I thought I knew the Father. But, if that was true, why did so much of my life not line up with the Word? Why did I still have religious pride? Why was there so much fear, bitterness, shame, strife, and unrest in me?
Jesus saith unto him (Mark, Annie, anyone else), I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
John 14:6
No one can come to the Father for me. Even if I have many cheering me on to do it, I must do it alone. Ultimately, the choice to do so is mine.
I thought I knew what that verse meant and I was glad I had come to the Father through Jesus. But, what I’ve discovered is that I was living a shallow, superficial, counterfeit Christian life – Satan will do all he can to keep us in that position. I didn’t truly know the Father. I was still very much alive to the flesh, to self.
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me (Jesus), because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,
Luke 4:18
Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
John 14:6
Most will not make the journey of dying to self. As a result, they will never know the New Life in Christ. They will never know how free they could be in Him now, in this life.
Fear will make you try and strive to preserve the flesh, to preserve “self.” I did this myself. I was scared to death to lose “self.” Self was all I really knew. But, self is exactly what needs to die in order to have Christ’s New Life.
The two – Christ’s resurrected Life and the flesh, or “self” – cannot occupy the same space no matter how much we think to the contrary. Jesus died to set us free from the bondage the flesh and self live in and are “at home” in. He died to give us New Life in Him, to set at liberty those captive to self, to the flesh.
Jesus was in the back part of the boat sleeping on a pillow. They woke Him up, crying out, “Teacher, do You not care that we are about to die?”
Mark 4:38
During the thorough transformation into Christ’s New Life, “care” and the impact of circumstances is replaced by being able to always trust Jesus – with everything; to now know that all things are working together for good; to a new peace you never had before, and so much more because His New Life is infinite. Now, trying to save face, to preserve the flesh and self, broken hearts, the past (and that’s huge), striving and all the other awful deeds of the flesh are replaced with a “knowing” that Jesus is at work in all things and knowing that His work in you is all that matters because you now recognize how supernatural and beautiful His work is in you.
Now, His New Life in you is at work and you see and even feel (His New kind of knowing operating in you) the utter comfort, deliverance, beauty, wonder and amazement found in the words of verses like these:
for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.
1 Peter 5:5b-7
Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.
Philippians 4:11-13
Be still, and know that I am God:
Psalm 46:10a
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
Psalm 23:2-3
Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice.
Philippians 4:4
Dying to self, letting Jesus bring His resurrected Life into me is the most transforming and healing experience He’s allowing me to live out. And, I know, even at 69 years of age, that this is just the beginning…
And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.
Galatians 5:24
“They that are Christ’s.” Wow, what beautiful, life-altering words. What transformation takes place in those words.
And let the peace of God rule in your heart (Colossians 3:15a). Mmmm.
Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might (fear, self), nor by power (pride, strife), but by my spirit (care is gone and all is at rest trusting in Jesus – This is where He’s taking us), saith the LORD of hosts.
Zechariah 4:6
But By My Spirit – What loving words of Life. What a promise.
Jesus…The Way, The Truth and The Life. Boy, what loaded, New Life words.
Thanking and praising God in all things,
Mark