““For I resolved to know nothing … except Jesus Christ and him crucified.” Paul, 1 Corinthians 2:2
Paul had one life resolution, to know Jesus. Living coram Deo—before the face of God—requires that same single resolution. So often we make good resolutions to renew our purpose and give us fresh focus, but they usually keep us focused on what we want to do, or what we can do, or what we haven’t been able to do. It is this carnal mindset on we instead of He that has sabotaged our good intentions from the very start. To know Jesus and Him crucified means that instead of walking in a self-centered manner, we see ourselves hidden in and seated with Christ. Like Paul, our resolutions need to be fleshed out and simplified. Our simple coram Deo life resolution is:
I resolve to live before the face of God at all costs.
Any distraction or temptation that would cause our heart and mind to entertain it and leave the excellence of God’s fellowship is simply not worth it. It costs too much. We are to be on alert for every hindrance that taps on our heart, trying to get us to engage it instead of engaging Christ first and chiefly. Anything that would cause our inner man to slip away from the high calling that is ours before the face of God in Christ Jesus is dung. Paul addressed this type of coram Deo resolve:
“I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ…that I might know Him… I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” Ph. 3:8, 10, 14, KJV, bold print added
Adapted from the Coram Deo Secret
http://www.marisarickerson.com/coram-deo.html
Paul had one life resolution, to know Jesus. Living coram Deo—before the face of God—requires that same single resolution. So often we make good resolutions to renew our purpose and give us fresh focus, but they usually keep us focused on what we want to do, or what we can do, or what we haven’t been able to do. It is this carnal mindset on we instead of He that has sabotaged our good intentions from the very start. To know Jesus and Him crucified means that instead of walking in a self-centered manner, we see ourselves hidden in and seated with Christ. Like Paul, our resolutions need to be fleshed out and simplified. Our simple coram Deo life resolution is:
I resolve to live before the face of God at all costs.
Any distraction or temptation that would cause our heart and mind to entertain it and leave the excellence of God’s fellowship is simply not worth it. It costs too much. We are to be on alert for every hindrance that taps on our heart, trying to get us to engage it instead of engaging Christ first and chiefly. Anything that would cause our inner man to slip away from the high calling that is ours before the face of God in Christ Jesus is dung. Paul addressed this type of coram Deo resolve:
“I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ…that I might know Him… I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” Ph. 3:8, 10, 14, KJV, bold print added
Adapted from the Coram Deo Secret
http://www.marisarickerson.com/coram-deo.html
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