LAYING DOWN OUR LIVES

At a certain point in Jesus’ earthly ministry, He began to show His disciples the truth concerning His Passion.  He told them plainly that He was to suffer at the hands of the elders and chief priests, and that He would be killed by them; but, after three days, He would be raised from the dead.  This was, indeed, a difficult concept to comprehend.  It was hard to wrap one’s mind around.  After all, Jesus was the mighty Son of God, the promised Messiah, and the Prince of Peace.  How could they kill Him?  Hadn’t He come to establish God’s heavenly Kingdom on earth and reign forever?

 

Peter was especially affected by this revelation, and, acting as a friend and one who loved Jesus, he began to rebuke his Lord saying, “Be it far from Thee, Lord: this shall not be unto Thee.” (Matthew 16:22). I’m sure that Peter’s whole intent was to comfort His Lord, and encourage Him that He would overcome these difficulties, and go on to be the King of Israel – was this not prophesied?  Jesus’ reaction must have startled Peter – and for sure it should have – for Jesus responded to Peter and said, “Get thee behind Me, Satan: thou art an offence unto Me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.” (v. 23). 

 

Obviously, Jesus was not indicating here that Peter was Satan, but that Satan was using Peter’s words and lack of understanding to try to discourage the Lord from the course that He had set His mind to finish – His Father’s determinate will.  Even though Peter’s intentions were the best, and he meant only good for his Master; yet, in his ignorance, he was suggesting something that ran counter to the will of God for His Son.  Jesus could not afford to entertain even the thought of not giving Himself to be the sacrificial Lamb that would purge the world from its sins!

 

Ephesians 6:12 reminds us that, “We wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”  We need to always be aware of the spiritual warfare going on around us in the unseen world.  There is an enemy of our soul who would like nothing better than to derail us from God’s plan and will for our lives.  He will use any means possible to turn us aside from our purpose in Christ Jesus, even at times using those whom we love and who love us.  It is much easier to discern when it is someone that we know who is opposed to us, who persecutes and ridicules us; but it is much harder when it is a friend or loved one.  This is when we must use the eyes of the Spirit to see what’s going on in the spiritual realm. 

 

Paul warns us more than once in scripture to walk in the Spirit, and in Romans 8, he tells us why it is so important.  “For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.  For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.  Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.  So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.  But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you.”  The Lord asks us to die to our selfish nature and give ourselves to His service.  If we are accustomed to walking in the flesh (and we all are) it will be natural to follow what is comfortable for ourselves, and easy to let others talk us out of laying down our lives.  This is why we need the power of the Holy Spirit in our life to give us the will and strength to be what God has called us to be.  This is not optional, by the way.  The Word is very plain.  As Christians, we cannot fulfill the will of God outside of following the Spirit.  Anything less brings us spiritual death and sets us at odds, even enmity, with the Father’s will. 

 

There is a battle going on, and it is not only our soul that is at stake, but the souls of all those whose lives we touch.  Jesus understood that it was only by His suffering and ultimate death that the world could be saved.  When will we understand that it is by our dying to our own selfish ways that Christ can be glorified in us and touch the lives of others around us?  The Peters in our life will try to dissuade us, and tell us that we don’t have to give up anything to follow Christ, but Jesus’ words to the disciples after the encounter with Peter tell me differently.  He said, “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.” (Matthew 16:24, 25).  God, grant us grace to deny ourselves, and bear the cross that He has placed before us.  Lord, teach us to walk in Your Spirit, and anoint us to Your service alone!