In Christ, We Rise Above Our Raising

Some of us are blessed with the best of parents.


Some of us are unfortunate enough to have endured abusive or distant parents.


Some of us may never have known our parents.


No matter how diligent or painstaking our parents may have been in rearing or raising us, we must all eventually rise above our raising.

In fact, through Christ, we are adopted into the best family:

"But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:

"Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God." (John 1: 12-13)

Jesus confirmed the new family status of His followers when He revealed Himself to Mary:

"Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God." (John 20: 17)

Because of the Holy Spirit within us, we have forevermore the certainty within us of whose we are:

"For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.

For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father." (Romans 8: 14-15)


We no longer  depend on the learnings and lessons of our elders:

"Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith." (Galatians 3:24)


The Holy Spirit supplies us with all the direction that we need:

"Ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things." 1 John 2:20)


John later writes:


"But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him." (1 John 2:27)


Jesus never despised his parents, but He did have to remind them not just who He was, but whose He was:


"And he said unto them, How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I must be about my Father's business?" (Luke 2:49)


In now wise should we feel that we are betraying our Lord when we attach our calling, our very lives, to Him at the expense of our parents:


"And he answered and said unto them, My mother and my brethren are these which hear the word of God, and do it." (Luke 8:21)


Later, Jesus gives a more caustic calling:


"If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple." (Luke 14:26)


Of course, the exhortation here is to love everyone with the love that God gives us through the Holy Spirit, forever breaking away the old, fleshly attachments to our parents and relatives.


We are called even to excel above Christ Himself in the works that believers will do by faith:


"Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father." (John 14:12)


How is this possible? We are made to rise not just above our human raising, but raised with Christ Himself!:


"Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead." (Colossians 2:12)


We are risen with Christ, those who believe on Him. We sit in heavenly places with Christ, in the place of highest honor, at the right hand of God our Father: (Ephesians 2: 4-6)


There is no better reason to rise above one's raising!

Love Unconquerable that Conquers all Fear

In the past, I used to fear a lot. I would get so worked up, sometimes for no apparent reason.

A friend of mine reminded me of an important scripture:

"For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind." (2 Timothy 1:7)

Fine. that made sense to me. Whatever I was afraid of, that fear was not of God. No longer would I focus on trying to explain away a specific fear, but determine within myself not to be afraid.

Yet even that was not enough. I knew that the fear was baseless, but the knowledge of this fact did not drive fear away.

Then I read in 1John 4:18:

"There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love."

When I first read this passage, I thought that as long as I loved perfectly, then I would not be afraid.

But I cannot love perfectly. Only God is good.

The answer to this problem lies in the next verse:

"We love him, because he first loved us." (1 John 4:19) This verse literally communicates, "We love because he first loved us."

We cannot love without His first loving us! He loves us, and by His love we can therefore love others.

And His love is perfect.

"And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.

"Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world."

How can we have boldness? Through the death of His Son Jesus Christ, who died for our sins, that we would be made the righteousness of God, forever reconciled to His Father and now our Father.

Perfect Love God, having sent His son to die for us. Perfect love is not something that we do, but rather something that we receive by faith ( cf Ephesians 2:8)

When I looked over the events in my life, when I was afraid, I had thought that He was not there for me.

Scripture has made it abundantly clear that God does not abandon us:

"Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee." (Isaiah 49:15)

and

" He hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee." (Hebrews 13:5)

Then what was the problem? I did not believe that God loved me, passionately and unconditionally.

Yet if there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, in whom I am made the righteousness of God, then I have nothing to fear!

When I believe on His word, that He loves me, that He lives in me, and that He will never leave me, then I am forever relieved, receiving His grace with all the fruits of the Spirit, and through me He achieves all things.

Therefore, by His love, in Him Himself, I can boldly declare:

"I am more than a conqueror through him that loved me!" (Romans 8:37)

Feeling Dirty? Remember Who You Are in Christ

If we feel down and dirty, condemned and guilty, then we must renew our minds (Romans 12: 2) to the truth of who we are. We are dead to our former selves, and now made alive in Christ:

"But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,

"Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)

"And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:" (Ephesians 2: 4-6)

If we need any further confirmation of our new identity in Christ, then look no further:
"And ye are Christ's; and Christ is God's." (1 Corinthians 3: 23)

and

"For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God." (Colossians 3: 3)

and

"But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ." (Ephesians 2: 13)

Above all, if you are feeling dirty or down, condemned or guilty, remember who you are in Christ, and that you will be like Him:

"Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.

"Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.

"And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure." (1 John 3: 1-3)

You and I, we are children of God through Christ (Galatians 3: 29); nothing can remove us from His hand (Isaiah 49: 16)

Remember that you will be like Jesus in every way. Remembering who you are, that will purify you, cleanse you, remind you of who you really are --- not you errant thoughts, not your aberrant feelings, but:

"As he is, so are we [so are you!] in this world." (1 John 4: 17)

Feeling Afraid? You Do Not Have to Do Anything About It

I cannot get enough of 1 John 4: 18 :

"There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love." (1 John 4: 18)
How do we know and believe that we have this perfect love? John answers that question beforehand:

"Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world." (1 John 4: 17)

Our new identity is in Christ. We are spirit before God, and the resurrection, God will grant us a new body:

"Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself." (Philippians 3: 21)

When God the Father sees us, He sees His Son, He sees His beloved, in whom we have been accepted (Ephesians 1: 6). Therefore, we can stand before God in full favor.

Yet the fear matter may still assaults us. I know that I am not afraid in my spirit. I know that this fear is not from God. I know that this fear is a lie. But the fears still come.

Then I received the greatest revelation yet. The fear that became ultimately manifest was the burden that I had to do something about the fear, that the fear was a signal that my love was not perfect. Yet it has never been my love, but rather it is God's perfected love which casts out all fear!

If we feel afraid, we just have to remind ourselves -- renew our minds (Romans 12:2) -- to the truth that God's love is perfected in us. His work is done. His love is made manifest in our lives, shed abroad in our hearts by His Spirit (Romans 5: 5) We do not have to repeat it to ourselves to prove it or to make it real. Fear brings with it a sense of torment, a sense that "something must be done" to make right something that "feels" wrong. Yet Jesus did not cry "It is Finished!" (John 19: 30) on the Cross for nothing.

If you feel afraid, that is a mere lie which may tempt you to do something or say something in order not to feel afraid. Instead of struggling with the fears in your flesh, rest in the truth of God's perfected love in your spirit.

Moreover, this perfect love in us casts out -- present tense, right now, all fear. We do not have to do anything but believe and receive that His perfect love is in us, through us, and for us, and that we do not need to add anything to it!

Fear is a Spirit -- But Not Yours!

One of my favorite verses in the Bible is 1 John 4: 18 :

"There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love." (1 John 4: 18)

If we fear for any reason, it is because we are apprehensive about punishment in our lives, and that's why fear has torment.

Yet for the believer, we have no reason to fear punishment:

"Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." (Romans 8: 1, New American Standard Bible )

In fact, God has already exhausted all of his wrath against our sin upon His Son:

"And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world." (1 John 2: 2)

and later

"Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins." (1 John 4: 10)

So, then why do we still "feel" fear? The element of feeling is the part we must respond to. Every human being is spirit, soul, and body (1 Thessalonians 5: 23).

In our spirit, we are resurrected, brought back from the dead. Paul prayed that the Ephesians believers would receive a greater revelation of this truth:

"That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:

"The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,

"And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power,

"Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places," (Ephesians 1: 17-20)

We need to accept that we are not our feelings, and we are certainly far more than the negative thoughts which hit our minds from time to time:

Now, fear is a spirit, andone which God has not given us:

"For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind." (2 Timothy 1: 7)

If fear is a spirit, and not from God, then we must respond with spirit, with God's Word (John 6: 63). Because we are called to let the Word of God richly dwell in us (Colossians 3: 16).

More importantly, God has given -- already has given us! -- a spirit of power and love! We already have God's perfect love in us!

Feeling Down? Look Up and See Where and Who You Really Are!

If we are down, dwelling on the fallen earth instead of our risen state, then we must renew our minds and we must remember now and forever who we are and where we are:

"If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God." (Colossians 3: 1)

We are called to bring every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ (2 Corinthians 10: 5). Christ's obedience was not just at the Cross, dying for our sins, but by His active obedience He sits at the right hand of the Father, representing us, both making intercession and justifying us before the Father (Romans 8: 33-34), that we may be made now and forever the righteousness of God in Christ (2 Corinthians 5: 21)

Yet not only does Christ justify us, we are up there seated at the right hand of the Father:

"But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,

"Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)

"And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:" (Ephesians 2: 4-6)

When we set our eyes on things which are above, we must bring to remembrance that we are seated up there, too, in Christ, receiving the Father's love, blessings, and favor. For this reason, John could write:

"Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world." (1 John 4: 4)

And of course:

"Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world." (1 John 4: 17)

When we meditate on who we are in Christ, we find that we can walk as He walked, for it is He who lives within us (Galatians 2: 20) and who works in us both to will and to do His good pleasure (Philippians 2: 13)

How To See Who We Really Are

In yesterday's section, I wrote that when we get down, we need to look up and see Christ seated at the right hand of the Father, who ministers for us and as us.

Of course, living in this fallen, we can become easily discouraged or distracted by the fallen things, the empty fears, the shocks and difficulties of this world.

James provides the quick antidote when we start feeling down:

"My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;

"Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.

"But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing." (James 1: 2-4)

Some may also be asking: "How am I supposed to "set my eyes on things above?"

Paul provides the answer in his Epistle to the Ephesians:

"[I pray that] the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:

"The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,

"And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power," (Ephesians 1: 17-19)

We ask God to open the eyes of our understanding, our inner intellect. We can do this simply by asking for wisdom:

"If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him." (James 1: 5)

We are also transformed by the renewing of our mind (Romans 12: 2), which we accomplish as we read and meditate on His Word:

"Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.

"But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord." (2 Corinthians 3: 17-18)

God's Word is Spirit and Life (John 6: 63), and the Holy Spirit who dwells in us lead us into all knowledge:

"Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.

"He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.

"All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you." (John 16: 13-15)

The Holy Spirit within us transforms, and through God's Word we grow in grace and knowledge of the Lord. Through the Comforter who lives and dwells in every believer, we begin to see who we reallly are, just like Christ in this world.