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Note to self:
Return to Christ.
Remember the Cross.
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When we’re steadfast in the truth of our salvation, when we hold Christ at our core, we are positioned in His righteousness. In this right posture, our hearts are trained to turn to God – to see His grace to us in Christ – His love, His life, His light. We see more of God’s heart and trust more in His sovereignty, power and goodness. In this place we seek His face before any other. We desire to delight in Him than indulge in the idols and lusts of our sinful natures, our fleshly desires. We hold Christ in such regard that he holds our core, an axis of hope.
“For by grace you have been saved through faith.
And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God” – Eph.2:8
But we also can stumble from the truth of our salvation, when we slip from a Christ-centred mindset to one that sits slightly to the side, unhinged from the hope we have in Christ. Here, though Christ is still close in the heart, the heart is turned. Here sin starts to lead the self astray as faith slips away. Here we sit and struggle to grasp what God’s grace truly means for us in each moment. Here we try to live by our own righteousness, try to centre ourselves in self and control, instead of trusting in the redemption of Christ’ righteousness and the Father’s hand and Spirit’s work in it all. Here we commit adultery, as we allow our heart to be filled with a love that is other than the agape love of our Abba Father. Here we mistake other powers to hold weight against us, when his power has OVERCOME.
The Cross is the cry of God’s heart to us, His call for us to crucify the life that leads us to ruin, that causes us to run from Him. He sent His son to put to death our sin, so that we might be free. Now, everytime we sin, we choose to believe that our heart’s desires are greater than He. We recommit the acts that nailed him to that tree. We choose death. When we have the gift of life in Christ.
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Yes.
I am a murderer.
You are too.
We sent our Saviour to His death.
We killed the Creator.
Yet.
He chose to come back from the dead.
To come back to life.
To raise up new life.
We are a new creation in Christ.
We are reborn in Him.
Dead to sin.
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There is a reason we are called to “repent”. The Greek transliteration of repent, “metanoia”, captures how God desires for our hearts to be changed. To repent is to change direction. To turn back after turning away. To tune into God, to enter his Word. To allow his Spirit to sanctify, to transform our minds and/or purpose. To direct our gaze to Christ, so that we glance at our circumstances. And looking at our Saviour King, we realise we are undeserving, unworthy. As we take in God’s truth our sight, mind and hearts are being trained to see beyond the centre of our own being to the larger core of humanity.
We move from self-centred to Christ-centred.
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There is hope in the Cross.
There is hope despite the loss.
The loss of self.
For there is gain.
There is the Spirit sent as a gift,
So that Christ may forever remain –
King of our hearts,
Lord of our life,
May he forever reign.
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How does he forever reign? He rules in our lives and hearts through the power, love and sound-mind of his Spirit (2 Tim. 1:7). His Spirit is what liberates us – for the onus is not on us to centre ourselves, to keep ourselves right and steadfast. No, the Lord is our rock, he is our strong hold – literally, the one who holds us strong, centred in him. He is the one who is steadfast, so that we remain fixed to him. Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom (2 Cor. 3:17). We are freed from the belief that we do it in our own strength. Instead, we live out of the Lords strength. His sovereignty and power over not only the grave, but over our own tendencies and failures as a part of human nature.
There, a central truth. How to remain centred? How to remain fixed? When I can’t even hold down memories, how can I expect to hold down the one who remembers all, who knows all, who sees all? How can I hold onto this truth? How can I hold the Lord dear to my heart? How can I let Christ rule my heart? It is not I. I hold nothing. He holds me.
JUST BE HELD
Casting Crowns
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Hold it all together
Everybody needs you strong
But life hits you out of nowhere
And barely leaves you holding on
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And when you’re tired of fighting
Chained by your control
There’s freedom in surrender
Lay it down and let it go
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So when you’re on your knees and answers seem so far away
You’re not alone, stop holding on and just be held
Your worlds not falling apart, its falling into place
I’m on the throne, stop holding on and just be held
Just be held, just be held
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If your eyes are on the storm
You’ll wonder if I love you still
But if your eyes are on the cross
You’ll know I always have and I always will
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And not a tear is wasted
In time, you’ll understand
I’m painting beauty with the ashes
Your life is in My hands
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Lift your hands, lift your eyes
In the storm is where you’ll find Me
And where you are, I’ll hold your heart
I’ll hold your heart
Come to Me, find your rest
In the arms of the God who wont let go
Playlist:
- Just Be Held– Casting Crowns
- Forever Reign – Hillsong Worship
- Your Grace is Enough – Chris Tomlin