Morning by Morning, August 24 - “Uproot and Remove” Everything That’s Not Yet Like Jesus Good morning, Lord Jesus. Make me more like You today (1 John 4:17). ... As I listen for Your leading, the phrase “uproot and remove” comes to mind, along with this Scripture: “Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire” (Matthew 3:10). Come, Holy Spirit. Put Your axe to the root of everything in me that bears bad fruit. Uproot and remove from me everything that’s not yet like Jesus. That’s the ultimate goal of everything I go through, every battle I face, every ordeal I’ll overcome on my journey of faith through this broken and fallen world -- to make me more like Jesus, to set me free to be like Jesus: -- to “grow up in all things into Him who is the Head -- Christ” (Ephesians 4:15); -- to grow up in spiritual maturity “to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ” (Ephesians 4:13); -- to “be conformed to the image of (God’s) Son, that He might be the Firstborn among many brethren” (Romans 8:29); -- to be “transformed into the same image (of Christ) from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord” (2 Corinthians 3:18). “Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is” (1 John 3:2). “Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world” (1 John 4:17). Uproot and remove selfishness and pride, self-righteousness and insecurity, judgment and criticism, resentment and unforgiveness, jealousy and envy, anxiety and fear of man and every other form of fear, perfectionism and control, doubt and unbelief, vanity and vainglory, and about a million other things that that are not yet completely like You -- here in my heart, here in my mind, here in my every day walk of this journey of faith, here on earth as it already is in heaven. In heaven, in “the heavenly places” where already I have already been “raised up” to “sit together” with all the body of Christ “in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,” there’s nothing more to be done (Ephesians 2:6). In “the heavenly places,” in that heavenly realm of the Spirit, I’m already “the righteousness of God in (Christ)” (2 Corinthians 5:21). In that heavenly realm, “old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17). And at the same time, I also live in this earthly realm. And in this earthly realm, there are still some things in me that need to be uprooted and removed to make me more like Jesus. There are still some things in me that that You want to do to crucify my flesh and prune out of my life and mature me in faith and conform in my character, as I yield to You and Your will and Your nature in my life (Galatians 2:20; John 15:2). In the heavenly realm, “in the heavenly places” of the Spirit where You positioned me in Christ the very moment I was saved by the finished work of the Cross, I already “have the mind of Christ” (1 Corinthians 2:16). And, at the same time, here in this earthly realm, in the earthly places where I am still growing up in spiritual maturity, being conformed into the image of the Son of God, I’m still on the journey, still in the process of no longer being “conformed to this world, but (being) transformed by the renewing of (my) mind” (Romans 12:2). Here in this earthly realm, You’re still calling me and empowering me to “Let this mind be in (me) that was in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 2:5). “For this is the will of God, (my) sanctification” (1 Thessalonians 4:3). That’s why I need to keep praying, “Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven” -- here in the earthly realm of my life as it already is in the heavenly realm of my life, in these earthly places as it already is “in the heavenly places” (Matthew 6:10). That’s why You keep calling me, all by the power of Your grace by Your Spirit at work within me to obey Your New Testament command, Your this-side-of-the-Cross command of every true disciple of Yours: “If anyone desire to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it” (Luke 9:23-24). Only You can do that in me. As You said, “Without Me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). And that’s only available to me through the finished work of the Cross. But my part is to say, “Yes, Lord.” Just like I said, “Yes, Lord” to Your salvation, my part is keep saying, “Yes, Lord” to Your sanctification. All by Your grace, all by Your power, all by Your Spirit, and all as I surrender to Your will and say “Yes, Lord” to You. “For it is God who works in (me) both to will and to do for His good pleasure” (Philippians 2:13). As phrased by the New Living Translation, “For God is working in (me), giving (me) the desire and the power to do what pleases Him” (Philippians 2:13). That’s how You keep on uprooting and removing everything in me that’s not yet like You. You’re my Savior and also my Example, empowering me by Your Spirit to “follow in (Your) steps” (1 Peter 2:21). That’s how You keep setting me free -- free to be like Jesus -- from glory to glory, step by step, day by day, moment by moment, even morning by morning, on my journey of faith with You. “Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed” (John 8:36). You’ve set me free, Lord Jesus (Galatians 5:1a). And at the same time, You keep on setting me free, so that I can “stand firm” in the faith and “not let (myself) be burdened again with a yoke of slavery” to anything in my character that’s less than the character of Christ (Galatians 5:1b). So by the power of Your grace at work within me by Your Spirit -- “Christ in (me), the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27) -- I know You’ll keep on uprooting and removing everything in me that’s not yet like You. For as You are, so am I to be in my world (1 John 4:17). In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
Be encouraged today. In the love of Jesus, Tommy Hays
My friend, may you be set free from anything in you that's not yet like Jesus, as you surrender it to Him and allow His Holy Spirit in you to keep uprooting and removing those things by the power of His grace to make you more like Him every day, in Jesus' name. God bless you, my friend! And you have a great day!
Tommy Hays | Messiah Ministries Mailing Address: 412 S. Adams Street #148 Fredericksburg, Texas 78624
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