Revelation of Jesus Christ is imperative to our accomplishing anything of eternal value. Infinite grace, including revelation, is always available to us, for we are one with Christ. By God’s design, the degree to which believers receive both individual and corporate revelation of His Son is influenced considerably by our behavior: our revelation of Christ, our sanctification, progresses as we put God’s word into practice, walking by faith in accordance with the Holy Spirit.
Our receptivity to the discipline of the Holy Spirit is the principle determinant of the degree that Christ is revealed to and through us.
True knowledge of Christ stems from intimacy with Him; it is experiential, arising only as we act in faith, thereby partaking of the Bread of Life. Actively believing upon Christ sustains His very life within our innermost being, our spirit (see John 6:25-58).
True knowledge of Christ comes as we receive multiple means of grace, particularly the least welcomed one described previously: application of the Cross to our outer self. Such sanctifying knowledge of the Lord actually resides in our spirit, for it is revelatory in nature, originating from God.
All ineffectual knowledge of the Lord is of the intellect; it resides in the mind, for it is “soulish” in nature, originating from our fallen outer self. By itself, such non-revelatory knowledge of God is mere theology and doctrine, the basis of blind Pharisees dead to Light and Life Himself. Praise God for Christ crucified, a stumbling block and utter foolishness to such prideful human wisdom (1Cor 1:23-25)!
Our revelation of Christ and our attaining to the whole measure of His fullness (Eph 4:13) arrives as we humble ourselves and receive His daily discipline via the countless circumstances our old (already crucified!) selves reflexively resist. Let us finish in the Spirit just as we began in Him, and cease trying to achieve sanctification by human effort (Gal 3:3). Let us glory in Christ, and put no confidence in the flesh (Phil 3:3).
The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. – John 6:63a
I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent
I will frustrate – 1Corinthians 1:19 [Isaiah 29:14]
…but we have the mind of Christ. – 1Corinthians 2:16b
Overcoming in Christ with you, your sister deanna
Written March 29, 2015
The Lord Is With Us 
Reblogged this on The Lord Is With Us.
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Your reference to daily discipline is such a good reminder! The times when I have strayed away were difficult as days away sometimes turned to weeks and months. Your use of the word, receptivity is great! Combine daily with receptivity and our walk of faith will be divinely revealed! Thank you for sharing your writing and walk of faith!
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Hi Rick! Yes, it is paramount that we RECEIVE His grace, and not ignore or resist it in its varied forms.
This brings to mind six words beginning with R that the Lord taught me pertaining to mature Christians. These words come in three pairs: one we’re to do, and one we’re not to do. We are to RESPOND according to the Spirit, not react from our fallen “soul-dominant” nature; we are to RECEIVE, not resist; we are to RELINQUISH, not retain.
[And very briefly, regarding not resisting, this is recognizing that the sovereign Lord uses/allows people whom we perceive as “messengers of Satan” in order to deliver us from what remains of our soul-dominant nature. When we are to resist the devil, it is that fallen SELF that prowls like a lion waiting to devour us, not people we think are of the devil. The Lord protects us from them as we submit to Him and obey Him.]
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