The Daily Word of Righteousness

Ephesians 2:8,9, continued

A day of darkness and of gloominess, a day of clouds and of thick darkness, as the morning spread upon the mountains: a great people and a strong; there hath not been ever the like, neither shall be any more after it, even to the years of many generations. (Joel 2:2)

The Apostle Paul spoke of striving to grasp that for which he has been grasped.

First we are grasped for something already prepared. Then we must leave all and seek to grasp that for which we have been grasped.

God's whole intention in the Church is to have an instrument through which He can reveal righteousness and praise to the saved nations of the earth, not an imputed righteousness of course but an actual righteousness of thought, word, and deed.

How do we attain such moral image and union with God?

Only by keeping the commandments of Christ and His Apostles. We keep these commandments by the wisdom and power of the Spirit of God working in us.

As we keep the commandments of the New Testament, Christ is formed in us. It is the forming of Christ in us that is the new covenant.

As we keep His commandments diligently the Day Star rises in our heart, the very Presence of Christ that heralds the new day of everlasting righteousness.

We are brought into this marvelous glory by the gracious gift of God to us. It is nothing we earn by striving to improve ourselves by our own self-control, wisdom and strength.

The transformation of our personality depends on our holding our faith, our hope, our trust in God. Satan does not have the power to prevent our achieving all God has prepared for us. But he is very skillful at deceiving us until we lose our faith and confidence in God and lapse into sin.

We must always pray that God will lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.

It is not from ourselves that such an operation is performed, it is the gift of God to us, the gift of eternal, incorruptible, Divine Life.

There is no boasting involved because all is of God from beginning to end. He is Alpha and Omega, the author and finisher of our faith.

There are places of righteousness, holiness, obedience to God, authority, power, responsibility, closeness to God, prepared for the saints. We did not conceive of these; we are not able even to imagine them. All is of God. The recipients are God's elect, chosen from the foundation of the world.

All is working according to the foreknowledge of God, for He has chosen the brothers of Jesus Christ from the beginning and is transforming them into His image.

The Kingdom of God is God in Christ in the saints coming down to the earth to be Divine Life and Divine Light for the saved nations. We don't want to miss our calling by yielding to the world, our flesh, Satan, and our self-will and personal ambition.

Let's let God prepare us to ride in the army of the Lord. It is soon to invade the earth with the Faithful and True One at its head.

A great people and a strong. Do you want to be one of them? You can if this is what you desire above all else.

Tell the Lord Jesus about your desire right now. (from Ephesians 2:8,9)