03/08/2017
I read Oswald Chambers this morning. He wrote of giving ourselves to Jesus Christ and what that meant. It is a surrender of not just our bodies, but our sinful lives and all we are. As I contemplated the relief that comes from this conversion, I also thought of the pain that the process brings, because as the new person is born, the old must die.
The apostle Paul understood what yielding ourselves truly meant. In his letter to the Galatians he spoke of who he was after his acceptance of faith in Jesus.
"I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me."
Galatians 2:20 KJV
Paul (who was then Saul) was knocked down and blinded before he could see. He had to go through the process of abandoning the old man before the new one could rise up and see the truth which is Jesus Christ. We are much the same.
Oswald Chambers wrote these words as he attempted to describe what Paul had experienced those many years prior...
"No one is ever united with Jesus Christ until he is willing to relinquish not sin only, but his whole way of looking at things. To be born from above of the spirit of God means that we must let go before we lay hold, and in the first stages it is the relinquishing of all presence." - Oswald Chambers
Birth is always uncomfortable; whether it be physical childbirth, the birth of a new nation, or the birth of faith in Jesus within us. Some of us suffer through the changes that letting go of our old life brings, but there are others whose grip is just too great. This is not a new problem and is sadly recorded in scripture.
"Now when Jesus heard these things, he said unto him, Yet lackest thou one thing: sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me. And when he heard this, he was very sorrowful: for he was very rich."
Luke 18:22-23 KJV
The wealthy man could not give up that which was most important to him; his wealth. So, he walked away from Jesus and lost his opportunity for salvation. His money was his god.
We all have something we value above all else. We all have those things that we idolize and that sit at the pinnacle of our lives. The question becomes this... are we willing to supplant them with Jesus Christ? There is a tendency for us to accept Jesus and then attempt to find some lesser place in our lives to squeeze Him in. We say he is first, but we keep living with our old god sitting at the summit of our life. Are you willing to go through the true pain of Childbirth? Are you willing to change your life completely and yield all to Him? At all cost?
Each of us who have accepted Jesus as our Lord has a story to tell... a testimony regarding our being knocked down, blinded, and then lifted up to the sight of Christ. I dare say that there are many who believe they see, but in truth are still in the grips of blindness. Jesus may be very high on their mountain, but He doesn't stand at the summit of their life yet. For some of us this is a daily struggle.
When we relinquish all for Jesus and truly place Him first in our lives, the battle continues. Satan always comes forward with a temptation that he knows will challenge Jesus for the pinnacle. Jesus was tempted as well...
"And he brought him to Jerusalem, and set him on a pinnacle of the temple, and said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down from hence: For it is written, He shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee: And in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. And Jesus answering said unto him, It is said, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. And when the devil had ended all the temptation, he departed from him for a season."
Luke 4:9-13 KJV
There are a couple of things about this temptation that I want to point out... first, although this was a physical point on the temple, it was also a metaphorical point... Satan was asking Jesus to relinquish his place at the very peak of faith... as the Christ. The second point is that Satan didn't leave forever, but rather "he departed from him for a season."
Satan is always looking to dethrone Jesus in our lives, and even when we resist him and drive him away... he only leaves for a season. So, in the case of Jesus, Paul, and even ourselves... faith and the placement of Jesus in our lives is always being contested. The need to defend our decision to place Christ at the focus and peak of our lives is always being challenged.
Thus, strong men and women fall, and their eyes become blinded once more. We mustn't become complacent and should always be aware of the danger that becoming too comfortable in our faith can bring. There is always the fear that while we sleep the enemy will steal into our camp, and when we wake we will find his flag flying above our tent. He is subtle, but the consequences are great. Stay in the Word, pray without ceasing, and constantly be vigilant that Jesus remains our most precious possession... first in our lives.
Prayer:
Father, come to me on the road, and knock me down, but even so, lift me up and allow me to see Jesus as my Lord. Give me the strength to forsake all else for Him. Let my faith be sufficient that I can clear away all those things that serve as gods in my life and see only your Son Jesus and you. Lead me Lord, all the days of my life. Stand watch as I sleep and guard me from all temptation... deliver me from evil. When Satan comes like a thief in the night awake me to his presence, and stand with me against him. Father, let nothing come between us, and let Jesus be more precious to me than gold. Though there is much of beauty surrounding me, let His visage and glory be all I see. Holy Father, let me forever be diligent in my faith and never become lax.