Dying to be His

One of the areas of Christ’s teachings that we tend to overlooked is the dying part.  Not His dying of course, we like to talk about that.  It is our dying that we do such a great job avoiding.  Did you ever stop to consider that just a few short hours before his arrest, trial, and crucifixion Christ was surrounded by huge crowds that wanted to see Him, hear His words, listen to His teachings, and that sincerely believed that they would follow Him wherever He went?  But within a few short hours they soon discovered that as much as they wanted to, they couldn’t.  Let’s be honest, the fear of pain, suffering, persecution, and death would be enough to make the best of us re-think our commitment.

I love how Christ used the analogy of a road as a part of His teachings.  “The road is narrow, and few will find the way”.  It amazes me how quickly we move across scriptures of this nature.  I look around and I see billions of people in this world who all believe they are a part of the few.  Maybe Christ just said that so the goal would be high and we would shoot above the mark, then again maybe not.  Maybe He really meant it.  Maybe He said it because He loves us and wants us to understand just how blind we are, just how easily we are fooled, and just how difficult it really is.  Maybe He said it because He wants us to find the road, He wants us to travel the road, and most of all……..He wants us to remain on the road until we reach our final destination.

I spend my days contemplating some very interesting questions (at least I think so).  What has He put along the sides of this road for me to simply look at and observe?  What obstacles has He placed before me to slow me down?  What bridges has He placed to make my journey easier?  What has He placed along the side of the road to test me, to see if I turn to the left or the right?  Am I still on the road or I have turned to the left or the right?  How many of those things that I thought were there for my observation, or testing were opportunities to meet others where they were, to help them, and to facilitate more growth in me?  How many of those things were kind of like the transporters in the old Star Trek movies.  You know ‘beam me up Scotty”.  What would have happened if I would have taken the time to slow down, see the temptation as an opportunity, stop being an observer and be Christ?  What would have it felt like, what would have I learned, what aspect of my being would have been resurrected from deep within me?  How much more is buried deep within me just waiting to be reborn or brought to full maturity?

When you read the questions I contemplate you will find that there is one that is most assuredly not present, it was not a mistake, it was not left out by accident.  The reality is, I simply don’t think about it, I don’t question it, and I don’t worry about it.  Honestly, it doesn’t matter to me.  It is not what I put my faith in, and it is not my hope.  I never ponder my salvation.  It is not a question that comes into play when I think about what I am doing, what I should do, or what I should not do.  I do not think about my salvation and I do not think “will this please God”.

Don’t get me wrong.  Of course I want to please God.  But, for me, pleasing God is staying on the road.  Not for Him, for me.  Let me help you understand what I am saying.  If you are a parent what will please you most?  Do you want your children to do what you ask because they want to make you happy?  Or, do you want them to listen because you know that embracing what you share will pave the road to their own personal well-being?  The reality is that if they live “your way” because they want to make you happy they will never fully realize the joy of living that way.  On the other hand, if they live “your way” because they truly embrace everything “your way” is they will come to experience all that you know they are capable of.

Herein reveals two aspects of faith.  First we bend our knee to our parent’s way “because they said so”.  This is putting our faith in them, trusting their love for us, and having faith that they would only give advice that is best for us.  However, for us to truly be free of any aspect of flesh our faith must move from faith in our parents to faith in what our parents taught us.  If our hearts are open, this is a natural transition that occurs as we see our lives change for the better, as we experience more joy, more love, and a greater sense of well-being.  At that moment our faith moves from the parent to the “way of the parent”.  It is at that moment that the heart fully embraces what the head has conveyed and the ways of this world will no longer provide much temptation in that regard.  At that moment true liberation has been realized in that area of life.  This is what God wants for us.  He wants this for us in the greatest and fullest way possible.  It is this liberation that I view as “salvation” (God saving us from the sin of this world).  I know and understand that this is not what most people think of when they contemplate salvation.  However, I think it is an excellent way of conveying the heart of God and what He desires for us.  Regardless, I figure if I simply let my heart embrace all that God shows me, pleasing Him and my ultimate salvation will take care of themselves.  No worries.

One more thing on that before we move on.  Since I am so flesh, and the Spirit is so God, I know and understand that both of these “faiths” will continue for the remainder of my life.  As such, I must keep my faith in the parent, and in the parent’s ways.  Both….  Therefore, my faith first in Christ as He shows me what I must put on the cross, and my faith second will remain in “His ways” as my heart embraces the reality of the transformation of the very nature of my being.

So let’s get back to dying.  One of the things Christ said that keeps coming back to me is that we “must pick up our cross” to follow Him.  Then, the crowds who thought they were following Him didn’t as He picked up His own cross and headed for His own crucifixion.  Later, some of those that were not willing to “pick up their cross” let go of their fears, became His disciples, and ended up experiencing their own version of exactly what Christ experienced.  This was something that they had to do to experience all that Christ offered, and to be His disciples.

Jesus answered and said to him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God."  ….

 "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.  "That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit…..

As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up; so that whoever believes will in Him have eternal life…….

For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.

How often do we jump to John 3:16 and not even consider that the entire foundation of that most famous verse is a story, a story about people facing their own death, and one where they were called to turn to an image of the very thing that imposed that death as the source of life.

One of the criminals who were hanged there was hurling abuse at Him, saying, "Are You not the Christ? Save Yourself and us!" But the other answered, and rebuking him said, "Do you not even fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation?  "And we indeed are suffering justly, for we are receiving what we deserve for our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong."  And he was saying, "Jesus, remember me when You come in Your kingdom!"  And He said to him, "Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise."

How often do we hear teachings that simply sum up Christ’s response to the second criminal as “and Christ assured him of his salvation because he saw Him as the Christ”.  How easily we miss out on the very obvious point counter point.  The first criminal was not willing to give up his life; he did not even consider that he should have to, or that what was happening to him was exactly what he deserved.  On the other hand, the second criminal fully embraced every aspect of the circumstance, even to the point of rebuking the other.

Can we place ourselves there….on the cross next to Christ?  Can we feel ourselves hanging there, full of self-righteous indignation; can we hear ourselves crying out, arguing our case, and giving our excuses.

Do the echos of our own voices resonate through the very essence of our being?  I believe this is what Christ is talking about when He says that we must be re-born of the Spirit, when He says that “He who holds onto his life will lose it, and He who loses his life will gain it”.

It is the very essence of our flesh that holds onto everything of this world and the self-righteous excuses.  It is our flesh that cries out this isn’t fair, I didn’t do it, it wasn’t my fault.  My parents didn’t raise me right.  I was never told the difference.  People betrayed me, they hurt me, they took advantage of me.  But the circumstances changed, I was justified in what I did.  It was too hard, the money was right there for the taking.  She is the one who dresses like that she obviously wants me to think of her that way.  All the ads show me this is the right way to get attention.  It’s the only way I know how.  It is their own fault they ended up in prison, I didn’t and I had hard times.  It is their fault they don’t have any money, if they weren’t so lazy they could take care of themselves.  It isn’t my fault I was born in this country and they weren’t.  I shouldn’t have to give up my luxury just because God blessed me by birthing me here, at this time, in this place.  I had the right to be angry because they……..  We know who wins in the end.  They will get what they deserve……..and the list goes on and on……need I keep going?

Being on the Cross next to Christ forces us to look deep within.  This is where it all begins.  To be born of the Spirit requires a willingness to let the life of the flesh pass away.  That’s it.  The willingness is the key.  As we open up our hearts to this letting go of the flesh we begin to hear God’s voice.  We begin to hear the Spirit responding to our flesh with statements like: “please….you can’t be serious.  Of course it is your fault, they were taken advantage of too.  Everyone has been betrayed, and everyone has been hurt.  Did you stop and pray for them?  The very things you make excuses for you hold against others.  You justify your anger, your resentment, and your lusts.  Did you ever stop to see the hurt in her eyes?  Did you ask why she needs to seek affirmation that way?  Did you ever stop to see the hurt in his eyes?  Did you ask why he affirms you when you seek it that way?  Did you ever stop to consider that I am the one who gave you the strength to overcome your challenges?  Did you stop to think that I am the one who created you with the character to not give up?  Did you ever stop to consider that is exactly why I blessed you by putting you in this country, at this time?  How many opportunities have I given you to experience what it is to be me?  How much pain, suffering, and hunger must I allow for the simple purpose of giving you a chance to do what I do, love how I love, be holy as I am holy, and experience what you were designed to embrace?  Yes, I will win in the end…that doesn’t mean you will be with me.”

As we allow the Spirit the latitude to humble our flesh we begin to see the world in a different way, we begin to see the truth of things, not the surface level truth that is all about us, a deeper truth, the reality of things based on how God sees them.  As we let the Spirit’s voice grow, and we let God show us the truth of things from His perspective we begin to be set free, free of our anger, free of our resentment, free of our lack of forgiveness, free of our guilt.  This freedom brings about a transformation within us.  As we begin to feel the freedom this transformation provides we being to embrace a part of our being that we never even knew existed.  I would argue that this is the beginning of the re-birth process.  Over time God will send the Spirit to open our eyes to those areas of our life where we remain in bondage, our response is to hold Christ’s hand as we trust Him to carry us through the process and to trust that He will deliver us into a greater freedom than we ever knew possible.  This is not an instantaneous onetime event.  It is a life long journey where we grow from a new born infant into the full maturity of a spirit led disciple.  It is a journey that is not of our own work but the work of God, as spoken by the Holy Spirit, and perfected through the strength of Christ.  This is the freedom that God wants for us….it is this freedom that He wants us to show the world.

I pray that you allow the Spirit to show you the truth.  I pray that you decide to embrace what the Spirit shows you, and that you trust that what you see is the key to your spiritual freedom.  I pray that you let the Spirit hold up a mirror to the areas of your life where you are letting your flesh rule and where you have not let yourself grow in the Spirit.  I pray that if you have not allowed yourself to be re-born that you let the Spirit begin that work within you today.  I pray that you feel God holding your hand and that you can feel His warm embrace.  I pray that you trust Him with everything that you are and that you allow Him to save you from all that you are not.  I pray that if you have been lost in the wilderness that you let Him guide you back to the narrow road, where His yoke is light and His promise is true.