Paraklesis Blog Articles

Notes for 735 Study
Taught by Joel Harder on June 13, 2012

“But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons.” – Galatians 4:4-5

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” – 2 Corinthians 5:17

Take just a moment to think, really think, about who you are in Christ Jesus. You are a redeemed sinner, new creature, receiving the full rights of a child of the creator. You are sanctified – set apart – uniquely and especially loved by God. Such knowledge should stir our hearts to rejoice – to return to Him praise with joyous thanksgiving for what He has done and continues to do.

Yet, the Lord tarries and we toil in a fallen and depraved world. A nature of flesh is constantly lashing out within us. Time, it seems, is against us (Oh, how wrong is our perception of time?! Almost always!). The children of God tend to forget who we are and what we are – sanctified. This can lead to what Christian’s label “dry seasons” in their faith, or walk with the Lord.

Four things to do in a dry season:

1.   Gather your prayer support. We so easily neglect the power of prayer. Find spiritual fathers, mothers, brothers and sisters and ask them to pray specifically and robustly for you. Have them pray these very words for you:

“For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” – Colossians 1:9-14

2.   Lose yourself in the Word. Colossians 3:10 tells us we’ve “…put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.” This transformation is spiritual, sure. It’s mysterious, yes. But it’s based in the transformation of the mind. And we’ve already established that our prayer support is asking for us to have “all spiritual wisdom and understanding” - so rest in the peace that you can think, really think about the Word of God. Try anything new to ignite a passion for scripture. Take up journaling, prayer walking, listening to audio sermons or podcasts when driving or working out. Jesus said to abide in him, which carries a connotation of lingering in the presence of the Son.

3.   Worship with absolute adoration, the Son of God. Read Colossians 3:10 again. You are being renewed in knowledge in the image of your Creator. We were created in God’s image once. We messed that up. Through salvation (and sanctification) you are set apart and being renewed AGAIN in His image. Jesus has again extend Imago Dei to you. What an amazing demonstration of grace! PRAISE GOD! It is so undeserved!

4.   Give someone the authority to speak truth into your life and remind you who you are. This is the essence of a discipleship relationship. When Paul wrote to Titus, he was building up this young man, his true son in the faith, legitimizing the man for the work he was given (putting elders in place in the church in Crete). Paul was saying, “remember who you are and be about the work the Lord has given you to do!” We need someone who can speak through the lies of the enemy that kick us when we’re down and remind us the truth that we are sanctified, co-heirs with Christ with a purpose to glorify Jesus and advance the Kingdom of Heaven on earth.