I Am a Free Woman Part 2: Co-Resurrection

On April 13 I posted, I Am a Free Woman Part 1: Co-Crucifixion, something that was sparked by my Oswald Chambers Devotional, My Utmost for His Highest. I wish there were words to properly convey all that God is doing in and through me right now, change that is so amazing I am truly more in love and in awe of my Savior than ever.

My heart has been burdened with unmet expectations lately with regard to the difference in how I imagined certain aspects of my life to be and how God's will is. As I prayed to God for clarification and help to sort through the jumbled thoughts and feelings that had worked its way into my brain and heart, God brought me my brother, Scott to talk to. Then on Friday, a wonderful Christian woman in my church spent time with me in the morning. Through these awesome Christ following people, God worked to open my eyes to His truth, His plan for my life and helped me start the process of dieing to self and coming alive in Him. Well, not starting because I've been doing it for years but sometimes the process is a lot more apparent, harder, and needs a little more attention than other times. Now is one of those times.

I just wanted to share that with you because as awesome as God is sometimes, its hard to keep it to myself.

Here we go.

Co-Crucifixion to recap: For we know that our old self was crucified with Him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin - because anyone who has died has been free from sin. Romans 6:6

Co-Resurrection: If we have been united together in the likeness of His death certainly we also shall be united with Him in His resurrection. Romans 6:5

"The proof that I have experienced crucifixion with Jesus is that I have a definite likeness to Him. The spirit of Jesus entering me rearranges my personal life before God... I can have the resurrection life of Jesus here and now and it will exhibit itself through holiness.

The idea all through the apostle Paul's writings is that after the decision to be identified with Jesus His death has been made the resurrection life of Jesus penetrates ever bit of my human nature... The Holy spirit cannot be accepted as a guest in merely one room of the house - he invaded all of it." Oswald Chambers My Utmost for His Highest

"6:5-7 The first clause should be translated since (not if) we have become united 'in the likeness of His death,' because the statement is assumed to be true and is true. It affirms the certainty of the second clause of the sentence, which promises that believers are united with Christ in the likeness of His resurrection." Walvoord, Zuck The Bible Knowledge Commentary

HAGIASMOS - holiness, it signifies a separation to God; 1 Corinthians 1:30, 2 Thessalonians 2:13

HAGIOSUNE - denotes the manifestation of the quality of Holiness in personal conduct 'In each place character is in view, perfect in the case of the Lord Jesus, growing toward perfection in the case of the Christian. Here the exercise of love is declared to be the means God uses to develop likeness to Christ in His children. The sentence may be paraphrased thus: - 'The Lord enable you more and more to spend your lives in the interests of others in order that He may so establish you in Christian character now, that you may be vindicated from every charge that might possibly be brought against you at the Judgement seat of Christ,'cp. 1 John 4:16,17'" definitions taken from Vine's Expository Dictionary Old & New Testament Words

Colassians 2:6-7

Proverbs 3:5-6

"Lord, I bow before You this day and declare that You are Lord over every area of my life. I surrender myself and my life to You and invite You to rule in every part of my mind, soul, body and spirit. I love you with all my heart, with all my soul and with all my mind. I commit to trusting You with my whole being. I declare You to be Lord over every area of my life today and ever day." Amen Stormie Omartian Power of a Praying Woman

Many years ago at a Christian women's conference, God pressed upon me a calling to be a vessel for Him through speaking and teaching. Now almost ten years later I can honestly say where my mind went at that point and where God's will has taken me are entirely different. I, at this point, don't' know what further direction this calling will take. Unmet expectations. This is a big deal for every person. Many people spend their whole lives under the burden of depression brought on by not letting go of unmet expectations. I recall my own depression brought on by the loss (loss to me, gain for Heaven) of my first two babies, Adam and Charis. I was able to eventually give to God those unmet expectations and walk forward in His will. That is always easier said than done. Lately as I have recognized that where God has taken me through the crucifixion, died to self, and raised me as a new creation in Him, life can be a constant "physical therapy" session learning to walk in Him rather than my old self, the sin nature. Until we can let go of unmet expectations we will limp through life and never experience the life of walking freely with Jesus as free men and women rather than slaves to sin, shackled shuffling and limping to what was never meant for our lives.

Coming up: I Am a Free Woman Part 3: Co-Resurrection