Daily Invitations As you invite Christ in, he brings love and begins to restore you in your relationship with God. But asking Christ to rule in your heart is not a one-time event: it is a daily necessity and a daily privilege. Jesus has resources that are far beyond what you and I have. He has love, patience, peace and wisdom for every situation. But what is the key? It is inviting him in - inviting him to rule in your heart and inviting him to intervene in your situation of need - as often as you need to. The rule of Christ brings love; the rule of Christ brings wisdom. The rule of Christ brings peace, and the rule of Christ brings the strength to be patient. Too often believers only ask for things, when they need to welcome Christ in, as the all-sufficient King. Welcome him often! Open the door to his presence! Brother Lawrence was a man who worked in a kitchen in a monastery. He worked in a secluded place, at a common task. Yet by daily inviting the presence of the Lord to rule in his heart as he went about his work, his kitchen became a holy place where he encountered God every day. His life was transformed. There are people who go unrecognized by this world, who have discovered what it means to have the treasure of Christ within them. Their satisfaction is not based on money, or position, or what other people think. It is based on the treasure of Christs love, as he rules in the heart. As Jesus said, The kingdom of God is within you. (Luke 17:20,21). The kingdom of God is expressed where the King of Kings is ruling, and he brings righteousness, and peace, and joy (Romans 14:17). Through the power of the Holy Spirit, Christ comes to reign. To Apply This Truth: Ask Christ to rule in your heart often, each day. Invite Christ into each specific situation you face, where you need his help. Invite the presence of God to permeate your life, each day. Christ on the Throne, or Self on the Throne Jesus Christ must displace the rule of other things on the throne of your heart, including the rule of self. Jesus is a pure, giving love, which cannot co-exist with the rule of self in the human heart. One must go: self will, or Christ. Paul testifies boldly that I, the self-centered life, has been crucified with Christ and that the risen Christ now rules in his heart: I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. (Galatians 2:20). He goes on to say, The life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. In other words, self is no longer on the throne of his life, but Christ is ruling and reigning now and giving him the power to live a loving and powerful life. Since self is what gives us most of our troubles, we should be glad to have self crucified, and taken out of the way. It is only Christ who can do this, by ruling and reigning in your heart. This is what Christ died for: not only to forgive our sins, but to take us away from the rule of self and into the realm of powerful love. Tear Down the Idols God told the prophet Ezekiel, Son of man, these men have set up idols in their hearts. (Ezekiel 14:3). An idol is anything that becomes more important than God in your life. It may be a person who would lead you away from God; it may be a pleasure or an addiction that is controlling you; it may be material things, or the approval of the crowd. These idols must be cast down from the throne of your heart, by turning away from them and turning to Christ. You may feel powerless, or unsure of how to do this. But you can admit your powerlessness, and turn your life and will over to Christ. Ask him to come in, and to take over. When you surrender, Christ will come in. He will restore you and strengthen you so that you can turn from idols, and he will begin to rule and reign in your heart. As Christ begins to reign in your heart, he will bring about changes in how you live. You will no longer pursue the idols; instead, you will begin to pursue Christ and his love. You will experience deliverance from addictions and areas of selfishness. Christ, as he dwells within you, will empower you to choose the right path. He will not make those choices for you, but he will empower you and strengthen you to do the right things. In this journey Christ will also use other believers to help you, and he will use the truth of Gods Word to set you free (John 8:31,32). Paul admonished the Corinthian believers, and said Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?--unless indeed you fail to meet the test! (2 Corinthians 13:5 esv). Christ, ruling and reigning in the heart, was a total necessity for the early believers. A transformed life is an undisputable evidence that Christ is ruling within you. Continue to open the door to Christ daily, until you see the evidence of his reign! Then keep inviting him into each situation of your life, and allow the steady peace of Christ to rule in your heart. (see also Ephesians 3:16-19, John 15:4-5, Galatians 2:20, John 17:25-26, Colossians 1:27,28, John 14:23, Romans 8:9-11). Christ Moves You to Love What is the result when Christ is ruling and reigning in your heart? There is peace - the peace of Christ that rules in your heart. There is also love - the love of Christ that grows and rules within you. With the love of Christ flowing within you, you love others. This love propels you outward, to love the hurting and needy. It is the same love that moved Jesus, when he looked out on the multitudes of needy people: When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. (Matt.9:39 ESV). As a result of this love Jesus taught them many things (Mark 6:34), healed the sick (Matt.14:14), and fed the hungry (Mark 8:2-8). He was moved with compassion. He put his love into action. This is a test of the genuineness of the rule of Christ in your heart: are you loving other people, forgiving those who wrong you, and helping the needy?
Posted on: Tue, 06 Jan 2015 06:19:40 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015