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Jesus Christ Ascended on High (Hebrews 4:14-16) | Rev. Herman Moldez, April 12 Being human in the body is to live with mortality. We are weak and wounded. We are frail that we fail to please our Lord. They mystery of the spiritual life is Christ lives in our being by the Holy Spirit to live the power of Christ’s resurrection. Every day we are exposed to the many influences shaping our mind and heart to live. The advent of social media makes us vulnerable to follow worldly patterns instead of practicing the way of Christ. The constant challenge is a daily struggle with fleshly desire to resist the fruit of the Spirit to grow. Paul says, we don't need to feel helpless and desperate because Christ in his Spirit lives "in you" (Rom 8:9-11). We practice the resurrection not just by the power of the exalted Christ in heaven but more so by of the presence of Christ in our hearts. We live in eternity while on earthly journey contending with the reality of a broken world. Christ did not leave us. He comes, in his Spirit, to become the indwelling Lord Christ in our hearts, ruling all areas of life. Christ in his Spirit is also the Spirit of God the Father (9b- 10a). We need to move away from the circumferential living to the center, in the core of who we are to encounter the indwelling Christ. It means pursuing consequential life for eternity. Kingdom living is the interior life in Christ. We no longer live in the realm of the flesh to satisfy our bodily appetites but in the realm of the Spirit to nurture the inner life in the Spirit (9). We live the eternal life in the mortal body by the empowered life of the Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead (10-11). We live inside out by the presence and power of the Spirit. It is the evidence that we belong to Christ to all eternity (9). It is amazing that the transcendent Lord reigning in heaven is the immanent Lord residing in our hearts. What a pleasure and privilege to develop intimate love of Christ in our hearts. Deep spiritual formation of growing in the image of Christ grows in devotion of love to Christ for this is what develop the life of Christ in our being. James K. A. Smith says, "you are what you love" because "you become like what you love" (Dallas Willard). Let us stop living in the circumferential edges of consumerism to seek Christ in the center of our hearts to be consumed by his loving presence and lording power to change us. • What is your struggle not to live in the realm of the flesh but in the realm of the Spirit? • What have your learned about the power of "Christ lives in you? How will you let Christ rule all your life to be transformed inside out? • What do you long for an intimate love of Christ?
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