But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world. Galatians 6:14
Dear Sisters who share in an inheritance that can never perish!
The world, in all its glitz and glamor is merciless in it's pursuit to woo the human heart. Pressure comes to us through the world, the flesh and the devil. Hear the his diabolical whisper, "Come, follow! You will be famous. All you need is to make a lot of money and you will be happy serving the changing winds of compromise! Were you not created to fill your cup and glory in the world's applause? I hear the hiss-ss of deceit in such words for it is the world's system of thinking. Even the hearts of our little children are crowded with so much 'stuff'.
Do not love the world nor the things in the world If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever. I john 2:15-17
At some time in our life, we have each wanted to perform better than someone else and be noticed for it. Whether academically or a 'win' in sports or in music and acting, or any other accomplishment, longing to have glory for ourselves. Beauty and talent controlled by the flesh is a formula for disaster. Blind to God's purpose for their lives they are numb to all God's promises. Many of us have family who are deceived and chasing the wind. Countless lives have been destroyed on the world's stages seeking the ever elusive riches, and fame, few survive their successes. Others are blindly convinced happiness is found in a change of job, or their marriage partner and move on to satisfy the flesh and their futile thinking.
But we are called to the Cross. The Cross is an instrument of death just as ugly as a guillotine. Called to a paradoxical life of dying to self to live, losing ourself to find ourself, giving to keep, washing another's stinky feet, serving instead of being served, taking the lowest seat, expecting and welcoming trials and taking up death (our cross). Have you ever heard a young person respond to the question of their future and what they plan to be? "Well, I really, really want to be a servant. You see, it requires dying to my flesh and I have always been attracted to washing stinky, dirty feet."
Hear Jesus garden-words echoing from the great struggle between two spiritual worlds: 'not my will, but yours be done.” Even God had to choose the Cross. And He chose to glory in the very Cross where He would suffer immeasurably and die. We are called to glory in His Cross... our daily choice.
Created to bring Him glory by being transformed into the image of His Son Jesus. Understanding and appropriating the facts of the cross prove to be the most frustrating and arduous phase for a growing believer. Calvary is the secret of it all. It is all He accomplished on the Cross which counts; becoming a force in our lives as we appropriate it by faith; it is the starting point at which all godly living begins.
"We shall never know the experience of Christ's victory in our lives until we are prepared to count (reckon) upon His victory at the Cross as the secret of our personal victory today. There is no victory for us which was not first His."ms Calvary is as much the foundation of sanctification as justification; as both are birthed from the Cross. We have been delivered from what we deserve, hell, and we are daily in need of deliverance from what we are.
When I look at the Cross, I see my cross. When I look at the Cross, I see Love poured out through His pure and holy sacrifice, for He became sin for me 'who knew no sin, that I might be made the righteousness of God in Him.' II Cor 5:21 Standing on the Truth of what Jesus accomplished at Calvary, His dying for me, gives the Holy Spirit freedom to apply this finished work in my life, giving me freedom from the penalty of sin (justification). As I stand on the Truth of my dying with Christ in His death to sin, the Holy Spirit gives me freedom from sin's power, (progressive sanctification). I am completely freed from sin's grip. It has no more power over me than I allow moment by moment. How can I not glory in the Cross? I will lose all else. The storage areas in my house hold all I will leave behind. Glorying in the Cross moves me to dance and worship spills out on my knees. Both joy and sorrow compete in my heart for there are those I love, who love this world. I am entrusted to pray faithfully for them. The Truth we embrace is foolishness to those who do not believe. Stand strong on His word for it will enable you to glory in the Cross and that is eternal.
It's a fact of life. We will ultimately lose whatever or whoever we've been hanging onto except for the love of Jesus Christ, poured out on that cross. It's not just a cross. It is the only anchor that will be there when there's nothing else to hold onto. RH
and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed. I Peter 2:24
God of all glory, You who cause the sunrise and sunset to shout for joy as they glory in You,
I bow in awe of You. I 'feel' as though I cannot truly glory until I am free from this body and before the throne. Until then, work in me to be content to glory in the Cross and in the Lamb here, daily, as I wait for Your return. I lift up my sisters to You asking You to teach them to glory in the Cross. To glory in the grace and mercy and love that You pour out continually day and night. Fill our hearts with faith to trust You and to realize that to glory in You, is to draw near to You. Thank You. As we become more and more like Jesus, You teach us how important the Cross is to our daily living. You have planned this to cause us to be dependent on You. Thank You for Your word, it is true and unchanging. We are so grateful. We love You Jesus. I pray in dependence on You my Sacrifice Lamb,
In the shadow of the Cross I glory,
az
