First…

First…

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and He separated the light from the darkness. God called the light “day,” and the darkness He called “night.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day. (Genesis 1:1-5)

First there was darkness…. Then God said, “Let there be light!” Thus, the first day of creation was completed, and the order of His work was established. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. (John 1:5) God has ordained a divine order in which all things must take place. If want to the power of light to fill us, we must first let it subdue the lifelessness of the darkness within us.

There is an order of God we need to understand. Consider how Isaiah prophesied the Messiah must suffer first before His ultimate triumph:

Isaiah 53:10-11 (NIV)

Yet it was the Lord’s will to crush Him and cause Him to suffer; and though the Lord makes His life an offering for sin, He will see His offspring and prolong His days, and the will of the Lord will prosper in His hand. After He has suffered, He will see the light of life and be satisfied; by His knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and He will bear their iniquities.

My friends, there is a pattern we need to see! We, too, must first deny ourselves, pick up our crosses daily, and follow Jesus. (Luke 9:23) Jesus said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12) Indeed, the suffering of the cross must come before the crown can be worn! And we must persevere in faith to receive it! As James affirmed: “Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love Him.” (James 1:12)

Paul testified as well: “The Messiah would suffer and, as the first to rise from the dead, would bring the message of light to His own people and to the Gentiles.” (Acts 26:23) Likewise, he taught: “If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. It is written: “The first man Adam became a living being”; the last Adam, a life-giving spirit. The spiritual did not come first, but the natural, and after that the spiritual. The first man was of the dust of the earth; the second man is of heaven. And just as we have borne the image of the earthly man, so shall we bear the image of the heavenly man.” (1 Corinthians 15:45-47, 49)

Have a Blessed Day!

Spiritual Tension…

Matthew 16:25 (NIV)

For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for Me will find it.

In our Verse of the Day, Jesus presented a challenge to those who followed Him; and that challenge extends to us as believers today! It poses a spiritual tension that impacts our view of self, life, and purpose; and we are familiar with similar paradoxes presented in Scripture such as:

“The last shall be first, and the first shall be last.” (Cf. Matthew 20:8; Mark 9:35; Luke 13:30)

“Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” (Cf. Matthew 23:12; Luke 14:11; Luke 18:14)

In these types of dualisms, we find Jesus teaching us that seeking self-importance; engaging in self-promotion; and reliance on self-preservation are misguided approaches when it comes to having a meaningful and fulfilling life in Him. Jesus is telling us that pursuing significance in your life with a worldly point of view is not going to produce the eternal results we want to achieve … the works for which God created us. (Cf. Ephesians 2:10) And I believe that each of us probably enter this tension each day. It is the struggle between our own wills and the will of God for us…. So, let’s look at our verse in the surrounding context because I think that will shed more light on the life approach Jesus is calling us to pursue:

Matthew 16:21-28 (NIV)

²¹From that time on Jesus began to explain to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that He must be killed and on the third day be raised to life. ²²Peter took Jesus aside and began to rebuke Him. “Never, Lord!” he said. “This shall never happen to you!” ²³Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.” ²⁴Then Jesus said to His disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. ²⁵For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for Me will find it. ²⁶What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? ²⁷For the Son of Man is going to come in His Father’s glory with His angels, and then He will reward each person according to what they have done. ²⁸“Truly I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in His Kingdom.”

Jesus presents a powerful lesson to us here. And in the context, we learn more about what Jesus meant when He said, “Whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for Me will find it.” The context begins with Jesus explaining the upcoming events surrounding His death; and Peter (naturally) does not believe it is appropriate for Jesus to suffer or for those foreboding things to occur. Who would want their friend to be mistreated or killed? Yet, Jesus rebukes Peter saying, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me. You are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.” (ESV) And therein lies the tension we experience when evaluating what we believe our lives should be or how we believe they should turn out. Too often, we are pursuing the things of man and not setting our minds on what God wants for our lives. Perhaps this is why Jesus asks the more pointed question:“What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?” (Verse 26) Jesus is trying to get us to see the error of our thinking and calls for a radical “reset of our mindset.”

Notice how Jesus associates what Peter was thinking and the direction he was going in the conversation with the spiritual darkness and deception of Satan. Do not underestimate the “influence” that Satan can have upon your thought life … your mindset … to take you in a direction that is away from what God has ordained for your life. Satan will attempt to align you with the wisdom of the world … but that is not of God. We are in the world but chosen to not be of the world. (Cf. John 17:14-15) Our Lord Jesus learned and demonstrated that a life aligned with the will of the Father is to be humbly submitted and reverently obedient. As Paul observed, “And being found in appearance as a man, Jesus humbled Himself by becoming obedient to death – even death on a cross! (Cf. Philippians 2:8) Therein lies the solution to our dilemma – the tension we feel when choosing between our own way (the way of the world) or submitting to the direction God has ordained for us. Jesus kept it simple for us when He said to His disciples, “Whoever wants to be My disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow Me. (Verse 24)

If you want to redeem your life, then you will need to let go of the one you are clinging to. You can accomplish this; but you’ll need to deny yourself and take up your cross (the place of self-sacrifice) and follow Jesus. If you want to be first, then you need to place yourself last. You can accomplish this; but you’ll need to deny yourself and take up your cross (the place of self-sacrifice) and follow Jesus. If you want to be looked up to and admired for all of your accomplishments and success, then you need to be quiet and not boast. Let your deeds speak for the themselves. After all, did not God gift you and afford you the opportunities for success? Give Him the glory! And remember, you can accomplish this; but you’ll need to deny yourself and take up your cross (the place of self-sacrifice) and follow Jesus.

My friends, the way Jesus taught us to approach life is quite opposite to what the world says you and I should do to be successful. If we want to be productive and effective in His Kingdom, we will have to embrace a more unconventional approach of how significance should be viewed for our lives. God said the meek shall inherit the earth; not the strong and mighty. (Cf. Matthew 5:5; Psalm 37:11) God said to give first and generously, and it shall be returned to you. (Cf. Luke 6:38) As John the Baptist affirmed when looking at his own life in comparison to the Messiah, “He must increase, but I must decrease.” (Cf. John 3:30) And so, to save your life, you must lose it. To be exalted, you must humble yourself. And, yes, the first shall be last, and the last first. This is the wisdom God has been revealed to us in His Word … through His Son.

It is my prayer that we will come to a full understanding of these principles for life. I think we will find both “power” and “freedom” in these approaches. But most of all, I believe we will experience what God desires for each of us in our relationships … with Him and with each other. As Paul concluded, “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. (Cf. Romans 12:1) So, “lose” your life in service and ministry to others, and there you will find your true life … the life God intends for your good and for His glory!

So Now You Know…

Have a Blessed Day!

Setting Priorities…

Mark 8:36 (NIV)

What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?

Our Verse of the Day has been studied before; but in light of our recent series of Scriptures focusing on the spiritual health of men, I believe we should look at it again in that context….

In Mark 8, we find Jesus on an evangelistic and ministerial tour of Judea with His disciples. Large crowds would gather along with some of the religious rulers and listen to His teachings. Sometimes He stopped at a hillside as people gathered to see and hear Him. They made stops in Bethsaida and Caesarea Philippi as they traveled, and Jesus would question His disciples to ascertain if they were understanding all that He was pouring into them about His identity and regarding the purpose for which God the Father had sent Him. In the final section of this chapter, Jesus challenges everyone to examine themselves and to make a decision about whether or not they wish to believe in Him and follow His Way:

Mark 8:34-38 (NIV)

Then Jesus called the crowd to Him along with His disciples and said: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the Gospel will save it. What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when He comes in His Father’s glory with the holy angels.”

I encourage us to think deeply about what Jesus is declaring here. In essence, the message is: “If your life is not totally about Jesus, following Him and serving Him, then your decision to follow your own path will lead to ruin. Yes, humans have been granted “free will” to chart their own courses … to determine their own destinies … to choose to live their lives on their own terms. We see these mindsets all around us in this world. Perhaps, at times, we exhibit these attitudes ourselves; but Jesus indicates that we need to consider the cost of doing so. He asks: “What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?” So, look at the context again because I see this question being asked in reference to whether you and I “want” to be His disciple. Jesus states that whoever wants to be His disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow Him. Indeed, those who have determined in their hearts to follow Him will no longer live their own lives; rather, they will die to self and will live for the One who died for them!

Generally, I think men are more challenged with keeping a balanced perspective on their career and financial goals because we tend to be occupational or vocational centric … meaning we place a high value on what we do and accomplish in our jobs and professions – the money we earn from doing so – and the self-esteem we attach to our careers and bank accounts. It is normal to have an interest or concern about household finances because of our deep-seated desire to be successful and consistent providers for our families. But Jesus asks us a very pointed question: “What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?” Another related question for men might be: “What good is it to “prosper” yourself in your work but lose your marriage or your children or your health in the process?” In other words, Jesus calls us to give consideration to the greatest priorities we have in our lives and to not lose sight of what has more eternal impact on ourselves and those we love.

The Apostle Paul shared this perspective with a young man named Timothy – who he mentored in the faith. Paul offered this observation: “For we brought nothing into the word, and we can take nothing out of it.” (Cf. 1 Timothy 6:7) Perhaps that is the sobering reminder that we need to form a healthier view of the life God has granted to each of us. Life is a gift. Everything we have is a gift. And while work and the enjoyment it brings to our lives is an important aspect of it … it is really only a context for us to discover, learn, and grow in the knowledge of God’s will for our us. Consider a parable that Jesus shared with His followers:

Luke 12:16-31 (NIV)

And He (Jesus) told them this parable: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest. He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’ “Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain. And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.”’ “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’ “This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God.” Then Jesus said to His disciples: “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. For life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap; they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life? Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest? “Consider how the wild flowers grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will He clothe you—you of little faith! And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it. For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them. But seek His Kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.

Speaking especially to the men, we need to take this lesson and its wisdom to heart! God wants to do so much in our lives and through our lives … not only to conform us to the image of His Son … but to develop us for the good and well-being of others; especially our wives and children. So, our spiritual health is critical, and we need to exercise it regularly each day in prayer and study of the Word of God. Every once and awhile, you and I might need to reset our mindsets. As the Apostle Paul admonished, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—His good, pleasing and perfect will.” (Cf. Romans 12:2)

My friends, when life gets out of balance and we begin to focus more on work and career more than focusing on God, I pray we will set more time aside from our work and personal ambitions to rekindle His Kingdom in our hearts. Indeed, it is my prayer that each of us would make loving and serving God our sole priority. Then we can truly flourish in our spirits for the positive influence it will have on our marriages, our children, and our relationships with others. I assure you; it will be time well spent. As John wrote, “I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in good health – just as your soul prospers. (Cf. 3 John 2:2)

So Now You Know…

Have a Blessed Day!

Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.” ~ 1 John 2:15-17

The Narrow Way…

Matthew 7:13-14 (NIV)

Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

Our Verse of the Day is one that is often quoted and has been used in many sermons. But is it one that we deeply think about? Does its message strengthen your faith?

Tucked within the list of teachings that Jesus delivered in what has been called His Sermon on the Mount (Cf. Matthew 5-7), Jesus inserts this statement that should make us all pause for a moment to consider the magnitude of what He said. “Enter through the narrow gate,” He cried out. Enter into what? He answers, “The road or path that leads to LIFE … eternal life in heaven.” And He comments, or perhaps laments, only a FEW find it…. What a poignant statement for anyone seeking God to ponder…. And if you look further at Matthew 7:21-23, Jesus clarifies: “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.” It is one thing for a person to know about Jesus … it is quite another to know Him and for Him to know you. Indeed, the wide, open road of religion will not lead anyone to heaven. Jesus is telling the world: “I am the Way and the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know Him and have seen Him.” (Cf. John 14:6-7)

Luke 13:22-30 (NIV)

Then Jesus went through the towns and villages, teaching as He made His way to Jerusalem. Someone asked Him, “Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?” He said to them, “Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to. Once the owner of the house gets up and closes the door, you will stand outside knocking and pleading, ‘Sir, open the door for us.’ “But He will answer, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from.’ “Then you will say, ‘We ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.’ “But He will reply, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from. Away from me, all you evildoers!’ “There will be weeping there, and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but you yourselves thrown out. People will come from east and west and north and south, and will take their places at the feast in the kingdom of God. Indeed, there are those who are last who will be first, and first who will be last.”

My friends, if anyone wants to have true life … eternal life … then he or she must know Jesus and He must know them. What does this imply? Well, to begin a relationship, you must introduce yourself to Him. You must call upon His Name. You must come to Him in faith; for without faith, it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him. (Cf. Hebrews 11:6) Yes, at the name of Jesus every knee should bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father. (Cf. Philippians 2:9-11; Romans 14:11) And if you know Jesus as Lord, then you are His servant. If you know Him, you will hear and listen to His voice. You will desire a genuine, intimate relationship with Jesus through reciprocation of His love. You cannot be intimate if you never spend time with Jesus or talk with Him or seek Him in prayer. Indeed, if you want Jesus to know you, then become His disciple; and know that whoever wants to be His disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow Him. (Cf. Matthew 16:24; Mark 8:34; Luke 9:23)

Here are some additional scriptures for your study today:

John 10:7-10; 14-16 (NIV)

Therefore, Jesus said again, “Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. All who have come before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep have not listened to them. I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

“I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd.

1 John 5:12-13 (NIV)

Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may KNOW that you have eternal life.

Revelation 3:19-21 (NIV)

Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent. Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me. To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat down with my Father on his throne. Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”

So Now You Know…

Have a Blessed Day!

The Lord says: “These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is based on merely human rules they have been taught. Therefore, once more I will astound these people with wonder upon wonder; the wisdom of the wise will perish and the intelligence of the intelligent will vanish.” ~ Isaiah 29:13-14

Take Up Your Cross…

Luke 9:23-24 (NIV)

Then Jesus said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it.”

Our Verse of the Day challenges us to evaluate our response to Jesus! Jesus taught a key principle of discipleship; namely, whoever wants to be His disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow Him. Notice the spiritual application for us is a daily action item – “take up your cross daily.” In essence, Jesus is telling us that self-denial … no longer living for ourselves but for Him … is the conviction and transformation that should occur within us. This is what it truly means to believe and abide in Jesus! We are called each day to put our sinful nature to death (Cf. Colossians 3:5); bring every thought captive to make it obedient to Christ (Cf. 2 Corinthians 10:5); and to serve Jesus by following wherever He goes. (Cf. John 12:26)

As we have studied over the past several days, all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. (Cf. Romans 3:23) It is the redemption accomplished through the death and resurrection of Jesus that requires a response from every human being. That response is repentance! That response is faith in His blood atonement! That response is a love for God demonstrated through obedience:

1 John 2:4-6 (NIV)

Whoever says, “I know Him,” but does not do what He commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person.But if anyone obeys His word, love for God is truly made complete in them. This is how we know we are in Him:Whoever claims to live in Him must live as Jesus did.

1 John 5:1-3 (NIV)

Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves His Son as well. This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out His commands. In fact, this is love for God: to keep His commands. And His commands are not burdensome, for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.

So let us pray and resolve this morning to deny ourselves and to be obedient to the life of Jesus within us. Let us take to heart these words that Paul penned: “For if we have been united with Jesus in a death like His, we will certainly also be united with Him in a resurrection like His. For we know that our old self was crucified with Him so that the body ruled by sin might be rendered powerless, that we should no longer be slaves to sin— because anyone who has died has been set free from sin.” (Cf. Romans 6:5-7) “For those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.” (Cf. Galatians 5:24) This is what is means to deny ourselves and to pick up our own cross each day and to follow Jesus! Let us encourage each other to do so as we see the Day approaching…. Amen.

So Now You Know…

Have a Blessed Day!

Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it. ~ Matthew 10:37-39

Crucified With Christ…

Galatians 2:20 (NIV)

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.

Our Verse of the Day comes to challenge us on this Good Friday! Whenever I read this passage, the weight of its message always challenges my heart. Too often, I believe, our thoughts are consumed with ourselves … our own plans and desires … and sometimes we lose focus on the purposes of God for our lives. Paul makes a very profound, experiential statement of faith; yet I wonder if we truly understand its significance for our own walk of faith. We have talked about the purpose of the crucifixion and the blood atonement for our sin that Jesus suffered for us, but do we see and identify with the death of sin that took place the cross in our personal lives?

Paul gives us is a powerful thought to embrace for ourselves. We are to personally identify with the crucifixion as though we ourselves (along with Christ Jesus) were nailed to that cross and put to death our own sin. As Paul wrote: “Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry.” (Cf. Colossians 3:5) And, “For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live.” (Cf. Romans 8:13) Putting our sinful natures to death IS our personal identification with the cross of Christ! Moreover, our identity remains forever in Christ Jesus!

Romans 6:3-5 (NIV)

Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? We were therefore buried with Him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. For if we have been united with Him in a death like His, we will certainly also be united with Him in a resurrection like His.

My friends, not only do we need to identify with the death to sin (buried in baptism), we need to see our resurrection to new life IN Christ. Just as we identify with His death, we can identify with His resurrection. We have been raised to new life in Him. And as we abide in Him and He is us, it is no longer we ourselves who live but Christ in us. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, that person is a new creation. The old has gone, the new is here!” (Cf. 2 Corinthians 5:17) That new person is one who surrenders to live as Jesus did. (Cf. 1 John 2:6) Yes, the will of God is for our sanctification (Cf. John 17:17; 1 Thessalonians 4:3-8; 1 Thessalonians 5:23); that is, we should be separate or set apart for service unto God.

Romans 8:29 reminds us that God predestined us to be conformed to the image of His Son. If we want to be like Jesus, we have to be crucified with Him. We have to put to death our sinful nature on the cross. It requires the sacrifice of our own wills. It demands self-discipline and sanctification out of reverence for God. The Apostles have communicated what Jesus clearly taught them. And so, perhaps it would be best to see how Jesus challenged His disciples. It still applies to us today:

Luke 9:18-25 (NIV)

And it happened, as Jesus was alone praying, that His disciples joined Him, and He asked them, saying, “Who do the crowds say that I am?” So, they answered and said, “John the Baptist, but some say Elijah; and others say that one of the old prophets has risen again.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered and said, “The Christ of God.” And He strictly warned and commanded them to tell this to no one, saying, “The Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day.” Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his crossdaily, and follow Me.For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it. For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and is himself destroyed or lost?

This is the life of faith in Jesus that we are called to attain! And Paul has provided a practical perspective for me to apply to my life; namely, “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.” If I would but proclaim this one truth to my heart each morning when I awake, I would truly experience the sanctification God has made possible for my life. If I am dead to sin … if I no longer live but Christ lives in me (through His Holy Spirit) … then the desires of the flesh … my personal agendas … will all be nailed to the cross with Christ. I will no longer live for myself, but I will live in Christ and for Him. I cannot change who I was before I encountered Christ. I cannot undo the offenses, transgressions, and sins committed. I can only receive His gracious forgiveness … His merciful atonement for my rebellious spirit. Indeed, all those who belong to Christ Jesus have no other option.

So Now You Know…

Have a Blessed Day!

So, I say walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the Kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. ~ Galatians 5:16-25