LET

 
October 20, 2017                                    LET
John 14:1 “Do not let you heart be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in Me.”
Philippians 2:5 “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.”
Colossians 3:15 “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful.”
Romans 6:12 “Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in the lust thereof.”
Galatians 5:25 “If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.”
The above scriptures are just a few of the New Testament scriptures in which we find the word ‘let.’ Peter Parris has said that “the operative word for the New Testament is let.” However, it seems that for many believers, the word ‘try’ is the operative word when it comes to living the Christian life. Sad but true, some believers may spend a life time continually trying to measure up to the teachings of scripture or what they consider to be the Christian life. If we find ourselves ‘trying’ to live according to the scriptures, we are missing a major concept and truth of the Christian faith. Living according to the scriptures and living in such a way that pleases the Lord is a result of knowing and experiencing what Christ has accomplished on our behalf. Because God is well aware of the fact that we are not capable to live as He intended in our own strength, He gives the Holy Spirit to live in us to enable us to live according to His plans and purposes. John 8:32 tells us that “you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” When we come to know the truth of the scriptures-not just in our mind, but in our spirit-we find freedom from the burden of trying, and of living on the spiritual roller coaster, and we are free to live as sons and daughters of God, enjoying Him as our Father. The idea of ‘letting’ does not imply that we do nothing; we are called to work out our salvation and to work with God as He works in us, and we are called to be diligent and to be disciplined in our faith. However, we must know that we have been reconciled to God, we have been given new hearts, new minds, and new spirits, we have been joined to God, and we have the Holy Spirit of God dwelling in us, equipping and empowering us to live as unto the Lord. Our diligence comes into play in walking out what He has already done in us. We are to be people of prayer, but we likely find our prayers to be asking God to do something He has already done! As example, we may ask Him to help us love our neighbor, but the truth is that He has already poured out His love into our hearts, so the love we need for our neighbor is already present-we just have to express it. If we are not aware of God’s love in our heats, then we can to ask God to enlighten the eyes of our hearts so that we know the love of God and all that He has done in us.  Ephesians 1:18.  We must be alert to the fact that we live in a day when we hear preaching and teaching that is not in line with the true message of the gospel, and as a result, there is a general lack, or misunderstanding of our true identity as believers. A crucial point that is often misunderstood, or not known at all, is that our salvation is far greater than we think; at salvation, we are made new and given a new mind, new heart, and a new spirit. Our salvation is not just a ticket to heaven, but is about being transformed into His image and about us expressing His nature. We have the opportunity to walk and live in the Spirit, and as we do, we experience all that God has for us. And, as we walk in our identity in Christ, we can stop the trying, and begin letting the life of God flow through us!
Romans 14:19: “Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another.”
Blessings,
Buddy