• Engaging God's Power

  Contributed by David Owens on Mar 14, 2011 (message contributor)

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  Scripture:  None

  Tags:  God's Provision

  Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

ENGAGING GOD'S POWER

Spiritual growth and success is a partnership with God.

Paul captured this idea in Philippians 2:12-13, where he wrote: "continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose." We work it out as God works in us!

Paul described how he cooperated with God in his ministry, when he wrote in Col. 1:28, 29: "We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ. 29 To this end I labor, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me." I labor with His energy -- see the partnership?

It is a little like the power steering and brakes on your car. Have you ever been driving along and have your car stall which causes the power steering and brakes to no longer have the power assistance? When the power steering and brakes are working it is a whole lot easier to steer and stop. But will the power steering and brakes work all by themselves? The power is there and is available, but it requires us to do something -- we have to take hold of the wheel and turn it, we have to put our foot on the brake and push it.

God's power is available and it does most of the work, but it is not engaged without us doing something to employ the power.