Word for Today, Sun Jan 8, 2006: Intimacy With Jesus - tie in with Sacrifice
Posted by: masinick <masinick@...>
Dear friends,
Isn't intimacy one of the most precious things in this life that we seek?
Unfortunately, we often seek intimacy in the wrong things and in the wrong way.
The disciples had intimacy with Jesus Christ, yet He offered them an even
deeper kind of intimacy. That is what Oswald Chambers discusses in today's My
Utmost For His Highest message. The other day, recall that Oswald wrote about
intimacy with Jesus. This time, he writes about making a living sacrifice.
Are they not very closely related? Read and decide for yourself.
Yours in Christ,
Brian
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January 8
Is My Sacrifice Living?
Abraham built an altar . . . ; and he bound Isaac his son and laid him
on the altar . . . u2014Genesis 22:9
This event is a picture of the mistake we make in thinking that the ultimate
God wants of us is the sacrifice of death. What God wants is the sacrifice
through death which enables us to do what Jesus did, that is, sacrifice our
lives. Not -- "Lord, I am ready to go with You . . . to death" ( Luke 22:33 ).
But -- "I am willing to be identified with Your death so that I may sacrifice
my life to God."
We seem to think that God wants us to give up things! God purified Abraham from
this error, and the same process is at work in our lives. God never tells us to
give up things just for the sake of giving them up, but He tells us to give
them up for the sake of the only thing worth having, namely, life with Himself.
It is a matter of loosening the bands that hold back our lives. Those bands are
loosened immediately by identification with the death of Jesus. Then we enter
into a relationship with God whereby we may sacrifice our lives to Him.
It is of no value to God to give Him your life for death. He wants you to be a
"living sacrifice" -- to let Him have all your strengths that have been saved
and sanctified through Jesus (Romans 12:1). This is what is acceptable to God.
© 2005 RBC Ministries-Grand Rapids MI, 49555-0001
--
Brian Masinick, mailto:masinick@yahoo.com
Home page: http://www.geocities.com/masinick/
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