Step By Step

My Utmost For His Highest

‘[…] we must surrender all pretense that we are anything, and give up all our claims of even being worthy of God’s consideration. Once we have done that, the Spirit of God will show us what we need to surrender next. Along each step of this process, we will have to give up our claims to our rights to ourselves. Are we willing to surrender our grasp on all that we possess, our desires, and everything else in our lives? Are we ready to be identified with the death of Jesus Christ? We will suffer a sharp painful disillusionment before we fully surrender. When people really see themselves as the Lord sees them, it is not the terribly offensive sins of the flesh that shock them, but the awful nature of the pride of their own hearts opposing Jesus Christ. […] If you are faced with the question of whether or not to surrender, make a determination to go on through the crisis, surrendering all that you have and all that you are to Him. And God will then equip you to do all that He requires of you.’ CHAMBERS

 

There are two aspects of sanctification or being set apart for God.  First is the conversion ..where we were, at one time, not His and now we are (Romans 9:25-26) and the second is the life process being made holy… conformed into the image of Christ. (Romans 8:29)  Where the inner man is renewed day by day … each day becoming more like Jesus and less like the world.  (2 Corinthians 5:17). The first part requires faith (Ephesians 2:8,9) but so does the second part.  If you try to clean yourself up .. to do right .. and not do wrong .. to stop doing those things that keep you close to your old nature and far from your new nature … it just won’t happen (but you already know that don’t you!) it takes Jesus … He is our sanctification and our strength … “Without Him I could do nothing .. without Him I’d surely fail … Without Him life would be hopeless .. Like a ship without a sail …

There is a Haitian saying that I use frequently with the pastors I work with … “ti pye ti pye” (tee pa tee pa) it means step by step.  The problem for some Christians is not that the way is rough, or steep, but that they have decided to stop walking.  They are content with where they are .. they don’t want to go any further than where they are … But God wants us to go all the way … To love Him with all of our heart, mind, soul and strength is to never stop .. to never be satisfied with our “Spirituality” but to continue to press on

Philippians 3:12-15  Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me.  Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead,  I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.  Therefore let us, as many as are mature, have this mind; and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal even this to you.

 

Bondye Beni Ou (God Bless You