Word for Today, Mon, 24 Feb 2003: The Delight of Sacrifice

#1 · February 24, 2003, 8:00 pm

Quote from Forum Archives on February 24, 2003, 8:00 pm
Posted by: masinick <masinick@...>

Dear friends,

Today's Word for Today is about actually finding delight in
sacrifice. This is not some perverted kind of denial, wound, or
other kind of affliction. It is about freely giving of ourselves
in the manner that Jesus Christ gave of Himself - not out of some
useless sacrifice, but out of deep love, first for God Himself,
then for people.

Jesus Christ knowingly and willingly came to earth as a man, in
very nature, God Himself, yet He gave up all godly powers to
identify with us deeply, to experience everything that we
experience. At the same time, He had one thing that many of us
only get in bits and pieces - a close intimate relationship with
God. In Jesus' case, He really did know God because God was His
real Father.

You know, that's really true of us, too. But we differ in one
critical respect - we are NOT in very nature God. We are very
much human beings only. It is only as we give up our rights as
individuals and seek God's will for our lives that we begin to
grasp the very things that Jesus Christ knew, completely
understood, and acted on.

In this life as human beings, we'll never get it perfect, only
Jesus Christ, the God-man Himself, can ever do that. For that
very reason, we need an advocate with God to account for what we
lack. Jesus Christ IS that advocate. He lived a sinless life,
died in our place, not because of anything He had done, but to
pay for things that WE have done.

I find delight in One who could so selflessly give of Himself.
Jesus Christ is everything I ever long for or hope to be.

This message from Oswald Chambers strikes a great balance between
the aspects of prayer and meditation, thinking about the ways of
God, earnestly seeking Him, then the practical, every day actions
of sacrificing our lives in the choices we make - for Him.

My friends, I struggle with these things every day. God is
showing me all kinds of things about my attitudes and actions.
Lest I ever think that I've mastered any of this, all I need to
do is to gaze upon Christ, and realize just how desperately I
still need Him.

I pray that each of you earnestly seek God each day, eagerly
respond to Him in the choices that you make throughout the day,
constantly looking for the ways that God desires each of us to
serve.

Interestingly enough, I heard a very similar message about this
same topic today in a message from Charles Swindoll. I thought
that Swindoll was right on with his message, and I believe that
Chambers has it right, too. How about each of us, privately? Do
we delight in the sacrifice of serving our Living God?

Dear Lord,

Each day I want to earnestly seek You, understand what You want
me to do with my life, even in the ordinary, every day matters,
and also in the larger decisions of life. Please cleanse me of
selfish thinking, self serving goals, and lead me to the rock
solid principles that are found in Your Word, and help me to
meditate on them in appropriate ways and then act on them.

Paul was willing to become all things (many things we almost
certainly would not normally consider). Lord, I have no idea
what that may mean in my own life, but I want You to know that I
earnestly want to give up my own agendas and follow Your will for
my life. Where will that lead? You know, I only know today.
All I ask is that You help me from turning the wrong way,
especially when You have a specific plan for me. I want to be
Yours in every way. I confess just how inept I am in
surrendering things that I hold too closely. You may chisel them
away, one by one, until there is nothing left but You. Please
work kindly and gently with me, for I am Yours. Amen.

Your Brother in Christ,
Brian

-----------------------------------------------

February 24

The Delight of Sacrifice
I will very gladly spend and be spent for your souls...
--2 Corinthians 12:15

Once "the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the
Holy Spirit," we deliberately begin to identify ourselves with
Jesus Christ's interests and purposes in others' lives ( Romans
5:5 ). And Jesus has an interest in every individual person. We
have no right in Christian service to be guided by our own
interests and desires. In fact, this is one of the greatest
tests of our relationship with Jesus Christ. The delight of
sacrifice is that I lay down my life for my Friend, Jesus (see
John 15:13 ). I don't throw my life away, but I willingly and
deliberately lay it down for Him and His interests in other
people. And I do this for no cause or purpose of my own. Paul
spent his life for only one purpose--that he might win people to
Jesus Christ. Paul always attracted people to his Lord, but
never to himself. He said, "I have become all things to all men,
that I might by all means save some" ( 1 Corinthians 9:22 ).

When someone thinks that to develop a holy life he must always
be alone with God, he is no longer of any use to others. This is
like putting himself on a pedestal and isolating himself from
the rest of society. Paul was a holy person, but wherever he
went Jesus Christ was always allowed to help Himself to his
life. Many of us are interested only in our own goals, and Jesus
cannot help Himself to our lives. But if we are totally
surrendered to Him, we have no goals of our own to serve. Paul
said that he knew how to be a "doormat" without resenting it,
because the motivation of his life was devotion to Jesus. We
tend to be devoted, not to Jesus Christ, but to the things which
allow us more spiritual freedom than total surrender to Him
would allow. Freedom was not Paul's motive at all. In fact, he
stated, "I could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ
for my brethren..." ( Romans 9:3 ). Had Paul lost his ability to
reason? Not at all! For someone who is in love, this is not an
overstatement. And Paul was in love with Jesus Christ.

Authorized By The Oswald
Chambers Publications
Association, Ltd.

My Utmost for His Highest
Daily Devotional is provided
by RBC Ministries
www.gospelcom.net/rbc/utmost/

=====
--
Brian Masinick, mailto:masinick@yahoo.com
Home page: www.geocities.com/masinick/

__________________________________________________
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Posted by: masinick <masinick@...>

Dear friends,

Today's Word for Today is about actually finding delight in
sacrifice. This is not some perverted kind of denial, wound, or
other kind of affliction. It is about freely giving of ourselves
in the manner that Jesus Christ gave of Himself - not out of some
useless sacrifice, but out of deep love, first for God Himself,
then for people.

Jesus Christ knowingly and willingly came to earth as a man, in
very nature, God Himself, yet He gave up all godly powers to
identify with us deeply, to experience everything that we
experience. At the same time, He had one thing that many of us
only get in bits and pieces - a close intimate relationship with
God. In Jesus' case, He really did know God because God was His
real Father.

You know, that's really true of us, too. But we differ in one
critical respect - we are NOT in very nature God. We are very
much human beings only. It is only as we give up our rights as
individuals and seek God's will for our lives that we begin to
grasp the very things that Jesus Christ knew, completely
understood, and acted on.

In this life as human beings, we'll never get it perfect, only
Jesus Christ, the God-man Himself, can ever do that. For that
very reason, we need an advocate with God to account for what we
lack. Jesus Christ IS that advocate. He lived a sinless life,
died in our place, not because of anything He had done, but to
pay for things that WE have done.

I find delight in One who could so selflessly give of Himself.
Jesus Christ is everything I ever long for or hope to be.

This message from Oswald Chambers strikes a great balance between
the aspects of prayer and meditation, thinking about the ways of
God, earnestly seeking Him, then the practical, every day actions
of sacrificing our lives in the choices we make - for Him.

My friends, I struggle with these things every day. God is
showing me all kinds of things about my attitudes and actions.
Lest I ever think that I've mastered any of this, all I need to
do is to gaze upon Christ, and realize just how desperately I
still need Him.

I pray that each of you earnestly seek God each day, eagerly
respond to Him in the choices that you make throughout the day,
constantly looking for the ways that God desires each of us to
serve.

Interestingly enough, I heard a very similar message about this
same topic today in a message from Charles Swindoll. I thought
that Swindoll was right on with his message, and I believe that
Chambers has it right, too. How about each of us, privately? Do
we delight in the sacrifice of serving our Living God?

Dear Lord,

Each day I want to earnestly seek You, understand what You want
me to do with my life, even in the ordinary, every day matters,
and also in the larger decisions of life. Please cleanse me of
selfish thinking, self serving goals, and lead me to the rock
solid principles that are found in Your Word, and help me to
meditate on them in appropriate ways and then act on them.

Paul was willing to become all things (many things we almost
certainly would not normally consider). Lord, I have no idea
what that may mean in my own life, but I want You to know that I
earnestly want to give up my own agendas and follow Your will for
my life. Where will that lead? You know, I only know today.
All I ask is that You help me from turning the wrong way,
especially when You have a specific plan for me. I want to be
Yours in every way. I confess just how inept I am in
surrendering things that I hold too closely. You may chisel them
away, one by one, until there is nothing left but You. Please
work kindly and gently with me, for I am Yours. Amen.

Your Brother in Christ,
Brian

-----------------------------------------------

February 24

The Delight of Sacrifice
I will very gladly spend and be spent for your souls...
--2 Corinthians 12:15

Once "the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the
Holy Spirit," we deliberately begin to identify ourselves with
Jesus Christ's interests and purposes in others' lives ( Romans
5:5 ). And Jesus has an interest in every individual person. We
have no right in Christian service to be guided by our own
interests and desires. In fact, this is one of the greatest
tests of our relationship with Jesus Christ. The delight of
sacrifice is that I lay down my life for my Friend, Jesus (see
John 15:13 ). I don't throw my life away, but I willingly and
deliberately lay it down for Him and His interests in other
people. And I do this for no cause or purpose of my own. Paul
spent his life for only one purpose--that he might win people to
Jesus Christ. Paul always attracted people to his Lord, but
never to himself. He said, "I have become all things to all men,
that I might by all means save some" ( 1 Corinthians 9:22 ).

When someone thinks that to develop a holy life he must always
be alone with God, he is no longer of any use to others. This is
like putting himself on a pedestal and isolating himself from
the rest of society. Paul was a holy person, but wherever he
went Jesus Christ was always allowed to help Himself to his
life. Many of us are interested only in our own goals, and Jesus
cannot help Himself to our lives. But if we are totally
surrendered to Him, we have no goals of our own to serve. Paul
said that he knew how to be a "doormat" without resenting it,
because the motivation of his life was devotion to Jesus. We
tend to be devoted, not to Jesus Christ, but to the things which
allow us more spiritual freedom than total surrender to Him
would allow. Freedom was not Paul's motive at all. In fact, he
stated, "I could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ
for my brethren..." ( Romans 9:3 ). Had Paul lost his ability to
reason? Not at all! For someone who is in love, this is not an
overstatement. And Paul was in love with Jesus Christ.

Authorized By The Oswald
Chambers Publications
Association, Ltd.

My Utmost for His Highest
Daily Devotional is provided
by RBC Ministries
http://www.gospelcom.net/rbc/utmost/

=====
--
Brian Masinick, mailto:masinick@yahoo.com
Home page: http://www.geocities.com/masinick/

__________________________________________________
Do you Yahoo!?
Yahoo! Tax Center - forms, calculators, tips, more
taxes.yahoo.com/