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RUTHLESS TRUST.

by ROBIN BOSCH  
6/16/2015 / Christian Living


" Ruthless trust is not just a concept; it's a way of life....... It's hanging tough in the dark nights, when we are plunged into desolation but know that the absence of God is only apparent." Brennan Manning.

Haven't you found that at times you feel out of touch with yourself and with God? You find yourself plunged into a pit of introspection and navel gazing. When you get caught in this caldron, the result is sweaty palmed fear. Fear of the future; fear of circumstances and fear of death.
We look at ourselves and groan. We cry out, "What's happening? Why is my life so hopeless and inconsistent? Why do I feel that I'm bottom of the class, in the back row, of no worth, deflated, rejected and defeated?"

The more we look at ourselves, the world around us and the world within us becomes dark and menacing. We walk around bowed under the oppression and cares of this life. We feel that we are choking 1 and cry out, "Woe is me".

That's the problem: self-introspection leads to Christ rejection. Why do I say this? It's because we shift our focus from Christ, to self. Self: with its fallibility, frailty and fragility.
Have we not read in 2 Peter 1: 19 KJV where scripture says, "We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:"

The flesh, if stared at long enough will boggle our minds and cause depression and a perceived alienation from God. I emphasize, "Perceived"

At these times we must ruthlessly believe God. We must take the truth and the light of His word and stubbornly believe it. The devil loves it when we are groveling around licking the dirt. He cruelly shoves our face into the squalor of our fallen nature and makes us feel less than the less. He magnifies our old nature, which is the old Adam, and obscures our new.

But the devil gets a fright when we stand up and fight exclaiming, "that's it.... ENOUGH!!!!"2.

That's the time that we ruthlessly stand on the scripture that tells us to reckon ourselves dead to sin and alive unto Christ.3 What Paul is saying here, is that we must magnify our new nature which is Christ in us the hope of glory.4 This is faith personified. Abraham called those things that were not as if they were.5

Even if we have sinned and feel rotten, we must oppose the inclination of that moment to wilt and throw up our hands in despair. We must resist the temptation to identify with the old creation and look ahead to the upward calling of God, forgetting that which is behind.6

At that time and moment we must immediately re-align ourselves with our seated position In Christ;7 our new creation identity. To do the opposite is a sure fire way to catapult us into despair and unbelief.

I believe this is the number one reason Christians backslide; they look at themselves after having fallen in whatever way and then remain mortified and frozen in that position. Not realizing that, yes, we do fall, we do stumble, we do have weaknesses, but that's no reason to throw in the towel; no, no!

The fact is, we have to walk by faith in the knowledge that even thou we fall, we have One who catches us; Christ the Savior.6 The sin is a fact, it happened, yes! But even so, we are to stand ruthlessly on the greater fact of who we are in Christ; who we are in the New Adam. 8
Yes, we must agree with God that we have sinned but we must move on; upwards and higher, not missing a beat. That's our stance and that's our focus. 9

We "are" new creations in Christ, but if we focus on our sin all the time, we are destructively breathing in the rancid aroma of our old man which has died. We are not to continually watch it putrefying in the coffin.
When we are continually delving and grouping and scratching about in the rubbish dump of our old identity, we will inevitably produce rubbish and smother the new. We atrophy under the law that kills us. 10

Again we are told in scripture to fix our eyes upon Jesus the author and finisher of our faith.11 This means we should focus our full attention on who we are in Christ.

Christ attention produces Christ retention which in turn produces revelation and renewal and faith.12
This renewal is drawn from the well spring of Life which is Christ.13

Do you notice the difference? The one produces death and the other life.

What can we conclude from this?
We conclude that we must have the courage to stand firm in our new creation identity. We must have the audacity to proclaim despite our sorry appearance and bodily malfunctions, and boldly pronounce that we are no longer under the old regime. We have been taken over. A Coup d'tat has taken place at the cross of Calvary; a new government is in office. A Government, governed by the Father the Son and the Holy Spirit.

On the battle flag of this theocracy is written, "behold I make all things new, old things have passed away , all things are made new."14

The more we assimulate the old man and identify and think and walk and talk about him, the more we will be like him. We will be intoxicated with every detrimental attribute he personifies. This has the effect of exuding a noxious odor of death to those who are looking for life in us.15

But conversely we will reap fruitful and abundant results if we read, think, walk and talk of our new identity.16 The more we absorb and assimulate Christ and identify with Him, the more we will be like Him. When we breathe in the beautiful fresh fragrance and perfume of Christ we breathe out Life to those around us.

This has the effect of drawing souls to the "river of life" encouraging them to come and drink from the healing streams of salvation, which freely wells out from the heart of God. 17

We thus become magnets of His love and conduits of His grace.

This is a great mystery the fruit of which blossoms from our new identity.

The identity crises took place 2,000 years ago. Christ was crucified. We went to the cross, chose our side, and that's where we must stand; nothing wavering; ruthlessly on the side of Christ and all He attained for us there.

Even if the devil and all the hosts of hell point an accusing finger at us, we must say, "Yes, I agree, I'm not in denial, it's true, but I'm not like that anymore. I have been transformed and sanctified and that's where I remain."

I identify with Jesus. I vehemently remain in who "He is" and not who "I am" (that is in my flesh). For He has said, "in Him I live and move and have my being. "18

Even if I have committed sin a moment ago or one year ago, that's my stance, that's my position by faith. I say I'm sorry and carry on in the unceasing warm Light of His countenance.19

So, that's how we remain sane, steadfast and gazing on the beautiful loving face of the One who has accepted us, no matter what. Our sin is not greater than His grace

Therefore we are to 'ruthlessly' trust Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who said, "He who began a good work in us will do it."20

Scripture references;
1. Matt.13:22
2. Ja.4:7
3. Ro.6:11
4. Col.1:27
5. Ro.4:17
6. Phil.3:14
7. Eph.2:6
8. 1 Co.15:22
9. Heb.12:22
10. Ro.7:9
11. Heb.12:22
12. Ro.12:1,2
13. Is.12:3; Jn.4:11
14. 2.Co.5:17
15. Matt.5:16; Acts 22:15
16. Col.3:16
17. Is.12:3
18. Acts.17:28
19. Prov.16:15; Ps.89:15
20. Phil.1:6

I have been a believer in Christ for many years. It has only been in the last three or four years that I have received greater insight into the Grace of God. This has injected me with energy to tell others about the blessed "rest" we have in Christ. Grace is not a theology but is a Person-- Jesus.

Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com-CHRISTIAN WRITERS

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