Simple answer to a major problem

A few years ago, our daughter said, “I finally figured out what is the matter with this crazy world; everyone is totally selfish!” We agreed with her sage observation, as does the Word of God.

Tozer does too. He begins today’s devotional with describing true Christianity as dealing with “the problem of the self-life, with the basic matter of ‘me, myself and I.’” The reason for these statements is found in God’s description of sin:

“All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.” (Isaiah 53:6)

Without intervention, everyone goes their own way. For some, this does not seem too bad. For others it becomes serious to the point of destructive behavior. In either extreme, God’s solution was to lay that sin and selfishness in His Son Jesus Christ and set us free from the tyranny of self.

Now, as a Christian, I must live that out. Instead of being bound in my own way, God has set me free to serve Him. Yet living righteously has its challenges, most of them being old habits and the pride of thinking I know what to do and how to think — without asking God or relying on the Spirit of God. Self is still a problem, but as Tozer writes, “This selfish I cannot live if God is to be glorified in this human life.”

“But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness. I am speaking in human terms, because of your natural limitations. For just as you once presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness leading to sanctification. For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. But what fruit were you getting at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:17–23)

God gave me Jesus as the solution. He also restored my ability to choose. Before Christ, I was a slave to sin and self. With Christ, I can choose how I will live, knowing that God has no interest or support for that old way of life. In it is the “essence of rebellion and disobedience and unbelief.” My pride of me, myself and I is anti-God and very sinful.

Jesus told us to take up our cross daily. Many interpret this cross as something nasty in our lives that we need to tolerate, forgetting that a cross is a place of death. His words are better understood as dying daily to that old life and living in the power of my new life. I need to, yet I cannot do this without Him.

Yesterday, I was filled with joy and singing in my heart through the day. At one point, I thought that I didn’t want this to stop, but was acutely aware that if I started enjoying the joy instead of enjoying my Savior, that joy would elude me. Joy is a by-product, not a goal.

^^^^^^^^^

Jesus, You are the goal. When my heart and mind are taken up with You, then the slavery of sin is not even casting a shadow. Yet I know that I cannot make this happen; it is a result of Your grace and the work of the Holy Spirit. My part is to take up that cross and remember that self and sin died there, with You and forever. Alleluia what a Savior!