"But it is not the spiritual that is first but the natural, and then the spiritual." 1 Cor 15:46
“And He went a little farther, and fell on His face, and prayed.” Matthew 26:39
The spiritual is a few steps beyond where the natural would ever go... could ever go. How do we get there? Faith gets us there. Christ's faith gets us there. The Spiritual life is a response to grace by faith.
Beholding may be natural but responding is spiritual.
"And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water. And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus." Matt 14:28-29
How rewarding is the moment when we step out and join Jesus? We marvel when Peter walked on water but is a marvel when any person takes those steps beyond to join Jesus where He is.
The natural man may try to go farther by effort. We can never get those extra steps that Jesus took by effort.
"He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, 'O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.' Then He came to the disciples and found them sleeping" Matt 26:39-40a
It is the cross! Or even more specifically the person on the cross. His mind... His life... a relationship with Him. A relationship to the Father made possible by the Son.
Let's take the extra steps of a laid down life today. Only God can beckon us out unto that water. Only Christ in us and the love of Calvary makes that sacrifice possible and meaningful.
"I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service." Rom 12:1
Only Jesus makes that sacrifice reasonable.
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