“Can I help you? In these times, I am calling you to continually head toward a deeper relationship with Me. I am asking you to pursue in earnest the death of your flesh, so that you can take on the character of My Son, Jesus. I am telling you that soon your world will be turned around and will become almost unrecognizable as My Word is fulfilled in your lifetime. Everything that I am saying, you must realize that it is very important. You must take heed. With all of this coming your way, I sense your feelings of helplessness to change, probably because you see little change in you so far, even though you feel that you have been trying for many years.
"Sometimes I see you heading toward hopelessness. You are missing the point of My message. Your job is not to change; your job is to submit. If you really understood the concept of Lordship, you would realize that it is totally foreign to your normal way of thinking and acting. You could struggle all you want; but after all of the fussing and struggling is over, your heart would still choose rebellion - doing things your own way - rather than being in total submission to Me. I am not asking you to change; you can’t. Only I can accomplish the changes that are needed. I am asking you to acknowledge who you are not, so that I am free to make you into who I know you can be. I must keep encouraging you to be like My Son.
"The world needs to see Him in you. I must continually make you aware of the times and seasons that are upon you. I must make you aware of your shortcomings, so that you know that change is necessary. But I never said that you should do it in your own strength. That is foolishness. You can no more modify your heart now than you could change it by yourself in the first place. You just keep coming to Me. Let’s talk. I will bring forth the changes.”
Galatians 3:3 AMP
Are you so foolish and so senseless and so silly? Having begun [your new life spiritually] with the [Holy] Spirit, are you now reaching perfection [by dependence] on the flesh?
I Th. 5:23-24 NIV
23) May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
24) The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it.
Do you realize that a good number of people you identify with in the church are former reprobates? Included in the group of your best friends are murderers, con men, street fighters, gang members, prostitutes, liars, cheaters, and so on and so on. Whether or not we want to accept it, we are a group of the forgiven - not the elite. We are chosen, not for what we were - for not one of us was capable of being anything good in the sight of God - but for what our gracious Lord saw that we could be.
The only qualification for entering this sorry group of now lovable people was to have realized - at one time or another - our bankruptcy as we cried out to the Lord in hopelessness. When that happened, all the past covenant promises of God invaded our sin-driven lives and implanted a new spirit. He changed us from within.
Now, He has taken it upon Himself to bring everything else in line with the new heart that has been placed within each of us. Moment by moment, we are continually being changed to reflect all that He is and all that He wants us to be. The Word is at work, the Holy Spirit is at work; and all the promises of God are at work to bring everything together in proper order.
In the same way that we all cried out to the Lord for help to change us, it is necessary to cry out for all that we need to become like Jesus. He calls, notifies, and woos us. We respond by understanding that who He is asking us to become is an impossible task for us to accomplish and that He must do the changing.
Needing Him to even train me to submit, cry out, and surrender,
Jim Corbett