And Ruth said, Entreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God:
Ruth 1:16
The Spirit of Christ exudes faithfulness and the character built on Christ can be equally steadfast! During Christ's earthly life His Spirit demonstrated fidelity to the heart of the Father; the character of the Christian is intended to do the same.
The ancient words of today's scripture model the attitude of the Christian: 'whither thou goest, I will go...'. While Ruth's words were spoken in loyalty to her earthly mother-in-law, our commitment is to be to God alone. Our character, embodied with the life of Christ, readily responds to the movement of the Spirit. Obediently presenting our lives as living sacrifices to God necessitates a Christ-like character. It is only such a character which demonstrate fidelity to the cause of Christ.
Our natural selves continually demand loyalty to our own dreams, desires and felt needs. Sacrificing our self-will for the will of the Father is possible only as we surrender ourselves to Christ's transforming power. The glory of God will flow forth from a character rooted and nurtured in Christ's character. Ask God to reveal to you the sacrifices of self which would please Him most today.
Allow your Spirit to be flooded with Christ's character and you will be awed by the expansiveness you have entered into! The character of Christ is a treasure God has entrusted to our clay vessels. Receive Him!
No comments:
Post a Comment