Texas Skies

Julia here.

After a lifetime in the "church," here's what I'm just now learning:

As believers, we have what we need. By definition, the regenerated Christian has the Spirit (Acts 2:38, Romans 8:9).

We don't have to ask for love, joy, peace, patience, or any other of the fruit of the Spirit, because we were given the Spirit when we were regenerated. We already possess these things through the Spirit who was poured into our hearts (Rom 5:5). The only thing we are told to ask for is wisdom (James 1:5-8).  

I'm just learning these things, and I'm thinking there may be others who have followed a similar path. So I share. I'm learning to walk in the Spirit, to CLAIM these benefits as His adopted child. To live what I say I believe. I have been removed from the category of "condemned sinner" to "new creation."  For years I would whine, bemoaning that fact that I still sin. But now I try to focus on the benefits of being a regenerated child of the Father who gives us, by His power, everything we need for life and godliness. We can, and should, exercise our wills to plug into the power that is ALREADY ours. (1 John 2:1; Colossians 1:9-14, 19-23; Colossians 3:1-4; Galatians 5:16).  It is a choice. I can listen to the lies of the Enemy, who wants to render me ineffective and unfruitful as I wallow in defeat. Or I can tell myself the truth about who YHWH and Christ are, who I am in Christ, and what benefits I possess as an adopted child, and what responsibilities fall to me as Christ's ambassadress. Which do you think glorifies and pleases our Creator?

"I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." Galatians 2:20.                      

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come." 2 Corinthians 5:17

We. Don't. Have. To. Sin.                                       

One of the keys to succes in that realm is: to "let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord." Colossians 2:20