(John 8:37) “… Because my word hath no place in you.”
In light of yesterday’s post and trying to understand where we stand with our glorious Father’s call upon our lives, I suppose that there must come a time in every believers life where we all settle on this truth; “not my while but thine be done”. With it comes pain, heartache, confusing, resistance from the will, that is the will of the flesh (our bodies of death) and much more? Why does it have to be this way? Unless a seed fall to the ground and dies it will abide alone, it will never bear fruit. Life teachers us that death is often associated with pain.
Whilst in Plettenberg Bay over the holidays the life guards on two occasions summonsed the bathers out of the water with sharp blasts on their whistles with a flag raised high and clear for most to see, with its warning, shark! Why do we take special note of such a warning, the fear of death jolts our reaction time into gear and before long the masses that once where swimming in the sea now all stood on the shore looking to see it they could spot the dreary creature? Comments like, “I never want to die like that”, “and I’m scared of sharks”. No one wants to die and yet it is the will of the Father that all His children must die! If we chose to reject His instruction through His Word, how will we ever be any different to those who look to serve Him for self-gain, it’s all about their life now and what they can get for their own stomachs? Are we any different? If not, I pray we will sit up and take note.
To help us with our reasoning, let us look at those who have gone before us, how do you think we will stand shoulder to shoulder with them in God’s kingdom, having wandered the desert in sheep skin while we lived a life of luxury with never a want and yet full of complaints? God forgive us! Or those persecuted for their faith; “Others suffered mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were killed with the sword. They went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, mistreated-- of whom the world was not worthy--wandering about in deserts and mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.” (Hebrews 11:36-38): - It was these people that where noticed by God as He inspires the writer of Hebrews to pen those words.
Let me make it personal; what about the man who made himself a eunuch for the kingdom of heaven sake? If I was to stand next to him in heaven, I would shudder as I would think on his example. Two failed marriages and why? My “body of death” not willing to die! A sad thought indeed! This man must have seen the call of God clearly, it would be a sacrifice, it would cause pain, and loneliness would also play its part. And yet for those, whom it has been given, will be able to accept it as they make it their own... Not to speak of their passion, that would need to be dealt with as he would forfeit his God given right to sexual association with a wife. It appears that Paul was such a man and look what he achieved. Once again the Word teachers; that this in itself is a gift from God. It is all about grace, but we must seek this treasure out. We cannot sit on our laurels and pretend all is well when it is not.
“His disciples say unto him, If the case of the man be so with his wife, it is not good to marry. But he said unto them, All men cannot receive this saying, save they to whom it is given. For there are some eunuchs, which were so born from their mother's womb: and there are some eunuchs, which were made eunuchs of men: and there be eunuchs, which have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven's sake. He that is able to receive it, let him receive it.”” (Matthew 19:10-12)
There must come a time in a believer’s life where we realise that there is no other way but to die and to hang onto that which is dead is actually ridiculous, we must accept the fact that we need to keep dying through our on-going sanctification. We must all learn to say, “Not my will but thine be done”. We will wrestle and one should be surprised if we don’t have a daily battle with our flesh. But we must all eventually arrive at the same place and that is once we have repeatedly asked for the cup to pass and it remains, then we need to understand that it is grace that is needed to get us through the temptation.
This then is our example; “And he was withdrawn from them about a stone's cast, and kneeled down, and prayed, Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done. And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him. And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.” (Luke 22:41-33)
Our biggest enemy is when we will not accept that fact that we need to die. May God open our eyes to His truth and not our wants and may His will become our will in every area of our lives. Father we pray for understanding in accordance of your will and then the grace to get through whatever we need to, for the glory of your namesake, our Saviour, the Lord Jesus
Signing off
Tyrone
No comments:
Post a Comment