Able-Aside

Every good gift comes down from above, from the Father of lights, in whom there is no shadow of turning.

Pride brought satan down, lover of dark things, twisting and turning.

What do you have that you have not received?

It is God’s desire to have all the power, wisdom and life of God flowing through you.

The only limit that God has for doing this is His concern for your well-being.  You see, if we think that we can be like God, in the wrong way, God cannot have his life, love, and liberality flow through us.  It would destroy us.  Why?

Two things will cause your destruction.  1. Pride (comes before destruction)  2. Sin (the wages of which is death)

What are the antidotes?

1. Humility.  Every good thing, every good ability, every good thought, every good action that you have ever had or will ever do is from God, is a gift from God, is on loan from God.
2. Faith.  Everything not of faith is sin.  Faith is the stance of dependence; faith is the stance of receiving.  Faithful in little, allows much to flow.

When we by faith give God glory, honor God, admit that all that we can ever accomplish is a gift from Him, then and then only can the fullness of God flow through us without destroying us.

Jesus told us that He could do nothing or say nothing apart from what He received from His Father.  He completely walked in the antidote for pride and sin.

Law feeds pride.  Law feeds sin.

Gospel feeds humility.  Gospel feeds faith.

To the measure that we in faith embrace the good news that whatever ability we have comes from God, to that measure the power and love and life of God moves through us, flowing out of our lives into the world around us.

Herod was eaten by worms when He did not  give glory to God.  Isaiah tells us at the last that “Then they shall go forth and look On the corpses of the men Who have transgressed against Me. For their worm shall not die, And their fire shall not be quenched; And they shall be an abhorrence to all mankind.” (Isa. 66:24 NAS)

Your stance concerning your abilities either allows or inhibits your further abilities.  Are you murdering your Able-ity?  Are you raising Cain?  Are you committing Able-Aside?

Are you a product of chance?  Then there is not a chance for you to continue in ability.  It will wane.

Are you a creation of God?  The creativity will wax in you eloquently.

One of God’s greatest gifts is bringing us from pride and sin to humility and faith!  He does it through the way of the cross.  He does it through the gospel of Christ Jesus, our Lord.

The next time God does any good thing through you, like take out the trash, or run a four-minute mile, or write an article in your blog, give glory to God.  Admit that it all is a gift from God.

The next time you wake up feeling fine, ready for anything, believe and receive the life that will not use that vitality for something bad but only for good.  In faith, walk in the grace of God and do good, the perfect gift that comes from God.

The next minute you feel minute, take a second for a second look, you can walk in God’s power for over an hour, when you walk in God’s grace, that is, receiving every good gift as coming from God.  Don’t spend your days in a daze.  Start to praise God for He will raise the one who prays the phrase, “I can do all things [only] through Christ who gives me [everything].”   Don’t be weak for a week.  Continue to seek. Take your stand in God’s power.  Take refuge in His strong tower.

“And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.” (Heb. 11:6 NAS)

“But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me did not prove vain; but I labored even more than all of them, yet not I, but the grace of God with me.” (1 Cor. 15:10 NAS)

‘And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may dwell in me.’ (2 Cor. 12:9 NAS)

When we admit that apart from Him we are weak, can do nothing, then it is safe for Him to let the strength of God flow through us for He knows that it will do us no harm.  God’s good news tells us that we “are protected by the power of God through faith” (from 1 Pet. 1:5 NAS)

Rely, don’t deny!  Believe and receive!  Eat from the tree of life, not the tree of merit.  Only then can you bear it and then share it, the grace of God.

When He uses you mightily, be mighty glad that you can boast in God.  Stand firm then in the grace that God supplies.