The Sentence of Death

Nothing gives a saint more trouble than his own self-will. The human will is rooted in the sin nature and is the result of Adam making the wrong choice. God never intended that man have a self-will. We were created to have choice, but that choice was so pure that our created excellence was bordering on the divine. His Spirit of life was and is shared with every living soul, so the intrinsic appetite of man as he was created was to walk with and please God. It was a sanctified choice that God gave to us so that man had to step outside his created perfection to know right and wrong and to have a selfish bent for the forbidden. Because of this, every one of us deals with a self-centered disposition that must be crucified every day of our life.

Marriage, even in the church, is on the rocks because the faith community knows almost nothing of the crucified life. The church world is being fed a hodgepodge of psychology and self-help when self does not need help; it needs a cross. No message by the Lord Jesus Christ was preached more regularly than this. It was a theme in the LordÂ’s Gospel that man had to have a cross to experience His life. Listen to Him. “And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it. For what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself, or be cast away? For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he shall come in his own glory, and in his Father’s, and of the holy angels.” (St. Luke 9:23-26)

This fact is the foundation of the “New Birth” without which no man or woman will ever see the Kingdom of God. Man does not need a reformation, he needs a transformation. Apostle Paul wrote the Roman community of saints, and practically cried out, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” (Romans 12:1-2) This is death to the self-will, and it is life to the saint that experiences this death.

The world has seen so many Pharisees and legalists that have all the outside trappings of saintliness, but cold faces and selfish hearts, until they despise the call to holiness. I certainly understand their sense of rejection. But reading these Scriptures from Jesus Christ and Apostle Paul paints a far different picture. These saints were certainly set apart, but it was to something, not just from something. This new life that Christ, by His Spirit and through His blood offers, is a baptism in resurrection. Paul spoke of “…the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” (Romans 12:2b) None of us have the power within to effect this beautiful life, but as we fling ourselves on His mercy and grace, He sheds forth in our heart His life and glory. As we daily surrender and say “no” to self, and then open our heart in prayer before Him, He fills the surrendered spot with Himself. It has to be daily. Jesus said, “take up his cross daily.” He does not provide grace in advance, but on a daily basis. Apostle Paul said, “… I die daily.” (1 Corinthians 15:31b)

Why did Apostle Paul have such an effect upon the early church? He was a persecutor and an injurious person who did great damage to the saints. But his transformation was complete and the results were spectacular. He wrote to the church at Corinth and explained the secret which really is no secret because the Son of God had settled the facts. Jesus said, “For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel’s, the same shall save it.” (St. Mark 8:35) The life of Jesus Christ is so complete and satisfying that to give up all self-will and to be immersed in His life and will is abundant life on a level known only by the saints of the Living God.

Paul’s testimony is revealing of this foundation to greatness. He said, “But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead: Who delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver: in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us.” (2 Corinthians 1:9-10) This saint of God was so common and yet so uncommon. He wrote to the Philippians and said, “For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.” (Philippians 3:3) His constant theme was death to flesh. “That no flesh should glory in his presence.” (1 Corinthians 1:29) “For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other…” (Galatians 5:17a)

The grace of God in Christ awaits and even knocks at the door of every heart for the privilege of taking possession and reigning in glory. This will happen the very moment the sentence of death is signed and sealed by His Spirit.