THE INCARNATION CONTINUES - Christ came to Bethlehem. And then He comes to dwell in you. The Second Coming is actually in you — right now. Christ was first formed in Mary’s womb; now He’s being formed in you. It’s a truth unique to Christianity and no other religion. “Christ in you, the hope of glory.” Jesus made His first invasion into Bethlehem. His second great act of indwelling happens when you open your heart to Him. Jesus Christ is inside of you this very moment. The incarnation didn’t finish but continues… in you. One day soon, Jesus will return to this earth, with His army, to make a final end of evil and to usher in the coming of a Golden Age. This is referred to as the “Second Coming.” - “[My] labor pains for you… will continue until Christ is fully developed in your lives.” — And so you’ve celebrated Christmas, the coming of Jesus to this world. And what a thing to celebrate! The entire pageant comes down to this: Jesus took on a genuine humanity. And of course, this late in the Story, I hope it’s nearly impossible for you to celebrate Christmas without your heart turning toward His return. One day soon, Jesus will return to this earth, with His army, to make a final end of evil and to usher in the coming of a Golden Age. This is referred to as the “Second Coming.” But what struck me this Christmas was this: the Second Coming is actually… the Third Coming. Christ came to Bethlehem. And then He comes to dwell in you. The Second Coming is actually in you — right now.

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The Incarnation Continues

Christ came to Bethlehem. And then He comes to dwell in you. The Second Coming is actually in you — right now. 

.

Christ was first formed in Mary’s womb; now He’s being formed in you. It’s a truth unique to Christianity and no other religion. “Christ in you, the hope of glory.” 

.

Jesus made His first invasion into Bethlehem. His second great act of indwelling happens when you open your heart to Him. Jesus Christ is inside of you this very moment. The incarnation didn’t finish but continues… in you. 

.

One day soon, Jesus will return to this earth, with His army, to make a final end of evil and to usher in the coming of a Golden Age. This is referred to as the “Second Coming.”

John Eldredge

 

“[My] labor pains for you… will continue until Christ is fully developed in your lives.” — Galatians 4:19 NLT

 

And so you’ve celebrated Christmas, the coming of Jesus to this world. And what a thing to celebrate!

The entire pageant comes down to this: Jesus took on a genuine humanity.

And of course, this late in the Story, I hope it’s nearly impossible for you to celebrate Christmas without your heart turning toward His return.

One day soon, Jesus will return to this earth, with His army, to make a final end of evil and to usher in the coming of a Golden Age. This is referred to as the “Second Coming.”

But what struck me this Christmas was this: the Second Coming is actually… the Third Coming.

Christ came to Bethlehem. And then He comes to dwell in you.

The Second Coming is actually in you — right now.

Christ was first formed in Mary’s womb; now He’s being formed in you. It’s a truth unique to Christianity and no other religion.

“Christ in you, the hope of glory.” — Colossians 1:27 NASB

Jesus made His first invasion into Bethlehem.

His second great act of indwelling happens when you open your heart to Him.

Think of it — Jesus Christ is inside of you this very moment. The incarnation didn’t finish but continues… in you.

I receive it, Lord!

I receive Jesus Christ into every part of my life and my being!

Yes, Lord — come and be formed in me today!

Your Turn

What part of your life do you feel Christ wants to transform today and in the coming year? We’d love to hear from you in the comments!

Excerpted with permission from Restoration Year: A 365-Day Devotional by John Eldredge, copyright John Eldredge.

John Eldredge is the director of Ransomed Heart™ in Colorado Springs, Colorado, a fellowship devoted to helping people discover the heart of God. John is the author of numerous books, including Wild at Heart, Epic: The Story God is Telling, Walking with God, Fathered by God, Waking the Dead, Desire, and Love & War (with his wife Stasi). John and Stasi live in Colorado with their three sons.

FaithGateway is brought to you by HarperCollins Christian Publishing and is dedicated to helping you grow and share your faith.

https://www.faithgateway.com/the-incarnation-continues/#.YE8yt9IzaJA

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THE SAME SPIRIT - As believers, our time here on earth is just the practice field or dressing room for eternity - God has already placed His Spirit in all those who confess Christ as Savior. It is a heavenly down payment on a forever future in the presence of God. The Spirit of God gave life to the three-day-dead body of the Prince of God. Death could not hold Jesus in the grave, and was overcome by the life of God that was demonstrated in Him when He came out of that borrowed tomb. In the same way that Jesus was resurrected, our bodies, too, will be resurrected from the grave by the operation of the Holy Spirit. Your faith in Jesus Christ guarantees the resurrection of your flesh and blood body by means of the same Holy Spirit that raised Christ from the dead. He will raise you from the dead, too, if you hold fast to your confession of faith during this lifetime. Sickness is nothing more than limited death. God’s will is for us to be well in our bodies. You don’t have to suffer from sickness — God wants you to be well, and He has sent His Spirit to give you greater life — sufficient in quantity and superior in quality — than anything this world has to offer. And the proof of it is that God has sent His Spirit to indwell you — not in the sweet by and by, but right now! - “But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead lives in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit that lives in you.”

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The Same Spirit

In the same way that Jesus was resurrected, our bodies, too, will be resurrected from the grave by the operation of the Holy Spirit

.

As believers, our time here on earth is just the practice field or dressing room for eternity - God has already placed His Spirit in all those who confess Christ as Savior. It is a heavenly down payment on a forever future in the presence of God. 

.

The Spirit of God gave life to the three-day-dead body of the Prince of God. Death could not hold Jesus in the grave, and was overcome by the life of God that was demonstrated in Him when He came out of that borrowed tomb. 

.

Your faith in Jesus Christ guarantees the resurrection of your flesh and blood body by means of the same Holy Spirit that raised Christ from the dead. He will raise you from the dead, too, if you hold fast to your confession of faith during this lifetime. 

.

Sickness is nothing more than limited death. God’s will is for us to be well in our bodies. You don’t have to suffer from sickness — God wants you to be well, and He has sent His Spirit to give you greater life — sufficient in quantity and superior in quality — than anything this world has to offer. And the proof of it is that God has sent His Spirit to indwell you — not in the sweet by and by, but right now!

Rod Parsley

 

“But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead lives in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit that lives in you.” - Romans 8:11

 

As believers, we have a hope that goes beyond this world.

Our time here on earth is just the practice field or dressing room for eternity.

One of the reasons we know this is that God has already placed His Spirit in all those who confess Christ as Savior.

It is a heavenly down payment on a forever future in the presence of God.

I believe the text indicates that this works two ways.

First and foremost, we know that the Spirit of God gave life to the three-day-dead body of the Prince of God.

Death could not hold Jesus in the grave, and was overcome by the life of God that was demonstrated in Him when He came out of that borrowed tomb.

In the same way that Jesus was resurrected, our bodies, too, will be resurrected from the grave by the operation of the Holy Spirit.

If Jesus doesn’t return in your lifetime, your faith in Jesus Christ guarantees the resurrection of your flesh and blood body by means of the same Holy Spirit that raised Christ from the dead.

His power has not been diminished in any way — He will raise you from the dead, too, if you hold fast to your confession of faith during this lifetime.

What a great hope this gives to all of us who name the name of Christ!

But I believe there is another benefit that we must not overlook, and that is the promise of divine healing.

Sickness is nothing more than limited death. We know that God’s will is for us to be well in our bodies.

The text says that God “… will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit that lives in you.”

I am convinced that one of the ways our mortal bodies receive life is through the healing power of God.

You don’t have to suffer from sickness — God wants you to be well, and He has sent His Spirit to give you greater life — sufficient in quantity and superior in quality — than anything this world has to offer.

And the proof of it is that God has sent His Spirit to indwell you — not in the sweet by and by, but right now!

Dear Lord, I love You.

All that I've expressed above is the desire of my heart.

I confess that sometimes my actions and reactions betray my love for You.

Please forgive me.

Thank You for Your grace that is able to recognize this new day as a new chance to walk closer with You.

In Jesus' Name,

Amen.

Further Reading

Romans 8:11

1 Corinthians 6:14

Acts 3:15

 

Breakthrough with Rod Parsley

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The Breakthrough with Rod Parsley broadcast is taking sound biblical doctrine and the Gospel of Jesus Christ "to all people," reaching over 200 nations, on multiple satellites that provide a signal to virtually the entire globe. More than 680 million households receive Breakthrough on a global basis seven days a week, 365 days a year. Included are more than 100 million households in the United States alone, presented through multiple networks and airtimes.
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