Devotional Spirituality

As we abide in him and he abides in us, we are receiving his life rather than creating our own independent life.

This statement, paraphrased from the Gospel of John captures the tension, both figurative and literal, of a Christian’s life.

 This tension is expressed in two concerns.  What is our identity as Christians?  What is God’s plan to meet our needs?

Our identity as Christians is summarized in the following principles of action:

 

  1. Replacing our life with Christ’s
  2. Recognizing Christ’s crucifixion, burial, resurrection, and ascension as an ongoing activity in our life
  3. Replacing a works-based relationship with God with a grace-based relationship.
  4. Faithfully living only in Christ
  5. Submitting ourselves to the sin-cleansing powers of Christ’s gracious sacrifice.
  6. Discarding daily our lives for Christ’s; yielding to the activation that can only occur through brokenness
  7. Yielding to Christ living through us
  8. Encouraging the Holy Spirit to teach us who we are and who the Father is throughout each day
  9. Surrendering to Christ’s life in exchange for our own
  10. Pursuing daily the exchange with Christ.

Our days are the territories God uses to show us his character and demonstrate his traits of love and goodness.

Whatever we choose apart from God compromises the exchange of his life with ours. The less we yield to God the less our lives are filled with his Spirit.

As we daily, willingly, receive all our love and acceptance from Christ’s life we are enmeshed in Christ.  The degree to which we choose his love and acceptance above any other is the degree to which we fulfill the spiritual exchange.

A Christian’s life is not that of a conscientious objector; we need to choose sides each and every day. To the extent that we consciously make the choice to follow Christ is the extent of the transformational exchange.

God’s Spirit facilitates the exchange through his fellowship of believers. These local, national, and worldwide communities act as the support system for each believer.

These communities of believers are manifest as spiritual families, spiritual bodies and spiritual temples. As each participate in the will of God, through the direction of his Spirit, each exhibits the character of God and his traits of love and goodness.

Within the family, each member is a crucial actor for the Holy Spirit, providing other family members with particular, unique understandings of who God is and how Christ lives through us.

 

Devotional Audio & Video

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Reflections to Consider

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Devotional Publications

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Publications

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Devotional Music

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Music

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Devotional Reflection

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Audio & Video

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Favorites

  • Eat This Book, Eugene Peterson +

    Eugene Peterson’s book, Eat This Book gets its name from Revelation 10:9-10 when John asks for the scroll containing God’s Read More
  • Interview with Eugene Peterson +

    On March 6, 2011, Eugene Peterson was interviewed on NPR concerning his new memoir, Pastor. In the book, Peterson described Read More
  • God is Personal: Eugene Peterson on prayer +

    The following is from Jesus Creed, Scot McKnight on Jesus and Orthdox faith in the 21st century. There is a Read More
  • The Working Pastor-Eugene Peterson +

    Eugene Peterson spends a few minutes discussing the importance of the pastor in communicating the gospel. He asks "How does Read More
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Hidden Blessings

  • My Identity in God +

    What the Bible says... Read More
  • True Value +

    The ultimate good in life is to treat things according to their true value. - Jonathan Edwards Thankfully, perhaps the most Read More
  • Beloved Lover +

    Oh God, Beautiful Father, We confess that we are a forgetful people. We forget what it means to have you Read More
  • June 19 Devotional: Henri Nouwen +

    Jesus said to Nicodemus: ' God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son...' (John 3) I am Read More
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