r L n -- really LOVE now! : slave Of CHRIST--Possession Of JESUS (Essay 3)

Wednesday, February 13, 2013

slave Of CHRIST--Possession Of JESUS (Essay 3)

Slave: a person who is the property of and wholly subject to another; a person entirely under the domination of a person or of some influence, such as -- slave to drugs/booze, slave to fashion: a person who is a helpless and hapless victim to an overpowering influence that in effect "owns" the person.

i was a slave to sin. TOday, i am a slave of CHRIST. JESUS is my Owner, i am HIS possession. He paid a price for me -- a price that is infinitely steep. He bought me with His own blood that was shed on that shame-FULL cross (see 1 Corinthians 6:20). WHAT an amazing, awe-FULL, extremely astonishing, exceedingly incredible FACT!

How do i live this redeemed life that is now under the LORDship of JESUS? Oswald Chambers hit a bull's eye when he wrote in My Utmost For His Highest -- "those IN CHRIST no longer have rights to their rights." Just like a slave who has no rights at all, with utter gratefulness, i have willingly surrendered all my imagined rights to CHRIST, my Owner, my Master -- my LORD (see 2 Peter 1:1, CHSB).

JESUS owns my body. i will to no longer dishonor it with sexual immorality, gluttony or other destructive behaviors. This outer shell, this physical dwelling place of my soul is the outward expression of my IN CHRISTness (see Romans 12:1). i will clothe this body to please CHRIST; and He will adorn my inner person with the incorruptible beauty of a quiet and gentle spirit (1 Peter 3:4).

JESUS owns my mind. i will to no longer trash it with pornography, lewd TV programs, soul-deadening novels and magazines. CHRIST has redeemed my mind, continually renewing and transforming my mindset so that i am more and more sober minded -- less and less conformed to the culture of this world. i now eagerly desire HIS thoughts -- which are in ALL ways pure and holy ALWAYS. i make it my goal to subjugate and submit my thoughts to His infinitely wise mind.

JESUS owns my eyes. i zealously guard these windows to my soul. i made a covenant with my eyes (Job 31:1) that i will not pay attention to crude, indecent, unwholesome images that pollute my vision. i will to not allow them entrance through my eyes, this type of satanic degradation of our GOD-given sexuality.

JESUS owns my ears. i will not to listen to obscenities that typify rap music, to poisonous gossip, to backbiting and backstabbing stories (see Ephesians 4:31), to malicious sharing disguised as prayer requests, to sermons which do not glorify or magnify JESUS and His Gospel, to sexually charged word-pictures which feed my natural proclivity to depravity.

JESUS owns my feet. i go where HE wants me to go. i will no longer go anywhere just for the sake of self-centered adventures. Where He prompts me to go, where He leads, i will follow (see Psalm 23:3). Wherever He directs my feet, i will go -- not balking with 1,000+ questions, not protesting with "but... but... BUT!" -- trusting that HE has already blazed the trail.

JESUS owns my hands. They are to be used for HIS good works, for open-handed giving, for sharing His comfort through a loving touch. My hands are His to be used towards all godliness.

JESUS owns "my" money. i am called to use it responsibly -- to spend it wisely -- not wastefully. When He prompts me to give, it is my joy-FULL response to cheer-FULLY give away HIS money (2 Corinthians 9:7)! i am also to share the talents He has gifted for the building up of His church, His body (1 Corinthians 14:12).

JESUS owns my mouth, my speech. What comes forth -- words, tone, truthfulness, volume, attitudes -- are filtered through HIS standard. i strive for my words to be CHRISTlike -- kind, intelligent, wise, building up, clean and wholesome. i study to be ready in all seasons to give good Biblical counsel, but more importantly -- to share the GOOD NEWS as prompted by the Holy SPIRIT (see Isaiah 52:7).

JESUS owns my heart. My affections are now to line up with what HE loves. He took away my hardened, stony heart and gave me a new heart that's tender and sensitive for the things that are dear to Him (see 2 Corinthians 3:3). HE directs my emotions towards those things of eternal value -- true love, true joy, true peace. His love compels me.

JESUS owns me -- ALL of me...my body, my mind, my personality, my spirit, my love, my ambitions -- ALL!

Because i know who i am -- i know what to do.

i know that i am a well-beloved slave of THE most fascinating, most captivating, most admirable, most delight-FULL, most generous, most compassionate, most gentle and tenderhearted, most power-FULL, most glorious, most holy, most brilliant, most enchanting, most marvelous, most magnificent, most wise, MOST LOVABLE MAN who is also the SOVEREIGN RULER and SOVEREIGN GOD of the entire Creation!

i know what to do because i know who i am.

i fall on my face in exceeding adoration. i dance to HIS tune with JOY inexpressible. i worship JESUS 24/7 as practice for the eternal gathering in the Kingdom of GOD when all who have received JESUS as LORD will wholeheartedly and blissfully worship HIM -- the perfect sinless LAMB of GOD who died for wretched sinners like me. i sit at His feet, feeding on His EVERY Word, getting FAT in my soul! i get down on my knees and bow down, with both hands raised in praise, and call HIM, "my LORD and my GOD!"

CHRIST JESUS. WHAT a Name! WHAT a Master! WHAT a GRAND privilege to be HIS very own possession!

And you? Are you owned by god -- or by GOD?

2 comments:

rLn!February 17, 2013 at 7:58 PM
The word "Christian" (to put it reverently) means "Mrs. Christ"! My wife could take my name only after she married me. In the same way, you can take Christ's name and call yourself a "Christian" only if you are married to Him. If some lady took my name without being married to me and called herself "Mrs.Zac Poonen" , that would be a lie. In the same way, anyone who calls himself a Christian, without being married to Christ is also telling a lie.

A marriage is forever and not just for a few days. In the same way, being a Christian also is a lifetime commitment. Total commitment to Christ, does not mean that you have become perfect. When a woman gets married, she does not promise that she will never make a mistake in her life. She will make many mistakes, but her husband will forgive her. But she promises that she is going to live with her husband forever. That is a picture of our union with Christ.

This is a quote from ZAC POONEN at http://www.cfcindia.com/web/mainpages/a_clear_gospel_message.php
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rLn!April 28, 2023 at 5:44 PM
TOday, this blog is 10 years old. GOD Who is Faithful and True, has been making the Gospel of CHRIST my daily REALity, conforming me INto the Image of CHRIST JESUS more and MORE, from glory to glory. Though I will not be perfected in this earthly Life-101, i do the only ONE THING worth doing: pleasing GOD. So 'i press on toward the Goal for The PRIZE of the UPward call of GOD IN CHRIST JESUS' (Philippians 3:14).
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my Prayer For You

When i think of the wisdom and scope of GOD's plan, i fall to my knees and pray to the Father, the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. i pray that from His glorious, unlimited resources He will give you mighty inner strength through His Holy SPIRIT. i pray that CHRIST will be more and more at home in your heart as you trust in Him. May your roots go down deep into the soil of GOD's marvelous love.

And may you have the power to understand, as all GOD's people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep His love really is. May you experience the love of CHRIST, though it is so great you will never fully understand it. Then you will be filled with the fullness of life and power that comes from GOD.

Now to Him Who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by CHRIST JESUS to all generations, forever and ever. AMEN!

(Ephesians 3:14-21)

The Great I AM

I AM the Bread of life. He who comes to Me will never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.
(John 6:35)

I AM the Light of the world. He who follows me shall not walk in darkness, but have the Light of life.
(John 8:12)

I AM the Door of the sheep. All who ever came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. I AM the Door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.
(John 10:7, 9)

I AM the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd gives His life for the sheep. I AM the Good Shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own.
(John 10:11, 14)

I AM the True Vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. I AM the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.
(John 15:1, 5)

I AM the Resurrection and the Life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.
(John 11:25)

I AM the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.
(John 14:6)

Pilate therefore said to Him, "Are You a king then?" JESUS answered, You say rightly that I AM a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the Truth hears My voice.
(John 18:37)

LOVE is...

Though i speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, i have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal.

And though i have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though i have all faith, so that i could remove mountains, but have not love, i am nothing.

And though i bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though i give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.

Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up;

does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil;

does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth;

bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away.

For we know in part and we prophesy in part.

But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away.

When i was a child, i spoke as a child, i understood as a child, i thought as a child; but when i became a man, i put away childish things.

For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now i know in part, but then i shall know just as i also am known.

And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

(I Corinthians 13)

Rejoice!

Rejoice in the LORD always. i will say it again: Rejoice!

Let your gentleness be evident to all. The LORD is near.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to GOD. And the peace of GOD, which transcends all understanding, will guard your heart and your mind in CHRIST JESUS.

Finally, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable–if anything is excellent or praiseworthy–think about such things.

(Philippians 4:4-8)

How Great Thou Art!

O LORD, my GOD! When i in awesome wonder consider all the works thy hands have made.
i see the stars, i hear the rolling thunder, Thy power throughout the universe displayed.

Then sings my soul, my Savior GOD to Thee: how great Thou art! How great Thou art!
Then sings my soul, my Savior GOD to Thee: how great Thou art! How great Thou art!

And when i think that GOD, His Son not sparing, sent Him to die, i scarce can take it in;
That on the cross, my burden gladly bearing, He bled and died to take away my sin.

Then sings my soul, my Savior GOD to Thee: how great Thou art! How great Thou art!
Then sings my soul, my Savior GOD to Thee: how great Thou art! How great Thou art!

When CHRIST shall come with shout of acclamation and take me home, what joy shall fill my heart!
Then i shall bow in humble adoration and there proclaim, my GOD, how great Thou art!

Then sings my soul, my Savior GOD to Thee: how great Thou art! How great Thou art!
Then sings my soul, my Savior GOD to Thee: how great Thou art! How great Thou art!

Amazing Grace

Amazing grace! How sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me! i once was lost, but now am found; was blind, but now i see.

'Twas grace that taught my heart to fear, and grace my fears relieved; how precious did that grace appear the hour i first believed.

Through many dangers, toils and snares, i have already come; 'tis grace hath brought me safe thus far, and grace will lead me home.

The LORD has promised good to me, His word my hope secures; He will my shield and portion be, as long as life endures.

Yea, when this flesh and heart shall fail, and mortal life shall cease, i shall possess, within the veil, a life of joy and peace.

The world shall soon dissolve like snow, the sun refuse to shine; but GOD, who called me here below, shall be forever mine.

When we've been there ten thousand years, bright shining as the sun; we've no less days to sing GOD's praise than when we'd first begun.

The Holy BIBLE -- The Word of GOD

The BIBLE contains the mind of GOD, the state of man, the way of salvation, the doom of sinners, and the happiness of believers. Its doctrines are holy, its precepts are binding, its histories are true, and its decisions are immutable. Read it to be wise, believe it to be safe, and practice it to be holy. It contains light to direct you, food to support you, and comfort to cheer you.

It is the traveler's map, the pilgrim's staff, the pilot's compass, the soldier's sword, and the CHRISTian's charter. Here is Paradise restored, Heaven opened, and the gates of hell disclosed.

CHRIST is its grand subject, our good the design, and the glory of GOD its end.

It should fill the memory, rule the heart, and guide the feet. Read it slowly, frequently, and prayerfully. It is a mine of wealth, a paradise of glory, and a river of pleasure. It is given you in life, will be opened at the judgment, and be remembered forever. It involves the highest responsibility, will reward the greatest labor, and will condemn all who trifle with its sacred contents.

(Foreword from The Gideons International)