You've Done It!

Hello NewLife Family!
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I’m going to share a thought with you that I shared with staff this morning at our weekly meeting. It’s from A.W. Tozer, who was an Alliance pastor and respected author but was also widely recognized in his time as one who walked closely with God.

Here it is:
“On our part, there must be surrender to the Spirit of God, for His work is to show us the Father and the Son. If we cooperate with Him in loving obedience, God will manifest Himself to us, and that manifestation will be the difference between a nominal Christian life and a life radiant with the light of His face.” (Quoted from the book, The Pursuit of God, and a chapter called “The Universal Presence”) 
Here we see Uncle Tozer (yes, I call him that because of his legacy in our denomination), striking upon something very important. He’s noting the difference between a nominal Christian life and one marked with the glory and the presence of God. We’ve all met those saints who just seem to shine with Jesus in whatever they’re doing, whether worshipping on a Sunday morning or washing windows on a Tuesday morning. What’s the difference? Uncle Tozer had it right: our living submission to the Father. Jesus promised His disciples, both in His time on earth and those of us who would follow later, that He and the Father would make their home with those who love Jesus and keep His word. That obedience is to be marked by love: not just duty or grinding our way through but loving Jesus and wanting to do what He says. That’s what sets apart one from the other, a nominal Christian life or a radiant life in Christ. The latter is my goal. It’s what I want for my family, for the NewLife family, for everyone really. Because, not only does our salvation hinge upon Jesus but so does our joy, our love, our meaning, our very lives. 

When we stand before Jesus, I want Him to say, “It’s so good to see you! You’ve done it! You’ve done what I asked you to do. Come enter the joy of My Presence.” There’s nothing nominal about that.

Pastor Andy

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