Walking in The Light

“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness.”
— Genesis 1:1-3

God is the creator and knows it all. Darkness is nothing new to God and he knows how to deal with it. From the beginning darkness covered the face of the earth and God declared light and there was light.  God is light and when he dwells within us there is no darkness, for his glory covers us. When man sinned against God, that sinful state was repellant to God’s glory; which was a covering, and the two could not dwell in the same place. This glory of God left man and man became naked and abided in the dark (SIN) hiding from God who is light. Genesis 3: 10 “He answered, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.” Man from that time remained naked, in that sinful state and although according to Genesis 3:21 “The Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them.” This was nothing compared to his glory. Every human being born on this earth therefore must go through the process of rebirth (BORNAGAIN) to obtain that glorious spiritual covering back. That is only through Christ because according to Romans 3:23 “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”. Jesus is the representation and conduit of God’s glory; Hebrews 1:3 “He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high”.  When we surrender to him, we receive that covering again and a renewed fellowship with him. There are two typical types of darkness: physical and spiritual darkness.

  1. Physical Darkness: I grew up poor and my grandparents had no electricity except for two lanterns for the whole house. Each time I had to go somewhere when it was dark, there was always the possibility of going out in the dark and at the mercy of God. This is a typical representation of physical darkness, which everyone can relate to. Most often humans don’t function well in the dark and are scared.

  2. Spiritual darkness on the other hand is also real but unfortunately most people cannot relate to it and are really blind to its existence. Mankind has been plagued with spiritual darkness from the time man sinned against God as stated at the beginning of this write-up. This is why the bible says in Ephesians 5:8 “For at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light”. At the time we did not know God we walked in darkness. This is true for everyone who has not had the opportunity to give their life to Christ, who represents the light of God. Everyone who has come to Christ has been delivered from the darkness of sin according to Colossians 1:13 “He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son.” Therefore, we have the ability to walk as children of light, not darkness anymore. The domain of God is light and in him, there is no darkness according 1 John 1:5-7 “This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin”. Thus, when God shows up,  darkness has no place nor competition with Him because even if darkness attempts to show forth and boast, that cannot prevail because God is always light irrespective of the time or condition, so even when it is dark, it appears light to God according to Psalm 139:12 “even the darkness is not dark to You, but the night shines like the day, for darkness is as light to You”.  God is light and dwells in light according to 1 Timothy 6:16” He alone is immortal and dwells in unapproachable light. No one has ever seen Him, nor can anyone see Him. To Him be honor and eternal dominion! Amen.” Additionally, light dwells in Him according to Daniel 2:22 “He reveals the deep and hidden things; He knows what lies in darkness, and light dwells with Him:” What this means is that when we have been removed from darkness, transformed by him and placed into his light so we can dwell in his presence and with him, darkness has no place nor power over us because the light takes over. The bible says, we walk as children of light as noted in 1 Thessalonians 5:5 “For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness”.

Jesus came as the light to the world according to John 8:12 “Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” He acknowledges that the world we live in is dark but there is a way out and that is through him; simply put “FOLLOW HIM”. So those who have surrendered to Jesus Christ represents a spiritual demonstration of Isaiah 9:2 “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shined.” Therefore, they are expected to go forth and continue to propagate the light which is Christ the word of God as well as the revelation of the knowledge of God’s glory according to 2 Corinthians 4:6 “For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ”

It should be noted that coming to this light is an option given to everyone. Some have chosen to remain in the dark because they love doing things in the dark, because what they are doing is evil according to John 3:19-21 “And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.” This is a very clear statement. Such people most often, becomes easy targets and conduit for the devil’s agenda, the master of the dark world. The word of God has the power to open the eyes of those who are spiritually blind by sin as well as deliver them from the dark influence of Satan. Acts 26:18 “To open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.”

When we come to Christ, we come blind, lacking the knowledge and guidance needed to navigate our spiritual blessing, the world, and its resources. Through the resurrection power of Christ as stated in Isaiah 42:16 “And I will lead the blind in a way that they do not know, in paths that they have not known I will guide them. I will turn the darkness before them into light, the rough places into level ground. These are the things I do, and I do not forsake them.” The word of God is fulfilled in our lives. Jesus came as a light from God to open our eyes according to Acts 26:18 “To open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me”. That is why it is a spiritual transformation when we get born again. We are spiritually born blind as stated in Isaiah 42-16 above. When we accept Christ as Lord and Savior, he comes in and opens our eyes by the power of the anointing which God has given to him in Mathew 28:18 “Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me” as well as  Luke 4:18 "The Spirit of the Lord is on Me, because He has anointed Me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to release the oppressed”. Everything has been given to Christ according to Matthew 11:27 “All things have been entrusted to Me by My Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal Him.” Therefore, our ability to live and shine forth depends on our understanding of the revelation of him, our faith, truth, belief in him, our acceptance of him, and surrendering to him, how much of him we have and allow him to work in us through the power of the Holy Spirit on a daily basis. 

As believers we are agents of light and we have a mission, some of which are highlighted below:

  1. A vessel/instrument that distributes and shines the light everywhere you go. God’s word is truth according to 2 Samuel 7:28 “And now, O Lord GOD, You are God! Your words are true, and You have promised this goodness to Your servant”. Walk in Truth, stand with God’s word that is Truth, practice truth, and live in truth. The truth people know and are able to abide in goes a long way to heal and deliver them from any kind of darkness. John 8:32 “Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." Truth of God’s word is the only weapon that has power to challenge darkness and open the eyes of people who walk in darkness.  According to Psalm 12:6 The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times”. God’s word is so pure, so when received by faith, the word has the power to purify man from any thing that has a name.

  2. We must know that with God there is no shadiness. We must be bare before God at all times for him to fellowship with us and use us for his glory. Hebrew 4:13 “Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account” If nothing is hidden from God, it means as believers we must stop pretending to be who we are not; come before him and be open irrespective of whatever or anything because we can never hide from him. 2 Chronicles 16:9a “For the eyes of the LORD roam to and fro over all the earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose hearts are fully devoted to Him”. God has eyes that shine through the earth and see everyone and everything. In the course of him looking, he releases strength to those who are devoted to him. Jeremiah 23:24 "Can a man hide in secret places where I cannot see him?" declares the LORD. "Do I not fill the heavens and the earth?" declares the LORD.” As believers, we should know that because he is light and he created everything, there is no dark place where we can hide comfortably. It will just be a matter of time before we are exposed.  Listen to the question; The answer is simple: NO, THERE IS NO SECRET PLACE WHERE ANYONE CAN HIDE. Ephesians 5:8-14 ”For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord. Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. It is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. But everything exposed by the light becomes visible—and everything that is illuminated becomes a light.” We have to make a deliberate effort to walk every day and time in the light and avoid any element of darkness because it is very easy to get entangled by darkness.

  3. Our ability to walk in the light gives us the strength of true and righteous fellowship with one another, thereby also inviting the cleansing power of the Blood of Christ among us. 1 John 1:7 “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.” The Apostles of old did not win the people for Christ at one shot, they started with a small fellowship of believers. Acts 1:14 “All these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers”. Walking in the light unlocks the door for the demonstration of the power of God in our prayers which brings a physical manifestation in the deliverance of souls who are held in bondage by the devil.

  4. When we chose to walk in the light of Christ, God intents uses us as a light to nations, beyond our families and friends. Isaiah 49:6 “He says: “It is too light a thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to bring back the preserved of Israel; I will make you as a light for the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.” God desires to make us the light of the world so that we can shine forth the Christ within us and draw those who have fallen away back to God. He makes us a light through our own willingness and obedience to follow him and allow him to transform us. John 8:12 “Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” Jesus is the light and when we accept him in our lives, he comes in and shines away any form of darkness within us and we become light and are able to shine in the world. He needs us as vessels, as stated above, to contain the light, so that He can then move into the nations and shine forth so that darkness can give way. 

  5. There is no time to waste, we must do God’s work now. John 9:4-5 “While it is daytime, we must do the works of Him who sent Me. Night is coming, when no one can work. While I am in the world, I am the light of the world”. While Jesus was on earth he was the light. As Ambassadors of Christ, we are called to shine our light, just as Christ did. Matthew 5:14-16 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”

  6. Allow the Spirit of God to have his way. Isaiah 11:2-5 “And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD”. When the Holy Spirit comes on us, he reveals the mind of God, gives us the wisdom and knowledge of the ways of God to do his will.

  7. Fight the good fight of faith. 1 Timothy 6: 12-16 “Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses. In the sight of God, who gives life to everything, and of Christ Jesus, who while testifying before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, I charge you to keep this command without spot or blame until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, which God will bring about in his own time—God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To him be honor and might forever. Amen.” We must whole heartedly walk in righteousness, serve in truth and holiness, give in love, as well as contend in intercessory prayers for the true gospel of righteousness in the church, communities and the nations.

Finally, I pray we all take time to study these truths, apply them in ourselves, as well as share with others. We will also expand into these truths in our weekly prayer line. Join us as we explore the word of God.

Blessings

Ennette Heaggans

Responsibility & Accountability of the Call

“Jesus called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out impure spirits and to heal every disease and sickness. These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: “Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. As you go, proclaim this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give. ”
— Mathew 10:1, 5-8
“When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things. By this time, it was late in the day, so his disciples came to him. “This is a remote place,” they said, “and it’s already very late. Send the people away so that they can go to the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat.” But he answered, “You give them something to eat.”
— Mark 6:34-37

In this month of March 2021, we will focus on what we have been called to do as a church. We all have a place in God’s vineyard and we must therefore navigate to determine why, when, and where we have been called to occupy until he comes.  

  1. Hear his Voice and Answer the Call: There is a general call to salvation and a call to service. For the call to service, God knows the heart of everyone he calls and gives them different assignments (see Ephesians 4:11-13).

    Luke 5:1-3,8-11 “One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret, the people were crowding around him and listening to the word of God.  He saw at the water’s edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets. He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from shore. Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat. When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!”  For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon’s partners. Then Jesus said to Simon, “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will fish for people.” So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him.”

    In this passage, Jesus was speaking to a crowd but his heart was set on some people he could train and work with. If you notice, these were ordinary fishermen who identified themselves as nothing but sinners. What is interesting is that Jesus acknowledged their job and demonstrated how they can get a bigger produce. He tested their faith at the same time and asked them to follow him. They heard and were broken in heart and answered the call. They left everything and followed him. I know people may say what about my job? How will I pay my bills?  These are valid concerns. Answering the call for service full time or part time is not for everyone and it does not mean one gets up and just goes. You must hear from God every step of the way as to what to do, when to set out, and when to settle. Apostle Paul for instance had a part-time job (1 Corinthians 4:12)

  2. Deny self, Carry Cross and Follow Him: Mark 8: 34 “Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: "Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.”

    Deny Self: Galatians 2:20 “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”

    One must come to the end of self-death: According to this quotation, one must come to the place of death, that is why Paul says here; “I have been crucified”. It’s not, “I am going to be” or “I will be”. It means before you go out on this journey to do the things of God, you are not going on your own because you are a dead man (spiritually). Dead to your will, knowledge, decisions, plan, thoughts, reason etc. You have handed over everything about you to Jesus. He takes over everything about you, he uses you as a vessel where he invests into, pours into, and uses your body (container) for his glory.  Romans 6: 5-6: “For if we have been united with Him like this in His death, we will certainly also be united with Him in His resurrection. We know that our old self was crucified with Him so that the body of sin might be rendered powerless, that we should no longer be slaves to sin.” We are united (joint together spiritually) with Christ unto death and resurrection. We die to sin and unrighteousness of the old man, and upon resurrection, we are made new in Him; the old sinful body dies and we are given a new body in Christ. At the place of death and resurrection, there is an exchange made; Jesus takes over as the new government and gives us a new body that is alive and righteous in Him. So we owe allegiance ONLY to him. The sinful old man becomes powerless and the new man is empowered to live a new sinless life. The new body becomes a slave to righteousness and not to sin.

    Carry the Cross:  As Christians, we must have an understanding as to why Jesus died. It is not a physical status to wear and go around, but a constant reminder that if we choose to follow him, we must put to death everything about us and for us in our journey to seek and know him, and become participants of the work left on earth which is now done through us as vessels by the power of the Holy Spirit. Acts 20:24 “But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.”  The cross represents the place where Jesus declared “it is finished”, completing the work of salvation. To carry the cross daily and follow him means we mindfully and unceasingly remind ourselves that we are dead. We put everything about us to death, yet we are alive by faith in Christ in every aspect of life. We do everything in him and through him. We manifest the work of salvation done in his name. In summary, it is a way of acknowledging and committing ourselves to the work we are called to do. Philippians 3:8 &12 “What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ” “Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me”. In summary, carrying the cross daily and following Christ is a way of CONSTANTLY SURRENDERING to Jesus and IDENTIFYING with HIM, ACKNOWLEDGING the completion of the work, AND COMMITTING TO THE WORK WE HAVE BEEN CALLED TO DO. It becomes a choice placed on us; to do as he wants or to leave.

    Follow Him: 1 Kings 11:38 “If you listen to all that I command you, walk in My ways, and do what is right in My sight in order to keep My statutes and commandments as My servant David did, then I will be with you. I will build you a lasting dynasty just as I built for David, and I will give Israel to you.” Training yourself to listen and allow the Holy Sprit to guide your every step and decision, discernment to understand what the Lord says, walking in obedience, and doing what he has commanded.

  3. Learn How to Wait, led by the Holy Spirit, Walk in Power, and Authority of the Word of God: Luke 4:18 "The Spirit of the Lord is on Me, because He has anointed Me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to release the oppressed”. The work of the Lord can only be done through the power of the Holy Spirit. If Jesus himself acknowledged the role and power of the Holy Spirit, what about us? John 5:19 “Jesus gave them this answer: "Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does”. John 14:10 “Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me? The words I say to you, I do not speak on My own. Instead, it is the Father dwelling in Me, performing His works.” It is dangerous to depend on the arm of flesh. God the father is the originator and owner of the work on earth, thus if we answer the call to work in his vineyard, we must seek him for instructions and follow his lead. The Apostles were called but they waited for the infilling of the power of the Holy Spirit to begin their work.

  4. Go Out and Proclaim the Message of Salvation: Matthew 28:16-20 “Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go.  When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” When doing the work of God, we must understand that we have been sent. It is not our business, but the Lord’s. Thus, we cannot do it on our own terms. When we pray or draw people to God, it is not by our power or ability, it’s only by the Power of God at work in us. There should therefore be no self-seeking, boasting or pride. John 20:21 “Again Jesus said, "Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you." Jesus completed the work of his father without adding anything of his own. So as we answer the call, we must follow in the same direction.

  5. Maintain a life of Prayer and the Word:  Luke 11:1 “It happened that while Jesus was praying in a certain place, after He had finished, one of His disciples said to Him, “Lord, teach us to pray just as John also taught his disciples.” Everything about Jesus was his father’s business and he kept that constant communication with him. The disciples saw this and wanted him to teach them how to do it as well.

  6. Provide for the Poor: Faith without works is not faith. Jesus fed the needy while he ministered.  James 2:14-18 “What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them?  Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it?  In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds.” The Gospel can never be completed without taking care of the physical needs of those around us. We cannot preach the gospel without also looking at the physical wellbeing of the people.

  7. Be Ready for Persecution: Mathew: 10:16-23 “I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore, be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves. Be on your guard; you will be handed over to the local councils and be flogged in the synagogues.  On my account you will be brought before governors and kings as witnesses to them and to the Gentiles.  But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say, for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you”. “Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death. You will be hated by everyone because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. When you are persecuted in one place, flee to another. Truly I tell you, you will not finish going through the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.”  This may sound horrible but this is just part of our identity in Christ.

  8. Understand Your Service is to God: We should NEVER do the work of God for what we will get physically in return. Hebrews 6:10 “For God is not unjust so as to overlook your work and the love that you have shown for his name in serving the saints, as you still do.” God knows what you do, so do not spend time draining people and asking them to provide for your physical needs. God knows your needs and knows when to provide.

Mathew 19:27-30 “Peter answered him, “We have left everything to follow you! What then will there be for us?” Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first”.

 Finally make yourself available on our weekly prayer line as we explore these truths further.

Blessings

Ennette Heaggans

The Knowledge of Christ

“ I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death.”
— Philippians 3:10

According to the Mariam Webster dictionary, the word KNOW means:  to perceive directly, have direct cognition of, to have understanding of, to recognize the nature of, to be acquainted or familiar with, to have experience of, to be aware of the truth or factuality of, be convinced or certain of, or to have a practical understanding of.

Referencing the phases that describes the meaning of the word KNOW, one can tell what the Apostle Paul was trying to do. It was a personal desire to know Christ. This is not about having head knowledge neither is it about quoting bible verses, both of which are good. It is about a personal spiritual revelation of the person of Christ in His journey to deliver the sinner man from sin.

This month we will start our Journey of Knowing this Jesus. Jeremiah 9:23 ”This is what the LORD says: "Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, nor the strong man in his strength, nor the wealthy man in his riches.” It is the intention of the revelation of this knowledge of Christ that by the end of this year we can be at a place where we can boldly say the Lord has helped and revealed himself to us thus far, thus we can boast in that wisdom.

Lessons from the Great Apostle Paul: Emphases of the word “I” Personal  

  1. Total Surrender to Jesus: We must come to the place where nothing means anything:  Philippians 3:8-9 “More than that, I count all things as loss compared to the surpassing excellence of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ. and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God on the basis of faith.” Counting all things lost means we come to the feet of Jesus and hand over the key of the car of our lives to him. Understanding the mysteries of God comes when we, after handing over the key we allow God through the Power of the Holy Spirit total control of the steering wheel of the car of our lives. He sits on the driver seat and we take the passenger seat and allow Him to drive. He knows the plan, direction, and the purpose of God for our lives and will show us the path to get there. He understands the mind of God and He is able to assist us in everything. This is how we gain Christ and when we gain Christ, we also gain righteousness by faith.

  2. Total Death: A dead man only can lay down at the disposal of the other. Apostle Paul knew that for him to know this Christ he must by faith walk the journey of Christ as well. Galatians 2:20 “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” Romans 8:10 “But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness. John 12:23-24 “Jesus replied, "The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.” If we are still directing the affairs of our lives, it means we are still alive in OURESLVES and NOT IN CHRIST. Apostle Paul was guided by the Spirit of the Lord in his walk with God. He knew that his life was not his own anymore because he died and the life he lived was not his own any more. However, he also knew Christ was the new person living in him by faith and therefore everything he did was never about him anymore but he had allowed the GREATER ONE in him to be in control. That is why Christ was made manifest in him wherever he went ministering and the glory of God was revealed.

  3. Boast Only in Christ: Galatians 6:14 “May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.” Jeremiah 9:24 “But let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD, who exercises loving devotion, justice and righteousness on the earth--for I delight in these things," declares the LORD. Romans 6:6 ”We know that our old self was crucified with Him so that the body of sin might be rendered powerless, that we should no longer be slaves to sin.” To Apostle Paul it was easy for him to say that his boasting was ONLY in the Power of the Cross of Jesus Christ because he understood that it was there that his canal body was crucified and rebuilt in a manner that could contain the person of Christ by the Holy Spirit. He understood that it was not of him, never anything about him to bring any self-seeking recognition to himself.

  4. Confidence Not Shame in Christ: Romans 1:16-17 “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile. For the gospel reveals the righteousness of God that comes by faith from start to finish, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.” Paul Apostle knew whom he was surrendering his all to as well as his confidence. He understood that the Gospel of Christ was the only weapon of deliverance and therefore he was never ashamed to testify about the person of Christ. He was confident in this because he had allowed himself to be crucified and thus it was no longer about him, but Christ in him the hope of Glory speaking from the inside.

Ennette Heaggans