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He made himself nothing….and became obedient unto death
Phl2:7, 8 (NIV) Jesus made himself nothing and became obedient unto death even death on a cross. To have the mind of Christ is also to become nothing, that is to say deny yourself and take up your cross. It is to esteem others better than yourself. To have the mind of Christ is to become obedient unto death: that is death to the world, to the flesh, to self, to sin, and to the devil. In order to experience resurrection power one has to die. Resurrection power is the power that raised Christ from the dead. So too, if we die to all the things of the natural life, we will experience resurrection power. In order to experience resurrection power we must first be born again, sanctified, and baptized in the Spirit. Unless the Spirit of Christ is in you then you will die in your sin. But if you are washed in the blood, separated unto the gospel (sanctification), and baptized in the Spirit, then when you die to the world and the flesh and sin you can experience the same power that raised Christ from the dead. If we fellowship in the suffering of Christ we will also share in the resurrection being conformed to the death of Christ. (Phl3:10) If we really want to experience the fruit of the Spirit and the gifts of the Spirit the price is death: death for life. St. Paul said he died daily, but he also experienced resurrection life in dying. He said he was crucified with Christ and that Christ now lived in him. It was only in dying could he experience resurrection life. The death was not only physical, stoned and left for dead, but also spiritual. The people that he loved, the Jewish race, now hated him and the people that he once hated, he was called to love, the Gentile. The Mosaic Law that had brought him self esteem and pride and what he thought would bring salvation, had to be discarded for faith in Christ esteeming his former life all rubbish. With Peter Satan desired to sift him as wheat and he denied Christ with jeers and cursing which made him weep bitterly: truly a death to self and ego. In fact all the apostles forsook Christ at Gethsemane and died a death. With the crucifixion of Christ all thought there hopes had perished with Christ’s burial. Consequently if you really want to experience resurrection power it will cost you everything. But if you die to the world you will reap life everlasting and be a real blessing to God. So do not disdain trials and temptations and suffering for they will produce the fruit of righteousness if you just believe and endure. Life through death is the only means of experiencing the resurrection power that Paul and the other apostles experienced. Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus. Amen. |