Just think, even before we take our initial steps of faith, all waits us. God has already “given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness;” none of which is any of our doing, and it’s all completed for us at the outset and inception of our walk of faith. We will just continue to grow unto all this which we already have, by the Father’s “work in“ (Phl 2:13). —NC
Facts From Colossians
It is the power of God Himself, as it wrought in the Lord Jesus, which works in us to give us the new standing in life. Viewed in connection with our resurrection with Him it implies—by the very fact of our receiving—that hat we are forgiven perfectly and forever. We were under the burden of our sins, and died in them. This burden the Savior took upon Himself, and died for us, accomplishing what put away our sins in going down into death. Raised up with Him, inasmuch as partaking of that life which He possesses as risen from the dead, we have—like Him—left all that burden of sin and condemnation behind us with the death from which we have been delivered. Therefore He says “Having forgiven you all your trespasses” (Col 2:13).
The Lord Jesus, when he arose, left death and the weight of condemnation under which we were lying, behind Him—we also being raised up with Him. Naturally God, in thus raising us up from the standing in which we were, has not raised us up to condemn us, or with condemnation attached to this new life, which is the Lord Jesus Himself. For He had only already borne the condemnation, and satisfied the justice of the Father, and died for the putting away of sin, before He communicated this life to us. The Father brought us out of death and condemnation with His Son who had borne it for us.
Risen with the Lord Jesus, we are to set our affections on things above, where He sits at the right hand of the Father, and not on things on the earth. The two cannot go together. To look, to have one’s motives, above and below at the same time, is not possible. Be tempted by things, have to resist them, we may; but this is not to have them as our object. The reason for this is however found in our position; we have died, and our life is hid with Christ and God.
It does not say, “We must die.” Man cannot do this by will: we cannot deny will by will. Nor would the will of the flesh ever do it (Rom 8:7). If it acts, it does not abdicate. We have died: this is the precious comforting truth with regard to the believer by virtue of the Lord Jesus having died for him and he in Him. He has received his life, and all that he did for him on the Cross. He is no longer in the life with which the power of temptation, guilt, the attacks of sin, are connected. Death has cut this connection.
Now that which was connected with the life of the old man with sin, condemnation, weakness, fear, powerlessness against the assaults of the enemy—all this is past. We have a life, but it is in the risen Lord Jesus; it is hidden with Him in the Father. We are not yet manifest in its glory, as we shall be before the eyes of all in heaven and earth. Our life is hidden, but safe in its eternal Source. He is hid in God, so also are we. When the Lord Jesus shall appear we shall also appear with Him in glory.
—J N Darby (father of dispensationalism - 1800-1882. During the winter of 1827–1828 following a riding accident, Darby spent months recuperating and intensively studying the Bible. During this time, he began to separate from the established Church of Ireland and conclude that the church and the kingdom of God were distinct. - Liberty University)
MJS daily devotional excerpt for June 5
“Free Born”
“If God be for us, who can be against us”? (Rom. 8:31)
Faith in the facts alone gives the rest of reliance. “Is there an accuser, a judge, or an executioner, still after us (Rev 12:10)? The accuser may go away rebuked by this, that God has justified us; the judge may go away rebuked by this, that the Lord Jesus has died—has already suffered the judgment, and His work has been accepted to the full in heaven itself; the executioner may go away rebuked by this, that all the malice of earth and hell together shall never drag us away from the firm embrace of our God. And if there be now neither accuser to charge, nor judge to condemn, nor executioner to slay, the court is cleared!” -J.G.B.
“It is a blessed thing to be shown our enemies and told with Gideon, that Jehovah has delivered them into our hands (Josh. 8:7). Our old man has been crucified (but only restrained and still on the Cross—NC - Rom. 6:6), the world ‘overcome,’ and its prince ‘judged’ (John 16:33, 11). If we are walking by faith, as risen with the Lord Jesus Christ, Satan, the world, and the flesh (old man; the unholy trinity—NC) are under our feet.” -J.N.D.
“Not a hair of the child of God can fall without God’s permission. Satan is but the unintentional instrument to accomplish God’s will; he can do no more than he is allowed to do. If trials come as a host against us, we know that the Almighty is between us and them. They will but work out for us His own purpose of His love.” -MJS
http://www.abideabove.com/hungry-heart/day/2026/06/05/
