September 1

The spiritual, however, was not first, but the natural, and then the spiritual. — 1 Cor 15:46 BSB

God often has to bring us not only to the place of suffering, sickness, and pain but also to the point where our righteousness crumbles and our character falls apart. This is necessary to humble us, to show us our need for complete crucifixion to our natural life. Only then, at the feet of Jesus, are we ready to fully receive Him, abide in Him, and depend entirely on Him, drawing all our strength from Him each moment as our Living Head.

This was how Peter was saved through his very fall—he had to die to Peter in order to live more perfectly for Christ.

Have we experienced such a death? Have we renounced our self-confidence?

We start life in the natural, then we enter into the spiritual. But once we truly receive the kingdom of God and His righteousness, the natural is added to the spiritual. We can then receive the blessings of life without becoming attached to them or allowing them to separate us from God.