Becoming the All-Inclusive Spirit for Us to Apply (3)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Bible Verses (RcV) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Colossians 2:23  Such things indeed have a reputation of 
wisdom in self-imposed worship and lowliness and severe 
treatment of the body, but are not of any value against the 
indulgence of the flesh.
Romans 8:13  For if you live according to the flesh, you 
must die, but if by the Spirit  you put to death the 
practices of the body, you will live.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Words of Ministry ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 
In our daily Christian experience we need to know the 
difference between practicing asceticism and taking the way 
of the cross. To take the cross is certainly not to cause 
ourselves to suffer in some way. In my early years as a 
Christian, I appreciated the book, The Imitation of Christ. 
Eventually I learned that a great deal of what that book 
advocates is actually asceticism.

If we would apply the cross of Christ, we need to open 
ourselves to the Spirit, contact the Spirit, and allow the 
Spirit to have a free way within us. When we speak of 
applying the cross to our situation, we need to have the 
proper understanding. We need to realize that the 
effectiveness of the death of Christ is in the all-inclusive 
Spirit. The reality of the cross of Christ is in the Spirit. 
Thus, if we open to the Spirit and allow the Spirit to move 
freely within us, He will flow within us. This inward 
flowing will bring to us the effectiveness of the death of 
Christ. Moreover, this application of Christ's death will 
bring Christ Himself in resurrection. Then, as those who 
have died with Christ, we shall live with Him in 
resurrection. It is here that Christ becomes our life in a 
practical way. We have died with Christ on the cross, and we 
have been raised up together with Christ. Now, in 
resurrection, we have Christ as our life. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A Prayer ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Lord Jesus, save me from practicing asceticism. I want to 
know the true experience of Your cross. I give Your Spirit a 
free way to flow and move in me. Grant me the experience 
today of the effectiveness of death that I may live You in 
resurrection. Amen. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Bible verses are taken from the Recovery Version of the 
Bible (RcV) and Words of Ministry, from Witness Lee, Life-
study of Colossians, pp. 224.  Both are published by 
Living Stream Ministry, Anaheim, CA.

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