Lk. 18:19 π Jn. 14:28 π Eph. 4:13 π Jas. 1:17
Jesus said He was one with the Father, but that doesn’t mean He was as good as the Father.
Jesus said, “My Father is greater than I...” ( Jn. 14:28 ) Also, “...Why do you call Me good? None is good, save one, that is God.” ( Lk. 18:19; top )
However, God glorified the Son because Jesus was totally surrendered to be obedient to God’s purposes, and only did what the Father told Him to do.
Jesus’ reaction to being glorified was always giving the glory back to the Father, and exclaiming God’s total goodness openly.
We must walk away from every act of grace that emanates from us, and refuse any credit or recognition of any healing, blessing or miracle that may have gone through our empty vessel. Every good gift comes from the Father ( Jas. 1:17; top ) and, when it has accomplished it’s life-changing purpose, it must be allowed to ascend back to the Father.
Those Christians who contend that they have complete freedom in their walk, yet haven’t surrendered or aren’t desirous of being totally obedient to the Lord, really are not as free as they contend. They have exercised their freedom to do their self-will, which is a bondage.
If our desire is something less than being one with the Father and the Son, then the most erudite New Testament church group, with its gifts and ministries, will eventually see it revealed that a “lukewarm bondage” has developed that has kept them from maturity in God. “[That it might develop] until we all attain oneness in the faith and in the comprehension of the full and accurate knowledge of the Son of God, that [we might arrive] at really mature manhood - the completeness of personality which is nothing less than the standard height of Christ's own perfection - the measure of the stature of the fullness of the Christ and the completeness found in Him.” ( Eph. 4:13 Amp.; top)
A time of famine is coming on the earth that will try men’s hearts, and only total surrender to the source of all strength will protect us in this coming hour of darkness.
One of the great errors that has constantly permeated our historical Christian background is the desire to stop and smell the peach blossoms, but never desiring to persevere until the blossoms mature to full-grown fruit.
The proposal of “getting back to the basics” sounds noble, but it is a stopping-off place where stagnant pools of once life-giving waters have defiled the River of Life.
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