.....crucified

The greatest struggle in the Christian's life is a "control" issue. We want Jesus to be Lord, but we don't want to lose control of our lives. We want to "call the shots".

Jesus is Lord - but only conditionally. That is, He is Lord as long as His will and direction agree with what we want.  As someone once said, "the problem with a live sacrifice is that it continually climbs off the altar." This is the crux of our problem. As soon as we give ourselves to the Lord we are taking back what we gave Him - we climb off the altar. "I" keeps control, and maintains lordship.

Is there an answer to this wrestling, roller coaster life?  Well, the way to ensure that the sacrifice remains on the altar is "to kill it". Galatians 2:20 reveals how this is done for us; "I have been 'crucified' with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me."

 

"I" is crucified and we are raised in Christ.

"I" is not obliterated, but rather given true life and made subservient to Christ's Lordship. He is our life; our identity; our Lord. He is the ground to our being. We are freed from self-domination. We are liberated from self-obsession. We are emancipated so that we can fully love and serve God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength.

John Wesley had believers pray a prayer in a Covenant Service. It is the prayer for the Christian who longed to be done with the great battle over lordship and sold out to Christ. It is the prayer of all that have been crucified with Christ

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"Lord, I am no longer my own, but Yours.

      Put me to what You will, rank me with whom You will.

      Let be employed by You or laid aside for You, exalted for You or brought low by You.

      Let me have all things, let me have nothing,

      I freely and heartily yield all things to Your pleasure and disposal.

      And now, O glorious and blessed God - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, You are mine and I am Yours.

              So be it. Amen."

-steve blair