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Volume 9 ... #19
We Are God's Workmanship
All those problems that we are born into in our natural families are simply opportunities for God to use as HE recreates us into the image of Christ.
God won't get it wrong.
Eph. 2 ... 1 And you hath HE quickened (made alive), who were dead in trespasses and sins; 2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.
4 But God, who is rich in mercy, for HIS great love wherewith HE loved us, 5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us (made us alive) together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) 6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:7 That in the ages to come HE might shew the exceeding riches of HIS grace in HIS kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
10 For we are HIS workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
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We once tried to exalt ourselves in various ways ... school achievements, sports, physical appearance
Then along the way, God brought various concepts and scripture to our minds and changed us from what the nature of man does.
Phil. 2 ... 5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: 6 WHO, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: 7 But made HIMSELF of no reputation,
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All the ways of the natural man are opposite to the way of God. It is natural to seek revenge. At some point, God showed us another way to go and we were changed, recreated by God by that which God showed us.
It is natural to hate. God taught us to love instead.
Over and over, we are recreated by God ... we are God's workmanship, created in HIM ... a new creation...
The flesh never improves and it is just waiting in us to rise up and do what it wants to do but now we know we have power over our flesh through God and HIS Spirit which dwells in us.
We do not have to yield to hatred and spite and envy and revenge, all works of the flesh.
We can turn to God in prayer and ask God to help us, asking God not to let us say that which our flesh wants to say ... asking God not to let us do that which our flesh wants to do ...
When I have turned to God this way, HE has always helped me! Never once has God failed to help me when I have turned to HIM. God always stops me from yielding to my flesh when I turn to God and ask HIM to help me.
Therefore, we are God's workmanship, created by God through the Spirit of God which HE has given us.
II Cor. 5 ... 17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. 18 And all things are of God, WHO hath reconciled us to HIMSELF by Jesus Christ (the WORD)
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