God gives the believer a new set of inner eyes to see what he could not see before, a new set of inner ears to hear what he could not hear before.
~John Powell
For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
~ Romans 8:5-8
It’s all about the flow.
Us trying to move towards Him = death.
Him moving towards us = Life.
For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.
~ Romans 8:2
If there is one “work,” it is now to work out this new Life in a trembling fear that (paradoxically) brings the knowledge of the Holy. And in that growing knowledge, our fear of EVERYTHING ELSE vaporizes – and our fear of Him only draws us into a deeper relationship with Himself. This fear is not a fear that things are falling apart around us – but a sense that we have ourselves have come undone. We learn that there really never was anything in us worth anything, on our own.
And then we see that this fallen “nothing” we are, is the very humanity for whom G_d personally slaughtered His own Son. We see that He has righteously imparted upon us His assessment that we are infinitely valuable to an infinite G_d.
Oh my.
Yeah.
And in this moment, we stop trying to learn about G_d. We stop trying to be like G_d. We stop trying altogether. We realize that this is a fool’s errand, this self-righteous, law-bound religiosity we have been trying to live – and we surrender to the overwhelming, crushing flow of His Love pouring out towards us.
And we are washed away.
We stop trying to use our brains to understand Him – and we begin to use our brains as they were intended: They are receivers and processors of the truth His Spirit pours out onto and into our existence. And when we listen, we actually begin to hear Him speak to us through His Word and in our own spirit.
Instead of trying to prove it true, we become simply persuaded that His Word and His voice are truth and Life.
It’s all about the flow.
Us trying to move towards Him = death.
Him moving towards us = Life.
