Word for Today, Fri, 9 Dec 2005: The Offering of the Natural
Posted by: masinick <masinick@...>
Dear friends,
Oswald Chambers writes about the discipline of giving ourselves as a
living sacrifice, committing ourselves fully to God, becoming willing
to give to God, regardless of the cost.
Have we ever considered the cost? We know, intellectually, at least,
what it cost God to secure our salvation - the sacrifice of God's only
Son. Will it not also cost us our lives, not necessrily in blood, but
in our own discipline, giving up our own agendas in order that God may
use our lives for His purpose and for His Good pleasure?
Consider that God desires a personal, intimate relationship with us.
Are we willing to turn away from our own plans, giving up what we
consider natural, in order that God can work within us and through us?
Yours in Christ,
Brian
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December 10
The Offering of the Natural
It is written that Abraham had two sons: the one by a
bondwoman, the other by a freewoman --Galatians 4:22
Paul was not dealing with sin in this chapter of Galatians, but with
the relation of the natural to the spiritual. The natural can be
turned into the spiritual only through sacrifice. Without this a
person will lead a divided life. Why did God demand that the natural
must be sacrificed? God did not demand it. It is not God's perfect
will, but His permissive will. God's perfect will was for the natural
to be changed into the spiritual through obedience. Sin is what made
it necessary for the natural to be sacrificed.
Abraham had to offer up Ishmael before he offered up Isaac (see
Genesis 21:8-14). Some of us are trying to offer up spiritual
sacrifices to God before we have sacrificed the natural. The only way
we can offer a spiritual sacrifice to God is to "present [our] bodies
a living sacrifice ..." ( Romans 12:1 ). Sanctification means more
than being freed from sin. It means the deliberate commitment of
myself to the God of my salvation, and being willing to pay whatever
it may cost.
If we do not sacrifice the natural to the spiritual, the natural life
will resist and defy the life of the Son of God in us and will produce
continual turmoil. This is always the result of an undisciplined
spiritual nature. We go wrong because we stubbornly refuse to
discipline ourselves physically, morally, or mentally. We excuse
ourselves by saying, "Well, I wasn't taught to be disciplined when I
was a child." Then discipline yourself now! If you don't, you will
ruin your entire personal life for God.
God is not actively involved with our natural life as long as we
continue to pamper and gratify it. But once we are willing to put it
out in the desert and are determined to keep it under control, God
will be with it. He will then provide wells and oases and fulfill all
His promises for the natural (see Genesis 21:15-19).
© 2005 RBC Ministries-Grand Rapids MI, 49555-0001
--
Brian Masinick
mailto:masinick@yahoo.com