It's not doing like Christ did. It's not us doing at all, but Christ doing everything in and by us!! Are the works we are doing originating from us or from God? It's not meant to be in this life, but the ideal situation is never doing anything God doesn't want us to do and doing everything He wants us to do. He doesn't want us to do it because He wants to do it.
A good example is like a puppet which can only do what the Master causes it to do and nothing else. This is our eternal-state-scenario because His Spirit will still be in us and we will not possess anything which will be adverse to God.
Our present encouragement is from remembering that our assurance and security is depending on God's grace and not our works. This isn't to belittle works because they are what glorifies God (Mat 5:16) and manifests His presence in our lives (3 John 1:1) but we're never to base our support on them. They are an effect of salvation, not a cause.
Hey there Netchaplain,
You said this which caught my attention:
A good example is like a puppet which can only do what the Master causes it to do and nothing else. This is our eternal-state-scenario because His Spirit will still be in us and we will not possess anything which will be adverse to God.
I don't think you meant to communicate it this way. Let me explain. After we are born-again, we still have "free-choice". We were created as "choosing creatures", right? And after we are saved, we are still "choosing" creatures. A puppet cannot choose and it has no will of its own. For that matter it has not mind or emotions, either. A puppet is lifeless and if the Master moves it's arm, then the puppet will move it's arm regardless if it wanted to or not.
As children of the Spirit, we are called (commanded) to bring our will into harmony with the will of God. Now, a puppet does not have a will so it would not have to bear a cross or deny any flesh and even if it did, it could not "will to" since it has no will. Bearing your cross and denying self is an active and not passive action on the part of the Believer. A puppet is completely PASSIVE.
I don't think you are trying to promote passivity in the Christian and teach that we are "Automatrons" and we will automatically do what God wants us to do, but that is what your statement conveys to me and maybe others.
I have some syllogisms that help explain some popular thinking of select scriptures that will help all the "Readers" of this thread understand that we are called to be engaged in an active, cooperative relationship with the Lord.
These syllogisms that will help you see where men are deceived. It is important for our will to be free, because it is the governing "organ" of each person. Only Christ can really set a man free in his mind, will and emotions. A spiritual Christian is one who is free to exercise his will. Passivity will bring us into demonic oppression.
Man's will is brought into bondage by DECEPTION. And deception comes through mixture (Truth mixed with lies). Many are unaware they are propagating lies. So here are some examples:
SCRIPTURE: "Christ lives in me". Gal 2:20
WRONG CONCEPT: I do not live now at all.
RIGHT CONCEPT: I live by the faith of the Son of God.
PRINCIPLE: God does not require self-effacement for His life to be manifested. God does not require that your personality cease to exist.
SCRIPTURE: "I am crucifed with Christ". (Gal 2:20)
WRONG CONCEPT: I am dead and must practice death.
RIGHT CONCEPT: I died with Christ and am raised by his life to live.
PRINCIPLE: God's purpose for the Believer is not death but life.
SCRIPTURE: "God worketh in me". (Phil 2:13)
WRONG CONCEPT: I do not work, only surrender and God performs both the willing and the working.
RIGHT CONCEPT: Since I have His power in me, I can do all things through Christ.
PRINCIPLE: God never sets aside man's will. God never requires man to cease his activities before He can work.
SCRIPTURE: "those who obey Him (Holy Spirit)" (Acts 5:32)
WRONG CONCEPT: I must surrender my whole being to the invisible Spirit.
RIGHT CONCEPT: I will obey God the Father through the Spirit.
PRINCIPLE: The Holy Spirit will not think through my mind, nor feel through my emotions, nor decide through my will. The Holy Spirit guides by divine impressions upon man's spirit.
SCRIPTURE: "God's love...through the Holy Spirit" (Rom 5:5)
WRONG CONCEPT: I will not love. The Holy Spirit will give them God's love.
RIGHT CONCEPT: I will love them as the Holy Spirit has shown me God's love. (As you receive God's love you make a choice to love).
PRINCIPLE: To love is a choice. We choose to love as God has loved us.
SCRIPTURE: "In everything give thanks" (I Thess 5:18)
WRONG CONCEPT: I WILL accept all circumstances as the will of God.
RIGHT CONCEPT: I WILL SUBMIT myself to God in all circumstances.
PRINCIPLE: Submission to God and resistance to evil must work together. (James 4:7)
SCRIPTURE: "when I am weak, then I am strong" (2COR 12:10)
WRONG CONCEPT: I will to be weak so that I am strong.
RIGHT CONCEPT: The believer does not choose weakness, the weak believer shall have God's strength.
PRINCIPLE: God is sufficient in whatever state you may be.
SCRIPTURE: "Thy Will be done"
WRONG CONCEPT: God wills for me, I don't have to choose.
RIGHT CONCEPT: I choose to do His will.
PRINCIPLE: God never substitutes His will for man's.
GENERAL GUIDELINES REGARDING YOUR WILL
1. You do not submit to the Devil or wrong teaching. He will grind your will down to passivity.
2. Do not pray through for experiences and feelings.
3. The Bible teaches us to obey objective truth. Obeying God is not some "impulse".
4. God will not move
until your will functions. He doesn't steamroll over you as if you are a puppet.
5. Don't be paralyzed by fear that you will miss God. Step out boldy, God will lead.
6. Join yourself unto God with one heart, committing your will unto Him and desiring His will. He will give you a strong inner conviction and a burning desire to serve Him.
God wants to bring us to a place of wholeness, where you can WORK and you can WILL. He wants you to be in control of your Mind, your Will and your Emotions.
I hope this benefits someone. These truths have helped me immensely in my walk with God.
Axehead