Who Are You Really?

Daily Scripture Readings

Monday          Colossians 4:1-6

Tuesday          Colossians 4:7-9

Wednesday   Colossians 4:10-14

Thursday       Colossians 4:15-18

Friday            I Corinthians 1:1-3

Saturday        John 10:7-10

Opening Prayer

Gracious God, let me live as a holy and faithful brother or sister In Christ.

In Jesus’ name, Amen

Reading

“As therefore you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so live in him” (Col. 2:6). This verse points to the attitude and the atmosphere of living in Christ—the very way you received Him, live in Him. How did they receive Christ Jesus? By surrender and receptivity. They gave to Him; they took from Him. Give and take—this is the relationship reduced to its simplest terms. The giving means the giving of the one thing and the only thing we own—ourselves. When He has that He has all.

When this is done, the way is cleared to receive. The end is the receiving. God asks that we give all in order to make it possible for Him to give all. Among the things He gives is ourselves! He cleanses the self from a thousand contradictions and conflicts and then gives it back to us. We are at home with ourselves because we are at home in God, for God is our home.

From birth to death we live by surrender and receptivity. The child before birth surrenders to its environment and receives everything from its mother. This is a life process; we live as we receive. The kneeling calf sucking its mother’s milk is a vivid symbol of that humble, surrendered receptivity which must characterize the growing Christian.

The unsurrendered Christian is inhibited from taking the grace of God. He feels timid, ashamed to take, for he knows he hasn’t given. The moment he gives all, however, a holy boldness takes possession of him—he can now take all. He takes with both hands, for he gives with both hands.

Note that it says, “As therefore you received Christ Jesus the Lord.” He is Lord—not merely example, doer, teacher—He is Lord. You cannot call Him Savior unless you call Him Lord. He saves those whom He owns—no others. If you make something else Lord, you are cut off from His giving.

 In Christ by  E. Stanley Jones