"For we are the circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh,"

"For we are the circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh,"

"Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect in the flesh?" Unless the surrender to the Spirit is complete, and the waiting upon Him is continued in dependence and humility, what has begun in the Spirit very quickly becomes confidence in the flesh.

Satan has no more crafty device for keeping souls in bondage than inciting them to practice religion in the flesh. It is only where the Spirit has the lead and rule in the life of worship that it will have the power to lead and rule in the life of practical obedience.

Confidence in the flesh is the one thing above all else that renders rejoicing in Christ Jesus ineffective, and worship in the Spirit the one thing that alone makes it life and truth.

Human effort and planning take a larger place than waiting on the power that comes from above...There is no lack of acknowledging Christ as our hope, and no lack of giving Him the praise that is due Him, and yet so much confidence in the flesh renders it all ineffective.

Rejoice in Christ Jesus by His Spirit. Rejoice in Him as the glorified one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit. In simplicity and rest, believe that He has given you His own Spirit to live within you. Believe in the gift. Accept it as the secret of the life of Christ in you. Meditate on it, believe His Word concerning it, until your soul bows in awe before God at the glorious truth: The Holy Spirit of God dwells in me.

Your whole practice of faith must be: I have no confidence in the flesh. I rejoice in Christ Jesus. I worship God in the Spirit...having begun in the Spirit, you must continue in the Spirit. "It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me." - A. Murray