There is a “worm theology” in parts of the institutional church/religious system. This includes the thought process that we remain bound to our sin-nature, and can expect backsliding, and are not deserving. This side of the aisle relates very strongly to the words about “servants” in Scripture.

 

Of course, we actually do not deserve and we have not earned the gift of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Yet, He gave all He had to give it to us, so it is not humility to refuse to receive it. It is not humility. It is actually an affront to the generosity, desire, and work of The Giver – Father, Son, and Spirit.

 

On the other hand, there is a distorted theology of grace in parts of the institutional church/religious system. This includes the thought process that since God is love and He forgives, that whatever we and others do, sin-nature included, is accepted. This side of the aisle relates very strongly to the words about “love” and “grace” in Scripture.

 

Here, it must be emphasized that we do deserve death as an eternal separation from Father God because we each have sinned (all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God; the wages of sin is death, ref., Romans 3:23; 6:23). It is the great love and intentional action of Father God to receive a ransom on our behalf – the Lord Jesus Christ – and to give us the gift of salvation and of eternal life.

 

Let us balance His great love and grace, which we do not deserve and did not earn with the wages of sin, as He defines it, which we do deserve. This standing sin, without recognizing it is sin in whatever degree it is and repenting, leads to present torment and eternal death (ref., Romans 3:23; 6:23). No amount of feel-good, cheap-grace-talk removes that. He paid so extravagantly much to provide that grace to us — and it is humility to receive it and stand in it. The humility of confessing, repenting, and receiving through Jesus our Savior is the starting point of receiving that extravagantly expensive grace.

 

Back to His question: What measure are you using?

 

It dawned on me that I believed it was not right, not deserved, not humble, and way too bold to use the measure of Jesus Christ the Lord.

 

And yet. . .that is what He said to do.

 

I realized that a measure I was using kept me in a place of confined waiting instead of an expansion Father had already called me into.

 

 

As a living stone in this living building on the cornerstone of Jesus, Father extends the invitation to build with precious stones (gold and silver, not wood and hay) in the time we have on earth. There will be a day when what we built will be tested with fire, and that’s the end of that building time. Nothing else can be removed or added. Now, we have the opportunity to completely adjust or change what we’re building.

 

Building well starts with measuring right.

 

We can build out of our corrupt sin nature, with the world and its multi-faceted corruptions, with our own view of what is right, with others’ view of what should or should not be, with His enemy — or with Jesus as the measure.

 

Every thought we have (which had its origin somewhere) is building our life.

 

That new framework He built through the process He took me through led me to a new prayer process. It literally took me out of an (inner) place of confinement to an (inner) place of expansion which led to outer enlargements.

 

It is His extravagantly expensive grace — which He offers as a gift — that allows us to be built up in the measure of Jesus.

 

 

Father, thank You for Your great grace to me through the Lord Jesus Christ.

 

I confess, repent for, reject and renounce every shortfall I have to the measure of the Lord Jesus Christ (every bitterness, every injury, gap, and arrested development from the sins of my fathers which warped my DNA, and which I received, judged, and participated in, and every corruption I have received and participated with, etc.). I confess and renounce every measure I’ve used that’s not You.

 

Separate me from it, soul and spirit, joint and marrow, thoughts and intents. I break every bond to it and agreement in it and with it. I release it all together with my sin nature to death at the Cross.

 

Father, take it out of me, and me out of it.

 

Thank You for nailing all the decrees against me to the Cross.

 

I receive resurrection in Christ. I put on my new creation. I receive Your blood, Lord Jesus Christ, sprinkled on my conscience and my consciousness. I receive, through Your sprinkled blood, my conscience and my consciousness restored to purity and innocence, all the way through my being, all the way through my existence.

 

I receive Your washing me through Your water, Lord Jesus Christ, Your water of Your word, Your life, washing my biology, inside all the cells, systems, organs, and outside as well. I receive Your filling me with Your life and peace. I receive being joined to Holy Spirit that You return me to my true self in You, Father, in my spirit, soul, and biology. I am clothed with Christ Jesus, my Lord.

 

I open to receive from Your reign of grace, Your mercy into my wounds. I receive Your healing my broken symmetry. I receive and agree with Your establishing me on the cornerstone of Christ Jesus, my Lord. I receive Your building me up in Him according to His measure and filling in what is lacking in me, covering with Your grace where my shortfalls are.

 

Seal and establish this in me, rearguard and seal it with Your Holy Spirit, in the mighty name of the Lord Jesus Christ, amen.

 

P.S. This can be prayed for your family after you’ve prayed it for yourself. Just as building is a process, so is prayer. There is not a one-fix-for-all-time prayer. However, prayer builds – it is accomplishing successive and progressive purposes, updating and transforming. Prayer is multi-faceted. Prayer is a dwelling place in Father, and it is a true building process. Prayer builds us up in our faith in Him.

---

 

JOIN COMMUNITY   JOIN COLLECTIVE   PUBLISH WITH US