I LOVE this from "My Utmost For His Highest" by Oswald Chambers:
The Ministry Of The Interior
But ye are…a royal priesthood.
— 1 Peter 2:9
By what right do we become “a
royal priesthood”? By the right of the Atonement. Are we prepared to leave
ourselves resolutely alone and to launch out into the priestly work of prayer?
The continual grubbing on the inside to see whether we are what we ought to be
generates a self-centred, morbid type of Christianity, not the robust, simple
life of the child of God. Until we get into a right relationship to God, it is
a case of hanging on by the skin of our teeth, and we say — “What a wonderful victory
I have got!” There is nothing indicative of the miracle of Redemption in that.
Launch out in reckless belief that the Redemption is complete, and then bother
no more about yourself, but begin to do as Jesus Christ said — pray for the
friend who comes to you at midnight, pray for the saints, pray for all men.
Pray on the realisation that you are only perfect in Christ Jesus, not on this
plea — “O Lord, I have done my best, please hear me.”
How long is it going to take God
to free us from the morbid habit of thinking about ourselves? We must get sick
unto death of ourselves, until there is no longer any surprise at anything God
can tell us about ourselves. We cannot touch the depths of meanness in
ourselves. There is only one place where we are right, and that is in Christ
Jesus. When we are there, then we have to pour out for all we are worth in this
ministry of the interior.
I especially love those underlined parts! As long as we concentrate so heavily on trying to look, think, speak and act like a 'good Christian' on the outside, we will never have time to actually be 'about our Father's business'! HE has already made us perfect where it counts! In our spirit man! Our souls are renewed on a daily basis as we spend time in prayer, praise & worship, study and meditation of His Word and intimate fellowship with Him! Our bodies will be perfect when we are changed in the twinkling of an eye at His appearing! Until then, we are to BE the Body of Christ on the earth, doing the works that JESUS did Himself when He was here! We are now His hands and feet! Let's get going, doing the job we were left here to do! AMEN! Here is Hillsong UNITED with "Go":Shalom in Him!
