prepare yourself for a big battle and then pray to God to give you the victory in it!!!!! But if you do so defeat is sure, for you have given up the ground that is yours IN Christ. By the very attitude you have taken, you have relinquished it to the enemy."

All-Inclusive Victory

"What then should we do when he attacks? We should simply look up and praise and thank the Lord and say. ‘Lord, I am faced with a situation that I cannot possibly meet. My enemy the devil has brought it about to compass my downfall, but I praise You that Your victory is an all-inclusive victory. It covers this situation, too. I praise You that I have already full victory in this matter” Remember... His teaching principle is based on an essential truth – the ‘SOURCE’ rule:- everything after its own kind – – flesh after flesh – – spiritual after spiritual.

Spiritual Weapons

The weapons of our warfare are not carnal, they are not of the flesh – they are spiritual weapons designed for a spiritual battle. The weapons of our warfare are not weapons of the flesh – but weapons of the spirit – but they are mighty through God to the pulling down of spiritual strong holds. 2 Corinthians 10:4

Obedience of Christ

The enemy we fight are the spiritual principalities and powers in high places, and we are instructed to “cast down imaginations and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God. We are told to. "bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;” 2 Corinthians 10:5

Our Weapons

And Remember:- The enemy we fight are the spiritual principalities and powers in high places. Satan may be dressed in the garb of a neighbour or a government official. He may speak through the voice of a friend or act through a relative. So many of our spiritual weapons are defensive, when we are clothed with Christ, but we must also grasp the great weapon of attack – the Sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God.

Spiritual Swords

David and his mighty warriors slew the enemy with the edge of a metal sword. Christ and his obedient soldiers slay the enemy with His double-edged sword. David fought in the physical to show us how to fight in the spiritual. David served as an earthly example to us – as a shadow of heavenly things, to come.

Sword of the Spirit

We have the mind of Christ, Who is the incarnate Word of God. And we have the written Word of God, which is the sword of the Spirit. So we are to bring into captivity every thought; every imagination – every word.. for we know that the victory is already His, and so we know that the victory is already ours – for we are complete in Him. Colossians 2:10