“See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.”
Being captive to self satisfaction will put our spiritual life to death. It is in dying to the self that we become spiritually alive in Christ.
There is such a liberty to dying to the self and becoming hidden in Him. Paul in Ephesians puts, on numerous occasions, the focus on us being created to be with, in ,Clothed, for, through, recreated in the image of and so on.
“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”
God is still doing a work in us of restoration individually and as a collective in world. It occurred to me today that biblically He is always restoring and rescuing Israel, His collective people, not just Abraham.
Restoration is painstakingly slow sometimes.
If we regard restoring a mechanism that has broken or that is failing in accuracy in the natural it is synonymous with us.
Firstly to examine and identify the problems. The surface has broken, dirt has got in and accumulated, this has caused the main working to break, to stop. Secondly to systematically dismantle, to clean, to replace some disfunction parts with new and to reassemble. Thirdly to set, re-tension, plum line and restart again. Tweak and set it to true timing. Renewed, restored.
It takes an expert, perfect judgement, skill, perfect sequencing, perfect timing for any restorer. God, is that perfection in our restoration.
We need perfect time to stop reeling from the speed we have spun out of control from. To not stagger on disorientated but to stop still. Drop to the ground and become steadied. We need perfect rest and restoration time. We need perfect guidance into action and direction again.
If we don’t wait for that time we crash, loose control and miss our purpose, functioning and recovery.
There is Holy ground to rest upon. There is a beautiful creative space to hold between our hands. We are made in God’s image and have the opportunity now to create new and beautiful in this world replicating the wonder that God beholds before Him.
“So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.”
The space unlike the self that, like a magnet that will draw everything to it and be the energy, like the space in the atom, of power. Space for God’s presence to become manifest on the earth.
It is His nature within us. His life in us. Bursting into spontaneous freedom like a gasp of breath lighting up to twinkle as a star in a dark place and bring joy.
“Do all things without grumbling or disputing, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world,”
The illustration shows resting in the hand of God as He painstakingly cleans and restores the whole mechanism of the body He entrusts the timing and the workings tuned within Him. Bringing forth a light to shine out like a star in the darkness attracting like a magnet others to follow its way. Light replacing darkness.
Four Scriptures that come to mind:
“See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.”Colossians 2:8 ESV
“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”Romans 12:2 ESV
“So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.”Philippians 2:1-3 ESV
“Do all things without grumbling or disputing, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world,”Philippians 2:14-15 ESV
The song Just Be Held. Casting Crowns
https://youtu.be/waPpxKOBxSc
Lessisgreater 