Jesus was an innocent man slaughtered for a guilty world (Rom. 5:8; 2 Cor. 5:21). Yet, He chose to give His life for the sheep (John 10:11). For this reason, Jesus requires a willing sacrifice of all today who will hear His voice. It is but a small price to pay in comparison to the pain and agony of the cross. Paul wrote to the Galatians, “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me” (Gal. 2:20). Again, he urged, “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” (Rom. 12:1). Even Jesus Himself said, “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me” (Mat. 16:24).
No one said it would be easy following the Lord. It takes effort and determination for one to sacrifice his hands in service being ready to every good work (Tit. 3:1). It takes much commitment and zeal for one to sacrifice his feet in preaching the Gospel of peace (Rom. 10:15). It takes time to give one’s mind over to the meditation of God’s Word and fervent prayer (Psa. 1:2; Psa. 119:164). It takes courage to set one’s mouth to only speak the oracles of God (1 Pet. 4:11). It takes motivation to sacrifice the ears and eyes in hearing and doing (Mat. 7:24), as well as, seeing and helping (Jam. 2:15,16). It takes true love that seeks the ultimate good for everyone else to literally give one’s life. “Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth” (1 John 3:16-18).
It took Jesus, the one and only Savior of mankind, to give His life so that the world might be saved (John 3:16,17). It takes Christians, the only partakers of the heavenly calling, to give their lives over to Him in humble submission so that all will be done to the glory of God (1 Cor. 10:31).
My father’s house of light, my glory circled throne, I left for earthly night, for wanderings sad and lone; I left it all for thee, Hast thou left aught for me? I suffered much for thee, more than thy tongue can tell, of bitt’rest agony, to rescue thee from Hell; I’ve borne, I’ve borne it all for thee, What hast thou borne for me? And I have brought to thee, down from my home above, salvation full and free, my pardon and my love; I bring, I bring rich gifts to thee, What hast thou brought for me? (Frances R. Havergal; P.P. Bliss)
~Derrick Coble
No one said it would be easy following the Lord. It takes effort and determination for one to sacrifice his hands in service being ready to every good work (Tit. 3:1). It takes much commitment and zeal for one to sacrifice his feet in preaching the Gospel of peace (Rom. 10:15). It takes time to give one’s mind over to the meditation of God’s Word and fervent prayer (Psa. 1:2; Psa. 119:164). It takes courage to set one’s mouth to only speak the oracles of God (1 Pet. 4:11). It takes motivation to sacrifice the ears and eyes in hearing and doing (Mat. 7:24), as well as, seeing and helping (Jam. 2:15,16). It takes true love that seeks the ultimate good for everyone else to literally give one’s life. “Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth” (1 John 3:16-18).
It took Jesus, the one and only Savior of mankind, to give His life so that the world might be saved (John 3:16,17). It takes Christians, the only partakers of the heavenly calling, to give their lives over to Him in humble submission so that all will be done to the glory of God (1 Cor. 10:31).
My father’s house of light, my glory circled throne, I left for earthly night, for wanderings sad and lone; I left it all for thee, Hast thou left aught for me? I suffered much for thee, more than thy tongue can tell, of bitt’rest agony, to rescue thee from Hell; I’ve borne, I’ve borne it all for thee, What hast thou borne for me? And I have brought to thee, down from my home above, salvation full and free, my pardon and my love; I bring, I bring rich gifts to thee, What hast thou brought for me? (Frances R. Havergal; P.P. Bliss)
~Derrick Coble