When losing is winning...
We cannot both be
the boss of our lives and know Jesus as Lord, and we cannot know Jesus as
Savior unless we know Him as Lord.
(KNOWING that ALL
illustrations break down) Think on this...
A man is drowning;
someone throws him a rope; he says, "I am saved!"
Then, he lets go
of the rope.
Others who are
being towed in pass by the man, urging him to "Take up the rope!" and
"Lay hold to safety!" and "Be saved!"
The man says,
"Don't fret, friends! Don't judge me! I was saved! I am okay!"
Listen, friend,
the one who was saved is being saved and will be saved. The faith that IS
HOLDING ON is truly faith that DID GRAB HOLD!
If that one every
recognized the means of safety, they will never loose from it or suppose some
other means will work.
We must take hold
to Jesus and keep holding to Jesus!
Now, reality looks
more like this; HE TAKES HOLD TO US! That fellowship is precious to the one
saved and being saved. So precious in fact, they grab hold back. To the one
that's ever known Him, their grip may slip but He doesn't let go and they renew
their grip.
When is losing
actually winning? Consider: "Then Jesus told his disciples, 'If anyone
would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.
For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my
sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world
and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?'"
(Matthew 16:24-26 ESV)
Too many of think
just because we've seen the rope, or maybe touched the rope that we were saved
and are being saved. We MUST deny ourselves and follow Jesus. We must lose any
idea of saving ourselves and trust in Christ alone.
God knows whether
or not we are saved and being saved. Others can take an educated guess.
WE are the ones
who need to know.
Here's the
question...from when we latched onto Him at first, have we held on and are
drawing closer? Are we less like self and more like Jesus? Are will willing to
lose every weight that holds us back? Are we willing for Jesus to kill off
everything not like Him and grant new life and new nature in its place?
And, if we dare to
gain Him, we must not fear losing self. Actually, that's God's point...to make
us NEW CREATIONS, conformed -- that is made into -- the image of Jesus! The
Father doesn't look at us as fixer-uppers; no, all our work is no good for the
work the Father has in mind. To truly win Christ into ourselves, we must be
willing to be rid of ourselves.
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