Notes and Thoughts from my Bible Study this morning.
This morning I focused on what it means to be crucified with Christ.
"I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." Galatians 2:20
So, what does the term, "crucified with Christ" mean?
"It means that you identify with Him in His death in such a way, that you allow Him to live through you. You don't walk your own path. You walk the path of the cross and allow the Spirit of christ to live through you." -Beth Moore
Things to keep in mind about living a life that is crucified with Christ:
**Few will understand your desire to live a life where you put to death your own fleshly desires and wills.**
**You yourself will have to abandon your own will and agenda.**
**Jesus had negative feelings toward his upcoming crucifixion. But He knew the peace and the joy that would come from it.**
Hebrews 12:2 "looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."
**We too know that God has our best interest at hand. He has amazing things planned for us. So, why not go His route instead of our own?
"The Spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak." Matthew 26:41
"...'Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him." 1 corinthians 2:9**
**Your intimate spiritual companions will be few.**
"Those with whom you can pray deeply and agonize spiritually are unique, indeed! Be thankful for them!" -Beth Moore
**Intense times of aloneness with God are required.**
"In the midst of your deepest difficulties, have you ever looked around and thought, "Where is everybody?" Sometimes God reserves the right to withhold others and the pull you aside with Him." -Beth Moore
In 1 Samuel 30:6, "David found strength in the Lord his God."
**You must leave your comfort zone.**
Look at what Jesus did, even before being up on the cross. He endured mockeries and beatings. He stood there and took it. Although He is full of sincere and genuine love and undeserving of such treatment. Even though He is the highest of high, he was treated like He was the lowest of lows. And he took it. He took it all for us.
**You must forego your rights!!!**
"You have many rights of your own. You may have the right to be angry, the right to be bitter, the right to leave your husband or give up on your wayward teenager. But to be crucified with Christ means that you volunteer to forego all your personal rights except one: your right as a believer to be filled and led by the Spirit of Christ who dwells within you." -Beth Moore
When your rights are difficult to set aside, surrender them to Christ. "Ask him to replace them with a supernatural work of the Spirit: with healing, with power, with wisdom!" -
Beth Moore
"At times, to choose the will of God over our own is excruciating. We love our flesh and it hurts to have its desires crucified!"
-Beth Moore
There will always be temporary and worldly fixes to our pain, to the hard things we are dealing with. But if they don't lead us toward God and His will for us, than they really are just temporary fixes. They help us when we are living in the now. But in the long run, they will only hurt us more. That's why we need to lay it all down at God's feet and watch for Him to work through our pain with us and bring us to joy.
When we live our life for Christ, we can identify in a way with Him. But one major difference, is that Christ actually felt a separation from God during His crucifixion. That is one thing we as believers will never experience. We will never feel that separation from our Father. We will NEVER BE FORSAKEN.
"...."My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?" Matthew 27:46
"For I am persuaded that neither death/nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8:38-39
"...For He Himself has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you." Hebrews 13:5
Today, focus completely on God. Surrender completely to Him. Don't focus on "me, me, me." Whether you can justify being impatient, while you may feel you deserve to be angry today, put those feelings and rights aside. And let the Spirit work in you.
Know that God's plan and His will is all you need. Be led today by the spirit.
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