Four Points of a Prevailing Life (Part 4)

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"What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?" (Romans 6:1, KJV)

We now come to the fourth and final word in our survey of the wondrous cross. The word is OBEY. Paul says, "God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you" (Romans 6:17).

The natural sequence of these four word are beautiful in their symmetry, and powerful in their simplicity. The life-transforming work of the Cross unfolds daily in our lives as we first KNOW that our old man was crucified with Christ, and then RECKON ourselves to be indeed dead to sin, but alive to God through Jesus Christ our Lord. The next thing that follows is the most sensible step possible -- we are to YIELD ourselves to God as though who are alive from the dead. Once yielded, it only remains for us to faithfully OBEY the Lord, and do His bidding.

The word means "to listen to something with attentive stillness, so as to conform unto what is being said." The Message says, "But thank God you've started listening to a new master, one whose commands set you free to live openly in his freedom! (Romans 6:17-18)

This gives us a rich image of how the Lord shapes our lives to be more and more like Himself. It is as though the Word of God is a mold, into which our surrendered lives are poured in a yielded softness. Then, with the passing of time, we harden to the shape of the mold, and once the Lord removes it we then discover that He has used His word to remake us into what we always wanted to be! That's what happens when we OBEY!

"Holy Spirit, breath on me, until my heart is clean; let sunshine fill its inmost part, without a cloud between. Holy Spirit, breath on me, my stubborn will subdue; teach me in words of living flame what Christ would have me do. Holy Spirit, breath on me till I am all Thine own; until my will is lost in Thine, to live for Thee alone! (B. B. McKinney, 1886)

KNOW, RECKON, YIELD, and OBEY. There you have the four points of a prevailing life. May I encourage you to put this truth to the test? If so, then you will find that Truth Works!
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