Having Begun

Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh?  Galatians 3.3 Every true believer in Christ has begun in the Spirit. They have begun in the discovery of God's continuous generosity in Jesus. They have begun by simple receptivity. They have begun by faith. All any believer has ever done for forgiveness and salvation is believe. All that came to them from God came to them as they simply opened their spirit to God's Spirit and received. When believers begin in pure receptivity no matter how little they understand about receiving from God they find the true spiritual nature of all things. They find that God is the source of all that is perfect and all that perfects and He is generous to those who simply receive. It is easy to believe there must be more than receptivity. As is common among all believers the Spiritual beginning is so wonderful, but the journey into continuous spiritual receptivity is a battle to unlearn and put off the stubborn habits of the flesh.  The flesh is the opposite of receptivity. The flesh is human activity inspired by Satan who is the spirit of negativity to God's' activity. The flesh (human activity) lusts against the Spirit (God's activity ). This is the battle every Christian faces each day: Our daily question is: Will I receive moment by moment from God's activity the perfection I need to love perfectly or will I make another attempt to perfect myself and my love with my own mental, emotional and volitional activity? Jesus told the famous woman at the well in John 4 that she could be done with her iiresome drawing of daily water with a bucket and rope.  She could be done, but she would have to learn to drink from a fountain of living water instead of a bucket she controlled. Bucket and rope is work. Drinking from a fountain is receiving. Bucket and rope is flesh. Fountain is Spirit. Learning to drink from moving, bubbling abundant water is a new skill for all humans who come to Christ. The truth is, the continously generous fountain of God in Christ by the Spirit has made its home in every believer. Even so, many believers refuse to let go of their bucket and rope in their search for satisfaction and perfection in their own efforts. It is time to throw the bucket and rope out and learn to drink deeply of the living water which is Christ in you the hope of glory.  And when those bucket and rope salesmen come back to your door, just smile and tell them your satisfied with the fountain you have in Jesus   Bud McCord Abide International