Salvation comes through the Grace of God, although this is not the end but the beginning of our walk with God. Once we are weaned off "the milk" and eating some solid food, meat and bread, there will be work to be done.
Philippians 2:12-15 Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.
For it is God which worketh in you both to WILL and to DO of His good pleasure. Do all things without murmurings and disputings:
That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;
1 Peter 4:18 And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?
As we read, it is not without effort on our part if we are scarcely be saved. This "effort" lies in surrendering to the Holy Spirit. Nevertheless the "work" we do in our own life should be done in the power of the Holy Spirit, not in our own strength, or it would be worthless in God's eyes, and we would not benefit by it. Here comes in the denying of self, as Jesus says Himself.
Mark 8:34b Whosoever will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.
Matthew 10:38 And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after Me, is not worthy of Me.
Without the infilling of the Holy Spirit and His Gifts, one would work in his/her own strength.
I did not mention working in our own strength and through our own understanding, motivations,
WHAT IS IT THAT GOD WORKETH??? "God which worketh in you both to WILL and to DO". There you go... TO WILL AND TO DO!!!!
This leaves something for us to DO.
We are fellow labourers/coworkers together with God, according to 1 Corinthions 3:9
This puts part of the responsibility on the child of God. Not that we should, but because we want to be partakers in His work, in our own life first and then as servants in the lives of others.
Ephesians 6:11... Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
The above scriptures require "action".
Always back up your "argument" with the God's word.
As a follower of Christ, who must understand that we are NOT Christ, but Christ living IN us. What God's word tells us is that we need to stay in Christ. Following HIM is action on our part, ANOTHER thing we need to do.
Jesus says, Not they who say LORD, LORD, but who DO the will of my Father.
Since I love God, I WANT to do according to His word, by submitting myself unto the Holy Spirit through whom I (denying the old flesh) crucify the old nature, as Jesus teaches.
Nobody on this earth, has passed this stage of denying the flesh, since we are still living in a non-glorified body. Temptations come daily our way, and we need to react either way. Sin is not done away with, since satan is still the prince of this world we live in. The secret is to live pleasing unto God, through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, applying the spiritual Gifts and allowing the Fruit of the Spirit to come forth. 1 Corinthians Chapters 12-14
Some people try to do this differently than the Bible teaches and the such will run aground eventually. Others seem to have skipped a part, thinking that "perfect" has entered already. The such will soon discover that it is different and that they need to battle in the heavenly region applying the armour of God, according to Ephesians 6:13, submitting themselves unto the Holiest of Holy.
Some who're going another route, do not believe what Paul preached concerning the infilling of the Holy Spirit, His Gifts and Fruit.
To live in His perfect will, children of God need to live by Faith in God, have the Holy Spirit within them, with the Gifts and Fruit of the Holy Spirit active in their lives. This is the only way we can please the Father, answer His call, live in harmony according to His word, and be conquerors. Any worldliness has to disappear through His power within.
Many are lacking the infilling of the Holy Spirit, which is crucial in our lives, and thus overlook the active part which God requires, even don't recognize the worldliness they are involved with in their daily lives.
Entering into His rest is no effort on my part other than to TOTALLY SUBMIT unto the Holy Spirit and His working, which manifests itself in the Ministry God has called me to do. This "rest" does not mean sitting back with arms crossed, gazing in the "nowhere".
To do the works of God... IS SUBMITTING UNTO THE HOLY SPIRIT, and that includes submitting everything!
Maintenance work needs to be done indeed... through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit (as I mentioned), and submission unto the Holy Spirit, WHO IS GOD ALSO. The Gifts and the Fruit of the Holy Spirit become visible through dedication to Him and by the desire to attain these, according to what Paul teaches. He even states to SEEK the Gifts, which is also what we have to do ourselves.
Hopefully, I have made it clear, that followers of Christ do not smoothly float into heaven, and that following Christ is far from effortless. It is an ongoing battle against the enemy of our soul, the old nature within, and maintaining our dedication unto God; abiding in His word and our submission unto His will.
All the battles will be over, once we are in the Promised Land and satan and his followers have been dealt with.
HALLELUJAH!
Move and live through the Holy Spirit, at His prompting.
Be blessed in the Lord, receive His insight in His word and live the life of Overcomers.
Revelation 3:5... He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments and I will not blot out his name from the Book of life, but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.
In the service of the Most High,
Minister Dr. Trudy Veerman
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