Tag: suffering

Studies

Christ, a Man of Many Sorrows

Peter

Enduring our Cross 

Peter and Rohnel, servants of the Most High, to the scattered pilgrims who share our precious faith in the Living Christ, peace and grace to you in the name of the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. May these words, in their appointed time, bring comfort to those who are afflicted and suffering many sorrows in life.

The life of Jesus Christ in a clay vessel is a life of enduring many sorrows. Our Lord Jesus Christ and we as His chosen ones, Christ’s Christ, willingly endure the sorrows the Father appoints us to for our love of the Father that is put into our hearts.   We go and do as our heavenly Father directs us, knowing full well the journey comes with many tribulations and sorrows. Christ’s death was no surprise to Him, and our death to the old life and our sufferings is no surprise either.  Christ teaches this to His disciples continually to enable us to endure the sufferings and sorrows.

Mar 8:31  And he began to teach them, that the Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders, and of the chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. 

We ask for relief when desired, but put all things in subjection to the will of God.

Luk 22:42  Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done. 

We, as Christ in the world, follow the Lord and also endure much sorrow in the process of being remade in the hands of the Potter.  These sorrows and afflictions are humbling us and making us poor in spirit [of our flesh].

Isa 66:2  For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the LORD: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word. 

The Scriptures, speaking of Christ, speak not only of our Lord’s coming in the body of flesh, but also His coming into our bodies of flesh. We are His Holy Temple in which He comes to dwell. We are raised as Christ in the world for His purposes to be His witnesses and perform the greater works. Through the Living Word of the Father that dwells in our hearts and minds, we are no longer of this world, yet are sent into the world in the same manner as the Lord was sent. We continue to grow in understanding the scope and magnitude of this heavenly appointment as the chosen of God.

Joh 17:14  I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. 

Joh 17:16  They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. 

Joh 17:18  As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world

The carnal world judges us in the flesh like they did Christ back then, seeing Him only as Joseph’s son, a mere carpenter. Thus, our report of the Gospel and the revealing of the mysteries of God are not believed. Our preaching is rejected, and understanding is given only to a precious few who make up the little flock, the remnant being saved in this generation. The Gospel remains hidden from the eyes that do not see us as Christ.

Isa 53:1  Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed? 

Those who believe and those to whom Christ is revealed are those given to suffer many sorrows from the arm of the Lord.  When our troubles and sorrows begin in our day of the Lord, those outside the faith see it and want nothing to do with us. The great gulf continues to widen as we walk in the Spirit, preach, and obey the Gospel. To the carnal world, what we believe and do is foolishness. Our life is defined by increasing sorrows and much grief that only adds to the rejection of our life focus, actions, and the words of truth we speak. Christ is not esteemed and rather despised.

Isa 53:2  For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him. 

Isa 53:3  He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. 

The Lord’s Christ in every generation bears the griefs and carries the sorrows for the whole of the Lord’s church. The carnally minded see those smitten and afflicted of God, but do not understand the purposes of the afflictions and sorrows, until the Lord opens our eyes to the Gospel.

Isa 53:4  Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. 

Isa 53:5  But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. 

Our sufferings are both physical and spiritual, and come in many shapes and forms, as the Scriptures describe. The Lord uses everything at His disposal [all things] to bring trials, including those of health, money, spiritual and physical family, property, worldly relationships, and many more, to bring the necessary sorrows to crush our fleshly spirit. The Lord even uses the tribulations of others whom we love dearly to bring us sorrow. Jesus wept over Lazarus and the sorrow of the disciples, and we also weep over the sorrows of those we love. The Body of Christ is one spirit and body with Christ, and we all partake of the same bread that is the Commandments.  We have all things in common including our sorrows.

Rom 12:15  Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep. 

Our tribulations separate us for the Lord’s purposes and humble us by continually trying and proving our faith. This time is known as a day of trouble, and it is our day of the Lord when we are being perfected from our sin. The yoke, our bondage to the whims of our flesh, is being destroyed so we serve only Christ. It is known as the great tribulation in the New Testament and by many other names and phrases, including Jacob’s trouble.

Jer 30:7  Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob’s trouble; but he shall be saved out of it. 

Jer 30:8  For it shall come to pass in that day, saith the LORD of hosts, that I will break his yoke from off thy neck, and will burst thy bonds, and strangers shall no more serve themselves of him: 

Jer 30:9  But they shall serve the LORD their God, and David their king, whom I will raise up unto them. 

Those suffering afflictions are often reproached and scornfully treated by the carnally minded world, who look down upon those who suffer and are weak in the flesh. Some are born with physical afflictions that bring great hardship and sorrow, and some carry these burdens for many years. The stories and examples of God-given physical afflictions in the Scriptures apply both spiritually and outwardly. The Lord is working all things and is the father of all spirits, even those that cause sorrowful and painful infirmities. Here is a sampling of those biblical stories.

  • Jacob wrestles with God and injures his hip, taking away the strength of his flesh [no thigh] – Gen 32:25
  • Job loses everything but his life and is afflicted with boils over his body to humble him – Job chapters 1-2
  • Issac and Jacob lose their eyesight later in life, so they walk only by faith – Gen 27 and Gen 48
  • Man crippled 38 years before Christ healed him at the pool – Joh 5:5
  • Woman bowed over for 18 years healed by Christ – Luke 13:11-16
  • Paul’s thorn in the flesh to keep him humble – 2Co 12:7-9
  • Man born blind from birth healed – Joh 9:1-3
  • Woman with menstrual blood for 12 years – Mat 9:20-22

Let us also remember our Lord and the suffering and anguish Jesus Christ endured, a Roman crucifixion, in losing his physical life.   The Lord knows how to comfort us in our suffering as He has endured more than we ever are asked to endure. Our chastening with both physical and spiritual afflictions is all for the purpose of being perfected as our heavenly Father is perfect.

Heb 12:3  For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds. 

Heb 12:4  Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin. 

Heb 12:6  For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.

The Lord wastes nothing, and all of our sorrow is used for good and transforms us into the likeness and image of Christ, being made a son of God. We are not suffering for suffering’s sake but for righteousness’ sake. We come to see and understand this principle and thus lay down our lives for the sake of the Body that is the church. Having received the Gospel, the Living Word, we see and know all of our suffering as a righteous servant is bearing the inequities of all.

Isa 53:10  Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him [us, the elect, His righteous servants]; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.

Isa 53:11  He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.

It pleases the Lord to bruise His Christ in this world. Not that the Lord enjoys our suffering, but because He knows the way of learning righteousness, the very reason He comes, is found through suffering and loss.

Heb 2:10  For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. 

Our chastening by these afflictions is not always meant to correct us for a sin or wrongdoing. To those given much, much is expected, and the Lord afflicts those He raises as shepherds of His sheep to keep them/us from being exalted. Paul shared his testimony with us.

2Co 12:7  And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. 

Solomon, the king, preacher, and wisest man on earth, learned as we do of the direct relationship between wisdom and knowledge of God and the resulting sorrow.

Ecc 1:18  For in much wisdom is much grief: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow. 

Solomon’s words bear powerful witness to the Lord’s use of sorrow and mourning to remake us in His image and likeness. The sadder our fleshly hearts are made, the despairing of life in this world, the closer we are coming to the kingdom of God.

Ecc 7:2  It is better to go to the house of mourning, than to go to the house of feasting: for that is the end of all men; and the living will lay it to his heart. 

Ecc 7:3  Sorrow is better than laughter: for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better. 

Sicknesses, diseases, and pain, known as spirits of infirmity, are under the control of the Father of all Spirits [Heb 12:9], who is the Lord. They are part of all things being worked for the counsel of His will. Many suffer for long periods, and it is all used for the glory of God in due time.

Besides the Lord’s death on the cross, the most comprehensive suffering and loss may be foretold in the Book of Job. All things must be fulfilled, including our Job experience.  The Lord sent satan to try Job and take everything from him: his house, his livelihood, his family, his servants, as written in Job 1:14-19.  Even still, the Lord added physical pain and affliction to Job’s sorrow and suffering.

Job 2:7  So went Satan forth from the presence of the LORD, and smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot unto his crown. 

All of these afflictions, called evil by the Scriptures, are used for good to humble us as they did for Job and thereby drain our fleshly spirit.

Ecc 1:18 CLV I applied my heart to inquiring and exploring by wisdom concerning all that is done under the heavens:it is an experience of evil Elohim has given to the sons of humanity to humble them by it. 

The Lord blessed the latter end of Job much more than in the beginning, and so it shall be with all of us suffering sorrow today.

Job 42:10  And the LORD turned the captivity of Job, when he prayed for his friends: also the LORD gave Job twice as much as he had before. 

Job 42:11  Then came there unto him all his brethren, and all his sisters, and all they that had been of his acquaintance before, and did eat bread with him in his house: and they bemoaned him, and comforted him over all the evil that the LORD had brought upon him: every man also gave him a piece of money, and every one an earring of gold. 

Job 42:12  So the LORD blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning: for he had fourteen thousand sheep, and six thousand camels, and a thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand she asses. 

The disciples taught us to rejoice in our sufferings, knowing they serve a purpose for the sake of the entire body of Christ. Suffering is the calling for all who Christ brings through the door in this age, who become living sacrifices and ministers of the Gospel.

Col 1:24  Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body’s sake, which is the church: 
Col 1:25  Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God; 

Following our Lord’s example, we lay down our lives for the brethren, embracing the suffering and reproach that come with our heavenly calling.

1Jn 3:16  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.

Our treasure is Christ in us, the Promise, the Living Commandments, that is the Holy Spirit now dwelling in us. We learn to stand on our hope and faith in the promises of God, trusting that the work He began is being finished.

2Co 4:7  But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us. 

2Co 4:8  We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; 

2Co 4:9  Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; 

2Co 4:10  Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body. 

Only a faithful few continue to walk, bear their cross, and pay the costs all the way to the end. The Lord makes a way for us to endure to the end, even through periods of despair of life.

2Co 1:8  For we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life: 

2Co 1:9  But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead: 

Our fleshly spirit, the carnal mind and its lusts that is our old man, is decreased for Christ in us to be revealed. When our fleshly spirit is crushed and made poor, we are the most blessed people on the earth. Those who mourn through their sorrow are likewise blessed and comforted by God. The crushing of our old spirit is making us meek, causing us to stop striving with our Maker and thus to inherit the earth. The result is overcoming our sin and having dominion over our earth, ruling and reigning with Christ.

Mat 5:3  Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 

Mat 5:4  Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted. 

Mat 5:5  Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth. 

Being crucified with Christ, we reach the point of giving up our spirit, which is submitting ourselves fully unto the Lord. The same is losing our life to save it. New life comes by way of the death of the old.

Rom 6:4  Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. 

The sacrifices that are acceptable to God are those of a crushed or broken spirit who looks to God alone for their sufficiency.

Psa 51:17  The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise. 

Sorrows break our fleshly spirit and are thus integral to preparing us for use in the Master’s kingdom.

Pro 15:13  A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance: but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken. 

Psa 107:39  Again, they are minished and brought low through oppression, affliction, and sorrow. 

We are being humbled [made meek], before the Lord raises us back up in the power of His resurrection. The NT version says it in these words from James.

Jas 4:9  Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. 

Jas 4:10  Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up. 

Godly sorrow brings salvation, and the sorrow of the world brings forth death, meaning sin. The former has us forsaking all to obey God; worldly sorrow is feigned humility designed to keep the spirit of flesh alive.

2Co 7:10  For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death [sin].

The Lord knows what we can take and what is needed to perfect us and prepare us for His use in bringing forth judgment to the Gentiles. While the Lord bruises us, He does not break us or completely destroy us. It is through these many tribulations that is our day of judgment, that we are brought forth into the Truth.

Isa 42:1  Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles. 

Isa 42:3  A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench: he shall bring forth judgment unto truth. 

Knowing these truths, we often remind ourselves of the suffering, the trials, the sorrow that is necessary to enter into the kingdom of God and be perfected in our day of the Lord. It was prophesied long ago, and the Lord changes not in His ways.

Gen 3:16  Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.

Act 14:22  Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God. 

Christ often spoke to His disciples about his impending death and suffering on the cross. Yet they brushed it off and did not understand what was being said until they lived it. Later, they did remember, and it helped them, as it helps all of us to endure our suffering and sorrows as we follow the Lord’s example. We understand it when we fulfill times of great sorrows in our appointed seasons and fulfill the Scriptures.

Luk 18:31  Then he took unto him the twelve, and said unto them, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of man shall be accomplished. 

Luk 18:32  For he shall be delivered unto the Gentiles, and shall be mocked, and spitefully entreated, and spitted on: 

Luk 18:33  And they shall scourge him, and put him to death: and the third day he shall rise again. 

Luk 18:34  And they understood none of these things: and this saying was hid from them, neither knew they the things which were spoken. 

Carnal minds tell us this cannot possibly be true, yet the Lord rebuked Peter for his unbelief.

Mat 16:21  From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day. 
Mat 16:22  Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee.

All who come through the door of the Living Christ, the Commandments [Joh 10:20], are Christ in the world and have become a shepherd of the sheep. Shepherds of the sheep give their lives for the sheep. As Christ in the world, we are giving our lives as the Lord did His.

Joh 10:11  I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. 

Our many sorrows are not pleasant in the moment, but they yield the peaceable fruit of righteousness in the end. Our suffering is for a short season as the Lord makes a quick work on the earth. For the elect’s sake, He promises to shorten the days. Our hope in the promises of God not yet revealed sustains us through.

Rom 8:18  For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. 

Joh 16:33  These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

Our sorrow is turned into joy right on time, as was written in our book from the very beginning. Joy comes in the morning when Christ arises in us.

Joh 16:20  Verily, verily, I say unto you, That ye shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice: and ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy. 

Joh 16:21  A woman when she is in travail hath sorrow, because her hour is come: but as soon as she is delivered of the child, she remembereth no more the anguish, for joy that a man is born into the world. 

Our time of sorrows has a beginning and an end. It is in the last days, once we have heard the Gospel, that our day of the Lord begins, which is also the beginning of our sorrows. The chastening grace of God tries us with the Commandments, and the Lord brings various afflictions and the resulting loss and suffering. Once the Gospel has been preached, the time of the end is at hand, the conflicts in our life begin, as such is the beginning of our sorrows.

Mat 24:6  And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. 

Mat 24:7  For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. 

Mat 24:8  All these are the beginning of sorrows. 

The redeemed of the Lord are learning to walk on the highway to holiness. On this narrow highway, nothing can harm us, and we obtain joy and gladness, and all our sorrows flee away.

Isa 35:8  And an highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called The way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it; but it shall be for those: the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein. 

Isa 35:9  No lion shall be there, nor any ravenous beast shall go up thereon, it shall not be found there; but the redeemed shall walk there: 

Isa 35:10  And the ransomed of the LORD shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away. 

When the work of God is done, there is no more sorrow and no more tears. All things have been made new. We are free from death, sorrow, and all pain and suffering. This promise is our hope and what helps us to endure just a little longer. Our hope is in the Lord, not in our current state of suffering.

Rev 21:4  And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. 

Rev 21:5  And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful. 

Rev 21:6  And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. 

We are entering into the true holy city, of Zion, that is heavenly Jerusalem, where there is no longer any sorrow or mourning.

Isa 51:11  Therefore the redeemed of the LORD shall return, and come with singing unto Zion; and everlasting joy shall be upon their head: they shall obtain gladness and joy; and sorrow and mourning shall flee away. 

When we feel helpless and overcome with sorrow and suffering that we cannot bear any longer, we need to remind ourselves of the Lord’s promises. The Scriptures bring comfort and hope of better times ahead. In times of need, we go to the throne of mercy and grace, the Living Commandments, the Holy Spirit, and seek wisdom from above.

Rev 7:17  For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes. 

The examples of Jesus Christ and the OT types of Christ, such as King David, give us instruction. Seek the Lord and fervently pray and bring praises to His name, that is His Commandments. Only the Lord can lead us out of the pit of sorrow and suffering.

Psa 18:2  The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower. 

Psa 18:3  I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies. 

Psa 18:4  The sorrows of death compassed me, and the floods of ungodly men made me afraid. 

Psa 18:5  The sorrows of hell compassed me about: the snares of death prevented me. 

Psa 18:6  In my distress I called upon the LORD, and cried unto my God: he heard my voice out of his temple, and my cry came before him, even into his ears. 

Christ commands us not to fall asleep in our sorrow as did the unconverted disciples before Christ was taken and crucified. Stay alert, sober, and focused on the Commandments. Our times of weakness become the devil’s opportune times to tempt us. Prayer is seeking God, and we are to do this without ceasing.

Luk 22:45  And when he rose up from prayer, and was come to his disciples, he found them sleeping for sorrow, 

Luk 22:46  And said unto them, Why sleep ye? rise and pray, lest ye enter into temptation. 

The more we suffer, the more we grow from babes in Christ onward to maturity. With greater knowledge and understanding of His grace, we become willing and able to lay down our lives as a living sacrifice as commanded. We endure our cross as the joy of the Lord is our strength.

Heb 12:2  Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. 

We are unworthy servants of the Most High God who have been redeemed from the earth. In this, we can rejoice even in the midst of great sorrows and suffering. We have been prepared for the marriage of the Lamb through many sufferings. Let us be glad and rejoice in the day.

Studies

The Cost of Following Christ

Peter

Bearing Our Cross as Christ’s Disciples

Peter and Rohnel, servants of God to the scattered saints and pilgrims, elected of God, now being sanctified by the Gospel through faith, grace, and peace in the name of our Father and Lord Jesus Christ.

A disciple follows, and as chosen disciples of Jesus Christ, we are following the Lord. To say we are following the Lord means we are striving to obey all His commandments, because Christ is the Word. The costs required are very high, in terms of the loss to our flesh and carnal way of life. Understanding and being often reminded of these costs helps us prepare for the journey and be ready for the promised trials that test our discipleship.

1Pe 4:12  Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: 

1Pe 4:13  But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. 

The Lord tells us about the costs we bear. To follow the Lord and stay the course requires us to willingly embrace the suffering, affliction, and persecution that come with standing on the Commandments.

Luk 14:26  If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. 

Luk 14:27  And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple. 

We hate nobody in our hearts; we love all men by doing the Commandments.  One way to understand it is to think of hating them as loving them less than Christ. We always put the Lord, the Commandments, first in everything we do and bear the consequences and reactions from a carnal world, including families that have been made deaf and spiritually blind by the hand of the Lord.

Mat 22:37  Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.

We love our families and all men, and we do this by obeying the Lord. We hate the spiritual clothing of those who walk in the flesh, symbolizing their carnal works and bondage to spiritual death. Disciples take great care to remain separate and not run in the same excesses of riot and dissipation as the world. We save some from the fires of Gehenna, better known as hell, the inner torment of the carnal mind. We save them by obeying God, which is loving them in obedience, including teaching them the Gospel.

Jud 1:21  Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. 

Jud 1:22  And of some have compassion, making a difference: 

Jud 1:23  And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh. 

Christ’s disciples carry their cross all the way to death, believing that new life only comes from the death of the old. Our flesh does not profit.

Joh 6:63  It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life. 

As we follow Christ, walking with Him, we strive to obey the commandments, which is the Gospel being preached to us. Hearing the Gospel is the baptism by water that precedes our baptism of fire when the Promise comes in the appointed hour. Being washed by the commandments takes time and occurs when one stands for Christ and willingly bears others’ reproach, rejection, and persecution. True disciples are given strength to embrace these losses and endure the suffering to be counted worthy of His Name. It is a long journey, the remainder of our physical lives that we who believe in Him pursue at a significant cost.

Joh 8:31  Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; 

Joh 8:32  And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free

Christ is to have the preeminence above all things, meaning that doing the commandments and loving God becomes our life’s purpose. Obeying God is loving the Lord with all your heart, mind, and soul. By keeping the commandments, we, by definition, love our neighbors and our families in Spirit. We as Christ have no respect of persons, treating and reacting to all men in the Spirit of Christ, the commandments. We no longer know any man after the flesh but only through the prism of the Gospel.

2Co 5:16  Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more.

Obeying Christ and loving Him is not just our top priority; it becomes our only priority. We are sent in the same manner that the Father sent Christ.

Joh 8:28  Then said Jesus unto them, When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am he, and that I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things. 

Joh 8:29  And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him. 

In the world, we are promised many tribulations as the flesh hates Christ. Our peace is the inward peace of Christ when we rest in the commandments and cease from our carnal works and thoughts. Obeying the commandments in the carnal world brings tribulation upon us. We gladly bear the reproach and rejection.

Joh 16:33  These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world. 

Obeying the commandments costs us everything in the end. All is given up in obedience, and nothing is held back. We do not overcome the inward enemy, our sins, by making peace with them; they are destroyed at a great cost. As the Lord’s people, we are given the faith to lose everything we have, trusting in God’s power to finish the work in us and deliver us from all our enemies. Christ does not bring shame to His Name, and failure is not an option for those elected of God. All is to be forsaken.

Luk 14:28  For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it? 

Luk 14:29  Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him, 

Luk 14:30  Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish. 

Luk 14:31  Or what king, going to make war against another king, sitteth not down first, and consulteth whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand? 

Luk 14:32  Or else, while the other is yet a great way off, he sendeth an ambassage, and desireth conditions of peace. 

Luk 14:33  So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple. 

The Word of God living in us shall not fail. The Word finishes the work and prospers to whomever the Father sends it. The further we walk with the Lord in His Faith, the seed of Christ grows like the mustard tree. We grow in Christ and obtain great confidence to continue the journey, making war against our sins, even as the costs to our flesh continue to mount.

Heb 10:32  But call to remembrance the former days, in which, after ye were illuminated, ye endured a great fight of afflictions; 

Heb 10:33  Partly, whilst ye were made a gazingstock both by reproaches and afflictions; and partly, whilst ye became companions of them that were so used. 

Heb 10:34  For ye had compassion of me in my bonds, and took joyfully the spoiling of your goods, knowing in yourselves that ye have in heaven a better and an enduring substance. 

What are the costs of discipleship? When we begin our walk of faith, we have a limited view of the costs. We need to grow up in the knowledge and grace of God and mature into sons of God.  It is easy to follow the other Jesus of orthodoxy, except in some countries that are aggressively anti-Christ, as there is little cost to be borne. Many become renowned and reap profit to the flesh, being well spoken of by many, and suffering is not in view. We all begin the walk seeking gains for our flesh, be it the esteem of man, acceptance, money, and other things that stoke the pride of life.

Mat 23:5  But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments, 

Luk 6:26  Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of you!

Our teacher, the Living Christ, comes, and then the true costs begin to be revealed when we receive the Gospel and ultimately the indwelling Spirit of Christ and the Father. We learn of these costs as we carry and ultimately die on our cross. Wisdom is found through the death of our flesh.

Job 28:12  But where shall wisdom be found? and where is the place of understanding? 

Job 28:13  Man knoweth not the price thereof; neither is it found in the land of the living. 

The flesh gets no reward as we now belong to God, and our sacrificed lives become our reasonable service. There is no reward except that which we have received, that is, the pearl of great price.

Isa 45:13  I have raised him up in righteousness, and I will direct all his ways: he shall build my city, and he shall let go my captives, not for price nor reward, saith the LORD of hosts. 

Luk 17:10  So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do. 

Those marked to endure to the end keep the covenant and are counted faithful. Some who hear the Gospel and begin walking are unwilling to pay the full price to follow the Lord. When we hold back and lie to the Spirit, we are cut off from the living, as the Acts 5 parable of Ananias shows. All is to be given up as the Lord is jealous for us, demanding all of our hearts.

All things are being made new when we follow Christ, who is now leading us into all righteousness and judgment. We are being separated as a holy people unto the Lord, and all things we think, do, and say, even our interests, are being taken away and changed. To be made anew, we give up relations with family, friends we know and esteem in the clay. We forsake all things needed to follow the Lord. We do not allow anything to impede our walk in following Christ. Many fiery trials come to set us apart and disconnect us, and no longer engage in the affairs of the world.

1Pe 4:3  For the time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles, when we walked in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, revellings, banquetings, and abominable idolatries: 

1Pe 4:4  Wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them to the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you: 

When Christ comes into our lives, division is the result. We are letting go of what the Lord is cutting off. The church Christ builds is separated, called out, and set apart from those who remain worldly and without the Gospel.

Luk 12:51  Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell you, Nay; but rather division: 

1Pe 2:9  But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: 

To those being saved by the Commandments, Christ is precious, but to those who do not believe or obey the Gospel, Christ is a rock of offense and a stumbling stone which separates and brings reproach.

Mat 5:11  Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. 

Giving up the keeping of days, times, months, and years that all the world partakes in is a significant early step of our obedience. Yet the costs are much higher as we learn. The Lord demands our whole heart and mind, not just a portion. We have been redeemed, we now belong to Christ, and anything that is not of faith is required to be taken. Worldly interests, sports, hobbies, political discourse, carnal relationships, and anything that keeps us engaged in the world, pursuing its idols and interests, are removed in time.

1Jn 2:15  Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 

The Lord raises His elect up for the purpose of putting them into the ministry and sending them forth to preach the Gospel and do the greater works. There is little time, and we cannot serve two masters. The Lord brings trials and earthquakes into our lives to remove whatever is not of faith.

Mat 6:24  No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. 

Heb 12:27  And this word, Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain.

As we follow Christ, those outside the faith no longer know us. We are not the same person; we have been transfigured, remade into a new vessel, with a new mindset and identity, having been transformed into sons of God. Rejoice and be thankful for the privilege and honor of being chosen to pay these costs now. We are the beloved sons of God, being remade.

1Jn 3:1  Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. 

The Lord does not demand the full price until we are made ready and able to pay it, as we are clay in His hands. There is a process of growing in the faith and grace of God that matures us in Christ on His timeline. The Lord gives us the macro picture of expecting great tribulation but leaves out the details, which are unique to each person. Losing our old life and stepping into a new one is the hardest thing we are asked to endure. We endure many deceptions, false christs, but the elect are brought through all hardships, and He shortens the days for our sakes.

Mat 24:21  For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. 

Mat 24:22  And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened. 

Mat 24:24  For false christs and false prophets [Christ without the Gospel of Commandments] will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. 

Mat 24:25  See, I have told you beforehand. 

The Living Word of God is only revealed to us and in us as we can bear it according to our measure of faith and maturity. Once the Spirit of Truth comes, then our understanding of the totality of the costs required becomes clearer, and we are led further into the Kingdom as we are made able.

Joh 16:12  I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. 

Joh 16:13  Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. 

When we seek the Lord, He is faithful to reveal to us what we need to know before the trials and hardships come. If we lack wisdom, seek Him and ask.

Isa 42:9  Behold, the former things are come to pass, and new things do I declare: before they spring forth I tell you of them.

One of the hardest costs to understand and pay is separating from brethren we have walked with for a long time. This separation comes at the time of the harvest, that is, the “last days” after the Gospel has been preached and received. It is then that the separation of the wheat from the tares and/or the sheep from the goats is being done. The Lord winnows the flock, so only those ordained to be faithful to the end remain.

1Co 11:19  For there must be also heresies among you, that they which are approved may be made manifest among you.

As painful as paying these costs may be, they are the way to eternal life and coming to know Christ and the Father in Spirit and in Truth.

Mat 19:29  And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name’s sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life. 

There is no turning back for those chosen for salvation in this age. Remember Lot’s wife, who ceased following the angels of the Lord as she turned to look at Sodom. No man who begins working for the Lord and looks back is fit for the Kingdom of God. When Christ brings great tribulation upon us after we see our man of sin, we are commanded not to look or go back or bring any abominable thing with us on the journey.

Mat 24:17  Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house: 

Mat 24:18  Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes. 

Isa 35:8  And an highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called The way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it

Separating from the unclean includes separating from those outside of the faith who bring us into bondage of their carnal reasonings.  We are to remain separated and not be defiled and let anyone man steal our peace.  Coming out of Babylon is separating ourselves within and without, from the unclean and the fornication, covetousness, and idolatry that is the world

Being Made Willing:

The Lord makes us willing to pay the costs, and that comes by the gift of His faith in God the Father. Only a chosen remnant escapes and is given the faith and zeal to continue to follow the Lord’s commandments and lose their old life. Eating Christ’s body and drinking His blood is about losing your flesh and carnal way of life to gain it by the resurrection of Jesus Christ within you.

Joh 6:53  Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. 

The Gospel of commandments brings judgment and correction, and remakes us into sons of God, and is the true bread from heaven called the Bread of Life. We eat this bread every day in seeking the Kingdom of God within us to grow unto maturity. Christ is the bread of life that works righteousness and changes hearts and minds. Eating Christ’s bread is how we live, and eternal life is made manifest.

Joh 6:56  He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him. 

Joh 6:58  This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever. 

Those who fall away, all by the design of God, are not made willing to pay the costs in this age.  No man embraces Christ, the Commandments, except it is given of God the Father. Many disciples leave the narrow way and cease following the Lord, but disciples indeed continue in His Word.

Joh 6:65  And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father. 

Joh 6:66  From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him. 

Joh 6:67  Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away? 

Joh 6:68  Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life. 

The Lord puts a zeal for His house and His Spirit in us, making us willing to pay the cost, sell all we own, and follow after Him. Pay the cost, buy the Truth that is the living Christ dwelling in you. It comes with wisdom, instruction, and understanding unto righteousness.

Pro 23:23  Buy the truth, and sell it not; also wisdom, and instruction, and understanding. 

The Lord spoke two short parables about those who, by the mercy of God, find Him and receive the Gospel and sell everything to buy it.

Mat 13:44  Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field. 

Mat 13:45  Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls: 

Mat 13:46  Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it. 

Few are given the faith to make the sale and sell/forsake all for Christ. The parable of the Rich Young Ruler shows the refusal of the carnal mind to pay the full price to follow the Lord by treasuring one’s possessions, our knowledge over the Living Commandments. To be made perfect, all is let go, or else we cannot follow Christ and be His disciple.

Mat 19:21  Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me. 

Mat 19:22  But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions. 

Mat 19:23  Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven. 

All things are possible if the Lord chooses, and even a rich man can enter into the Kingdom, being made willing to forsake all and pay the costs.

Mat 19:25  When his disciples heard it, they were exceedingly amazed, saying, Who then can be saved? 

Mat 19:26  But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible. 

Without paying the full price and giving up our lives, we are not saved from our sins. Without shedding of blood, there is no remission of sin. We are saved when we suffer in the flesh and strive against sin and pay these high costs to obey the Lord.

Heb 12:4  Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin. 

Heb 12:6  For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. 

Heb 9:22  And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission. 

The resulting chastening and scourging of our heavenly Father is not joyous in the moment, but it works the peaceable fruit of righteousness in our lives. We are made partakers of His holiness by following the Lord’s example, bearing the chastening of God.

New Life in Spirit Comes by Death on the Cross

It pleases our heavenly Father to bruise us and make our lives an offering for sin. We fill up in the afflictions in our bodies and lives for the sake of the entire church of Jesus Christ. We follow Christ to our death as His Christ.

Isa 53:10  Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. 

Isa 53:11  He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities. 

Isa 53:12  Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death:  

We are asked to let go of everything by turning our lives over to Christ to enter into the kingdom. Giving up the ghost [spirit] is the ultimate price we pay, and we stay on the cross until everything is accomplished. As He is, so are we, His Christ, in the world. We submit our spirit unto the Lord, trusting Him in all things, enduring all things in faith.

Luk 23:46  And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost. 

Joh 19:30  When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost. 

Walking in the Spirit is walking in the Commandments and is how we follow Christ. Those doing it are on the cross, and their flesh and all its lusts are being crucified.

Gal 5:24  And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. 

Gal 5:25  If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. 

The only way we find eternal life is by the resurrection from the dead. To get there, we go to the cross, suffer, and die, just as our Lord set the example.

Rom 6:5  For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: 

Rom 6:6  Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. 

Rom 6:7  For he that is dead is freed from sin. 

Rom 6:8  Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him: 

To be freed from sin, we reckon ourselves dead to the flesh. An astronomical price we pay by the mercy and grace of the Lord.  We trust in the Lord, we keep the faith of what we do not yet see.

Col 3:3  For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. 

Col 3:4  When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory. 

The salvation journey ends when we depart these clay vessels. That is the end of our race. We walk the walk and fight the fight of faith all the way to the end. Our lives belong to Christ, and we follow Him to the end, never ceasing to carry our cross and willingly lose our carnal life in obedience.

Mat 16:24  Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. 

Mat 16:25  For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. 

Pray for the zeal and strength to stand in the face of the fiery trials that lie ahead on the journey to the mountain of Christ. The Spirit is willing, but our flesh remains weak even with a deposit of the Spirit. Paul followed the Lord to the end, serving as an example for us all.

2Ti 4:7  I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: 

2Ti 4:8  Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing. 

To the carnally minded, these Truths are foolishness. What an honor and a blessing to be counted worthy to suffer for His Name and pay this price, giving all of ourselves to the Lord.

1Co 1:18  For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.

Articles

Losing Your Life to Save It

Peter

Our Lives are Becoming New 

Jesus Christ, the Lord, spoke some profound yet simple truths that tell us about our journey to salvation.  One such saying includes these verses from the Gospels.

Mat 16:25  For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. 

 Mat 10:39  He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.

Note the qualifier in the Gospel of Matthew that the loss of life is for the Lord’s sake.  Our suffering is our filling up in the afflictions of Jesus Christ, and that is how we are losing our old way of life.  These sufferings and our loss are for the Lord’s sake because it is for “His Body” of which we are an active and living part.

Col 1:24  Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body’s sake, which is the church:

The Lord gave us the example we are following.  We are to love one another as He loved us, which means giving up the wants of our flesh and instead serving others.  This is laying down our life in Spirit.

Joh 15:12  This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. 
Joh 15:13  Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. 

This is the mark of maturity when we begin to do this in deed and in truth rather than in thought.

1Jn 3:16  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. 

The Lord is preparing us for greater works and knows what each of us needs to be ready for.  We all share the same journey, but the details, the things we need to lose by our specific trials, vary.  We may not fully understand the Lord’s purposes at the moment, but we are learning to trust Him in all ways.

How Does Physical Death Fit In?  Shedding these clay bodies [flesh] is a certainty in the appointed time (dust to dust, ashes to ashes).  Yet, losing our life for Christ is not primarily speaking about physical death.  These losing our life verses, like all Scripture, are spiritual statements [Joh 6:63]  and how the Scriptures should be rightly divided.   Losing our life is losing our way of life, and it comes down to us being separated from the world and the world being separated from us.  This verse from Paul in the NLT translation states this very well.

Gal 6:14 NLT As for me, may I never boast about anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of that cross, my interest in this world has been crucified, and the world’s interest in me has also died.

Nonetheless, to reap the fullness of our new life in Christ [vs. the earnest deposit], we ultimately shed our bodies of clay and will be given a glorified spiritual body in the age to come.   Thus, physical death is needed to complete the Lord’s journey.

1Co 15:36  Thou fool, that which thou sowest is not quickened, except it die 

We are continuing to groan, awaiting the fullness to come.

Rom 8:23  And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the [full] redemption of our body. 

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1Co 15:43  It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power: 

1Co 15:44  It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. 

New Life Comes from the Loss of the Old

When the Lord comes to establish His Temple within us, our life’s purpose begins to change from seeking and accumulating “worldly” possessions, interests and desires to seeking treasures in heaven.  Our loss of earthly treasures is replaced over time with the treasures in heaven.  When we labor to store possessions or treasure (money or anything of value to the world), we cannot be rich towards God.

Luk 12:21  So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God. 

Losing what we value most in the carnal world will fundamentally change our identity and previous priorities for living.  We now belong to Christ, and we lose much to create room for the Lord in our inward heaven.  The void of what is lost can then be filled by the increase of Christ within us.  Attaining the prize of Jesus Christ becomes the dominant driver of our lives when the Lord comes to us in our fiery trials.  Paul wrote about losing all these things and having them be replaced by knowledge and intimacy with Christ Jesus.

Php 3:7  But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. 

Php 3:8  Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, 

Pursuing worldly treasures (money, power, esteem of men, etc.)  proves to be vanity in due time as it is not for the sake of finding Jesus Christ.  In faith, we are taught not to be anxious and worry about any aspect of tomorrow.  All things are being provided to us so says the Lord.  The carnal worries of the world need to be cast aside so we can trust the Lord with our whole hearts and minds.

Luk 12:31  But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you. 

Luk 12:32  Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. 

To get to a mature place of fearing not and trusting the Lord, our faith is tested many times, and we will truly suffer the loss of things we once valued.   This is our dying to the old man, which is our flesh and carnal mind.  The Apostles often wrote about suffering and the old life being sacrificed to find Christ.  Here is one of Peter’s oft-cited Scriptures.  The end purpose is always our salvation, which comes only after we have suffered in the flesh.

1Pe 4:1  Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin; 

Paul wrote of the Lord’s people becoming a living sacrifice, and this too is our appointment to fulfill to be saved from our sins.

Rom 12:1  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 12:2  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.

All the required sacrifices under the law of Moses are mere shadows of the sacrifices/costs we are made willing to pay to find Christ.  Becoming a living sacrifice in the wilderness (the world) becomes our living experience at the appointed time.  The rituals in Leviticus under the law of Moses spoke of this prophecy that we are fulfilling with Christ.  One goat is sacrificed (the Lord), and the second goat (His Christ, you, and me) is released into the wilderness to bear the sins of Israel to this very day.

Lev 16:10  But the goat, on which the lot fell to be the scapegoat [you and me, the Elect], shall be presented alive before the LORD, to make an atonement with him, and to let him go for a scapegoat into the wilderness. 

In the day of the Lord, it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the God who is now living within us.   A time comes during our tribulations when we awaken to the heavy hand of the Lord upon us, and then our progress toward salvation (overcoming) that had stalled continues in earnest.

Heb 10:31  It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. 

At the appointed time, Almighty God gets what He desires, which is every man’s sanctification.  He is teaching us through the fear of the Lord, and this is how His commandments are written upon our hearts.

Eze 36:27  And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them. 

Heb 12:6  For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.

Psa 119:71  It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes. 

When the Lord brings the fire of His living and active word into our lives, His grace teaches and corrects us by killing off the fading carnal way of life.  It is only through death that Satan and the carnal mind, which is defined as death [Rom 8:6], are destroyed out of our lives.  This only happens on the cross as we follow our Lord.

Heb 2:14  Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;

To finish our race, we are enduring ongoing tribulation and becoming a true outcasts in the world.  They esteemed not our Lord when He walked in the flesh, and they are not esteeming the Body of Christ either.  To the carnally minded, we become a gazingstock by those who scoff and mock the Lord.

Heb 10:32  But call to remembrance the former days, in which, after ye were illuminated, ye endured a great fight of afflictions; 

Heb 10:33  Partly, whilst ye were made a gazingstock both by reproaches and afflictions; and partly, whilst ye became companions of them that were so used. 

Losing a life is also likened to the shedding of blood in the Spirit.  Blood is the life force that supplies and sustains life in a body by bringing the needed oxygen and nutrients.   The loss of blood in the physical brings certain death.  So it is in the Spirit as we cannot be saved unless that life force that sustains the carnal mind is shed.  Our thought life is being changed as we lose the old way and take on the mind of Jesus Christ.    The types and shadows of the Old Testament regarding all the sacrifices foretold of this mystery.

Heb 9:22  And according to the law almost all things are purified with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no remission. 

Paul wrote of us following Christ in death in order to be given new life and reap salvation.

Rom 6:3  Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? 

Rom 6:4  Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. 

Rom 6:5  For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: 

Rom 6:6  Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. 

Rom 6:7  For he that is dead is freed from sin. 

When someone is dead, they no longer respond to provocation or engage in the same activities they once did.  Thus, our old way of life dying is the other side of the same sword that is bringing forth eternal life.

Gal 2:20  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. 

The Cost of Our New Life in Christ

Salvation is very costly, and we are only made willing to pay the price by the hand of the Lord.  Eventually, we are learning that just as the Scriptures show,  it is costing us everything to follow the Lord and find our new life.

The pulls and bondage to our flesh and a carnal world run much deeper than we first understand.  Thus, we vastly underestimate the costs to be paid and the fiery trials needed to be experienced to become a disciple of Christ.  The rich young ruler, that is you and me and everyone in their time knows the truth yet still clings to all their fleshly possessions.  Worldly possessions include our lusts and interests or anything that stands in the way of following the Lord.  We must give them up to find the true treasure in heaven, taking on the mind of Christ.

Luk 18:22  Now when Jesus heard these things, he said unto him, Yet lackest thou one thing: sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me. 

Luk 18:23  And when he heard this, he was very sorrowful: for he was very rich. 

Luk 18:24  And when Jesus saw that he was very sorrowful, he said, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God! 

It is the poor in Spirit who are the blessed.  These poor do not cling to earthly things, enabling the Lord to work with them.  It is difficult to be led anywhere when there is active resistance from carnal strongholds.  We cannot bring all these worldly possessions into the kingdom of God.  They must be left behind or lost from us.

Luk 6:20  Then He lifted up His eyes toward His disciples, and said: “Blessed be ye poor, For yours is the kingdom of God. 

A poor man in spirit has sold, lost, or given away many of their possessions to follow Christ.  We cannot part with these riches until the Lord makes us willing to give them up.  It is impossible in our strength to let go and sell everything, yet thankfully, with God, all things are possible.  Even a rich man can enter the kingdom of God when they are made willing to pick up their cross and follow Him.

Mar 10:21  Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me. 

The further we walk with Christ, the higher the bar and the greater our understanding of these costs.  I have come to see that the costs are much higher than I once understood, and when we are holding onto these “possessions”, we are not making progress towards the kingdom. The Lord’s way is not to show us all of these costs upfront but rather show them to us as we are mature enough to bear the next trial.

Joh 16:12  I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. 

The specific trials and losses anyone experiences are specific to every member of the Lord’s body that the Lord has placed.  Some may have more money-focused trials, others health trials, some work trials, and still others are tested hard with relationships, including marriages.  There are many parts in the Body of Christ, so what is needed to prepare a part varies widely among the brethren.

1Co 12:12  For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. 

In our experiences, we have “lost” much in our years of walking in the truth.  Yet the cost and forsaking of all is still a higher bar as the Lord has recently made clear.  The Lord gave up everything on the cross, and we are following Him in losing our lives as well.  The simplicity of losing our life is clouded by our failure to grasp just how high the cost is.  This is indeed every man’s cross to carry, which ultimately costs them everything they once esteemed in the world.

Luk 14:27  And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple. 

Luk 14:28  For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it? 

Luk 14:29  Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him, 

Luk 14:30  Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish. 

Luk 14:31  Or what king, going to make war against another king, sitteth not down first, and consulteth whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand? 

Luk 14:32  Or else, while the other is yet a great way off, he sendeth an ambassage, and desireth conditions of peace. 

Luk 14:33  So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple. 

Anything held back can hinder our walk and progress on the road to salvation.  The symbols of eating His flesh and drinking His blood are spiritual speak to one losing their life.  For many in this age, these costs are too much to bear, and they do not continue walking with the Lord.  We have seen many once strong in the faith fall to the wayside.  Lord willing, we are staying the course and not turning back.

Joh 6:66  From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him. 

Joh 6:67  Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away? 

Joh 6:68  Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life. 

We are in good company when we can spiritually see these things happening in our lives.  Those that mind worldly things think we are strange and speak evil of us just as they did the Lord.  Our lives have been fundamentally changed and there is no going back.

1Pe 4:4  Wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them to the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you: 

Joh 15:19  If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. 

Our transformation is gradual at first yet accelerates as we can bear greater trials the further we walk.  The massive trials come later and only when we can bear them.  We are understanding with greater clarity that nothing is happenstance in our lives.  The Lord has declared every day and every event in advance, and we are just living them out [Psa 139:16, Isa 46:10].  These afflictions we suffer are relatively light when one considers the eternal weight of glory they are bringing forth within us.

2Co 4:15  For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God. 

2Co 4:16  For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. 

2Co 4:17  For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; 

The things we are suffering now are not experiences we could have handled years ago.  But now we are able, thanks to the faith and understanding the Lord has given us.  Our flesh, like all flesh, still complains at times, yet more often than before, we quickly see the good in the trial that is fading out the old life and bringing forth the new life.

2Co 5:17  Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away[died]; behold, all things are become new. 

The Bigger Challenges

We can easily make some changes in our lives, but the deep-rooted sin and carnal way of life require some big trials to weed them out of us.  One of the more difficult changes we adapt and experience is the increasing isolation from the world, including losing former friends, neighbors, and even relationships with our physical family.  Yet we are not surprised because the Lord told us this would be the case.

Luk 12:51  Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell you, Nay; but rather division:

Mat 19:29  And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name’s sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life. 

To be in Christ, one is increasingly withdrawn from society.  There are few with ears to hear the truth or even a desire to hear it, and we do lose interest in engaging in carnal dialogs.  The word for church in the NT Greek language is “ekklesia,” which means called-out ones.  To be in Christ, one is increasingly living a separated life from those not in the faith.

Those who oppose us [outwardly and implicitly] are those of our own household.  This includes both physical family and the spiritual fathers and mothers who nursed us early on.  To be worthy of Christ, we are being made to suffer these things.  These variances become trials of our faith.  We have to love Christ more than anyone else to be worthy, but at first, we are unable to pay the high costs (by carrying our cross to death).

Mat 10:35  For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. 

Mat 10:36  And a man’s foes shall be they of his own household. 

Mat 10:37  He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. 

Mat 10:38  And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me. 

The Lord was rejected and sent to be crucified by the Jews, His own people.  We, too, must be rejected by our own people in due time.

Mat 27:22  Pilate saith unto them, What shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ? They [The Jews, Israel] all say unto him, Let him be crucified.

The more we live a godly life set apart from the world (i.e., obey Him), the more our persecution increases.  In our immaturity, we are not standing at first and are going along with the world to avoid conflict and persecution.

2Ti 3:12  Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. 

Mat 5:11  Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. 

Eventually, we find ourselves seemingly cut off from everyone as our beliefs and deeds are rejected by the carnal world.  We are in very good company as Elijah and even Paul wrote of this isolation and rejection by their brethren.  There remains a remnant in every generation set apart for His purposes.

Being dead to the world and having become a living sacrifice, we have the stench of death to the carnally minded world. Those in Christ carry with them the stench of death to those outside the faith.  Yet the same stench is a sweet-smelling savor to those in the household of faith.  This is not a physical sense or smell, yet there is a spiritual reality to how the Lord orchestrates the push/pull dynamic among the Elect and the world.

2Co 2:14  Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place. 

2Co 2:15  For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing. 

2Co 2:16  To the one we are the aroma of death leading to death, and to the other the aroma of life leading to life. And who is sufficient for these things? 

As said above, the cost of our discipleship and losing our lives also pertains to our possessions. The Lord knows what we need and what we do not need to advance us into His Kingdom and serve Him.  Part of our suffering and loss of the old life relates to losing things we highly value.  This certainly includes financial things like money, stock values, homes, etc., but it also extends to anything we value or enjoy, including interests and hobbies that impede our walk.  I can look back and see the Lord’s hands releasing me from possessions [playing golf, watching sports, drinking wine, etc] that were hindering my progress to finding new life in Jesus Christ.

It is not enjoyable to our flesh when our possessions are plundered, be it by theft, dishonesty, cheating, or even greed.  Yet, we are given the example of the early church being joyful for the plundering of their possessions, knowing it was working righteousness within them.

Heb 10:34  For ye had compassion of me in my bonds, and took joyfully the plundering [spoiling] of your goods, knowing in yourselves that ye have in heaven a better and an enduring substance. 

We should arm ourselves in the same mind in how we respond when the Lord orchestrates the losses of our earthly possessions.  Faith has us forgiving everyone, knowing it was all done by the Lord’s hands.

In Closing:

To the few who are given the eyes to see the truth of what we have shared, we encourage all to continue strongly in the faith no matter what losses the Lord brings upon us.  Learn to take the negative and carnal thoughts captive and look for the good the Lord is working in the trial.  To the carnal mind, all of this talk of loss and dying to the world is foolishness.  But to us in the faith being saved in this age, these truths are the power of God at work in our lives.

1Co 1:18  For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.

1Co 1:19  For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.

Blessings to all.  May the Lord keep you strong in these turbulent times and dying daily to the things of this world.

Pete & Ronel