Page 28 - lifeandgrace
P. 28
We can worry about performance until we die, and it will not change anything. We cannot become
more righteous than we are right now in God’s eyes. Is there a working out of righteousness in this
temporal realm we live in: Yes, of course. But even there we can do nothing apart from Jesus. If we could
do nothing that would please God to save ourselves, how can we do anything apart from Jesus to please
Him in our daily living? God is not interested in anything we accomplish through “self”, only what is
accomplished through His beloved Son, Jesus Christ working through us. Many Christians are saved,
then filled with the Holy Spirit, and really desire to follow the Lord and serve Him but live out their lives
completely dominated by “self” will. Many are doing things for God with all their might. They sweat
and struggle to serve God and wonder why they are always worn out. It’s very simple. God sees it all as
performance of “self” in which He has no interest. There is none of God’s “rest” in such work.
Across the entire world, every Sunday, sermons are preached to get people to go and get the job done
of living a successful Christian life. They are given all sorts of goals, hundreds of things to do and things
not to do so that their performance will be good. God has no interest in our performance apart from
Jesus! Anything done apart from Jesus living out His life through us is dead works. 1Cor 3:12-13
(NNAS) "Now if any man builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw,
13each man's work will become evident; for the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and
the fire itself will test the quality of each man's work." What happens when fire hits wood, hay and
straw? It burns up so that there is nothing left! All works done in our strength are dead works of hay,
wood and straw, and none of it will pass into the eternal kingdom. All will be burned up.
But you may say: “I helped thousands to be saved, healed, and delivered.” Nothing will be taken
away from them. That is wonderful for those people. I am sure they appreciate it. But in God’s eyes, as
for as your works (in your own strength) are concerned, it is hay, wood and straw (dead works) and will
all be burned up.
Mat 10:38-39 (RSV) "and he who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39He
who finds his [self or soul**] life will lose it, and he who loses his [self or soul**] life for my sake will
find it."
What is this scripture talking about? What is taking up our cross? It cannot be putting the “old man”
to death. He died on the cross with Jesus. I am a new man in Christ Jesus. I have a new nature, and have
become partakers of a divine nature. 2Pet 1:4 (RSV) "by which he has granted to us his precious and very
great promises, that through these you may escape from the corruption that is in the world because of
passion, and become partakers of the divine nature."
The cross is for destruction or killing something or someone. What is it that Jesus wants put to the
cross? Simply put, it is our self-life - that life we are capable of living apart from Him being in control.
Notice in Matt. 10:39, Jesus speaks of us losing our life. What does He mean? He means that we are to
lose our life in Him - that from henceforth we will do nothing apart from Him. When we “lose” our life
for Jesus, it means our life is swallowed up in Him, and we are no longer in control. We have become
that “living sacrifice” of Romans 12:1.
Look at Jesus’ own life lived out in the Father’s will. John 5:19 (RSV) "Jesus said to them, "Truly,
truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing; for
whatever he does, that the Son does likewise."
John 8:28-29 (RSV) "So Jesus said, "When you have lifted up the Son of man, then you will know
that I am he, and that I do nothing on my own authority but speak thus as the Father taught me. 29And he
who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what is pleasing to him." Jesus’ total
life was lived out submitted to the Father’s divine will.
more righteous than we are right now in God’s eyes. Is there a working out of righteousness in this
temporal realm we live in: Yes, of course. But even there we can do nothing apart from Jesus. If we could
do nothing that would please God to save ourselves, how can we do anything apart from Jesus to please
Him in our daily living? God is not interested in anything we accomplish through “self”, only what is
accomplished through His beloved Son, Jesus Christ working through us. Many Christians are saved,
then filled with the Holy Spirit, and really desire to follow the Lord and serve Him but live out their lives
completely dominated by “self” will. Many are doing things for God with all their might. They sweat
and struggle to serve God and wonder why they are always worn out. It’s very simple. God sees it all as
performance of “self” in which He has no interest. There is none of God’s “rest” in such work.
Across the entire world, every Sunday, sermons are preached to get people to go and get the job done
of living a successful Christian life. They are given all sorts of goals, hundreds of things to do and things
not to do so that their performance will be good. God has no interest in our performance apart from
Jesus! Anything done apart from Jesus living out His life through us is dead works. 1Cor 3:12-13
(NNAS) "Now if any man builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw,
13each man's work will become evident; for the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and
the fire itself will test the quality of each man's work." What happens when fire hits wood, hay and
straw? It burns up so that there is nothing left! All works done in our strength are dead works of hay,
wood and straw, and none of it will pass into the eternal kingdom. All will be burned up.
But you may say: “I helped thousands to be saved, healed, and delivered.” Nothing will be taken
away from them. That is wonderful for those people. I am sure they appreciate it. But in God’s eyes, as
for as your works (in your own strength) are concerned, it is hay, wood and straw (dead works) and will
all be burned up.
Mat 10:38-39 (RSV) "and he who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39He
who finds his [self or soul**] life will lose it, and he who loses his [self or soul**] life for my sake will
find it."
What is this scripture talking about? What is taking up our cross? It cannot be putting the “old man”
to death. He died on the cross with Jesus. I am a new man in Christ Jesus. I have a new nature, and have
become partakers of a divine nature. 2Pet 1:4 (RSV) "by which he has granted to us his precious and very
great promises, that through these you may escape from the corruption that is in the world because of
passion, and become partakers of the divine nature."
The cross is for destruction or killing something or someone. What is it that Jesus wants put to the
cross? Simply put, it is our self-life - that life we are capable of living apart from Him being in control.
Notice in Matt. 10:39, Jesus speaks of us losing our life. What does He mean? He means that we are to
lose our life in Him - that from henceforth we will do nothing apart from Him. When we “lose” our life
for Jesus, it means our life is swallowed up in Him, and we are no longer in control. We have become
that “living sacrifice” of Romans 12:1.
Look at Jesus’ own life lived out in the Father’s will. John 5:19 (RSV) "Jesus said to them, "Truly,
truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing; for
whatever he does, that the Son does likewise."
John 8:28-29 (RSV) "So Jesus said, "When you have lifted up the Son of man, then you will know
that I am he, and that I do nothing on my own authority but speak thus as the Father taught me. 29And he
who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what is pleasing to him." Jesus’ total
life was lived out submitted to the Father’s divine will.
