““Therefore say to the house of Israel, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: “I do not do this for your sake, O house of Israel, but for My holy name’s sake, which you have profaned among the nations wherever you went. And I will sanctify My great name, which has been profaned among the nations, which you have profaned in their midst; and the nations shall know that I am the LORD,” says the Lord GOD, “when I am hallowed in you before their eyes. For I will take you from among the nations, gather you out of all countries, and bring you into your own land. Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them. Then you shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; you shall be My people, and I will be your God.”
Ezekiel 36:22-28
God, who rescues and delivers men, women and children from the morass of sin, working by His Spirit in imprinting His Word upon our lives, fashions us to be fitted for mission and ministry in Jesus’ name. Where God declared His nature to Moses (Exodus 34.6-7), God gave His people laws to help shape and fashion their lives, that they might reflect God’s holy nature (2 Peter 1.2-8). In Jesus’ name, the Holy Spirit now works in our lives to conform us to God’s laws, forming the mind of Christ among us (1 Corinthians 2.11-16).
To discern the mind of Christ, we need the counsel of the Scriptures, the leading of the Holy Spirit and the wisdom of consecrated lives. We look to the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5.19-23) to be evidenced in our conversations and relationships. Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness faithfulness, gentleness and self-control: these are the marks of a people ready to interpret and administer our Lord’s commands – to be bearers of His presence - within the culture and context in which they live.
Heavenly Father, may my life reflect and rejoice in your royal law, the liberating commands of the Kingdom of your Son and my Saviour, Jesus Christ. Rule in me, Holy God. Let justice and righteousness sprout from the fertile soil of my soul, irrigated by the Holy Spirit, exhibiting and ministering through my life all that brings you pleasure. May the fragrance of Jesus rise from me and from those who travel with me . May your healing and deliverance cover those around me, bringing joy and thanksgiving for your royal laws and holy decrees. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
