“And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you.”- Romans 8:11
As Caesar Kalinowski continues Chapter 2 of Transformed, he states that his grasp of the concept of righteousness has been aided by understanding the word righteousness as right-use-ness. He adds that our “right-use-ness” is “to live out our new identity, trusting God and believing what he says to be true of us.”
God’s love transforms, protects, and perfects. Our human hearts always have desired to receive and give God’s love. God’s ongoing goal, Pastor Kalinowski explains, is to mature us and “empower us to establish trusting relationships with him in all areas of our lives.”
As Timothy Keller also observes in Walking with God Through Pain and Suffering, the Bible compares our new life in Christ to taking a walk, one step at a time. Each new area of trust in God connects us to the next on our journey in the footsteps of Jesus. This is possible because, as Caesar points out, “we are not filled with an emotional feeling, a hunch, or more zing. We are filled with a person.”
When the Holy Spirit lives in us and empowers us, we’ll have enough strength to overcome our ministry downsizing or vocation loss, along with its hurts and shattered dreams.
Today’s question: What opportunities have you had to live out your servant identity during your desert, transition time? Please share.
Tomorrow’s blog: “Family ties”
New addition to Crown Jewels: “Forgive and remember” (Part 1)
