This morning we continue our series entitled, “Refined Focus”, by continuing with our mini-series entitled, “Focusing on Dying To Self”. Last week I introduced you to the following passage and we began to walk our way through it. Let’s get back to it today and continue.
The Apostle Paul said, “The love of Christ controls us, because we know that one person died for everyone. So all have died. He died for all so that those who live would not continue to live for themselves. He died for them and was raised from death so that they would live for him. From this time on we don’t think of anyone as the world thinks of people. It is true that in the past we thought of Christ as the world thinks. But we don’t think that way now. When anyone is in Christ, it is a whole new world. The old things are gone; suddenly, everything is new!” (2 Cor 5:14-17 ERV).
Yesterday I gave you a laundry list of examples of people in scripture who were living one way, with one identity, and then changed directions and identities completely when they came to know God. Why? Because the day they discovered God they were in position to discover themselves. Once they got to know God’s true identity, they learned their own. And they were then posed with a decision. They could continue to live as the person they knew themselves to be prior to conversion, a person who was completely natural, or they could live as their true self, the self God introduced them to after conversation, a person who is complete spiritual. It’s obvious that every person God ever used mightily is a person who chose spirit over flesh, supernatural over natural, and new over old. The question is: what will you choose? Now that you know God can introduce you to your true self, will you continue to think of yourself the old way (after the flesh, just like the world thinks of people), or will you think of yourself God’s way (in spirit, the way God’s Kingdom thinks of people)?
We have been flowing in this vein for days. Monday morning I will move on, but for this Friday morning let’s close out the week with one last message about seeing yourself from God’s point of view.
So what does this mean to you today? A few things.
- God is a Spirit. He gave you His Spirit so He could relate to you Spirit-to-Spirit.
- The Holy Spirit was given to you “so you could know the things that are freely given to you by God” (1 Cor 2:12).
- God knew you and made plans for you before the world began (Jer 1:5).
- When you are Born-Again and the Holy Spirit takes us residence inside of you, God’s Spirit then reveals to you your true identity.
- When you discover God you actually discover yourself. When you get to know Him for who He really is, you will get to know yourself for who you really are.
- The day you are Born-Again you are no longer a natural person looking for spiritual encounters. No, from the moment the Holy Spirit takes up residence inside of you, you are a spiritual person living in a natural world.
- Once you realize you are a spirit and you have the Holy Spirit living inside of you, the Father expects you to live, love and learn on a spiritual level. He wants you to see yourself and see others from His point so view, and no longer from a merely human point of view.
- Wouldn’t be a shame to be covered by the Blood of Jesus, filled with the Holy Spirit, called according to God’s divine purpose, and seated in heavenly places with Christ Jesus, only to them go on living the way you were living before you were Born-Again?
- When you are Born-Again you are a new man, living in your old body, and you are in need of a new mind. Unless you change the way you think, you will continue to live from this world’s point of view. Living from this world’s perspective you will never be able to completely your heavenly assignment in the earth.
Closing Confession: Father, this is a season of refined focus for me. I bring my life into focus in 2016. I change the way I think. I see myself and others from Your perspective. I live in my new reality. I am a new man, living in an old body, and I know I need a new mind. I declare that I renew my mind to think from heaven’s perspective. When I discovered You, I got to discover myself. You gave me Your Spirit so You could speak to me Spirit-to-Spirit. Your Word says that Your Spirit was given to me so I could know the things You have freely given me. So now I don’t live by information or education alone. I live by revelation. I don’t just learn, I discern. You speak to me by Your Spirit. You reveal things to me that I could learn no other way. And I embrace this new reality. I no longer live from a human point of view. Your will shall be done on earth, as it is in heaven, THROUGH ME, because I live from heaven’s point of view daily! I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper.
