WE MUST MOVE FROM SEEING TO REALIZING

March 13, 2017Jim Ladd

The things we fear, we demonize. The things we don't understand, we trivialize. The things we don't really like, we minimize. But true life-change and progress require us to realize; to see what God says and allow the Holy Spirit to make it real to us.

The sermon on the mount, globally accepted as the greatest body of moral teaching in history, opens with Jesus describing the Beatitudes - the beautiful attitudes that open the door for us to grow, learn, love, and live. It begins with, possibly, the most important one: "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of God."

Blessed (happy) are those who realize their spiritual poverty - that they are poverty-stricken in spirit - utterly incapable on their own and completely dependent upon God. This is the entry point of a transformed life. It's the first of all 12-step programs because of it's potent truth.

Why are they blessed or happy? Because theirs is the Kingdom of God! God graciously and bountifully gives His Kingdom to those who realize their dependency upon God and stop trying to save themselves. He saves us and delivers us into a Kingdom without boundary, limit, or resource - to give us life that is reallly life.

You know you sin, but have you realized you are a sinner? Do you realize that you are incapable of living without sin? Do you realize that the reason you lie is that you are a liar? Do you recognize your spiritual bankruptcy?

When you do, you can cry out to God who lavishes you with His righteousness and grace. See Jesus on the cross and realize that He put Himself there - to experience the wrath of disobedience and sin on our behalf. Realize that your debt is paid in full and that you are free.

Now that's living!