Our part is to yield our wills, and take God’s side against ourselves, whilst the Holy Spirit applies the death of the cross to all that is contrary to Him, that it may be really true that we who are of Christ have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts (Gal. 5:24).
AS we commence this final reading and study in Chapter 15 of Principles of Spiritual Growth titled “Rest,” take a moment and prayerfully think upon the statement above excerpted from the ending our previous review. Note in particular the words “and take God’s side against ourselves.” How adept are you at doing that, “taking God’s side against yourself?” That truly runs against the grain, doesn’t it? Especially as we have been culturally indoctrinated in decades of “self-esteem” teaching to do just the opposite. Paul rightly warns in 2Tim 3:2 that times will come when “men will be lovers of themselves”, displaying sinful hearts steeped in boasting, pride, ingratitude, slandering tongues, without self-control. We know as true followers of Christ that there is a threefold spiritual battle to be waged, and the deepest and bloodiest warfare fought is not necessarily against our worldly enemies or the forces of darkness, but the battle within, the place where “no good thing dwells” (Rom. 7: 18)! This is where the life and death struggle resides; where “self” must be put down with a well aimed 3/30, or a 2/20: John 3:30 – He must increase, but I must decrease; Gal. 2:20 – I have been crucified with Christ; 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 for me.
AS an educator I have read much about the “self-esteem” movement and its detrimental impact upon our culture. This reality has prompted me to look for practical ways to counter its influence and narcissistic effects upon my family, students, the church, and counselees. Even a recent Scientific America study declared the need to reintroduce instructions in “self-control” in a new quest to overcome the damage done by the false assumptions of three decades of self-esteem teaching. Jay Adams in his book The Biblical View of Self-Esteem, Self-Love, Self-Image says:
In Matt 6… “Jesus Himself set forth two contrasting ways of life: the pagan way and the Christian way. The pagan way had as its priority becoming secure and significant through the accumulation of ‘things’ to meet ‘needs.’ The Christian way puts God and His empire first. ….Jesus sets forth self-denial rather than self-affirmation as the way to enter into a proper relationship with [our] God.”
MANY times now our author has shown us the way of the Cross in dealing with the problems of self. And now we note that the way to progress is to Labor at Rest in Christ’s finished and complete work on the Cross, abiding in Him who is our life, and yes… take God’s side against our very selves. There are no shortcuts here. I think it somewhat ironic how we have come to live in a society defined as the “I” generation. In fact, I think iMe comes about as close as it gets to defining this “its all about me” culture. Ever since the fall, we are born with a mind that the world centers and revolves around us, and the nursery, classroom and entertainments of the world have nothing to counter this deep-seated notion. On the contrary, this iGeneration has only reinforced this Serpent lie.
I HAVE heard said that when we unequivocally accept God’s will to run across the “I” of our heart’s desires and will, that is the point to at which we effectually pick up the cross in obedience to Christ – not my will, but thine be done; Lord what would you have me to do?
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. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. Matt. 16:24-25
I THINK it noteworthy that the problem of “self” started in the garden (Gen 3) and ended in the garden with the word’s even so, thy will be done. (Matt26)
WELL, I’ve run long in my introduction to our final reading of Chapter 15. May the Lord bless our consideration as we Labor to Rest on Christ’s finished and completed work on the Cross on our behalf.
With regards in Christ,
Joe
Neh. 8:10, Isa 30:15, Jas 1:2
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Chapter 15—Rest Conclusion….
“The faith that receives from the hand of the Father is in two stages, and we are not to give up just because the struggle-and-labor phase does not produce the prize. ‘According to your faith be it unto you.’ And, do not let us forget, faith begins by being a labor (Heb. 4:11) or fight (I Tim. 6:12), although it is consummated in a rest (Heb. 4:3). That is to say, the first stage of faith is always the battle of taking hold by the will, heart, and intelligence of some truth or promise which is not real to us in experience, and declaring it to be ours in spite of appearances. We do not appear to be dead unto sin and alive unto God. We are told to believe it, and so we dare to do so and declare so. A thousand times, maybe, faith will be assaulted and fall: unbelief will say ‘nonsense,’ and we shall belie our declaration of faith; but the labor of faith means that we deliberately return to the assault. Once again we believe and declare it. This we persist in doing. As we thus follow in the steps of those who ‘by faith and patience inherit the promises,’ a new divine thing will happen within us. The Spirit will cooperate with our faith (as He is invisibly doing all the time), and to faith will be added assurance. Labor will be replaced by rest. The consummation of faith has been reached” (N. Grubb).
“True activity is that which springs out of, and is ever accompanied by, rest. It is only as we know what it is to be ‘still,’ that we are ready to ‘go forward’ ‘We rest on Thee, and in Thy Name we go’” (E. H.).
“Let us take care lest we get out of soul-rest in seeking further blessing. God cannot work whilst we are anxious, even about our spiritual experience. Let us take Him at His Word, and leave the fulfillment of it to Him.”
