From Sticky Souls to Transformed Hearts
God’s command—from the glorious clouds overshadowing the Transfiguration of Jesus in the gospels—reminds us: when we listen and do whatever the Son of God says he will lead us from barrenness due to selfish living into righteous fruit-producing living for the glory of God. Self cannot satisfy self. We must hunger for God.
This is basically our journey for Lent, because sinful attitudes and actions try to stick to our souls and destroy our Life with God. Jesus wants us to produce righteous fruit that bring glory to our King’s rule and reign.
“The question asked is not, ‘What should be happening in my life?’ but ‘What is happening in my life?’ The present moment, the present set of circumstances, the present relationships in our lives—this is where God lives. This is where God meets us and gives us life.” —-Alice Frying
Day 19: Fasting Dominance for Holiness
Our journey in life as worshipers of the Lord is to embrace his holiness; a holiness that begins to take dominion of our hearts and starts the transformation process that makes us holy in the Truth. The whole purpose of our Lenten reflections and repentance is to further our commitment to live in the Truth. Learning Scripture is purposeful and spending time in corporate worship and attending helpful Bible studies will open us up to experience more of God’s faithful love and guidance in the Truth, but if we do nothing to apply the Word to the life we live each day, we have missed where God lives. Remember brothers and sisters, today, God lives in you!
From the beginning, God instructed humanity to take ‘dominion,’ but we must remember in Hebrew the deeper meaning of that word [radah] reflects ‘partnership or stewardship.’ Jesus is the embodiment of all that is holy and he instructs us to follow him—take part in his dominion—because he is the Truth that brings salvation to sinful hearts. The Lord did not surrender his role of dominion; rather, he loaned it to us for the purpose of bringing transformation into our very lives and revelation of the Kingdom to the world. When we are faithful stewards of the Truth, we understand we are not called to a spirit of dominance but to a posture of faithful surrender and partnership. We live every aspect of our lives each day in worship—e.g. waking, sleeping, working, playing, exercising, and resting—knowing we are to be responsible stewards of the Truth.
For this reason, the Church—those who connect to Christ—are given the Holy Spirit of Truth and the gifts we all need for the journey. Jesus has the authority to pass out these spiritual gifts so we can all keep the Word; live in the Truth. Believers do NOT serve the Lord by demonstrating dominance—control. We serve the Lord through his dominion and authority—stewardship and holy care-taking of all creation.
Remember, the authority of Christ was always questioned by the religious leaders (Mat 21:23). Jesus’ response was to answer these leaders’ questions with yet another question, because he knew their hearts were deceitful and found their outward religious facade repulsive. Believers operate within the loaned authority of Christ—Truth—so the world has the opportunity through our care-taking in holiness to receive salvation and submit to the Holy One.
Today, we will fast dominance and feast on holiness. Like the Pharisees, when believers are driven by the world’s way to live in dominance or control, we will miss the beautiful gift of taking dominion through partnership in Christ’s holiness. We must take his yoke upon us (Mat 11:29-20). Jesus prays for us, because each day he sends and goes with us. We are so blessed!
John 17:6-19 NLT
6 “I have revealed you to the ones you gave me from this world. They were always yours. You gave them to me, and they have kept your word. 7 Now they know that everything I have is a gift from you, 8 for I have passed on to them the message you gave me. They accepted it and know that I came from you, and they believe you sent me.
9 “My prayer is not for the world, but for those you have given me, because they belong to you. 10 All who are mine belong to you, and you have given them to me, so they bring me glory. 11 Now I am departing from the world; they are staying in this world, but I am coming to you. Holy Father, you have given me your name; now protect them by the power of your name so that they will be united just as we are. 12 During my time here, I protected them by the power of the name you gave me. I guarded them so that not one was lost, except the one headed for destruction, as the Scriptures foretold.
13 “Now I am coming to you. I told them many things while I was with them in this world so they would be filled with my joy. 14 I have given them your word. And the world hates them because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. 15 I’m not asking you to take them out of the world, but to keep them safe from the evil one. 16 They do not belong to this world any more than I do. 17 Make them holy by your truth; teach them your word, which is truth. 18 Just as you sent me into the world, I am sending them into the world. 19 And I give myself as a holy sacrifice for them so they can be made holy by your truth.
Prayer: Father, please help us fast an attitude of dominance in order to feast on your holiness. We must fight the desire to control or protect our self-perceived need for power, because it is deception at work. We desire spiritual intimacy in the Truth, so we bow and surrender to take dominion with you. Thank you for the yoke that guides us toward transformation and daily salvation. In Jesus’ name. Amen.