Who's Life is it Anyway?

Who's Life is it Anyway?

by David Brenneman 

"I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me." Galatians 2:20.

"Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.  If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit." Galatians 5:24-25.

"And He was saying to them all, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me.  For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake, he is the one who will save it.  For what is a man profited if he gains the whole world, and loses or forfeits himself?" Luke 9:23-25.

"I affirm, brethren, by the boasting in you which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily." 1 Corinthians 15:31.

"But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come.  For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; Avoid such men as these." 2 Timothy 3:1-5.

In an earlier post I wrote of the question concerning the depth of devotion and commitment the Disciples of Jesus Christ had towards Jesus.  How much of their life, their passions, wants and desires, were put aside to follow Jesus?  

Paul wrote of laying aside the old self with its passions and desires, it's practices.  Practices.  Things essentially willfully done.  Whether good or bad.  We willfully practice life every day.  We willfully get up from sleeping the night before.  This is a practice.  A way of life. 

We willfully get ready for whatever the day has for us.  Our practice typically includes either time with Jesus before starting out or it doesn't.  These are examples of the practices of the lives of people. 

A full life in Christ is what Jesus promised those whom would follow Him.  At one point there were over 70...until a few things came about.  Some thought His teachings were too deep.  Too this or too that.  Quite probably many thought that they were getting in on the ground floor of a movement to shake off the oppression of the Romans. 

The Disciples really did set aside everything.  Including most if not all involvement with family for these years of His Earthly ministry.  

The world easily will have false prophets and teachers to tell whomever will listen that you can have your cake and eat it too by living however you want as well as living for Jesus.  The problem with all that is inevitably less and less time is going to be spent with Jesus.  Self WILL consume and justify everything it's doing.

It's also yet still a daily battle.  It's going to be until the day that we either die or the Rapture of the Church of Jesus Christ happens. 

We have to do as we read earlier, dying to self so that we might live to Christ.  

Our minds are impressionable and often easily manipulated.  There's a good reason why so much money and time has been spent in the world on the effects of subliminal messaging.  It's a scheme of the devil that works. 

Honestly...from Jesus's perspective...are we truly losing out on anything by striving to live life for Jesus in all that we say or think or do?   

It's said in the Scriptures "Where your treasure is there your heart will be also."  

Is living for Jesus with your everything your hearts desire?  Is that your treasure?  

Go back and read that excerpt from the book of Timothy.  

Regardless of the why's or the centuries of time, when our hearts are not directed towards the life in Christ that the Spirit is trying to teach us to live in...we will inevitably produce the wrong kinds of fruit.  

Our lives aren't supposed to be our own.  Out of a grateful heart we ought to be doing our best to honor everything that Jesus did for us in taking our place on that cross.  

"I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me." Galatians 2:20.

Dying to self daily takes a lot of effort.  That's what we see the Disciples doing.  That's what they were to teach new Disciples. 

Given a choice which direction does your heart go...a television show or a half hour of reading your Bible?

Given a choice which direction does your heart go...a football game or time with Jesus in prayer or in your Bible?

It's very easy to say the answer...but looking back on your life...what was the real answer?

We either follow the God whom created us or the god we created. 

We either take up our own cross and follow Jesus or something or someone else's that doesn't lead to a deeper relationship with Jesus. 

A life in Christ isn't to be superficial in any way.  

King David was known as a man after God's own heart.  Moses was known as a friend of God.  Daniel was known as one highly esteemed by God.  

What will you be known for or as in your relationship with Jesus?

It is probably going to hurt, at least for a time, to get traction in living life for Jesus in the way He wants and meant for you to live it.

What I have learned so far is that I find that I really don't miss what I gave up.  Those things that I shouldn't have craved in the first place just really don't compare with what's been developing in my relationship with my Savior. 

Time is an unrefundable currency. 

Once spent it can never be retrieved again.  

Yet what we spend it on impacts our eternity outside of time. 

Time spent on the full life in Christ, those coins seem to multiply.  When spent on anything else...they begin to vanish. 

Who's life are you living? 

You are either pursuing a new life in Christ or you aren't.  

According to the Scriptures we WILL give an accounting of our lives before Jesus.  Those coins of time will be very telling. 

"Living for Jesus, a life that is true,

Striving to please Him in all that I do;

Yielding allegiance, glad-hearted and free,

This is the pathway of blessing for me.

O Jesus, Lord and Savior, I give myself to Thee,

For Thou, in Thy atonement, didst give Thyself for me;

I own no other Master, my heart shall be Thy throne;

My life I give, henceforth to live, O Christ, for Thee alone." 

1917 Thomas O. Chisholm "Living for Jesus".

Who's Life is it Anyway?  

How you answer in your words and actions tells the truth about your relationship with Jesus. 

All NASB 1995 and NASB Scripture Excerpts used by permission. (C) Lockman Foundation.