May I offer my perspective on how we can strive towards the goal of emulating Christ? As I was driving up a hill today, I found myself deep in contemplation. I felt a surge of strong desires within me, seemingly intensified by the physical act of climbing. It occurred to me that both the external circumstances and my spiritual experience were influenced by God. If the Holy Spirit chose to enter my meditation in a special manner, then it was as if He, like He did in the creation story, was recreating the physical sensation of ascending the hill. Thus, I felt a spiritual ascent and a sense of joy as I reached the hilltop. Upon reaching the top, I turned right and continued my journey, gazing down at the valley. This filled me with a sense of triumph. For believers, life is a continuous journey from one position to another, striving for greater joy and triumph. Since Christ ascended into Heaven and now sits at the right hand of God, becoming more like Him means identifying with His death and resurrection. We cannot separate His work on the cross from His role as our present mediator. Therefore, our understanding through personal experience involves experiencing the power of His resurrection. The apostle emphasized the significance of deepening our understanding in this regard. To achieve such understanding, we must have fellowship with the Spirit, who has bestowed upon us His fruit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, forgiveness, and more. Although these qualities are listed separately, they are interconnected and collectively form one fruit, which the Holy Spirit cultivates within us. This fruit is implanted in us when we are born again, aligning our desires with its nature. We not only possess the desires of this new nature, but also take delight in them. The power of love bestowed upon us by this nature is beyond comprehension. Naturally, we may prefer everything to be orderly and predictable. However, God has designed us to be pleasantly surprised by joy, for joy comes in the morning. Our hope, as a fruit of the Spirit, encompasses both a present hope and a future hope. Mornings symbolize the journey towards the fulfillment of our hope. Thus, we ascend in our experiences, longing to reach the pinnacle of power and love in our understanding. As we become more familiar with the Holy Spirit, we will experience a worshipful fellowship with His power. If the fruit is His work, then it is He who ignites our desire to glorify and enjoy God. Whenever we encounter His work or means of working, we engage in communication with the Holy Spirit, experiencing these means firsthand. This is why we go through waves of experiences, ascending to spiritual enlightenment and eternal visions of joy.
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