Jesus brings life to dead places. God incarnate, Immanuel, brought life and redemption and peace to man by way of the manger. He lived, spoke, touched, changed, restored, and breathed life into many who believed in Him during his three and a half years of earthly ministry. As Acts 1:2 teaches us, those things were merely the beginning of Jesus' work, for today He continues to bring life. Through the Spirit, Jesus becomes incarnate in places--hearts--that are dead.
We who have found that life, have found it through death. Death is at work within us, allowing the Life that is Light to shine through. It is a treasure in jars of clay. The power belongs to God and not to us. (Power. Can you say that power is at work in and through you? The power over death?) We are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake so that the life of Jesus may be manifested in our mortal selves. Death, for Jesus' sake, means life. Our death experience at salvation is to become our lifestyle from then on, allowing the life of Christ to live through our death. "...take up your cross daily..."
John Calvin wrote (in his commentary on Psalms):
"And, although we must continue to drag out our life amidst continual distresses, we have abundant consolation to aid us in bearing all our afflictions, provided we lift up our minds to heaven. But still it is to be observed, in the first place, that it is certain, considering our great weakness, that no man will ever do this unless he has first tasted of the Divine goodness in this life..."Our loving Father does not ask us merely to die. He invites us to taste of His goodness. Having tasted of His goodness that perfectly satisfies, we cannot help but give up our lives of worldly pleasure in exchange for what is exceedingly greater. In our pursuit to conquer sin...in our pursuit to die to self...in our pursuit to be holy...let us chase the goodness of the love of God. Our loving Father does not ask us merely to die. He invites us to LIVE. The Christian life isn't about "dont's"; it is about "do's"!
The more we enjoy the pleasures of God, the more we will die to the false pleasures of earth. You will never give up a pleasure of earth unless you replace that God-given desire with a God-given pleasure. Reminds me of my life-verse.
"You make known to me the path of life;
in Your presence there is fullness of joy;
at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore."
Psalm 16:11
in Your presence there is fullness of joy;
at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore."
Psalm 16:11
