The undeniable truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ points us all to the realization that we are sinners who have fallen short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23) Though we gratefully accept salvation by grace, we often come up short regarding crucifying the flesh.
Success under God is defined by the extent to which we are able to die to self, and live in Christ. (Philippians 1:21) If we think we bring anything of value to the relationship, we are destined to fail in our Christian walk. Christian growth and maturity requires crucifixion of the old life in deference to the new, otherwise the old life will significantly impede the new. (Romans 8:10)
Do we think ourselves bondservants for Christ? If not, it is likely because we worship some aspect of Christianity instead of Christ alone. If our faith is defined primarily by our concern for a church building, a favorite ministry, family - anything ahead of Jesus Christ - these are things we must make subject to our love of Jesus if we truly desire to serve our Savior. (Matthew 10:37-38)
Onward Christian soldiers!
Bob Benson
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November 3
A Bondservant of Jesus
I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me . . . —Galatians 2:20
These words mean the breaking and collapse of my independence brought about by my own hands, and the surrendering of my life to the supremacy of the Lord Jesus. No one can do this for me, I must do it myself. God may bring me up to this point three hundred and sixty-five times a year, but He cannot push me through it. It means breaking the hard outer layer of my individual independence from God, and the liberating of myself and my nature into oneness with Him; not following my own ideas, but choosing absolute loyalty to Jesus. Once I am at that point, there is no possibility of misunderstanding. Very few of us know anything about loyalty to Christ or understand what He meant when He said, ". . . for My sake" ( Matthew 5:11 ). That is what makes a strong saint.
Has that breaking of my independence come? All the rest is religious fraud. The one point to decide is—will I give up? Will I surrender to Jesus Christ, placing no conditions whatsoever as to how the brokenness will come? I must be broken from my own understanding of myself. When I reach that point, immediately the reality of the supernatural identification with Jesus Christ takes place. And the witness of the Spirit of God is unmistakable— "I have been crucified with Christ . . . ."
The passion of Christianity comes from deliberately signing away my own rights and becoming a bondservant of Jesus Christ. Until I do that, I will not begin to be a saint.
One student a year who hears God’s call would be sufficient for God to have called the Bible Training College into existence. This college has no value as an organization, not even academically. Its sole value for existence is for God to help Himself to lives. Will we allow Him to help Himself to us, or are we more concerned with our own ideas of what we are going to be?
Amen!
"If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me." Matthew 16:24
