Obedient to Death

Monday, November 05, 2012, 2:49 a.m. – the Lord woke me very early this morning with the song “Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus” playing in my mind. I lay in bed inquiring of the Lord if he would have me get up and write something, or if I was just to pray, or if he wanted to speak with me about something. Then he put the song “When I’m With You” in my mind, followed by “To God Be the Glory.” So, I got out of bed to hear from the Lord.

Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus / Helen H. Lemmel

O soul, are you weary and troubled?

No light in the darkness you see?

There’s light for a look at the Savior,

And life more abundant and free!

Through death into life everlasting

He passed, and we follow Him there;

O’er us sin no more hath dominion—

For more than conquerors we are!

His Word shall not fail you—He promised;

Believe Him, and all will be well:

Then go to a world that is dying,

His perfect salvation to tell!

Turn your eyes upon Jesus,

Look full in His wonderful face,

And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,

In the light of His glory and grace.

Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening. I read 1 Peter 4 (NIV 1984):

Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because he who has suffered in his body is done with sin. As a result, he does not live the rest of his earthly life for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God. For you have spent enough time in the past doing what pagans choose to do—living in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing and detestable idolatry. They think it strange that you do not plunge with them into the same flood of dissipation, and they heap abuse on you. But they will have to give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. For this is the reason the gospel was preached even to those who are now dead, so that they might be judged according to men in regard to the body, but live according to God in regard to the spirit.

The end of all things is near. Therefore be clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray. Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.

Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler. However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name. For it is time for judgment to begin with the family of God; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God? And,

“If it is hard for the righteous to be saved,

    what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?”

So then, those who suffer according to God’s will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good.

The Same Attitude

When I read this passage this morning about arming ourselves with the same attitude of Christ, Philippians 2 came to mind where it said:

Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:

 Who, being in very nature God,

    did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,

but made himself nothing,

    taking the very nature of a servant,

    being made in human likeness.

And being found in appearance as a man,

    he humbled himself

    and became obedient to death—

        even death on a cross!

Peter had been talking here in 1 Peter about suffering unjustly for doing good or for what is right. And, Jesus is the example we are to follow in attitude and in action. Jesus willingly left his home in heaven, came to earth, took on human flesh, suffered as we suffer, was tempted in all the same ways in which we are tempted, yet without sin; was hated, mocked, ridiculed, accused falsely, rejected, despised, forsaken, betrayed, spat upon, scourged and hung on a cross to die, although he had done no wrong. Yet, he willingly went through all of that suffering for you and for me so that we could be set free of the control of and slavery to sin, so we could be free of the punishment of sin (eternity in hell), and so we could be free to walk in faithful and loving obedience to our Lord (master) and Savior, Jesus Christ.

If we are to have this same attitude as Christ, thus, and it has to do with being done with sin, which is the very reason Jesus Christ died on the cross for our sins, then this begins by us humbling ourselves before God, being willing to give up what we feel are our rights to live how we want; by willingly dying to sin and self daily, and by following (obeying) Jesus Christ wherever he leads us, even if it means suffering unjustly for doing what is right.

We will face unjust suffering because we are done with sin, and because we live for righteousness, though certainly none of us have reached perfection by any means. We may even have abuse heaped on us, even by our closest friends, family, and/or church family, because we do not choose to participate in sinful behavior, or because of our testimony for Jesus Christ and his gospel. Yet, we choose to leave our lives of sin behind us, and we choose to live the rest of our earthly lives for the will of God, in his service, for his glory, and for the salvation of human souls. If we are truly following Jesus Christ with our lives, we will be hated for all the same reasons Jesus was hated, other than none of us can claim to be God, though we can certainly claim to be God’s. Yet, we are to rejoice that we participate in the sufferings of Christ, for we are blessed. We should, thus, commit ourselves to God and to his service, and continue to do the good he has called us to do without fear of man.

The End is Near

This epistle was written about 2,000 years ago, so “near” must be translated as imminent, i.e. it is about to appear, it is approaching, and it is a reality. In reality, none of us knows when our last day will be on the face of this earth, so we should all live as though today could be our last day. Yet, with the end of all things in view, i.e. with the knowledge and understanding that the things of this life and world are all destined to perish, yet knowing and understanding that the word of God endures forever, and that we should be about laying up treasures in heaven, not on this earth, we should live our lives to please our Lord Jesus and not ourselves. We should have our hearts and minds set on things above, which have eternal value, not on the things of this earth which are destined to perish.

When I’m With You / An Original Work / April 22, 2011

When I’m with You, Lord, hear my cries.

Soon I’ll be with You, by Your side.

Harken to me; Lord, hear my plea

When I’m with You and You’re with me

Precious Savior, Lord, and my friend,

Life with You has no final end.

I’ll reign with You eternally

When I’m with You and You’re with me.

Father, God, my only desire.

Your word is in me like a fire.

I’ll sing Your praise all of my days

When I’m with You and You’re with me.

When we have the right perspective about life, and are focused on Jesus Christ and what has eternal value, then we should be able to love others the way in which Jesus Christ loves us, not that any of us could ever attain such pure love as his, but that we would be willing to lay down our lives – our reputations, time, energies, resources, etc. – for the sake of the gospel of Jesus Christ in order to see people set free from slavery to sin and made alive in Jesus Christ, our Lord. This kind of love forgives and repudiates sin. Its goal is to see the sinner set free, not continue to walk in darkness. This kind of love understands that true grace provides the cleansing power of God in our lives to set us free from bondage to sin, so it also gives us the ability to repent, to obey, and to walk in freedom in the power of the Spirit of God within us. So, all the praise, honor and glory belong to God for all that is accomplished in and through our lives for the glory of God. Great things He has done!

To God Be the Glory / Fanny J. Crosby / William H. Doane

To God be the glory, great things He has done;

So loved He the world that He gave us His Son,

Who yielded His life an atonement for sin,

And opened the life gate that all may go in.

O perfect redemption, the purchase of blood,

To every believer the promise of God;

The vilest offender who truly believes,

That moment from Jesus a pardon receives.

Great things He has taught us, great things He has done,

And great our rejoicing through Jesus the Son;

But purer, and higher, and greater will be

Our wonder, our transport, when Jesus we see.

Praise the Lord, praise the Lord,

Let the earth hear His voice!

Praise the Lord, praise the Lord,

Let the people rejoice!

O come to the Father, through Jesus the Son,

And give Him the glory, great things He has done.

When I’m With You: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bYi_-8oW8TI