Deity Indwelling Men!

"Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you" (John 14:17)

Here is the whole final message of the New Testament: Through the atonement in Jesus' blood sinful men may now become one with God. Deity indwelling men! That is Christianity in its fullest effectuation, and even those greater glories of the world to come will be in essence but a greater and more perfect experience of the soul's union with God.

Deity indwelling men! That, I say, is Christianity, and no man has experienced rightly the power of Christian belief until he has known this for himself as a living reality. Everything else is preliminary to this. Incarnation, atonement, justification, regeneration - what are these but acts of God preparatory to the work of invading and the act of indwelling the redeemed human soul? Man, who moved out of the heart of God by sin, now moved out of the heart of man because of sin, now enters again His ancient dwelling to drive out His enemies and once more make the place of His feel glorious.

Thank You, Father, for that divine indwelling and all its implications. Thank You that fellowship, union and power are all mine when the Holy Spirit is within me. Amen

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Grace Comes By Jesus Christ

"For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ" (John 1:17)

Here are two important truths. The first truth is that no one ever was saved, no one is now saved and no one ever will be saved except by grace. Before Moses nobody was ever saved except by grace. During Moses' time nobody was ever saved except by grace. After Moses and before the Cross and after the Cross and since the Cross and during all that dispensation, during any dispensation, anywhere, any time since Abel offered his first lamb before God on the smoking altar - nobody was ever saved in any other way than by grace.

The second truth is that grace always comes by Jesus Christ. The law was given by Moses, but grace came by Jesus Christ. This does not mean that before Jesus was born of Mary there was no grace. God dealt in grace with mankind, looking forward to the Incarnation and death of Jesus before Christ came. Now, since He's come and gone to the Father's right hand, God looks back upon the Cross as we look back upon the Cross. Everybody from Abel on was saved by looking forward to the Cross, Grace came by Jesus Christ. And everybody that's been saved since the Cross is saved by looking back at the Cross.

Lord, I'm completely dependent on grace that is mine through Jesus Christ. I look back at the Cross and thank You that You loved me enough to provide for my salvation. Amen

~A. W. Tozer~