If you are going to be faithful to the growth of the Lord’s life which is planted within you, you must allow your life to be spoiled,wrecked, and even destroyed to the full extent that God desires it to be, and not be anxious about yourself. Rather, sacrifice to God all your interest- those of time, those of eternity. Do not allow any excuse on your part to retain the slightest atom- for the least little reservation will cause irreparable loss; such reservation prevents the death of self being total.” - Madame Guyon in Union With God

        I have been reading this book as of late and I find to be very much a confirmation of the sojourn that the Lord has been taking me on over the course of my salvation.<span> This relationship is very real and very dangerous.</span>

Since I can remember it has felt like an endless battle to be holy and pure,to somehow offer a sacrifice pleasing to the Lord.

“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.” Romans 12:1

        God is a lover who created us in His image. That truth also has seemed hard for me to swallow as I am sure some of you, not due to its ambiguity, but rather because of the lack of comparison. My flesh has no platform to even beginning a cognitive thought of his image so surely I cannot view myself of such, but over this time and the course of my relationship with in I am realizing that the easiest way to have a platform for his image is to look around at the things of good around me.

“Brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” Philippians 4:8

         We must come to a very real and raw faith, a naked faith if you will. What does it mean to be naked? It means to be stripped of all covering, all things that hinder, and all things that adorn. It is a place that for many, including myself, bring feelings of shame. We must let the Lord view us in this places. We must be willing to come to terms that at many times in the relationship with the Lord our flesh must feel as if it is suffering so that our soul, in union with God, might begin to dress us up in the righteous of God that truly is who we are, and not the nakedness in our flesh.

“For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed instead with our heavenly dwelling, because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked. For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed instead with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. Now the one who has fashioned us for this very purpose is God, who has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.” 2 Corinthians 5:1-5

           Natural things will take every opportunity to try and save natural life, but we are no longer creatures of the natural. The journey of salvation we are on is a journey into the center of the Lord’s heart. With it comes- times when we are taken within ourselves to see the things we have clothed ourselves with that are not what is meant for us. It will seem as if, in these times, we are far from God. Yet, God in his grace will use the natural he has already cleansed us from almost to reveal to us a heavenly clothing. I am not at all saying that in these times, sin is permissible. What I am saying is that God’s abounding grace can still allow such to show HIMSELF in abundant ways.

“Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.” Romans 5:1-5

       He is a lover after his bride. His bride is pure and spotless. His bride is confident and sure of her bridegrooms arrival and more then willing to go through anything to hasten his arrival. She is preparing herself and is preparing to put on the wedding dress. Surely, as we are the bride, we too must begin clothing ourselves in the proper wedding attire.

That’s all friends.

-Ian Finlay

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