growing up into christ(4)

do you ask,"How am I abide in Christ?" In the same way as you received Him at first."As we have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord,so walk ye in Him,"The just shall live by Faith."You gave yourself to God,to be His wholly,to serve and obey Him,and you took Christ as your Savior.You could not yourself atone for your sins or change your heart; but having given yourself to God,you believed that He for Christ's sake did all this for you.By faith you become Christ's,and by faith you are to grow up in Him by giving and`taking.You are to give all your heart,your will,your service give yourself to Him to obey all His requirements; and you must take all Christ,the fullness of all blessing,to abide in your heart,to be your strength,your righteousness,your everlasting helper to give you power to obey.

Consecrate yourself to God in the morning;make this your very first work.Let your prayer be,"Take me,O Lord,as wholly Thine.I lay all my plans at thy feet.Use me today in Thy service.Abide with me,and let all my work be wrought in Thee."This is a daily matter.Each morning consecrate yourself to God for taht day.Surrender all your plans to Him,to be carried out or given up as His providence shall indicate.Thus day by day you may be giving your life into the hands of God,and thus your life will be molded more and more after the life of Christ.

A life in Christ is a life of restfulness.Thus may be no ecstasy of feeling,but there should be an abiding,peacefultrust.Your hope is not in yourself; it is in Christ.Your weakness is united to His strength might.So you are wisdom,your frailty to His enduring might.So you are not to let the mind dwell upon seld,but look to Christ.Let the mind dwell upon His love,upon the beauty,the perfection,ogf His character.Christ in His self-deniel,Christ in His humiliation,Christ in His purity and holiness,Christ in His matchless love this is the subject for the soul's contemplation.It is by loving Him,copying Him,depending wholly upon Him,that you are to be transformed into His likeness.