Word for Today, Thu, 24 Jul 2003: His Nature and Our Motives
Posted by: masinick <masinick@...>
When I examine my own motives, apart from Christ, even though
I'd much prefer that everything about me is right and pure, I
find myself wanting and lacking. I've found that I must give up
my own ideas, thoughts, hidden agendas, and give them over to
Christ.
Oswald Chambers clearly articulates the nature, characteristics,
and motives of a true follower of Jesus Christ. He notes that
Christ Himself gives us His nature, and in so doing, saves us.
Dear Lord,
I appreciate the resources You have given us and the way in
which You are always available Thank You for making both Your
Word and Your salvation accessible to me. Amen.
Your Brother in Christ,
Brian
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July 24
His Nature and Our Motives
... unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the
scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of
heaven --Matthew 5:20
The characteristic of a disciple is not that he does good
things, but that he is good in his motives, having been made
good by the supernatural grace of God. The only thing that
exceeds right-doing is right-being. Jesus Christ came to place
within anyone who would let Him a new heredity that would have a
righteousness exceeding that of the scribes and Pharisees. Jesus
is saying, "If you are My disciple, you must be right not only
in your actions, but also in your motives, your aspirations, and
in the deep recesses of the thoughts of your mind." Your motives
must be so pure that God Almighty can see nothing to rebuke. Who
can stand in the eternal light of God and have nothing for Him
to rebuke? Only the Son of God, and Jesus Christ claims that
through His redemption He can place within anyone His own nature
and make that person as pure and as simple as a child. The
purity that God demands is impossible unless I can be remade
within, and that is exactly what Jesus has undertaken to do
through His redemption.
No one can make himself pure by obeying laws. Jesus Christ does
not give us rules and regulations--He gives us His teachings
which are truths that can only be interpreted by His nature
which He places within us. The great wonder of Jesus Christ's
salvation is that He changes our heredity. He does not change
human nature--He changes its source, and thereby its motives as
well.
Oswald Chambers was born in Scotland and spent much of his
boyhood there. His ministry of teaching and preaching took him
for a time to the United States and Japan. The last six years of
his life were spent as principal of the Bible Training College
in London, and as a chaplain to the British Commonwealth troops
in Egypt during World War I. After his death, the books which
bear his name were compiled by his wife from her own verbatim
shorthand notes of his talks.
http://www.gospelcom.net/rbc/utmost/
Authorized By The Oswald Chambers Publications Association, Ltd.
My Utmost for His Highest Daily Devotional is provided by RBC
Ministries
=====
--
Brian Masinick, mailto:masinick@yahoo.com
Home page: http://www.geocities.com/masinick/
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