The Path to Reality
My husband once received that “the greatest need for our day is a return to first principles”.
And the very first principle for all who would follow Jesus Christ is the message of the cross…our personal cross.
For the cross is the path to reality. Jesus plainly said this to His disciples….
Matthew 16:24-25 “Then said Jesus unto His disciples, If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.
For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for My sake shall find it.”
We will never have spiritual reality in these days in which we live, unless we will deny ourselves, take up our cross and follow Him.
Bearing our cross to the place where we no longer resist His Will in anything. For that is what our cross deals with….our will in opposition to God’s Will.
Jesus said….if any man will. He did not say, want to,….wish to….or think about.
No, Jesus Chirst spoke absolutely…to our wills. For our wills are our whole man active.
We say, for explanation, that when we stop resisting His Will….we are crucified with Christ. We no longer live to ourselves…but to Christ, doing His Will. It may not be instant obedience…but I will do His Will.
Galatians 2:20-21 “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I but Christ liveth in me: and the life that I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, Who loved me, and gave Himself for me.”
This was Paul’s testimony….and can be ours. We are no longer resisting the Lord’s Will….so we are yielding in faith to it….and living by that faith.
Then, we begin the process of losing our self-life to find our Christ-life. For faith and obedience leads us to realize how much of ourselves is left….. our attitude both to people and the situations that come up.
We begin to lose our conformity to the world, in our minds and reasons. (Romans 12:1-2)
Do we let what others do, or have, trouble us?
Think of Peter (John 21:15-19)….the Lord has just restored him….given him a ministry both with the young and old…”feed my lambs, feed my sheep”….and what does Peter think of first?
John 21:20-21 “Then Peter, turning about, seeth the disciple whom Jesus loved following;….Peter seeing him saith to Jesus, Lord, and what shall this man do?”
Isn’t this like us? What about so and so? Or what will happen with such and such?
This is our “self”-life. We are surrendered to the Will of God for us….yet, we often “see” someone else, and get our eyes off of what is important…
…..which is pleasing the Lord Jesus…alone.
We believe our souls are the seat of our personalities. That which makes us, us. No one is exactly like you….nor are you exactly like anyone else.
We have a lot of our parents traits….some good, some not so good. We choose habits, and select friends which influence our thinking….and in turn our hearts and attitudes.
But when we become born again….we are given the Holy Spirit to abide with us, and to change us into a new “family” image….for we are now in the family of God.
We begin to be transformed in our minds…by the Word of God, and the Holy Spirit’s instruction and grace.
Romans 12:1-2 “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”
The Person of the Godhead that we present our bodies to….is the Holy Spirit…to indwell and to reign in every part of our bodies.
Our minds….for it is a reasonable service.
Our hearts….for we do not serve HIm, if we do not love Him.
Our wills….for we are called to will with God, as He works His Will in us.
Philippians 2:13 “For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure.”
The thoroughness and the power of our transformation rest with us.
Philippians 2:12 “Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.”
Salvation here, means rescue or safety….physically or morally. Our safety comes as we work out….what the Holy Spirit is working within us.
Over the years my husband has taught me many things, but the most practical thing is:
To put first things, first. To seek the due order of God in everything. How we serve, is as important as serving.
I admit I am a slow learner, and many times I begin to run around trying to see to the many “fires” of life, here and there.
But I have learned, and usually the Lord reminds me, I can not do but one thing at a time.
We are to yield to the “working of God in us”…..for…
He will work in our minds, as we yield to HIm, to see and understand.
He will work in our hearts, as we yield to Him, to love Him, in whatever we have to do. In hard things as well as easy things.
He will work in our wills, as we yield to Him, to will with Him….and one person with God is a majority….a mighty influence, wherever we are at.
The Path to Reality is one that we enter at new birth, and we continue on….taking up our cross (anything which cuts across our will, concerning God’s Will)….and following Him….till we take on the Family Resemblance of Christ…and begin to be an influence for God wherever we are.
If we remember that our Walk is a walk with the Lord, helped by the Holy Spirit, and blessed by the Father….we will gladly take the next step in our walk.
Preaching, Teaching, and Notes 