It is hard for Christians in Western countries to really appreciate the level of self-denial required of true disciples of Christ. We live in a society where emphasis is on the self and individual rights, a message so ingrained in our psyche that though we sing "All to Jesus I Surrender", some of us really have no intention of surrendering control of our lives, and all that pertains to us, to Him. We admire those who take charge of their lives, make the decisive decisions that needs to be made, and who are successful as a result of their efforts.
Yet in the kingdom of God things work in the opposite way. Jesus told His disciples, "Anyone who intends to come with me has to let me lead. You're not in the driver's seat; I am. Don't run from suffering; embrace it. Follow me and I'll show you how. Self-help is no help at all. Self-sacrifice is the way, my way, to finding yourself, your true self. What kind of deal is it to get everything you want but lose yourself? What could you ever trade your soul for?" (Matthew 16:24-26, The Message). In other words, the principles that work in our society have no place in God's scheme of things because once we accept Jesus as Lord, our lives are no longer our own (1 Corinthians 6:19), and we are subject to a different set of principles. In commenting on this portion of text, Bible Commentator Adam Clarke noted the principles of the Christian life Jesus put forth: 1) Having a sincere desire to belong to Him; 2) A renouncing of self-dependence and selfish pursuits; 3) To embrace conditions (troubles and difficulties) God has appointed for us to meet in walking the Christian road; and 4) To imitate Christ and do and suffer all in His Spirit.
No one could accuse Jesus of sugar-coating the cost of discipleship, but the disciples were not to be denied; they stood their ground. It was the same conviction with which Paul wrote, "Yes, all the things I once thought were so important are gone from my life. Compared to the high privilege of knowing Christ Jesus as my Master, firsthand, everything I once thought I had going for me is insignificant--dog dung. I've dumped it all in the trash so that I could embrace Christ and be embraced by him. I didn't want some petty, inferior brand of righteousness that comes from keeping a list of rules when I could get the robust kind that comes from trusting Christ--God's righteousness. I gave up all that inferior stuff so I could know Christ personally, experience his resurrection power, be a partner in his suffering, and go all the way with him to death itself" (Philippians 3:8-10).
As it was with the first century believers, so it is with us today. We are called to surrender our lives, our goals, our aspirations, all that we hold dear, to the cause of Christ. He has to lead, He has to be in control, for our union with Him to be effective. How much of you, and everything to do with you, are you still in control of?
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