What is your heart position?

Jesus is the Word made flesh. He did not do away with the Word of God, He IS the Word of God. God is triune, Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit. Three in one. I was led on 3/6/23 to John 3, there are no coincidences in God. The passage is about salvation, being born again, and the identity of Jesus, the Christ. Jesus carried the fullness of truth as the Word and the Son of God.

Like Jesus, we are created in God's image. We are triune. Body, mind, and spirit. I began to expound on this thought as the Father-Mind, Jesus-Body, and the Holy Spirit- spirit (obviously). We focus so often on what we are taught about our mind, will, and emotions as our soulish man that we fail to see the whole man/woman as mind, body, and spirit. Our soul is either set on the flesh or the spirit and what our soul is set on leads our entire being.

Our heart position is what God has been talking to me about lately. If our heart is made up of our mind, will, and emotions, what is the position of our heart? He has shown me that our willingness to lay down our mind, will, and emotions and let Him have complete control is directly tied to how we receive from Him. NOW you may be saying, yes, we already know this. BUT He has been highlighting submission lately. Really laying down our lives, our whole lives. Our thoughts, actions, opinions, desires, dreams, talents, gifts, plans, intentions, and all we own and love. That is complete submission.

The more I lay down, the more He pours in. This has been my journey. You see we don't just lay down our mind, will, and emotions, we lay down everything. Body, mind, and spirit. Thoughts, actions, what we do, where we go, what we eat if He asks us to, and what we have. While that encompasses our will, we as Americans and even in other modern cultures we feel we have the right to keep certain things for ourselves. To make certain decisions ourselves. To seek out and desire what we want rather than submitting those things to God and ASKING HIM. I am still learning, still submitting, and still going low. "He must increase, but I must decrease", John 3:30 (NKJV)

I have found in working with others that God is gentle when they are submissive, and more often direct when they are not as submissive. When there is a lack of submission it takes a more direct approach to pierce the areas He wants to touch. We often hold on so tightly to our pain, will, fear, trauma, and sin that we can not receive. He takes what we give freely to Him. Jesus would ask people what they wanted from Him. They gave the answer, therefore giving it to Him. We often expect Him to rip something out of our hands that we have not surrendered. What is your heart's position toward that thing you are praying about? Are you really ready to let go? Are you asking but still holding it tight?

He was highlighting the difference between condemnation and correction.

Condemnation:

Google Oxford Language Dictionary: 1) The expression of very strong disapproval; censure. 2) The action of condemning someone to punishment, and sentencing.

The Mountain Eagle says this of condemnation: "To condemn means to pronounce to be guilty to sentence to punishment, or pass judgment"

Meriam Webster: Condemnation,

1. Censure, Blame

2. The act of judicially condemning

3. The state of being condemned

4. A reason for condemning

Correction:

Google Oxford Language Dictionary: 1) The action or process of correcting something 2) A change that rectifies an error or inaccuracy 3) Used to introduce an amended version of something one has just said

Miriam Webster: Correction:

1. Amendment, rectification

2. Rebuke, punishment

3. A bringing into conformity with a standard

4. Neutralization, counteraction

While the two may seem very similar, we know that God corrects, or rebukes those that He loves. See Hebrews 12. Let's focus on verses 5-8, "And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as sons; 'My son, do not despise the chastening of the LORD, nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him; For whom the LORD loves He chastens, and scourges every son whom He receives.' If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten? But if you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate an not sons." (NKJV)

But…Jesus paid the price for us and those who are truly IN Him are no longer condemned to death. But are instead given eternal life.

John 3:18-21, "He who believes in Him is not condemned, but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come into the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God" (NKJV)

Romans 8:1, "There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death." (NKJV)

It is ignorance to think that there will not be a correction as we come into the kingdom of God. As our mind, will, and emotions come from the flesh into the spirit we are sanctified. Correcting our course, refining our ways, and cleansing our thoughts.

We are being transformed into the likeness of Jesus. II Corinthians 3:18, "But we all, with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory; just as by the same Spirit of the Lord." (NKJV)

So if you are submitting to Christ, and you are positioning your heart on Him and decreasing so that He may increase but things seem to be very hard, do not be discouraged. Do not despise the sanctification process. As you decrease, He will increase. This is the perfect way of The Father. To shine through us as lights to the world.

Submit to His loving correction as a father would correct a child for their protection.

You are in good company. The refining fire, that correction that brings things back into alignment, is necessary and is an act of God's love to bring you into a place that can not be shaken in times to come. We are being strengthened. What can be shaken is being shaken and what needs to fall away and come out is being removed so that we are ready to fight the battles in the days ahead. BUT we never fight alone and the fight is different in this season. Do not despise the correction.

IF you have not submitted and you are not willing to give up the sin that you have held on to, then know that He is the judge. He is reaching out to help you get things right while there is still time.

"The Father loves the Son, and has given al things into His hand. He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him." John 3:35-36.

God has been warning us that it is not enough to just know the name of Jesus, you must KNOW HIM. If you know and love Him you will keep HIs commandments. God is so good that He does not expect us to do this alone, He sent the Holy Spirit to help us. Call on Him today......don't give up....keep pressing.....do not get comfortable in your sin, trauma, fear, or torment. God wants you to be free. Johh 8:36, "Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed." (NKJV) What a wonderful thing!

His ways are good. His plan is good. He loves you too much to leave you in pain and torment. That is not the inheritance of the children of God. Jeremiah 29:11-12, "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for me with all your heart." (NKJV)

Set your heart on Him. Give Him your all, and watch what He will do in your life!

Blessings,

Charissa