Continuing with the last post, in order for God to direct us in the path that will take us to the fulfillment of His assignment for us on earth has to demolish those things that we have edified, but won't help us walk in the character necessary to endure and remain in the place of our destiny because we are human beings that love to edify things or people in our minds and in our hearts.
This character trait is the character of Christ that teaches us to worship Him, the Most High God and love and honor others as we love ourselves. In this process, God takes us to different dimensions of discovering who He is and who we are, so that the things we have edified in our minds and in our hearts that were contrary to His word will crumble with the shaking as we go through trials that He allows to shake the wickedness (twisting in our thinking and believing) out of us.
Hebreos 12:27 explains to us the reason why,
"This means that all of creation will be shaken and removed, so that only unshakable things will remain." NLT
It certainly does not feel good to have those things that we have trusted in and relied on for so many years shaken. As I have mentioned in previous posts, these shakings are necessary for us to know to trust in the Lord and in the power of His might that can lead us through the path He has predestined for us. In Philippians 3:10 Paul said that he wanted to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. Paul understood the importance of suffering with Christ, sharing in his death, so that one way or another he would experience the resurrection from the dead!
Verses 12 to 14 explain that although Paul was aware of his imperfection, he had chosen to reach that perfection, pressing forward to possess it because Christ had possessed him first. His decision to press toward what lied ahead for him so he could finish the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God through Christ Jesus had called him was his main focus. This caused him to endure the trials and prepare for his goal in season and out of season. No matter what circumstances Paul had to go through, he understood the purpose of those circumstances and yielded completely to the lordship of Christ in his life and surrendered his wants and desires and exchanged them for Christ’s wants and desires for him.
The perfection spoken of in this passage is explained in 1 Corinthians 13, also known as “the love chapter.” It says, 4 Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud 5 or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. 6 It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. 7 Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. NLT
Because of the way Paul was being refined like gold, it changed his perspective on things, and this way he could see the way God was moving in his life to turn him into the vessel that he could move through in a mighty way to save His people. The love of God for His people is what motivates Him to save the lost and deliver the outcast and oppressed, so He can receive the glory and the worship due His Name. I hope this post explains that God moves in us in the same way He moved in and through Paul to turn us into the laborers that can go in the fields and harvest the ripened crops of souls longing for a Savior and Redeemer. Then they can see Christ in us, the hope of glory. To Him alone be all the glory.
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