by Renée Berry
2 Peter 1:3 – “Everything we could ever need for life and godliness has already been deposited in us by his divine power. For all this was lavished upon us through the rich experience of knowing him who has called us by name and invited us to come to him through a glorious manifestation of his goodness.” (TPT)
When I began to work as a Discipleship Counselor some 25 years ago, the staff was instructed to re-write the lectures and update the handouts for counseling and training. The President of the ministry followed these instructions with an amazing statement, “Make sure you go back to the Garden where it all began.” We all fastidiously studied the Garden “scene” in Genesis 3 and received remarkable revelation:
- Satan’s deceit established the core of our false belief system; therefore, twisting the concept of God, self, and others and believed by Adam and Eve. (Genesis 3:1-8)
- Fear was introduced: fear of God, fear of self, and fear of others.
- Control was born!
Man cooperated with the enemy’s remedy for fear, the very opposite of God’s love. Thus, man began to rely on himself rather than God (*flesh vs. Spirit). That remedy was control. As man aimed for his own way without God, he was depleted of resources other than his own to make a way in this world.
The question that leads to our own way, resources, and strength was born: “What am I going to do?” That is a dead-end question with dead-end results. Until the New Covenant came into effect after the resurrection of Christ, man had to depend on a sacrificial system (the Old Covenant) to atone for sin.
Jesus changed all that for us. He became the Sacrifice for us for all time. Because we are now in union with Him, He has spiritually brought us back to the perfect Garden state. What did that do for us? That one act on the cross forever changed the question for us, “God, what are you going to do?”
- Our core belief system has been untwisted by Truth, Jesus.
- Love, not fear, draws us to love God, love self, and love others.
- Freedom from sin’s control was released forever by the one-time sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross.
The remedy for control? The Truth is that God is God, and I am not. How does that affect us daily? His Life being lived through us. We can trust His answer to the question, “God, what are You going to do, and how much of it do You want to do through me?”
Some years ago, I wrote a poem to describe what God wanted me to do with my control. He made it very clear that I was to rely on His Sovereignty for my life and the life of others.
“I cannot change them, and I do not want to try
A change from me would not be for eternity
An open heart; a work of grace
When set in motion and put in place
By the Father, Son and Holy Spirit
Is a work that stays not for days
But for all eternity; Not to change them, use me
To talk to them, to pray, to be an instrument of grace
When You set in motion and put in place
That work for all eternity. “
New Covenant living is a life of receiving the nature of Christ and depending on His attributes and characteristics daily. It is a life based on the finished work of the cross, not fear’s control. Invite Him In! He has already met any need you have. He is your Fountain of Life! That is New Covenant Living!
*flesh – Behavior fueled by programmed lies that leads to one trying to meet their God-given needs for love, acceptance, worth, and security out of their own strength and resources apart from total dependence on Jesus Christ
Would you like to know more about New Covenant Living – the abundant life that Jesus speaks about? At Abundant Grace International, we offer one-on-one Discipleship Counseling, couples counseling, conferences, and further training in understanding the Truths of the New Covenant of Grace.
We are a 501 (c)(3) non-profit, Christ-centered, Biblically-based Discipleship Counseling ministry. We are a part of an international network – Network220.org. For more information, please visit our website abundantgraceintl.org. We invite you to call today for a personal and private meeting with a counselor.
Call 864.270.5531 or click here to contact us.
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Renée Berry
Abundant Grace International
Discipleship Counselor * Life Coach * Teacher * Trainer
Author/Blogger: reneehberry.com
Invite Him In: Jesus in Seasons of Adversity
704-408-8609
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