Hebrews 10:5 Therefore, when He comes into the world, He says, “SACRIFICE AND OFFERING YOU HAVE NOT DESIRED, BUT A BODY YOU HAVE PREPARED FOR ME;
Planning for Christmas
It always amazes me how every year the stores begin advertising for Christmas earlier and earlier. I've seen ads a early as July, touting themes such as "Christmas in July". When we think about Jesus Christ born in that manger in Bethlehem, many questions begin to swirl: Who was He? Why was He born? What's the significance? For the next month we will be aiming to supply the reader of this blog with a Christ centered resource to communicate and capture the true meaning of Christmas. Today we begin by asking this simple question: how long had Christmas, or the sending of Jesus, been on the mind of the Triune God?
It was before the manger
The passage above is remarkable for at least two reasons: whom it quotes and where it derives its material. The quote is attributed to Jesus Christ Himself as He was before He took upon Himself a human nature in the womb of the Virgin Mary. In what the Bible describes as a "Mystery" (1 Timothy 3:15-16), God the Son agreed to come to earth and enter into time through a virgin's womb as a human baby. As He is looks down the corridor of time He sees the moment wherein He will perform this mighty miracle. The Bible refers to that moment as the "fulness of time" (Galatians 4:4).
This leads us to the second reason why this verse is significant - namely that the writer of Hebrews, under the inspiration of the Holy Ghost, is quoting from Psalm 40:6-8. That portion of scripture was written by King David a 1,000 years before God the Son assumed, took upon Himself a robe of humanity.
It was before time began
As remarkable as the above text is, we discover in surveying more scriptures that the plan of salvation in the sending of God the Son was in the heart of the Trinity before time began. 2 Timothy 1:9-10 states: "who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was granted us in Christ Jesus from all eternity, 10but now has been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel." Titus 1:2 echoes similar thoughts: "In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began". (KJV)
It was agreed upon in Eternity
Scripture tells us that God's plan for sending the Son was an agreement, a Covenant that was made between the Father, Son and Holy Spirit in Eternity (what Bible teachers call: "The Covenant of Redemption"). As we have already seen, God the Father and the Son had agreed in Eternity that this was to be the case. Ephesians 1:11 tells us: "In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will." That last underlined phrase refers to the Triune God, within the members of the Trinity, meeting as One Counsel of God on the plan of salvation.
1. God the Father planned salvation
2. God the Son would become a man, born of a virgin, live a perfect life, die on the cross, rise and be ascended
3. God the Holy Spirit would apply salvation to all believers whom He calls and convicts
The cradle in Bethlehem was to be in the shadow of Cross
Christmas cannot and should never be without the cross. God sent the Son with the intent that the Son would humble Himself to the point of death, even death on the cross. (Philippians 2:5-11) As we close today's blog, let me give you the remainder of Hebrews 10:6-7 which ties the mission of the Son to His point of entry at the virgin's womb: "In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure. 7Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God."
Welcome to Growing Christian Resources, where you can search over 2,000 resources pertaining to your Christian walk, the explanation and defense of the Christian worldview and links to audio and video resources. Please checkout the New Hope podcast at www.gcrpodcast.wordpress.com and www.newhope-ny.org. For those desiring to dig-deeper into the scriptures, please check out www.biblicalexegete.wordpress.com.
Thursday, December 1, 2011
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Are you ready for Christmas?
Luke 2:10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; 11for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.
Starting tomorrow we will be taking the next 31 days to consider what the Bible has to say about the purpose and meaning of Christmas. Tomorrow the blog will have a new look. My hope and prayer is that this "Growing Christian Resource" will enable you, believer, to maintain a solid focus on the glory of Christmas - Jesus Christ. We will look at everything from the various pictures, to striking parallels to some of the 109 prophecies that would be fulfilled in Christ's first coming. Christmas is mysterious, and miraculous, because its message is about the Marvelous Christ who came to die and conquer death, hell and the grave. May God richly bless you in the upcoming month!
Starting tomorrow we will be taking the next 31 days to consider what the Bible has to say about the purpose and meaning of Christmas. Tomorrow the blog will have a new look. My hope and prayer is that this "Growing Christian Resource" will enable you, believer, to maintain a solid focus on the glory of Christmas - Jesus Christ. We will look at everything from the various pictures, to striking parallels to some of the 109 prophecies that would be fulfilled in Christ's first coming. Christmas is mysterious, and miraculous, because its message is about the Marvelous Christ who came to die and conquer death, hell and the grave. May God richly bless you in the upcoming month!
How to die to the world, and live for God
Genesis 35:3-4 So Jacob said to his household and to all who were with him, “Put away the foreign gods which are among you, and purify yourselves and change your garments; 3and let us arise and go up to Bethel, and I will make an altar there to God, who answered me in the day of my distress and has been with me wherever I have gone.”
Dying to self in a nutshell
In these last several blogs we have covered the crucial concept of "dying to self" We have discovered that in order to die to self, I must do three things: Get in order with what God has said; Reckon my former identity (before salvation) to be dead and third, understand that in God I want to move ahead. We have also explored the benefits that come with "self-denial" or "dying to self": God's power is released to deal with trials and there is clearer illumination of who He is in your life.
Where dying to self leads - "Dying to the world"
In the passage above Israel (formerly Jacob) makes a statement that demonstrates that he has truly died to his former identity of self-reliance. His family had been trvaeling all over the land of Canaan with a bunch of idols in their possession. When you read passages such as Joshua 24:1-2, you discover that these idols had been in Israel's family for centuries - stretching all the way back to the days of his grand-father Abraham. God had certainly been working a lot of things in Jacob's life - with His great encounter in Genesis 32 breaking the strong will of Jacob.
1 John 2:15-17 tells us this - "Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. 17The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever."
What in the world is "the world"?
When the Apostle John in 1 John 2:15-17 (just quoted) refers to not loving the "world", he is not referring to the people of our planet - rather he is referring to the system of human thought and satanic-inspired activity hostile to God. The word for "world" is the Greek word "kosmos", from whence we get our English terms like "cosmopolitan" and "cosmetics". It speaks of a certain arrangement of things. Thus for instance when a woman applies "cosmetics" to her face, she is using a product that helps her "arrange" her appearance. To hate the "world" means to not go with the flow, to hate what God hates, to oppose the system "arranged" against the God of the Bible. In short, to die to the world means to love what God loves and hate what God hates.
The reason for dying to the world - Prioritize fellowship with God
When Israel told his family to "put away the idols", he was in effect declaring his left over allegiance to ungodly priorities to be at odds with his now-God-centered approach to life. In the course of Israel's experience, God had made a "fellowship issue" with Israel and his family. A fellowship issue is when God reveals to you that a certain thing in your life must go if you are to remain in close walk with Him. (please compare 1 John 1:6-7)
God had to deal with other issues in Israel's life first, such as self-sufficiency, lying and stealing. With those issues out of the way, Israel had this area he had to deal with - the family idols. Unless Israel died to the world in this area, then he would only demonstrate that he had not died to self back in Genesis 32. Fellowship with God had to take priority over his own comfort and preference if he were to move forward in his faith-walk.
Dying to self is the only means to dying to the world
What would had happened if Israel had not died to self back in Genesis 32? He could not had carried out this bold initative to get rid of the family idols in Genesis 35. Often when Christians hear about not being worldly, they think that dying to the world means wearing a longer skirt or adopting some type of legalism. Whenever we try to escape the world without dying to self, we actually end up becoming more worldy! Why? Because legalism only deals with behavior, and not the heart.
Dying to self deals with those deep seated, anti-God assumptions in my heart. Unless I root those out by exposing my thought-life to God's word and surrender to God in prayer, I will never see the true need to die to the world. (compare 2 Corinthians 10:4-5).
The cross is the only means to die to self
At salvation the cross is the place where I anchor my faith in the death, burial and ressurection of Jesus Christ. In sanctification (the process whereby I am becoming more like Jesus Christ following my conversion), the cross is the tool used to bring-about Christ-likeness and death to self. Co-crucifixion with Jesus Christ is where I daily identify my life with the cross. Paul writes these words in Galatians 6:14 - "But may it never be that I would boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world."
When Israel told his family to "get rid of the idols", we see him building an altar to the Lord. Israel was demonstrating an important truth - that only in identity with the blood can the Christian truly overcome the world. That altar pointed to the ultimate event of Christ'as death, burial and resurrection.
As we close this important blog series, I think it appropriate to give a verse from the last book of the Bible, Revelation 12:11, that captures the heart of faith that readily dies to self and the world: "And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even when faced with death."
Dying to self in a nutshell
In these last several blogs we have covered the crucial concept of "dying to self" We have discovered that in order to die to self, I must do three things: Get in order with what God has said; Reckon my former identity (before salvation) to be dead and third, understand that in God I want to move ahead. We have also explored the benefits that come with "self-denial" or "dying to self": God's power is released to deal with trials and there is clearer illumination of who He is in your life.
Where dying to self leads - "Dying to the world"
In the passage above Israel (formerly Jacob) makes a statement that demonstrates that he has truly died to his former identity of self-reliance. His family had been trvaeling all over the land of Canaan with a bunch of idols in their possession. When you read passages such as Joshua 24:1-2, you discover that these idols had been in Israel's family for centuries - stretching all the way back to the days of his grand-father Abraham. God had certainly been working a lot of things in Jacob's life - with His great encounter in Genesis 32 breaking the strong will of Jacob.
1 John 2:15-17 tells us this - "Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. 17The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever."
What in the world is "the world"?
When the Apostle John in 1 John 2:15-17 (just quoted) refers to not loving the "world", he is not referring to the people of our planet - rather he is referring to the system of human thought and satanic-inspired activity hostile to God. The word for "world" is the Greek word "kosmos", from whence we get our English terms like "cosmopolitan" and "cosmetics". It speaks of a certain arrangement of things. Thus for instance when a woman applies "cosmetics" to her face, she is using a product that helps her "arrange" her appearance. To hate the "world" means to not go with the flow, to hate what God hates, to oppose the system "arranged" against the God of the Bible. In short, to die to the world means to love what God loves and hate what God hates.
The reason for dying to the world - Prioritize fellowship with God
When Israel told his family to "put away the idols", he was in effect declaring his left over allegiance to ungodly priorities to be at odds with his now-God-centered approach to life. In the course of Israel's experience, God had made a "fellowship issue" with Israel and his family. A fellowship issue is when God reveals to you that a certain thing in your life must go if you are to remain in close walk with Him. (please compare 1 John 1:6-7)
God had to deal with other issues in Israel's life first, such as self-sufficiency, lying and stealing. With those issues out of the way, Israel had this area he had to deal with - the family idols. Unless Israel died to the world in this area, then he would only demonstrate that he had not died to self back in Genesis 32. Fellowship with God had to take priority over his own comfort and preference if he were to move forward in his faith-walk.
Dying to self is the only means to dying to the world
What would had happened if Israel had not died to self back in Genesis 32? He could not had carried out this bold initative to get rid of the family idols in Genesis 35. Often when Christians hear about not being worldly, they think that dying to the world means wearing a longer skirt or adopting some type of legalism. Whenever we try to escape the world without dying to self, we actually end up becoming more worldy! Why? Because legalism only deals with behavior, and not the heart.
Dying to self deals with those deep seated, anti-God assumptions in my heart. Unless I root those out by exposing my thought-life to God's word and surrender to God in prayer, I will never see the true need to die to the world. (compare 2 Corinthians 10:4-5).
The cross is the only means to die to self
At salvation the cross is the place where I anchor my faith in the death, burial and ressurection of Jesus Christ. In sanctification (the process whereby I am becoming more like Jesus Christ following my conversion), the cross is the tool used to bring-about Christ-likeness and death to self. Co-crucifixion with Jesus Christ is where I daily identify my life with the cross. Paul writes these words in Galatians 6:14 - "But may it never be that I would boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world."
When Israel told his family to "get rid of the idols", we see him building an altar to the Lord. Israel was demonstrating an important truth - that only in identity with the blood can the Christian truly overcome the world. That altar pointed to the ultimate event of Christ'as death, burial and resurrection.
As we close this important blog series, I think it appropriate to give a verse from the last book of the Bible, Revelation 12:11, that captures the heart of faith that readily dies to self and the world: "And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even when faced with death."
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
When God becomes clearer to you
Genesis 35:10-12 God said to him,“Your name is Jacob; You shall no longer be called Jacob, But Israel shall be your name.” Thus He called him Israel. 11God also said to him,“I am God Almighty; Be fruitful and multiply; A nation and a company of nations shall come from you, And kings shall come forth from you. 12“The land which I gave to Abraham and Isaac, I will give it to you. And I will give the land to your descendants after you.”
Dying to self heightens your awareness of Christ's Ownership over your life
Yesterday we saw in the life of Israel (formerly Jacob) that in dying to or denying his selfish, sinful drives, he was able to operate through tragedy after tragedy on the power of God. When the self-life of the Christian is regarded as unimportant, and put back mentally and spiritually on the cross, the Lordship (the authority) of Christ goes from being a fact to an experience.
Jesus does not become your Lord when you die to self. When you are converted by grace through faith, Jesus Christ becomes your Savior, Lord and Treasure. (compare Romans 10:8-10). The truth of the fact is established by God's Word. Yet in your daily experience as a believer, your awareness of Christ's control over your life can only come about when you die to self. In other words, you come to appreciate, delight in and see Christ more clearly.
Jacob's life illustrates the positive benefit of dying to self - seeing God more clearly
In the passage quoted at the beginning of today's blog, The Lord is speaking to Jacob and re-affirming the promises he gave to his grand-father Abraham and father Isaac. God also reminds Jacob as to why he changed his name to Israel, and that His calling and destiny could be now fully lived out as a result of him dying to self.
This is why "dying to self" must be a daily reality in the life of the Christian. Anytime the attitude of "when I want, how I want" rears its ugly head, unless I deal with that through regarding what God had said and rendering my former identity to be dead, in God I will never be able to move ahead. The power to deal with tragedy comes as we die to self. In the darkness of suffering, God's grace matches and exceeds with Him revealing Himself to us in a clearer way.
What you truly gain in dying to self
Read the context of Genesis 32-35 and you will note two trends: Israel's trials increased and his understanding of God increased. If God had not broken Jacob of his selfish pattern of running away from his problems in Genesis 32, then he would not had been ready for the clearer illumination of who the Lord is in Genesis 35. Let us close today's blog with this thought from Philippians 3:8 - "than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ."
Dying to self heightens your awareness of Christ's Ownership over your life
Yesterday we saw in the life of Israel (formerly Jacob) that in dying to or denying his selfish, sinful drives, he was able to operate through tragedy after tragedy on the power of God. When the self-life of the Christian is regarded as unimportant, and put back mentally and spiritually on the cross, the Lordship (the authority) of Christ goes from being a fact to an experience.
Jesus does not become your Lord when you die to self. When you are converted by grace through faith, Jesus Christ becomes your Savior, Lord and Treasure. (compare Romans 10:8-10). The truth of the fact is established by God's Word. Yet in your daily experience as a believer, your awareness of Christ's control over your life can only come about when you die to self. In other words, you come to appreciate, delight in and see Christ more clearly.
Jacob's life illustrates the positive benefit of dying to self - seeing God more clearly
In the passage quoted at the beginning of today's blog, The Lord is speaking to Jacob and re-affirming the promises he gave to his grand-father Abraham and father Isaac. God also reminds Jacob as to why he changed his name to Israel, and that His calling and destiny could be now fully lived out as a result of him dying to self.
This is why "dying to self" must be a daily reality in the life of the Christian. Anytime the attitude of "when I want, how I want" rears its ugly head, unless I deal with that through regarding what God had said and rendering my former identity to be dead, in God I will never be able to move ahead. The power to deal with tragedy comes as we die to self. In the darkness of suffering, God's grace matches and exceeds with Him revealing Himself to us in a clearer way.
What you truly gain in dying to self
Read the context of Genesis 32-35 and you will note two trends: Israel's trials increased and his understanding of God increased. If God had not broken Jacob of his selfish pattern of running away from his problems in Genesis 32, then he would not had been ready for the clearer illumination of who the Lord is in Genesis 35. Let us close today's blog with this thought from Philippians 3:8 - "than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ."
Monday, November 28, 2011
God's power to deal with tragedy
Genesis 33:20 Then he erected there an altar and called it El-Elohe-Israel
The Pattern of the Faith-walk following your conversion
A couple of days ago we began looking at Jacob's wrestling match with God in the earlier parts of Genesis 32. We saw that God did a work in Jacob's life whereby he learned how to die to self. If you were to survey Jacob's life for just a moment, it gives us a preset pattern for what would be the full and complete teaching about the faith-walk with Christ in the New Testament: Conversion by grace through faith in Genesis 28 and death to self and the world in Genesis 32 and 35.
Today we want to look closer at Jacob's life following this incident where he died to self, and discover the benefits that come from submitting to this ongoing truth in the life of the believer. Now as we look at the passage above, Jacob built an altar following his historic meeting with his estranged twin brother Esau. Remember how we discovered Jacob running from Esau for twenty years? God broke that tendency in Jacob's life, Jacob died to self in that area, and now was renamed Israel.
How "dying to self" prepared Jacob to go from the mountain to the valley of faith
Jacob builds an altar, and names it "El=Elohe Israel" which translated means: "God, The God of Israel." Undoubtedly Jacob's encounter with Christ (see previous blogs) would be termed by many a mountain top experience. He had conquered his greatest fear through the power of God. The big meeting with his brother was over. However for Israel (formerly Jacob), difficult times were around the corner. In fact, when one considers what took place in Jacob's life over the course of 10 years (from Genesis 33-35), it is staggering:
1. His only daughter Dinah, a teenager, was raped by the mean of the land in Genesis 34:5
2. His sons kill those who violated Dinah, but in the process bring shame to Israel Gen 34:30
3. Deborah, Israel's mother's nurse, undoubtedly like a mother to him, dies in Genesis 35:8
4. Rachael, his beloved wife of 50 years, dies in Genesis 35:17
5. Reuben, Israel's firstborn son, committs incest, and Israel finds out about it in Genesis 35:22
6. Isaac, Israel's father, dies in Genesis 35:29
Anyone one of those events would had devestated anyone of us. Yet Israel persevered. God speaks to him in Genesis 35, while he is still reeling, telling him to go back to the spot where he had first met him. Without hesitation Israel tells his family to pack-up - its time to do as God says.
When self dies, The Lord's life can shine more clearly in and through you
I am convinced that when we are in God's will, trials and testings will actually increase. (please compare Romans 5:3-4; James 1:3-4; 1 Peter 1:6-7) Why? Because we have committed our hearts to intentional living for God. Dying daily to your interests in favor of God's desires sets hell on high alert - that your faith-walk is poising itself to be empowered by God, rather than you. Despite these trials that attended Israel's life, God's power was there every step of the way. Jesus reminds us in Hebrews 13:5 - "Never will I leave you nor forsake you".
Despite whatever horrendous circumstance you may be facing, the Lord is desiring to manifest Himself to you, so as to lead you through the valley of the shadow of death. When self surrenders - it lays the believer's life into the arms of Jesus. Paul writes as a man in prison these words in Philippians 4:13 - "I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength."
The Pattern of the Faith-walk following your conversion
A couple of days ago we began looking at Jacob's wrestling match with God in the earlier parts of Genesis 32. We saw that God did a work in Jacob's life whereby he learned how to die to self. If you were to survey Jacob's life for just a moment, it gives us a preset pattern for what would be the full and complete teaching about the faith-walk with Christ in the New Testament: Conversion by grace through faith in Genesis 28 and death to self and the world in Genesis 32 and 35.
Today we want to look closer at Jacob's life following this incident where he died to self, and discover the benefits that come from submitting to this ongoing truth in the life of the believer. Now as we look at the passage above, Jacob built an altar following his historic meeting with his estranged twin brother Esau. Remember how we discovered Jacob running from Esau for twenty years? God broke that tendency in Jacob's life, Jacob died to self in that area, and now was renamed Israel.
How "dying to self" prepared Jacob to go from the mountain to the valley of faith
Jacob builds an altar, and names it "El=Elohe Israel" which translated means: "God, The God of Israel." Undoubtedly Jacob's encounter with Christ (see previous blogs) would be termed by many a mountain top experience. He had conquered his greatest fear through the power of God. The big meeting with his brother was over. However for Israel (formerly Jacob), difficult times were around the corner. In fact, when one considers what took place in Jacob's life over the course of 10 years (from Genesis 33-35), it is staggering:
1. His only daughter Dinah, a teenager, was raped by the mean of the land in Genesis 34:5
2. His sons kill those who violated Dinah, but in the process bring shame to Israel Gen 34:30
3. Deborah, Israel's mother's nurse, undoubtedly like a mother to him, dies in Genesis 35:8
4. Rachael, his beloved wife of 50 years, dies in Genesis 35:17
5. Reuben, Israel's firstborn son, committs incest, and Israel finds out about it in Genesis 35:22
6. Isaac, Israel's father, dies in Genesis 35:29
Anyone one of those events would had devestated anyone of us. Yet Israel persevered. God speaks to him in Genesis 35, while he is still reeling, telling him to go back to the spot where he had first met him. Without hesitation Israel tells his family to pack-up - its time to do as God says.
When self dies, The Lord's life can shine more clearly in and through you
I am convinced that when we are in God's will, trials and testings will actually increase. (please compare Romans 5:3-4; James 1:3-4; 1 Peter 1:6-7) Why? Because we have committed our hearts to intentional living for God. Dying daily to your interests in favor of God's desires sets hell on high alert - that your faith-walk is poising itself to be empowered by God, rather than you. Despite these trials that attended Israel's life, God's power was there every step of the way. Jesus reminds us in Hebrews 13:5 - "Never will I leave you nor forsake you".
Despite whatever horrendous circumstance you may be facing, the Lord is desiring to manifest Himself to you, so as to lead you through the valley of the shadow of death. When self surrenders - it lays the believer's life into the arms of Jesus. Paul writes as a man in prison these words in Philippians 4:13 - "I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength."
Sunday, November 27, 2011
Why self denial is at the heart of discipleship
Galatians 2:20 - “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me."
A disciple is someone who follows Christ by faith, and continues on in faith, acknowledging Him as Savior, Lord and Treasure. Yesterday we began looking at the truth of "dying to self" as essential to living effectively for God. We saw this concept illustrated in the life of Jacob in Genesis 32. Jacob would learn, like every believer, that in order to follow the Lord, you must die to that principle that daily rears its ugly head in your soul - self.
How essential is "death to self" to the believer's faithwalk?
Without question the New Testament unfolds this truth most fully, since God typically unfolds all that He has to tell us in a progressive fashion. We find out that "dying to self" or "self-denial" is at the heart of what takes place when one begins following Christ by faith. Jesus states in Luke 9:23-24 - And He was saying to them all, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me. 24“For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake, he is the one who will save it. 25“For what is a man profited if he gains the whole world, and loses or forfeits himself?"
Furthermore this teaching is affirmed most clearly by the Apostle Paul in the passage above. The imagery of being "crucified with Christ" is a common image used to describe what it means to die to self, since the chief aim is intentionally identifying oneself with the life and work of Christ Himself.
Self-denial is essential to the Christian's daily growth or "sanctification"
As a work of grace that accompanies the believer's saving faith at salvation, the notion of "dying to self" continues to unfold itself, like a rose, throughout the course of the believer's faith-walk or "sanctification". The great apostle Paul states in 1 Corinthians 15:31 - "I affirm, brethren, by the boasting in you which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily." So daily I must do what we saw in the last blog in dying to self:
1. Get in order with what God said
2. Reckon or consider my former identity (formed prior to conversion) to be dead
3. Only then in God can I move ahead
Paul writes these words in Romans 6:11 - "Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus." Only when I choose to regard "self" (the source of "self-centeredness", "selfishness", "self-seeking) as worthy of crucifixion, death, can I live more fully for God, and Him live more fully through me.
A disciple is someone who follows Christ by faith, and continues on in faith, acknowledging Him as Savior, Lord and Treasure. Yesterday we began looking at the truth of "dying to self" as essential to living effectively for God. We saw this concept illustrated in the life of Jacob in Genesis 32. Jacob would learn, like every believer, that in order to follow the Lord, you must die to that principle that daily rears its ugly head in your soul - self.
How essential is "death to self" to the believer's faithwalk?
Without question the New Testament unfolds this truth most fully, since God typically unfolds all that He has to tell us in a progressive fashion. We find out that "dying to self" or "self-denial" is at the heart of what takes place when one begins following Christ by faith. Jesus states in Luke 9:23-24 - And He was saying to them all, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me. 24“For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake, he is the one who will save it. 25“For what is a man profited if he gains the whole world, and loses or forfeits himself?"
Furthermore this teaching is affirmed most clearly by the Apostle Paul in the passage above. The imagery of being "crucified with Christ" is a common image used to describe what it means to die to self, since the chief aim is intentionally identifying oneself with the life and work of Christ Himself.
Self-denial is essential to the Christian's daily growth or "sanctification"
As a work of grace that accompanies the believer's saving faith at salvation, the notion of "dying to self" continues to unfold itself, like a rose, throughout the course of the believer's faith-walk or "sanctification". The great apostle Paul states in 1 Corinthians 15:31 - "I affirm, brethren, by the boasting in you which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily." So daily I must do what we saw in the last blog in dying to self:
1. Get in order with what God said
2. Reckon or consider my former identity (formed prior to conversion) to be dead
3. Only then in God can I move ahead
Paul writes these words in Romans 6:11 - "Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus." Only when I choose to regard "self" (the source of "self-centeredness", "selfishness", "self-seeking) as worthy of crucifixion, death, can I live more fully for God, and Him live more fully through me.
Saturday, November 26, 2011
Dying to live for God
Genesis 32:24-28 Then Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him until daybreak. 25When he saw that he had not prevailed against him, he touched the socket of his thigh; so the socket of Jacob’s thigh was dislocated while he wrestled with him. 26Then he said, “Let me go, for the dawn is breaking.” But he said, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.” 27So he said to him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Jacob.” 28He said, “Your name shall no longer be Jacob, but Israel; for you have striven with God and with men and have prevailed.”
What is necessary to live for God?
Jacob was the grandson of the well-known patriarch Abraham and father of twelve sons who would be the heads of the twelve tribes of Israel. In this chapter he is 96 years old and is getting ready to face a fear that he has been running from for over twenty years - his brother. After receving word that his brother, Esau, was coming his direction with 400 men, Jacob responded and by the time we come to our text above, the Bible says: "Then Jacob was all alone". As we will see, Jacob would learn that in order to live for God, something about himself had to die.
Self must die if we are to live effectively for God
Jacob was getting ready to experience a work of God that is daily necessary in the life of every Christian if they expect to move forward in their Christian walk - dying to self. Self is that principle at work in our soul that fuels our sin nature to want what it wants, when it wants and how it wants. Dying to self, or self denial, is fundamental to what it means in being a follower of the Lord. Jesus states it plainly in Luke 9:23-24 - "And He was saying to them all, 'If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me. 24'For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake, he is the one who will save it." '
In order to over come his enemies, Jacob had to be overcome by God
This episode in Jacob's life is intriguing, for he wrestles with an individual that is identified simply as "a man". Now scripture bears out that this was no ordinary man that met Jacob in the desert. Hosea 12:3-4, written over a 1,000 years after our account here in Genesis 32, gives an inspired commentary on just who Jacob was wrestling:
Yes, he wrestled with the angel and prevailed;
He wept and sought His favor.
He found Him at Bethel
And there He spoke with us,
5Even the LORD, the God of hosts,
The LORD is His name.
It was none other than God Himself that wrestled with Jacob in the form of this "unamed man". Other scriptures will further clarifiy that this mysterious "man" who is really "God" is an Old Testament appearance of Jesus Christ. Undoubtedly the Bible's dual identification of this figure in the Old Testament was foreshadowing what would be the complete revelation of Jesus Christ as fully God and fully man in the New Testament. As they wrestle, the Lord asks Jacob for His name. Quite simply, he was asking for Jacob's surrender, since the giving over of one's name was tanatmount to acknowledging the superiority of your opponent. Jacob did that, and as a result he received a new name - "Israel". Why? Quite literally, the Lord states that he had prevailed against men, and strived with God, and by grace accomplished both. Jacob would never be the same again.
When you die to self, expect your walk with God to be different
When this epic battle was finished, it was clear that Jacob, formerly headstrong and strongwilled was now a broken man. However that did not mean he was weaker. If anything, Jacob had entered into a whole new realm of relationship with God. The Bible tells us at the end of this fight, Jacob walked with a limp. Jacob (Israel) was now more useful to God because he had to die to who he was as Jacob in order for the power of God to manifest itself. The Apostle Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 12:9 - "And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me."
How do you die to self?
Let me give you three principles from this text in Genesis 32 that shows how Jacob died to his old identity:
1. Get in order with what God said. Genesis 32:24-29
2. Reckon your old identity to be dead. Genesis 32:30-32
3. Only then in Good can you move ahead.
The benefits of dying to self
By dying to self, Jacob was positioned to receive further illumination from God on the nature of his calling. (Genesis 35). Additionally, by dying to self, the power of God could flow more freely through Jacob's life, the power Jacob was going to need to face tough tragedies such as the loss of his wife in Genesis 35:17 and his father in Genesis 35:29. May you and I understand and apply this essential truth for living for God.
What is necessary to live for God?
Jacob was the grandson of the well-known patriarch Abraham and father of twelve sons who would be the heads of the twelve tribes of Israel. In this chapter he is 96 years old and is getting ready to face a fear that he has been running from for over twenty years - his brother. After receving word that his brother, Esau, was coming his direction with 400 men, Jacob responded and by the time we come to our text above, the Bible says: "Then Jacob was all alone". As we will see, Jacob would learn that in order to live for God, something about himself had to die.
Self must die if we are to live effectively for God
Jacob was getting ready to experience a work of God that is daily necessary in the life of every Christian if they expect to move forward in their Christian walk - dying to self. Self is that principle at work in our soul that fuels our sin nature to want what it wants, when it wants and how it wants. Dying to self, or self denial, is fundamental to what it means in being a follower of the Lord. Jesus states it plainly in Luke 9:23-24 - "And He was saying to them all, 'If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me. 24'For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake, he is the one who will save it." '
In order to over come his enemies, Jacob had to be overcome by God
This episode in Jacob's life is intriguing, for he wrestles with an individual that is identified simply as "a man". Now scripture bears out that this was no ordinary man that met Jacob in the desert. Hosea 12:3-4, written over a 1,000 years after our account here in Genesis 32, gives an inspired commentary on just who Jacob was wrestling:
Yes, he wrestled with the angel and prevailed;
He wept and sought His favor.
He found Him at Bethel
And there He spoke with us,
5Even the LORD, the God of hosts,
The LORD is His name.
It was none other than God Himself that wrestled with Jacob in the form of this "unamed man". Other scriptures will further clarifiy that this mysterious "man" who is really "God" is an Old Testament appearance of Jesus Christ. Undoubtedly the Bible's dual identification of this figure in the Old Testament was foreshadowing what would be the complete revelation of Jesus Christ as fully God and fully man in the New Testament. As they wrestle, the Lord asks Jacob for His name. Quite simply, he was asking for Jacob's surrender, since the giving over of one's name was tanatmount to acknowledging the superiority of your opponent. Jacob did that, and as a result he received a new name - "Israel". Why? Quite literally, the Lord states that he had prevailed against men, and strived with God, and by grace accomplished both. Jacob would never be the same again.
When you die to self, expect your walk with God to be different
When this epic battle was finished, it was clear that Jacob, formerly headstrong and strongwilled was now a broken man. However that did not mean he was weaker. If anything, Jacob had entered into a whole new realm of relationship with God. The Bible tells us at the end of this fight, Jacob walked with a limp. Jacob (Israel) was now more useful to God because he had to die to who he was as Jacob in order for the power of God to manifest itself. The Apostle Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 12:9 - "And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me."
How do you die to self?
Let me give you three principles from this text in Genesis 32 that shows how Jacob died to his old identity:
1. Get in order with what God said. Genesis 32:24-29
2. Reckon your old identity to be dead. Genesis 32:30-32
3. Only then in Good can you move ahead.
The benefits of dying to self
By dying to self, Jacob was positioned to receive further illumination from God on the nature of his calling. (Genesis 35). Additionally, by dying to self, the power of God could flow more freely through Jacob's life, the power Jacob was going to need to face tough tragedies such as the loss of his wife in Genesis 35:17 and his father in Genesis 35:29. May you and I understand and apply this essential truth for living for God.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)