Category: Self-denial

Categories
Christ Glory Self-denial

Unleashing the Life of Christ

“For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.” Col 3:3-4 (NIV) Dying to self unleashes the life God has for you. Once you die to self and allow Christ to take over your life, the great adventure begins. From the moment of your conversion, your life is hidden with Christ in God. You are no longer your own, you belong to Christ. Because of your profession in faith, you become His possession. When God sees you, He views you through the shed blood of Jesus. You are made holy and fit for eternity. Christ is your life. Wow! That means that everything around you and everything above you takes second place. Your number one devotion is Christ. You died to self and now Christ lives His life in you and through you to bring glory to God. You are the chosen vessel that God has made holy for the habitation of the Spirit of Christ. You belong to Jesus! Because Christ is your life, you will appear with Him in glory. One day you will stand before the King! One day you will be rewarded for what you have done with the life God has given you. One day you will give an account to God for what you have done with the time, energy, and resources God provided you with. Every moment of your life matters to God. Make every moment count! What does the hidden life look like? It looks like Jesus! He must increase and you must decrease. The focus of your life is not to put yourself on display, but to put Christ on display for a watching world to see. You don’t have to convince others of the reality of Christ in your life. Just let Christ have His way in your life and His light will shine brightly through your conversation and your conduct. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

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Humility Making Sense Self-denial

Self-Denial

“Then Jesus said to his disciples, ‘If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.’” Matt 16:24 (NIV) While driving down the interstate, I discovered a billboard advertisement that had this phrase in large gold letters with a dark background, “It’s all about you.” That phrase captures the ebb and flow of Christianity in the twenty-first century. Consumerism has captivated the local church. Christians are choosing churches based on the mentality of, “What have you done for me, lately?” We have fostered a culture of spectators. Let’s watch the show and be entertained. Embracing that self-centered and me-istic lifestyle will not help you make sense out of life. In fact, life will become muddy and unclear. Jesus explained the Christ-centered life as the one where self-denial is a prerequisite. Jesus clarifies that life is not about you. Life is about God’s agenda. To come after Jesus, you must deny yourself. It does not mean to neglect your needs or to embrace passivity. Self-denial on God’s terms is for you to utterly disown yourself. To deny yourself is to come to the place of total abandonment to God and His will for your life. Self-denial is essential in saving faith and in living out your faith before a watching world. Arthur Pink wrote, “Growth in grace is growth downward; it is the forming of a lower estimate of ourselves; it is a deepening realization of our nothingness; it is a heartfelt recognition that we are not worthy of the least of God’s mercies.” It’s not about you. It’s all about Him! Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor (This devotional was originally posted in ’07 or ’08. I’m taking a break from writing for a season of personal renewal.) Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

Categories
Humility Making Sense Self-denial

Making Sense Out of Life (2)

“Then Jesus said to his disciples, ‘If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.’” Matt 16:24 (NIV) While driving down the interstate, I discovered a billboard advertisement that had this phrase in large gold letters with a dark background, “It’s all about you.” That phrase captures the ebb and flow of Christianity in the twenty-first century. Consumerism has captivated the local church. Christians are choosing churches based on the mentality of, “What have you done for me, lately?” We have fostered a culture of spectators. Let’s watch the show and be entertained. Embracing that self-centered and me-istic lifestyle will not help you make sense out of life. In fact, life will become muddy and unclear. Jesus explained the Christ-centered life as the one where self-denial is a prerequisite. Jesus clarifies that life is not about you. Life is about God’s agenda. To come after Jesus, you must deny yourself. It does not mean to neglect your needs or to embrace passivity. Self-denial on God’s terms is for you to utterly disown yourself. To deny yourself is to come to the place of total abandonment to God and His will for your life. Self-denial is essential in saving faith and in living out your faith before a watching world. Arthur Pink wrote, “Growth in grace is growth downward; it is the forming of a lower estimate of ourselves; it is a deepening realization of our nothingness; it is a heartfelt recognition that we are not worthy of the least of God’s mercies.” It’s not about you. It’s all about Him! Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor