I am to BE, He is to DO How do you practice this? Major Ian Thomas

https://www.sermonindex.net/modules/articles/index.php?view=article&aid=18623
The Lord Jesus Christ claims the use of your body, your whole being, your complete personality so that as you give yourself to Him through the eternal Spirit, He may give Himself to you through the eternal Spirit, that all your activity as a human being on earth may be His activity in and through you; that every step you take, every word you speak, everything you do, everything you are, may be an expression of the Son of God, in you as man.

If it is of Him and through Him and to Him, where do you come in? You do not! That is just where you go out! That is what Paul meant when he said, "For me to live is Christ" (Philippians 1:21). The only Person whom God credits with the right to live in you is Jesus Christ; so reckon yourself to be dead to all that you are apart from what He is, and alive unto God only in all that you are because of what He is (Romans 6:1 1).

It is for you to BE ­ it is for Him to DO! Rest fully available to the Saving Life of Christ.

So church, Do you practice this sometimes, always, never? Forget, remember? Isnt this very Pauline.

It seems to me this is the very point of the Christian life.

If I could use some junky slang, I see this as I am a tiny floating bubble inside my body, incapable of DOing anything. Christ will have to DO it. So since Im a bubble, I say Jesus I cant do it, You do it. And believe/Faith that He is.
Because it is supposed to be an exchanged life.

Let me know if Im screwy in my thinking, but dont stop at that but then TELL how you start/maintain this way of life.

Thanks

I can't add anything to this article. This is a struggle of mine; having to prove myself in everything, and to everyone, my entire life, I struggle with just being. And yet, I desperately want this more than anything.

I take God's Word literally. John 15:5, ""I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing."

Nothing means nothing.

Immediately, that makes me (the flesh) "feel" worthless. (Red Flag! Ruled by feelings!) But the Holy Spirit gave me a revelation that it's actually the expression of love from Jesus towards us. Since we can do nothing without Him, and need Him to do everything and anything, how deep must His love be for us to desire to be there in such a full, complete capacity for us?

Think about it... in order for Him to do everything through us, He has to be there, at the ready, with compassion, understanding, patience, love, encouragement, strength, wisdom, guidance, and so much more! He's constantly aware of the smallest details (and needs) of our lives, just waiting to jump in and attend to not only the task at hand, but our growth and all around well-being!

And yet, with all that Jesus is, right there at the ready for us, we struggle like obstinate two year olds saying, "I can do it myself!"

HOW to do it at all, or some or always.

I think even though this IS an exchanged LIFE it is the LIFE and not the flesh that is exchanged. Thats why when we see Him at death or rapture and are exchanged we shall be like him. Oh to crawl out of this crust of a cockroach!

Yet He being a perfect gentlemen, stands always at the ready willing to be fully acting in us.

So HOW HOW HOW

To remember as often as possible to ask Jesus to do it?

"Oh Jesus you do it, I can do nothing" Then by Faith believe/expect that He will and is doing it.

To be as a little child always and watch Him do it.

What are folks actually saying to themselves to allow Jesus full expression. He really lets us restrain him until...we dont.

Can we all if not truly doing this, but desiring to do this come about with a practical practice?!?

Exchanged life is certainly a good concept, but our union with Christ is a progressive impartation of His life into our own.

Jesus expressed it this way when He spoke of the ministry of the Spirit - "...He will take from what is mine and declare it unto you."

The things of Christ become ours through "hearing what the Spirit declares". This makes "how you hear" very critical just as our Lord made it very clear.

No one lights a lamp to cover it up, so neither does He hide His light from anyone. For this reason - "be very careful HOW you hear, for with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. Whoever has will be given more and he will have an abundance; whoever does not have, even what he thinks he has will be taken.

Nothing is hidden that is not intended to be revealed. Our Lord longs for us to experience His life and His Spirit will impart His life to us by declaring it.

Do we need any more reason to be very careful HOW we hear? If we become dull of hearing - even the Spirit will have difficulty "getting through" to us. If we become dull, rather than quick to hear - we limit our own capacity to receive what Christ longs to impart.

Mak

LINDA SAID: What are folks actually saying to themselves to allow Jesus full expression. He really lets us restrain him until...we dont.

Can we all if not truly doing this, but desiring to do this come about with a practical practice?!?

------------------

Linda, I'm right there with you. "I want this, but my flesh doesn't...help! I need practical application here, people! Hello? Is this thing on? Help?"

Here's how I'm handling the practical application of this - which, as someone with perfectionistic tendencies, is a huge comfort to me. It takes a lot of pressure off.

Whatever the situation, I pray and ask the Holy Spirit to help me walk it out in the scriptures first. In this case, BEING instead of DOING:

Matthew 6:34, "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble."

That scripture means that a LOT has been taken off my plate! I can trade in my big dinner plate for a napkin and finger food! And no more doggy bags to carry the weight of the world with me. Just today.

So, I will pray for THIS day, my daily bread. (Matthew 6:11) What I need this day mostly is to BE with Him through everything that happens.

Then I see the verses before Matthew 6:34. Verses 32b-33 say "For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you."

That's Jesus giving me a pep talk before the day begins. "The Father already knows everything that will happen today and what you'll need to walk through it. He's already given you ALL things that pertain to life and godliness. He promises that you can be a partaker of His divine nature, having escaped the corruption that's in the world. (2 Peter 1:3-4)

Great! God's got the day covered already! All I have to do is walk it out. Whatever happens God's with me and has the victory. All I have to do is walk it out and leave the results up to Him. Whatever they are, He'll be there for those, too.

So, since God's got the day covered, that frees me up to concentrate on just BEING with Him instead of running around like a head with my chicken cut off trying to do everything myself!

HEY! WAIT A MINUTE! This is all starting to sound an awful lot like:

Luke 10:41-42, ""Martha, Martha," the LORD answered, "you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed-or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her."

What did Mary choose? To BE... at His feet, listening, abiding, loving Him.

The end.

I just walked it out through the scriptures, so now I need a promise to hold on to (or three or four, just to make Satan mad) through the day to remind and encourage me: How about...

2 Corinthians 12:9, "And He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me."

This works because it reminds me that God's already provided everything I need for this day. If I catch myself not "being," I can just say to myself, "Oh Martha, Martha..." And I DON'T have to beat myself up about not being perfect about it! In fact, I can "boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me."

Now I'm ready to armor up (Ephesians 6) and meet the day ahead of me!

Like Hukt on Fonix, it werkx fer me!