Freedom is simple, yet we tend to complicate it by continuing to deal with our sin nature.
When God looks at us, He cannot see anything wrong, only what is missing. He is in the business of strategic life exchanges: new for old, and He never requires us to look a the old. He wants us to lay it aside, put it in the grave and never dig it up again.
He is not dealing with our sin any more because Jesus dealt with that at Calvary. He who never experienced sin, was made sinful on our behalf, so that we could become the righteousness of God in Him. This is absolutely brilliant!
He is only teaching our new man how to live in His righteousness by only focusing on our righteousness in Christ. That's what He's dealing with!
He has made Jesus our wisdom, righteousness, and lifestyle of practical holiness. He is our full atonement and freedom.
He does not deal with our fear, He comes as perfect love and overwhelms fear. In our anxiety, He offers a new place of rest and renewal instead. In our worry, He focuses only on our fresh revelation of peace.
God does not help us work on our anger because it is dead; instead He empowers us to become gentle. He displaces irritation with patience, bitterness with gratitude, and turns sorrow into joy.
The OLD HAS PASSED AWAY, AND HE IS ONLY WORKING ON
THE NEW, REAL AND TRUE US IN JESUS.
Since freedom is His nature; it's also ours.
By Graham Cooke.
Why was I so angry at God? I loved the Lord.. He died for my sin. I have been in the faith for forty-five year seeking to know Him and His ways. Why should I be angry? I received the Holy Spirit and the gift of prayer (tongues) to pursue a deeper relationship with Him. It didn't make any sense. I certainly didn't want anyone to know, especially the Lord. Christians don't get mad at God.
This condition led to a spiritually dry desert place with no rain in sight. I prayed and prayed, but the clouds were empty. My bible reading was dull, no life. I started to murmur and complain. 'Lord where are you? I am crying out to You? Why don't you answer? Why are you hiding? The body of Christ is so full of apathy and I am mad. Don't you care"
For weeks it had been a struggle to reach His heart and to hear His voice. It wasn't like Him. I confessed my murmuring and complaining hoping to find a release, but nothing. Prayer was hard, but I pressed in hoping to break through. I thought to myself, "The Lord is testing me." Will I persevere in prayer through a a dry time? That has to be it. I have been there before, but why am I so angry?
I finally got a breakthrough when the Lord said to me, "My child why are you so angry at Me.?
"Lord, I am not angry with You. I am angry at Your church. Remember the five virgins asleep with no oil in their lamps. Why don't you do something?
"My child, whose Bride is it? Why is it your concern. Am I not building my church, My way?"
"Yes, Lord,"
The scriptures were brought to my mind,. Numbers 20: 8-13 There was no water. Moses was so angry with the people's murmuring and complaining. The Lord told him to speak to the rock, but instead of speaking he struck the rock twice. His disobedience forfeited his entering the promised land..
I got it. Once again the Holy Spirit brought to light the voice of the Lord through scripture. I heard it loud and clear. The Rock was Jesus. He has told me to speak to him concerning His body, not to strike it with my anger. My heart was grieved. I thought I was so justified. I repented of my anger and confessed my sin to the Lord. Again my pride had revealed. How many times has He told me that my pride steals His glory. Truly, in my flesh dwells no good thing. I am so grateful for the Lord's forgiveness and especially the Holy Spirit's conviction that leads me to repentance.
I am very grateful that I am not Moses. Moses wasn't able to go into the promised land. Jesus is my promised land. I am in Him and He is in me. By faith my anger is on calvary. Jesus is the Rock that was struck at calvary for me. Now I am to only speak to Him, obey Him and not get angry. I am no longer in the dry , desert place. I have been restored until the next time. On to glory.
