Are You Serious About Walking In The Way Of Jesus?

My Utmost For His Highest

 

“…but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings…” —1 Peter 4:13

 

“If you are going to be used by God, He will take you through a number of experiences that are not meant for you personally at all. They are designed to make you useful in His hands, and to enable you to understand what takes place in the lives of others. Because of this process, you will never be surprised by what comes your way. You say, “Oh, I can’t deal with that person.” Why can’t you? God gave you sufficient opportunities to learn from Him about that problem; but you turned away, not heeding the lesson, because it seemed foolish to spend your time that way. […] Are we partakers of Christ’s sufferings? Are we prepared for God to stamp out our personal ambitions? Are we prepared for God to destroy our individual decisions by supernaturally transforming them? It will mean not knowing why God is taking us that way, because knowing would make us spiritually proud. We never realize at the time what God is putting us through— we go through it more or less without understanding. Then suddenly we come to a place of enlightenment, and realize— “God has strengthened me and I didn’t even know it!”” CHAMBERS

 

When you think of Jesus and His sufferings, what comes to your mind?  The Cross, certainly.  But think about this … the Son of God came into the world.  Remaining holy, yet facing the issues of the world.  How would He respond to sinful man?  Man they He had come to save. How do you respond to sinful man?  With spiritual understanding or with condemnation?  How do you respond to the temptation to get along with the culture?  There is a battle with the flesh and the Spirit.  Jesus was tempted in all ways … (Hebrews 4:15)  There is nothing in the Bible that suggests that it was pleasant … no big deal … but it was a big deal.  Jesus was both God and man.  And we are both sealed with the Spirit (have a holy nature), temples of the Holy spirit,  and have our old nature.  Jesus saw the world through Spiritual eyes and responded in kind.  And so, we too have spiritual eyes and should be responding to men and circumstances in like manner.  Are you thinking “I can’t do that?” then that is what a friend of mine calls “stinkin’ thinkin’ “  You are looking at the situation with the wrong set of eyes.  And if you are thinking, I am not strong enough to do that, then you are looking to the wrong source of strength.  What could does it do to ask the questions “What would Jesus do?” if you have no intention of doing it?  Think about it.  ELGIN

 

Bondye Beni Ou (God Bless You)

 

Charley Elgin