We have died to sin,
How can we continue to live in it?
When we were joined with Christ Jesus in baptism,
We joined Him in His death!
We died and were buried with Christ by baptism!
Just as Christ was raised from the dead
By the glorious power of the Father,
Now by that same power
We may live and behave in newness of life!
Romans 6:2-4 NLT
And we pray that you may live a life worthy of the Lord (Colossians 1:10a TLB), Who descended from the heights of heaven into the depths, the lower parts of the earth that He, His presence, might fill all things – the whole universe, from the lowest to the highest (Ephesians 4:9-10 AMP).
Just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth (Matthew 12:40). So the body of Christ would grow constantly in strength, for each of them is invited to meet with the Lord in Zion (Psalm 84:7 TLB).
So we pray that you may please the Lord in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to His glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully give thanks to the Father, Who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the Kingdom of Light. For He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son He loves, in Whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins (Colossians 1:10-14).
That we may behold how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! (Psalm 133:1 AMP). That we may truly understand Jesus has given us the glory God gave Him – the glorious unity of being one, as He and the Father are One – Christ in us and God in Him. All of the body of Christ being perfected into one – so the world will know God sent His Son and will understand the Father loves us as much as He loves Christ Jesus (John 17:22-23 TLB).
So I beg you to live and act in a way worthy of those who have been chosen for the wonderful blessings God bestows. Be humble and gentle and kind, being at peace with one another. For we all are parts of one Body, we have the same Spirit, and we have all been called to the same glorious future (Ephesians 4:5-7 TLB).
Future glory, honor, splendor and heavenly bliss! Present grace and favor all bestowed by the Lord, Who is a Sun and Shield! No good thing will He withhold from those (Psalm 84:11 AMP) who worship the Father in Spirit and Truth (John 4:23).
O Lord of Hosts, blessed, happy, fortunate, to be envied are the people who trust in You! Leaning on and believing in You! Committing all and confidently looking to You without fear or misgiving! (Psalm 84:12 AMP). Who confess and praise the Lord’s great name, awesome and reverence inspiring! (Psalm 99:3 AMP). For the Son of God, Christ Jesus, had to learn from experience what is was like to obey when obeying meant suffering (Hebrews 5:8 TLB) so the world would know there is only one faith, one baptism, one Lord (Ephesians 4:5 TLB).
To gain the victory for this amazing achievement Christ endured such agony of spirit that He broke into a sweat of blood, with great drops falling to the ground as He prayed more and more earnestly (Luke 22:44 TLB) for the strength to be proven perfect in this horrendous experience, and become the Giver of eternal salvation to all who obey Him (Hebrews 5:8-9 TLB). To all who believe we have the same God and Father, Who is over us all and in us all, and living through every part of us (Ephesians 4:6 TLB).
Jesus endured such horrid suffering so God’s glorious free gift of Holy Spirit could be bestowed and poured out! (Acts 10:45). So God could make His people strong! So God could give His people peace! That we would stand at attention, in awe before the glory, in awe before God’s visible power (Psalm 29:2,11 Message).
Equipping His people to do better work for Him, building up the body of Christ to a position of strength and maturity; until finally we all believe alike about our salvation and about our Savior, God’s Son, and all become full-grown in the Lord – to the point of being filled full with Christ.
No longer like children, forever swayed by the winds of circumstance. Changing our minds about what we believe because someone makes a lie sound like the truth. Instead, we will lovingly follow the Truth at all times to become more and more like Christ, Who is the Head of His body, the Church.
Therefore, let us no longer live as the unsaved do, for they are blinded and confused. Their closed hearts are full of darkness. They are far away from the life of God because they shut their minds against Him and cannot understand His ways. They don’t care anymore about right and wrong and have given themselves over to impure ways.
This is not the way of Christ’s teachings! If you have really heard His voice and learned from Him the truths concerning Himself, throw off your old nature. The old you that partnered with the enemy in your evil ways. Your attitudes and thoughts must be constantly changing for the glory of God (Ephesians 4: 12-22 TLB).
Who sent His Word to become flesh and make His dwelling among us!
The glory of the One and Only, Who came from the Father,
Full of grace and truth!
John 1:14