It’s Worth the Price

We need to be in the Word because the gospel is the power of God for our salvation – and it’s meant to be a full redemption.

He’s knocking.  We need to let Him in – not try harder – which is what I have tried many times.  I saw I needed to confess my fear and resistance as sin. 

We need to ask for what we need – to abide, to love Him with our whole heart and mind and soul and strength, for willingness.  Know that He is at work in you to will and to do. ^{Phil. 2:15}

If we’re joined with God, we’ll bear fruit for Him through that union (called abiding).  ^{Following God workbook Romans page 81} 

We do labor.  We do have a necessary part – but it’s not HIS part.  We are the branch.  The fruit comes from the life in the vine.

I like to study.  But my need is to quiet myself to spend time with Him in private worship, to get a vision of Him seated on the throne, high and lifted up – with his train filling the temple – mighty and powerful. 

It was a revelation to me to see that He is asking me to say “Not my will but thine be done” – but He said it first.  And it wasn’t easy for Him to say it either.  He sweat drops of blood to say it for me.  It’s okay to feel the heaviness of the price.

He’s asking me to go through death.  But He died first – for me.

He gave Himself absolutely for me – so that I could give myself absolutely to Him.

We sing a song here that has the words – the darling of heaven was crucified.  That really speaks to me because Jonathan and I call each other darling.  He’s our 3-year-old great grandchild. (He’s 14 now.) When I say Hi darling – or bye bye darling – he says it back to me.  I told him – Granny Darling worked for me!  It made me think about Jesus as a baby, a toddler – a darling.  His mother’s heart was pierced with grief.  Heaven was grieved.  It was a high price that He paid to have me.  We really are His treasure – His inheritance.

Phil 3:10  that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death,

I see in this passage that dying involves suffering.  The fellowship of His suffering is not just persecution or martyrdom – but the suffering that goes with being a living sacrifice.  It is the fallen self that needs to die – all that is of the fall in me must die – the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life

11 – if by any means, I may attain to the resurrection of the dead,

The goal is life –  not death.  Death is the way.  Resurrection life – supernatural life is the goal.  It will make a difference. 

12 – not that I have already attained, or am already perfected, but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me.

Freedom From a Self-Centered Life William Law/Andrew Murray: It is only by God’s direct operation waited on and allowed to work in us, that the doctrine we love and enjoy can become an actual possession.  ^{Page 20}

How was Abraham able to offer his son? He believed God!  He was able to offer Isaac even though he probably didn’t understand the request, and he didn’t know how God would do it – but he knew God would keep His promise, and Isaac was the son of promise.  His belief got him past human reasoning and human emotion.  His belief enabled him to expect what he had never seen.  His belief enabled obedience.

And God enabled his belief. 

He made a covenant with him – he made a promise to him, and he showed him all the stars in heaven to help him grasp the magnitude of the promise.

Faith is believing that God is and that He is a rewarder.  ^{Heb. 11:6} Faith is in GOD – what we believe about Him – not a particular outcome – unless we have a particular promise.  It is a force to bring God’s will to earth – not our own. Through faith and patience we inherit the promises. ^{Heb. 6:12}

It’s a worthy goal.  It’s a high calling.  It’s more than we can ask or imagine – abundantly above all that we ask or think. ^{Eph. 3:20}  It is worth the price.

Joy is derived from the confidence that the price of dying to our wills – holds the inevitable certainty of eventually realizing the triumph of His.  Jack Hayford

In Joel 2 – God promises the former rains and the latter rains.  The former rain was to prepare the ground for the seed.  The latter rain was for the harvest. I think I have reached that time in my life! Amazing grace!!!

For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ.  And so through Him the Amen [the so be it] is spoken by us to the glory of God. ^{2 Cor. 1:20-21 NIV}  

Speak Amen!