For the last few months (3-4) the Lord has been taking me through a process I did not understand...but as usual, always wanting to and willing to learn. In a meeting last Sunday, I made the following statement and it fits into what I am about to say...the statement was: we cannot tell what we have not heard...we cannot teach what we have not learned, and we cannot impart what we do not have. One of those Holy Ghost, out of your mouth statements that have not been pre-thought. Amazing how we can teach the Bible yet have learned/experienced very little of what we teach...we say: O, I know that! O, do we, really? Here is the point I am getting at: For if WE have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly WE shall be also in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our OLD SELF was crucified with Him, that OUR BODY OF SIN might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin; for he WHO HAS DIED is freed from sin (Rom 6:5-6). Theologically, for years I have known this portion of Scripture...had it memorized by heart...knew by experience that Christ died for my sin...and continued to experience deliverance and cleansing from sin---over and over when would fail and confess and forsake...there is a hugh difference between forgiveness and cleansing...many cry for forgiveness, few for cleansing..............to the point: for a few months God has forced me to take a deeper look at my SELF; deeper than ever before...because of continued failure and needs in my life (isnt that just like God...allow us to fail to reveal our need---and WHAT WE NEED IS NOT TO BE BETTER but to BE LESS---MORE OF JESUS AND LESS OF ME)...then He allowed me to see...the eyes of my understanding opened...not just my intellectual mind but the mind of my heart/spirit...that not only did Jesus die for my sins and my sin...He died for me. What does that mean? I always knew. If you asked me the question, what does that mean, I could tell you from the Bible...because I could tell what I had heard or read...but now I can tell because I have learned---it means not only did He die for my sins and sin...HE DIED FOR me, myself-----I. Self is dead...it is no longer I but Christ that lives in me.....the biggest issue facing all of us...especially those consecrated to Christ...learning that He does not desire consecrated self, our best effort, always trying to measure up...He is looking for crucified Christ---He died for my sins...He died for me, He died for you...He wants to grow us up in grace...the problem was no longer sin...the problem was SELF. Self trying so hard to please and obey (self-righteousness...a holy self-righteousness...but unholy yet because not the righteousness OF CHRIST)..get rid of self and what do you have? No longer I but Christ---IF we are in the likeness of His death...we shall be in the likeness of His resurrection...even so consider yourselves dead unto sin, (dont stop there) but ALIVE TO GOD IN CHRIST JESUS! I am crucified with Christ...nevertheless I live...yet not I, but Christ lives in me (Gal 2:20) I HAD seen my sins and sin upon the cross....I had heard about myself upon the cross...now I have seen myself upon the cross...AND LEARNING what it means...what a fresh breath of LIVING AIR...not just dead...but alive! Have you seen, not just heard about...your SELF upon the cross! May God give all of us eyes to see!
Posted on: Wed, 06 Nov 2013 07:58:25 +0000