© 11 Colin Melbourne
Let us drink the milk of these living words from Almighty God to Spirit-filled believers, Col. 1:1-14 KJV;
Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timotheus our brother, To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ which are at Colosse: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
We give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, Since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love which ye have to all the saints, For the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof ye heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel; Which is come unto you, as it is in all the world; and bringeth forth fruit, as it doth also in you, since the day ye heard of it, and knew the grace of God in truth:
As ye also learned of Epaphras our dear fellowservant, who is for you a faithful minister of Christ; Who also declared unto us your love in the Spirit.
For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;
That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;
Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness;
Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:
Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:
The War of Wills
We rejoice in the accomplished fact of our deliverance, verse 13;
Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:
From the instant of your creation, Almighty God has endeavoured to pull you from darkness into the Light of Life.
His plan, purpose, and desire, has been to deliver you from Satan’s power, and translate you into the kingdom of God.
That which He could achieve in an instant, was made an epic struggle of wills, by His insistence on your consent.
Your will was set against His by default.
He wanted you: You did not want Him.
He loved you: You spurned Him.
He came down to lift you up: You rebelled, struggled, and crawled away.
His Idea: Your Choice
You were not alone, each of us was the same.
Salvation is entirely God’s idea; humanity could never dream up something so sublime.
Our deliverance has always been His design.
In His righteous justice, Almighty God limited Himself to what He could do with you, by your choice.
He still does.
The LORD of Glory respects your choice, indeed insists on it, to His pain.
You must want His will wholeheartedly.
Only when your will voluntarily becomes His will, can He fulfil His plan for your life.
Therein lay the battle.
Besetting Sin versus Irresistible Love
You recall the conquest. It was Love’s victory.
You were content in your sins, walking in darkness, blind to destiny, and deaf to God.
Hell waited panting, as you ignored call after call from the Lord of Love.
He cared for you: You rejected Him.
He provided for you: You claimed the credit.
He showed you mercy: You spat in His face.
But Love never fails: Never quits.
In a moment, at long last, the veil was lifted from your eyes, and you glimpsed the Glory of the Only Begotten Son of God.
Behold, I stand at the door
He knocked once more: Finally, you said yes, yielded to Him, and trusted in the Covenant of Love sealed with His Blood.
Instantly He translated you from the power of darkness, and brought you into the kingdom of His dear Son.
The old sinful nature was stripped away, nailed to the Cross in Christ, and the righteousness of God en-robed you.
The War is Over
The epic struggle was over, your will now became His, and you began to walk in harmony sharing the Kingdom Life.
It is yours, He gave His Son for you to have His Life enthroned in your heart forever.
It is the only life you have.
Live it for His Glory.
Invest it in His Kingdom.
Sow your Life for something greater than your life.
Deny yourself and follow Him who, Col. 1:13-14 KJV;
Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins.
Plans, Purposes, and Pursuits. Instead of devising your own plan, and following your desires, get in step with God, and learn to follow His Plans for your life.
They are the ones He will bless, not yours. A timely teaching from Rev. Kenneth E. Hagin, that will lift and encourage you to be eternally fruitful.
© 11 Colin Melbourne
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