growth of new self

Living From Our New Self – Part 2

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Last week we described the new self. Your new self wants healthy, loving relationships, especially a union of love with God. Your new self has an aversion to corruption and is open to conviction of sin. I believe this was John’s point when he said: “no one who is born of God will continue to sin” (1 John 3:9, ESV). Your new self wants to know God better and is disappointed when you sin. If you continually embrace these new desires and reject opposing desires, then your new self will mature and dominate.   You can enlarge the influence of your new self by taking a few moments, especially in solitude, to “put on” your new self. Following is a guide for this. You might also use this for challenging situations. Exercise – Living From the New Self Find a place of solitude and silence. Let the concerns of the Continue Reading →

Weekly words of encouragement

You Were Wonderfully Made To Fulfill High Callings – Weekly Words Of Encouragement

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For you formed my inward parts;you knitted me together in my mother’s womb.I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Psalms 139:13-14 (ESV) When God created the world, it was not his intention to govern the world by himself, or even with his angels. It was not his desire to control everything that happened on earth. He gave humans the dignity and honor of being his governors over the earth. This is what the author of Hebrews is getting at when he quotes from Psalm 8: What is man, that you are mindful of him, or the son of man, that you care for him? You made him for a little while lower than the angels; you have crowned him with glory and honor, putting everything in subjection under his feet. Hebrews 2:6-8 (ESV) He called humans to be fruitful, rule over the earth, develop it and protect Continue Reading →

growth of new self

Living From Our New Self – Part 1

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When we first believe God does not patch up or remodel our old self; instead, he gives us a new self, made in his image, and that new self overcomes the old self as we abide in Christ. Yet, he does not wipe out our core personality and gifts, rather they are all redesigned within the image of our new self. It is a mystery as to how God preserves these parts of us yet also creates a new self in which these parts will develop. Our new self desires what is good and desires to participate in what is good. When our new self sees good it recognizes it as beautiful and so is drawn to it. Our new self is good because it reflects God and has the same human nature that Jesus has: Jesus’ human nature and our new human nature are both created in the image Continue Reading →

Weekly words of encouragement

God Is With You – Weekly Words Of Encouragement

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If I go up to heaven, you are there;if I go down to the grave, you are there.If I ride the wings of the morning,if I dwell by the farthest oceans,even there your hand will guide me,and your strength will support me. Psalms 139:8-10 (NIV) No matter what situation we are in, Yahweh is there with us. It may feel like he isn’t there, and we may be unable to see his influence because of all the distress, but he is with us and supports us. No matter how high from the earth we travel, even to another galaxy, he is there. Even if we descend to the place of the dead he is there. If we were to ride the morning sunbeams to the far east, he would be there. If we moved far west beyond the ocean, he would be there. We prefer to see things with our Continue Reading →

anxiety

Anxiety Awareness Helps Us Develop Faith

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Anxiety is epidemic in many societies; faith is the antidote to anxiety. When we connect to God’s reality all other circumstances lose their control over us and peace guards our hearts. Our faith grows as we become aware of our fears, face them, and disarm them by letting God be in control and trusting him to help us deal with the results. Even when we feel fear we need to choose faith. The recipe for peace is to “cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you” (1 Pet. 5:7, NIV). Since anxiety is an excellent indicator of weak faith it is helpful to develop the habit of becoming aware of our anxieties then learning to defeat the unbelief behind them. Below is an exercise to develop this habit. Guide to Anxiety Awareness For one week make a written note every time you feel anxious about something. Some Continue Reading →