'Alive to You, and Dead to Me'

******* (Song)
My Eyes Are Dry
By Keith Green
 
My eyes are dry, my faith is old,
My heart is hard, my prayers are cold,
And I know how I ought to be,
Alive to you, and dead to me.


Oh what can be done, for an old heart like mine,
Soften it up, with oil and wine.
The oil is You, Your Spirit of love,
Please wash me anew, in the wine of Your blood.


My eyes are dry, my faith is old,
My heart is hard, my prayers are cold,
And I know how I ought to be,
Alive to you, and dead to me.


Oh what can be done, for an old heart like mine,
Soften it up, with oil and wine.
The oil is You, Your Spirit of love,
Please wash me anew, in the wine of Your blood.

*******

That song really touches a place in my heart. The truth is we need to be alive to Christ and dead to ourselves. Alive to the will of God and dead to the will of self.


Jesus said… 'Joh 5:30 I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me. '


Jesus was seeking NOT His own will.
Jesus was seeking the will of His FATHER.


We must seek the will of the Father as well. How can we seek the will of God?


Ecc 12:13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.


The conclusion of the whole matter…. God's Will.
Fear God. God's Will.
Keep God's commandments. God's Will.


Joh 5:24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.


The will of God… hearing Jesus, believing in God.


Rom 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.


The will of God- non-conformity to the world, this selfish, selfish world.
The will of God- transformation by the renewing of our minds.


Eph 6:6 Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart
Eph 6:7 With good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men


The will of God- servants of Christ from the heart.
The will of God- doing service as to the LORD…. not to self, NOT doing service for the praise of our fellow man, taking NO glory upon ourselves! All glory to God!


1Th 4:1 Furthermore then we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, so ye would abound more and more.
1Th 4:2 For ye know what commandments we gave you by the Lord Jesus.
1Th 4:3 For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication:
1Th 4:4 That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour;
1Th 4:5 Not in the lust of concupiscence, even as the Gentiles which know not God:


Fornication-
G4202
p???e?´a
porneia
por-ni'-ah
From G4203; harlotry (including adultery and incest); figuratively idolatry: - fornication.


Concupiscence-
G1939
e?p???µ?´a
epithumia
ep-ee-thoo-mee'-ah
From G1937; a longing (especially for what is forbidden): - concupiscence, desire, lust (after).


The will of God- abstain from idolatry, from lusts of the flesh, not desiring things of the worldly, not desiring things the ungodly desire.


We know that self is held up as the great standard for the world.
Self gain
Self glory
Self satisfaction
Self love,
Self knowledge
Self achievement
Self understanding
Self glorification
Self pleasure
Self rights
Self preservation


Self…self… self…SELF! The majority of evil committed in our world stems from self. The majority of sin is committed because of self.


The SABBATH is a unique opportunity to die to self. I'm being convicted in this more and more. The Sabbath was made for us. The Sabbath, a weekly reminder of God and not self, God's will, not our will, God's desires, not our desires. Some say it's contradictory - that if the Sabbath was made for us we ought to be able to all things pleasing to ourselves , God would want us to have all the fun we can because we are told there are six other days to work in and work isn't fun (for the majority anyway). God would have us turn from selfish gain and seek Him fully on the Sabbath without any distractions. God would have us worship Him on the Sabbath knowing that it is only by the grace of God that we live.


As the song above says…


'I know how I ought to be… alive to You and dead to me'


God please bless us this Sabbath as we seek to be alive to YOU and dead to self. Setting aside all that would keep our minds stayed upon ourselves. May all we do be for Your glory, Your honor, Your worship, Your praise. As the blessings of life surround us- and maybe that blessing is solely found in the promise of You and eternal life with You and not anything of this world- as the blessings surround us let us thank You for Your unfathomable love for us.


By Your mercy and grace in the righteousness of our Savior, all glory to You God, all glory to You!


Amen