July 2018
We tackle common issues with prayer, our relationship with God, and, for mature believers, take you to a whole new level in your prayer life!
We tackle common issues with prayer, our relationship with God, and, for mature believers, take you to a whole new level in your prayer life!
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is full of all the external practises<br />
required of them. Although<br />
Jesus taught often of His inner<br />
relationship with His father; “The<br />
Father who is in me He does the<br />
works” (John 5:19). “Do you not<br />
believe that I am in the Father<br />
and the Father in me?” (John<br />
14:10) - for the disciples it was<br />
still an external relationship for<br />
most of their time with Jesus. It<br />
was only as the time for His crucifixion<br />
drew near that He began<br />
to teach them of an internal relationship<br />
for them. “The Spirit<br />
of truth whom the world cannot<br />
receive, because it neither sees<br />
Him or knows Him: but you know<br />
Him, for He dwells with you and<br />
will be in you” (John 14:17).<br />
He prayed to the Father that they<br />
might have that inner relationship.<br />
“That they all may be one,<br />
as you, Father, are in Me, and I<br />
in you; that they also may be one<br />
in Us, that the world may believe<br />
that you sent me” (John 17:21).<br />
The change between the Old<br />
Testament relationship and the<br />
New came soon after Jesus’ resurrection<br />
from the dead. “When<br />
He had said this, He showed<br />
then His hands and His side.<br />
Then the disciples were glad<br />
when they saw the Lord. So, Jesus<br />
said to them again, peace to<br />
you! As the Father has sent Me,<br />
even so send I you. And when<br />
He had said this, He breathed on<br />
them, and said to them receive<br />
the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the<br />
sins of any they are forgiven<br />
them; if you retain the sins of any,<br />
they are retained”. (John 20:21-<br />
23) Suddenly they are thrust into<br />
a new inner relationship with the<br />
Father, and a responsibility to do<br />
the works of God through that<br />
relationship. God’s prophecy to<br />
Jeremiah is fulfilled. “But this is<br />
the covenant I will make with the<br />
house of Israel after those days,<br />
says the Lord; I will put My law in<br />
their minds, and write it on their<br />
hearts; and I will be their God,<br />
and they shall be My people”<br />
(Jer 31:33).<br />
More than an inner relationship<br />
– and this is my point – the disciples<br />
received a transferred life.<br />
They had become a new creation<br />
– they were now Christ people<br />
- 24 hours a day, seven days a<br />
week. Paul explained this life as<br />
the basic result of the Gospel.<br />
“For the love of Christ compels<br />
us, because we thus judge: that<br />
if one died for all, then have all<br />
www.faithfilledfamily.com 17
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