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FOLLOWING AFTER RIGHTEOUSNESS
Righteousness should be our goal as we pursue the “divine nature of Christ.” Once we start on our journey pursuing the “divine nature,” we must never allow obstacles which we find standing in our way to impede our progress. Many become frustrated, discontent and discouraged along the way when they fall short of the goal. Our goal is not only to “seek Christ,” but to BECOME LIKE Him. If we are going to be filled with the “divine nature,” it will have to be on His terms not on our terms. There are no short cuts or alternative routes to our destination of righteousness.
We can be encouraged knowing this journey will take us to our desired destination if we keep pressing on toward the “mark of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. We must not lose heart and become like many who have started this journey and have fallen short of their goal and given up.
The enemy will always try to place obstacles along the pathway in order to discourage us and hinder our pursuit of the “divine nature of Christ.” If we place our focus on the enemy and what he is doing rather than what Christ is doing, we will fail to reach our eternal goal. I assure you the “divine nature” is attainable for all who press forward toward the mark of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
If we keep our focus on Christ and follow Him, He will lead us down the path of righteousness. We must always look first to the ROCK of our Salvation who is Christ. He is our example and our victory. We are hewn from that ROCK which Moses struck with his staff when the Children of Israel became thirsty in the Wilderness. (Isaiah 51:1). We are to be Ambassadors of the “Living Water” which will quench the thirst of many as we walk along the trail to our destination with Christ.
We must not look to the right or to the left as we walk the path on our earthly journey. When we continually keep our eyes on Christ, our goal will always be before us. Jesus is looking for people who will follow Him “wherever” He goes, without question or hesitation. Jesus is always going somewhere and we must follow Him wherever He wishes to lead us.
We must follow in the footsteps of Christ as we walk down the pathway of life. If we allow Jesus to lead us He will walk with us daily helping us to overcome every obstacle Satan has placed in our path until we reach our final destination.
Several years ago I was praying in my den when Jesus appeared to me and said, “Follow Me.” Jesus desires to lead us on a journey we would not want to miss. If we are not “following Christ,” we are GOING in the wrong direction. Following Christ leads us to eternal life. If we are going in any other direction, we will find eternal death which is separation from God throughout eternity. We will never obtain the fullness of the victory or the prize of His “high calling” if we fail to keep our eyes on Christ. The “divine nature” can only be found in Christ, and in Christ alone.
In Christ we live and move and have our being. Outside of Christ we are nothing. Outside of Christ we can do nothing. It is Christ who fills the deep wells of our souls with Living Water. It is Christ who “bids us to come and drink of the Water of Life freely.” It is Christ who feeds us “manna from Heaven” on our journey toward the fullness of His “divine nature.” It is Christ who picks us up and sets our feet upon the solid rock when we stumble and fall along the way.
Once we have started this journey pursuing the “divine nature,” we must never allow obstacles which stand in our way to hinder our progress. Our goal is not just to “seek Christ,” but to KNOW HIM and to BECOME LIKE HIM. If we are going to be filled with the “divine nature,” we must do it on His terms, not our terms. There are no shortcuts or alternative routes to our destination of His righteousness.
For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. And when you seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart, I will be found by you says the Lord. Jeremiah, ch. 29, vs. 11-13.
The “Law of Pursuit” says that “whatever we are ambitiously determined to obtain we will acquire if we do not lose heart and give up.” People who desire to become doctors pursue a degree in Medicine. People who desire to become psychologists pursue a degree in Psychology. People who desire to become lawyers pursue a degree in Law. They all have one goal in common--to fulfill their desire to become proficient at their choice of occupations. They attend colleges and universities in order to study their occupation of choice.
If a student “half-heartedly” pursues to become knowledgeable in their chosen profession, they will never make the grade or finish the course. In our pursuit of the “divine nature,” we must always be ambitiously seeking to be FILLED with Christ or His peace and freedom will allude us. If we are not continually striving for perfection, we will fall short of the glory God wishes to impart to us.
The Bible says to, “depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it.” (Psalm 34:18). God’s desire for us is to live in peace. He desires to give us a future FILLED with the fullness of Christ who is our example of love, compassion, and devotion.
Peace can be elusive, and can only be found when we “pursue peace.” Christ IS our Peace. We cannot expect God to fill us with the fullness of the “nature of Christ” if we are not humbly pressing forward toward the “mark of His high calling.” If we are not persistently pursuing the “righteousness of Christ,” we will never be “filled” with His righteousness or His peace.