"While he [Jesus] lived on earth, anticipating death, Jesus cried out in pain and wept in sorrow as he offered up priestly prayers to God. Because he honored God, God answered him. Though he was God's Son, he learned trusting-obedience by what he suffered, just as we do."
Heb 5:7
"Anyone who claims to be intimate with God ought to live the same kind of life Jesus lived."
I John 2:6
"...he [Jesus] humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death, even death on the cross."
Phil 2:8
These scriptures, plus a few more, are transforming my thinking. They are taking what I used to think and not totally getting rid of it, but moving it aside.
"live the same kind of life Jesus lived"
That life looks like a man who looks not only to his own interests, but more importantly others. It is serving. It is hearing and obeying. Knowing that we are lower than angels, saved by the works and hand of God and living a not-my-will-but-yours life. Sounds like self-sacrifice? It isn't. It is hearing and obeying. That might include self-sacrifice, but it is not the core.
Jesus knew where He came from. He knew where He was going. He knew His Father had put all things in His hands. His identity was firmly in place. That enabled him to be humble. He humbled Himself knowing that the Father works all things for good. He suffered in order to be taught "trusting-obedience", the Son of God did that. Why? Because we are taught trusting-obedience through suffering. Why? So that we can be sons of God. That is our identity. We are born from heaven now. We are heavenly people; our home is heaven. Through Jesus our God-who-can-identifies-with-us, we are joint heirs.
God the Father is calling us to Himself. This does require taking up the cross. The cross can mean self-sacrifice, but it means "hearing and obeying" inclusively.
So, when you find yourself flagging in your faith, go over the story of Jesus' suffering and death and resurrection, item by item, the long litany of hostility he endured. That will shoot adrenaline into your souls and cause you to soar with faith. So, endure the cross for the joy set before you.
And if you want to know God intimately...live as Jesus lived.
5 comments:
I would agree with this. Ya know what they call the Great Commission is Matthew 28:20 or something like that. But Matthew 20:28 is closer to what I would think they Great Commission to be. It says, "But the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many."
This serving attitude is more what Jesus did, and wants us to do, instead of making disciples. We make disciples through serving. So often we miss it. He served everyone He across, not only His disciples. His disciples saw this and learned.
Boo ya ka shot
good post William. Patrick...I agree with you but I don't know that I would say that "serving" is what Jesus wants us to to "instead of making disciples." I think I know what you intend...that we are to "make disicples" by serving and building loving relationships. right?
That's what I meant to say, Jose. Thanks for helping me clarify that.
Serving is an essential part of our life in the kingdom of God, but it's important not to limit service to one type of act. In my opinion God served the merchants that he chased out of the temple. He got in their face and told them it was wrong, rather than allowing them to continue believing the lie that it was alright to sell things in the temple.
It's vastly important to keep all things balanced. For instance, a person could say that all we need is to love God above all and love our brothers like ourselves, and while that's pretty much true, if that person is loving God and his brothers superficially by trying to create feelings of love inside himself, than he's got it all wrong.
thats true john. I think thats why the most important thing we can do is learn to hear the Father's voice...then we can know if he wants and we can be in constant service.
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