Revelation of Selfishness

'If in the disposition which Christ displayed in relation to His cross we are willing to take up ours, then we shall find that the power of His cross abides in us and enables us to lose our natural life. Each time the cross is taken up, each time does the soul life suffer loss. Each time the cross is circumvented, each time is the soul life fed and preserved.

The Lord Jesus does not imply that dealing with our natural inclinations is a once for all matter. We find in Luke the word “daily” is added to our Lord’s call to take up the cross. Cross-bearing is continuous.

The cross which condemned sin to death is an accomplished fact: all which remains for us to do is to acknowledge and receive it. But the cross through which we forfeit our soul life is different.

Self-denial is not a matter already and completely accomplished; this we must experience daily.

Now this does not mean that the soul life will never be lost or only be lost slowly. It simply bespeaks the fact that the cross which deals with the soul life operates differently from that which deals with sin. And the reason?

Because death towards sin is accomplished for us by Christ: when He died, we died with Him. But the denial of the soul life is not an accomplished matter.

We are required to take up our own cross daily by the power of the cross of Christ and determine daily to deny self—until it is lost.

Renunciation of our natural life is not something which is done once and forever.

As for sin, we only need take the ground of the cross (Rom. 6.6)

Rom 6:6  Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. 

and immediately we are freed from its power and our servitude to it. In a moment this can be experienced with a full and perfect victory. But the self life must be overcome step by step.

The deeper the Word of God penetrates (Heb. 4.12),

Heb 4:12  For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. 

the deeper works the cross and the further the Holy Spirit completes the union of the life of our spirit with the Lord Jesus. How can believers deny the self when it is yet unknown to them? They can deny only that part of the soul life which they already recognize. God’s Word must lay bare more and more of our natural life so that the work of the cross can probe deeper and deeper. That is why the cross must be borne daily. To know more of God’s will and to know more of the self- furnishes the cross increased ground to operate.' The Spiritual Man- by Watchman Nee

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Jesus revealed to Peter (we read about it in yesterday's study) that his desire for Jesus to be spared suffering and the cross was of Satan. Why? Because Peter would have HIS own will done, not the WILL of God. In Peter's desire he did not want this man he was coming to know as His Savior to disappear, he didn't want Him to suffer anything, he loved Him.  Peter was shown that this WANT of his was of Satan, it wasn't a good thing at all.  Peter was shown the soul-self in Himself that had to be denied. Peter had to LOOK at himself, he had to examine himself and comprehend why Jesus would call Him Satan and tell him what he said wasn't of God. You can just imagine how taken aback Peter had to have been.  Called to take stock of himself, of his motive, of his reasoning, Peter needed to comprehend the truth and that truth did not include any selfish motive, not a single one.

God's will, not ours.

We must not presume to know better than God knows.

We have to commit our lives and all its aspects to God and know that whatever is taking place that He is in control.

Truly, the cross we bear consists of daily revelations of selfishness, of self-focus.  When we are shown our particular soul-self ways we are shown in order for us to comprehend their nature and in comprehension determine to DENY self.  We aren't show the horrors of our soul-self just for the fun of it. We are shown for a purpose.  Satan would use it to lead us to despair while Christ uses it to teach us, to reveal to us just how desperately we need Him working in our lives. 

Will Jesus call you Satan too?

Mat 16:23  But he turned, and said unto Peter, 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. 

'Peter speaks because he cherishes the Lord, yet he is being manipulated by Satan.

Peter prays the Lord to be kind to Himself, not knowing this prayer is inspired by the enemy.

Satan can urge people to love the Lord or even teach people to pray.

He is not apprehensive if people pray or love the Lord; what strikes fear in him is that they might not love the Lord or pray to Him with their natural energy.

While soul life continues, his business prospers.

May God show us how dangerous this life is, because believers may too quickly conclude that they are spiritual merely because they love the Lord or admire heavenly things.

God’s purpose cannot be accomplished as long as Satan continues to find opportunity to work through that soul life which remains uncommitted to the death of the cross.

Self-pity, self-love, fear of suffering, withdrawal from the cross: these are some of the manifestations of soul life, for its prime motivation is self-preservation.

It is exceedingly reluctant to endure any loss.

This is precisely why the Lord summons us to deny self and take up our cross so as to crush our natural life.

Every cross which passes before us beckons us to forsake our selves.

We should not harbor any self-love but lay down our lives by the power of God.'  The Spiritual Man- Watchman Nee

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Savoring NOT the things that be of God.  One of Jesus' apostles was NOT savoring the things that be of God. What exactly was Peter savoring? He didn't want Jesus to follow God's will all the way to the cross.

Mat 16:21  From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day. 

Peter didn't want Jesus to 'suffer many things', Peter didn't want Jesus to 'be killed'.

These all seem like good things, don't they? Seriously. We don't want to suffer and we surely don't want those we love to suffer. We don't want to be killed, or our loved ones to be killed. These are logical, loving things to desire, right? Peter out of his love for Jesus didn't want Him to suffer and be killed- logical and loving. Jesus didn't see it that way though. Jesus comprehended fully the suffering and death coming His way, He wasn't pulling blinders over His eyes. He wanted His disciples to be prepared, to understand His prophetic words of the near future.  Instead of accepting what Jesus was telling them, Peter REBUKED the Lord!

Mat 16:22  Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee.

Peter REBUKED the LORD telling Him - FAR BE IT FROM THEE- THIS SHALL NOT BE.

Peter wanted to save the LORD from His future.

Jesus was TELLING them the TRUTH.

Jesus was TELLING them FACTS.

Jesus wasn't telling the things that MIGHT happen. Jesus wasn't throwing the ideas out there looking for solutions. Plainly He was making a revelation, a prophecy of His own future.  Why would Peter even think for a moment that He could in any way alter what Jesus was telling them? Simply because He hated the idea of Jesus suffering and dying, He made the very rash statement, He rebuked the Lord.

Just imagine Peter hearing Jesus' response to what He thought were words of undeniable love and concern.

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.

Peter was called SATAN!

Peter was told he was and OFFENCE to Jesus- the very One he believed he was showing adamant, unfailing, unwavering, undeniable love for.

Peter was told that he SAVOREST NOT the THINGS that BE OF GOD- but the things that be of MEN.

He was called SATAN not because he savored things of Satan, but things of MEN. Think about that for a moment, a long moment.

Peter did NOT truly desire in that moment for God's will to be done, but rather His own will. He believed- like we believe that, any sort of suffering is to be shunned. The suffering of loved ones, our own suffering, all of it is to be abhorred and to say otherwise makes us monsters in our own eyes.

How can we look upon the suffering of another and not despise it?  When we do despise it are we doing so through God's will or our own. Surely, God hates suffering, we know it will all end one day, that He wants it to end.  Yet until that day we are called to suffer the sacrifice of self and all involved in self.  We are to seek God's will and God's will only.  Peter was not seeking God's will, but His own. He couldn't stand the idea of an innocent suffering. He couldn't stand the thought of the Savior being killed.  He loved HIM and didn't want Him in any sort of pain, and He didn't want Him to die. HE DID NOT WANT THIS TO TAKE PLACE.  HE DID NOT WANT.  And because He did not want- Jesus called Him - Satan.

Truly we are to place ALL our desires, ALL our wants in God's will and NOT presume to know better than God knows.  We may see suffering and heartache beyond our imagining and still we will NOT know better than the will of God. And so many believe that a God who loves cannot allow suffering and heartache.  The same God who allowed His own innocent Son to suffer and die.  God with God agreeing to the suffering and death in order to assure the eventual end to all suffering.

More tomorrow on all of this, by the GRACE of our SAVIOR, JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD, now and forever!

Suffering for God's Will

 'Peter told the Lord: “You must pity Yourself!” The Lord came back with: “You must deny yourself.” There is a price to pay in following God’s will. The flesh trembles at such a prospect. While soul life reigns supreme within us we are unfit to accept God’s orders because it wishes to follow its will and not God’s. When He calls us to deny ourselves through the cross and renounce all for His sake, our natural life instinctively responds with self-pity. This renders us unwilling to pay any cost for God. Hence whenever we choose the narrow way of the cross and endure for Christ’s sake, our soul life shall suffer loss. This is how we lose that life. Only in this way can the spiritual life of Christ be enthroned pure and supreme, undertaking within us whatever is well-pleasing to God and beneficial to men. '  The Spiritual Man - Watchman Nee

Mat 16:21  From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day. 

Mat 16:22  Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee. 

Mat 16:23  But he turned, and said unto Peter, 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. 

Mat 16:24  Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. 

Mat 16:25  For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. 

Jesus said-   DENY ourselves!  Jesus said- TAKE up our cross!  Jesus said- FOLLOW Him!

If we seek to SAVE our own lives- we will LOSE them.

If we are willing to LOSE our lives for Jesus' sake we will find them.

There truly is a PRICE to pay in following God's will.

We cannot say we are Christ followers and then NOT deny ourselves.  We are denying our soul-self- we are denying self being first, we are putting spirit before flesh, before self. We make choices every single day of our lives we make choices.  A day doesn't go by in which we do not make choices.  The choices we choose will indicate to us what path we are following- self or God.

Some may ask if it is truly so bad to follow self and I say, YES!  Why is it so bad? Because self-seekers, soulical people are NOT spiritually minded and if we aren't spiritually minded we will not have Christ in us, and if Christ is not in us then we are lost eternally.

So yes, it is important to choose God over self every single time.

Becoming aware of just how self-orientated we are is necessary for us and God will reveal it to us if we allow Him to.  So many would rather hide away from their true selves because to come face to face with them would mean comprehending how awful we really are in the light of HIS righteousness.

Please, Lord, we would see Your truth. Help us to learn how to denying ourselves and pick up our cross. Teach us. We need to know You and all Your truth! Help us, please… save us.

Help us comprehend how we are to suffer and not suffer senselessly, but only in Your will as our Savior suffered in Your will- for love.

In the name of our Savior, Jesus Christ, our Lord! Always.

We Need Spirit-led Emotions.

'They must not only rid themselves of whatever they know to be harmful but also yield to the cross whatever is humanly legitimate—such as affection—in order that they may be entirely under the authority of the Holy Spirit.

Our Lord’s demand is most meaningful, for is it not true that human affection is tremendously uncontrollable? Without consigning it to the cross and losing it, affection can become a formidable obstacle to spiritual life.

Human feelings change as the world changes. Their easy excitement can occasion a saint to lose his spiritual balance. Their constant disturbance can affect a believer’s peace in his spirit. Do not sorrows, moanings, sighs and tears usually result from hurt feelings? If the Lord is not pre-eminent in our affections He can hardly be Lord in other respects.

This is a test of spirituality and a measure of its degree. We must accordingly hate our soul life and refuse its affections to have free rein. The Lord’s demand differs completely from our natural desire.

What was previously loved shall now be hated; and even the organ which generates love, our soul life, must be abhorred as well. Such is the spiritual way. If we verily bear the cross we shall be neither controlled nor influenced by soulical affection but shall be fit to love in the power of the Holy Spirit. Even so did the Lord Jesus love His family while on earth. '

The Spiritual Man- Watchman Nee

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Why do we assume our affections are good things, simply because we have them? We enjoy happiness- so when we aren't happy we are longing to be happy. When we are filled with sorrow it makes us feel awful and it's something we despise.  There are so many different emotions we have and we truly believe they are all legitimate because they exist.

There is a popular show 'Star Trek' and on that show there is an alien whose race tries to control all their emotions so they don't rule them. They never claim not to have emotions, but rather they've learned to set them aside in favor of pure logic. Clearly God does NOT want us to set aside all our emotions- there is much talk of happiness in the Bible, there is talk of sadness, of anger and so.  When Watchman Nee talks about our feelings he's not talking about doing away with them either, but rather NOT letting them control our lives. The LORD needs to be preeminent in our affections.  We are not to be like the Star Trek alien race of Vulcans who go so far in their control of their emotions to never even show them- they shun smiling, crying, and so on.  We should however give the control of our emotions to the Holy Spirit at every opportunity. 

When we feel happy, sad, angry, depressed, when we feel any emotions so much so that we recognize we are caught up in it, we need to surrender it to the Holy Spirit and seek the Holy Spirit's guidance.  When we are caught up in happiness- we are laughing and perhaps even giddy, we need to make sure it is acceptable to God.  It's just as important that we do that with happiness as it is to do it with anger, sadness, etc. We need God to rule our lives, all our lives not just the part we set aside to seek Him, and study His word, but all day, every day, every minute of our lives are to be God's.   We don't have to become pastors, or missionaries, not unless we are specifically called to do so. Paul was a tentmaker even as He was an Apostle.  Jesus didn't ask us to give up our occupations, or even our families- as long as they both are in their places, not above God.  We are asked to walk in the spirit, not in the flesh, not in the soul-self.

Truly recognizing all aspects of our lives- affections, feelings, emotions all of it and comprehending that if allowed they will be filled with the selfishness we are to hate, is a good thing.  May God let us recognize all that would keep us from Him, from walking in the Spirit. And then, please God, please lead us in Your way everlasting!

By Your mercy, Your love, Your grace!

All in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior!

Amen!

God wills that we be attached to him.

'People of the world cannot understand why; only the believer who is losing himself gradually into the life of God can comprehend its meaning. Who can appreciate God’s asking Abraham to sacrifice Isaac whom God Himself had first given? Those who apprehend God’s heart make no attempt to cling to God-imparted gifts; rather do they desire to rest in God, the Giver of all gifts.

God wills for us to be attached to nothing aside from Him, whether it be man or a thing or even something conferred on us by Himself. Many Christians are quite disposed to leave Ur of the Chaldees, but few there be who can see the need to sacrifice on Mount Moriah what God has given.

This is one of the penetrating lessons of faith and relates to our being united with God. He requires His children to forsake everything that they may be wholly His.'  Excerpt from - The Spiritual Man- by Watchman Nee

This is BIBLICALLY based.

Mat 19:16  And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life? 

Mat 19:17  And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments. 

Mat 19:18  He saith unto him, Which? Jesus said, Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, 

Mat 19:19  Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 

Mat 19:20  The young man saith unto him, All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet? 

Mat 19:21  Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me. 

Mat 19:22  But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions. 

Go sell what thou hast.

The young man had A LOT to sell and he deemed all that wealth, all those possessions worth more than Jesus. 

We comprehend this and even with our lesser possessions we are loathed to give them up.  And our personal possessions that could be classified as people we hold dear can we give them up? Does our Savior want us to give up everything? That sounds cultish to us doesn't it? Giving up everything and then what? Following Jesus.  Not everyone is called to step out of their lives and into that sort of life. But how do we know? Is giving up everything a HEART/SPIRIT choice but not a literal choice?

More on ALL this tomorrow by the GRACE of our LORD.

Spirit-led life, not soul-self led life.

'It is true that this soul life is given by the Creator; nevertheless, He desires us not to be governed by that life principle.'  Excerpt - The Spiritual Man - Watchman Nee

Some people might ask, "Why would God make us this way if we aren't supposed to be this way?'  People do say that also about themselves, "I can't help it, I was born this way." You've heard that before, right?  We are born this way so it excuses our behavior. We may have been born this way, but we were not created to be this way. People don't want to think about that because they only know what they see, and what they see is how they were born, their parents were born and so on. They are asked about Creation and a lot of them choose to not even believe in Creation opting instead to believe in evolution which gets them off the hook for having a Creator. Evolution allows them to live as if their actions have no eternal consequences.  Yes, God gave us this life, this soul-self along with our flesh, along with our spirit. God created us- this complicated being and in do so He gave us the soul-self which can choose the path desired.  I firmly believe if Eve or Adam had just meandered over to the forbidden tree and plucked a fruit to eat it that things would be different, not completely, but much different. Mankind of their own free will did not initiate their encounter with sin, not entirely. Satan, the fallen covering angel tempted them, leading them into sin's path. We were given this soul-self and when we chose to set out on our own against God's truth, God's instructions, God's way- we forfeited our naturally spirit led, soul-self.  We pushed the spirit leading away when we pushed God away.  After realizing what an enormous mistake it was - instantaneously realizing- man was filled with fear, with sorrow, with shame.  God revealed that because of their choice life was no longer going to be the paradise they'd known but something much different, but they would still have HOPE for themselves and that HOPE would be for an eternal existence when sin would be put down completely.

Yes, we were given our soul-self by our Creator, however we were given our SPIRIT led life before our flesh led life.  God made a path for us that would allow us to once again have a spirit-led life and this is the path He would have us all take.  Throughout the entire Bible we are being led towards this spirit-led life in Christ Jesus our Savior.  It is our soul-self choice to make, and the soul-self needs to submit to the spirit.  This is submitting to our God.

By the mercy and grace of Christ, may we submit!  All through His LOVE, always!

Our Isaac Experience.

Concerning loving family --  Excerpt from Spiritual Man- by Watchman Nee -

'Let it be observed that, humanly speaking, this expression of the soul is quite legitimate, for it is most natural and is not defiled as is sin. Is not the love we have mentioned shared by all men? What illegitimacy can there be in loving those of one’s family?'

Passage under discussion-

Luk 14:25  And there went great multitudes with him: and he turned, and said unto them, 

Luk 14:26  If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. 

Luk 14:27  And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple. 

Excerpt continued- 'Hence we know that our Lord is summoning us to overcome the natural, even to denying man’s legal right . . . for the sake of God. God wants us to love Him more than our Isaac.'

Isaac- 

Gen 15:1  After these things the word of the LORD came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward. 

Gen 15:2  And Abram said, Lord GOD, what wilt thou give me, seeing I go childless, and the steward of my house is this Eliezer of Damascus? 

Gen 15:3  And Abram said, Behold, to me thou hast given no seed: and, lo, one born in my house is mine heir. 

Gen 15:4  And, behold, the word of the LORD came unto him, saying, This shall not be thine heir; but he that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir. 

Gen 15:5  And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be. 

Gen 15:6  And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness. 

Gen 16:1  Now Sarai Abram's wife bare him no children: and she had an handmaid, an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar. 

Gen 16:2  And Sarai said unto Abram, Behold now, the LORD hath restrained me from bearing: I pray thee, go in unto my maid; it may be that I may obtain children by her. And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai. 

Gen 16:15  And Hagar bare Abram a son: and Abram called his son's name, which Hagar bare, Ishmael. 

Gen 16:16  And Abram was fourscore and six years old, when Hagar bare Ishmael to Abram. 

Gen 17:1  And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect. 

Gen 17:2  And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly. 

Gen 18:1  And the LORD appeared unto him in the plains of Mamre: and he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day; 

Gen 18:2  And he lift up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood by him: and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself toward the ground, 

Gen 18:9  And they said unto him, Where is Sarah thy wife? And he said, Behold, in the tent. 

Gen 18:10  And he said, I will certainly return unto thee according to the time of life; and, lo, Sarah thy wife shall have a son. And Sarah heard it in the tent door, which was behind him. 

Gen 18:11  Now Abraham and Sarah were old and well stricken in age; and it ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women. 

Gen 18:12  Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, After I am waxed old shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also? 

Gen 18:13  And the LORD said unto Abraham, Wherefore did Sarah laugh, saying, Shall I of a surety bear a child, which am old? 

Gen 18:14  Is any thing too hard for the LORD? At the time appointed I will return unto thee, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son. 

Gen 18:15  Then Sarah denied, saying, I laughed not; for she was afraid. And he said, Nay; but thou didst laugh. 

Gen 21:1  And the LORD visited Sarah as he had said, and the LORD did unto Sarah as he had spoken. 

Gen 21:2  For Sarah conceived, and bare Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him. 

Gen 21:3  And Abraham called the name of his son that was born unto him, whom Sarah bare to him, Isaac. 

Gen 21:4  And Abraham circumcised his son Isaac being eight days old, as God had commanded him. 

Gen 21:5  And Abraham was an hundred years old, when his son Isaac was born unto him. 

Gen 21:6  And Sarah said, God hath made me to laugh, so that all that hear will laugh with me. 

Gen 21:8  And the child grew, and was weaned: and Abraham made a great feast the same day that Isaac was weaned. 

Gen 21:34  And Abraham sojourned in the Philistines' land many days. 

Gen 22:1  And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am. 

Gen 22:2  And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of. 

Gen 22:3  And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son, and clave the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went unto the place of which God had told him. 

Gen 22:4  Then on the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place afar off. 

Gen 22:5  And Abraham said unto his young men, Abide ye here with the ass; and I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again to you. 

Gen 22:6  And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering, and laid it upon Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife; and they went both of them together. 

Gen 22:7  And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering? 

Gen 22:8  And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together. 

Gen 22:9  And they came to the place which God had told him of; and Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood. 

Gen 22:10  And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son. 

Gen 22:11  And the angel of the LORD called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I. 

Gen 22:12  And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me. 

Gen 22:13  And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son. 

Gen 22:14  And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovahjireh: as it is said to this day, In the mount of the LORD it shall be seen. 

Gen 22:15  And the angel of the LORD called unto Abraham out of heaven the second time, 

Gen 22:16  And said, By myself have I sworn, saith the LORD, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son: 

Gen 22:17  That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies; 

Gen 22:18  And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice. 

Excerpt continued- 'Hence we know that our Lord is summoning us to overcome the natural, even to denying man’s legal right . . . for the sake of God. God wants us to love Him more than our Isaac.'

Abraham longed for God to fulfil His promise to him and give him an heir.  He wanted this promise to be fulfilled so much that he and his wife tried to work it out by using his wife's handmaid. The handmaid did NOT fulfil the promise that God made though. Abraham continued to grow older and older and both he and Sarah were passed the time of being able to bear children.

Heb 11:11  Through faith also Sara herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful who had promised. 

Heb 11:12  Therefore sprang there even of one, and him as good as dead, so many as the stars of the sky in multitude, and as the sand which is by the sea shore innumerable. 

Sarah was past the age and Abraham as good as dead- yet God performed the miracle He'd promised and brought to life the dead womb and seed- allowing it to bring new life- Isaac- the promised son.

We can imagine just how attached Abraham was to Isaac can't we?  None of us have ever been promised children. Those who are barren and desiring children aren't promised them. The barren go to great lengths today to conceive children and they are overwhelmed with joy when they finally have the longed for child. Abraham and Sarah both went PAST the age of being able to conceive and father children and we have to realize by that point both of them were convinced that it was never going to happen- or if not convinced at least super hesitant to believe.  By faith it did happen so there was some belief, but even so the length of time involved that Abraham and Sarah were desiring a child was extremely long. Their attachment to Isaac once he was born had to be beyond normal. The miracle of Isaac was something they probably never forgot for a moment. They had to cherish his existence. The promise was that this son would go on and be used of God to father an uncountable number of offspring throughout time- generation after generation so many would spring from Abraham's seed- furthered by Isaac, then by Jacob and on down the long, long line. The hope for this to occur was heartfelt and assured as Isaac grew older and older. Then, out of nowhere, God tells Abraham to sacrifice Isaac simply because it was something God desired.

IMAGINE the thoughts that had to go on in Abraham's mind.

So connected to God was Abraham that he didn't hesitate to obey, but we KNOW it couldn't have been easy at all.

To read this excerpt-- 'Hence we know that our Lord is summoning us to overcome the natural, even to denying man’s legal right . . . for the sake of God. God wants us to love Him more than our Isaac.'

-- is to realize that we are ALL called to this experience in our own individual ways.

God wants us to love Him more than our Isaac, our legitimate love towards fathers, mothers, sons, daughters and so on.  Why does God want this?  Because truly if we are loving others MORE than God, we are NOT loving with God's love, and God's love is the only true love that exists. We tend to forget that so easily. We marvel at our own idea of love and we say things like- love doesn't make you choose, love doesn't condemn, love doesn't hate anything.  We've conceptualized our own brand of love and hold fast to it so that when we are confronted with true love we deny it is really love.  I have often heard it said that if God really existed He would never allow suffering in any form, that suffering alone proves God doesn't exist. Or if He does exist and allows suffering than He is cruel and unloving and not someone to follow.  These people can say and believe those things because they've formed their own brand of love and anything outside of that idea of love they have is not love at all in their minds. God's love goes beyond our full comprehension.  We often limit our life to here and now, God has NEVER limited out lives to here and now but has weighed all of them in the light of eternity! God has taken eternity into consideration - not the very, very, incredibly short amount of time we live here on earth right now, or sleep in the grave until the last trump sounds. God's love is so overwhelming in its scope we can only catch glimpses of it through the sacrifice of His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ. Still, people will insist upon focusing their belief on love in the here and now. They are right that God would be a very cruel, unloving God if this life was all there was to take into consideration.

The love of God is all love, it is pure and undefiled by any sort of selfishness. The love of God looks beyond now, way beyond the here and now, far into eternity where it will live in a sinless existence.  The love of God could sacrifice the sinless, sacrifice the innocent, sacrifice a God that existed from everlasting to everlasting, putting Him into a death of non-existence, and BROUGHT back that God from death!  We were given an example of pure love in that unfathomable act. God will bring all who choose to have faith in Him and His love back from a sure, inescapable death except for HIM and HIS intervention.

Rom_8:32  He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all…

The love we believe we have towards our parents, our children, our husbands and wives, our friends and relatives, a love we staunchly defend as being all important- without God- is worthless.

A love the serves ourselves and our own interests, not God's-  is worthless.

We may believe our love is everything and more, but it's not. 

If we love with God's LOVE towards our parents, our children, our husbands, wives, friends and relatives we are loving them with a love that is PRICELESS.  If that love of God's calls us to a FIGURATIVE Isaac experience, calling on us to give up that parent, child, husband, wife, friend, or relative then whatever reason God has for us to endure the pain and heartache it may cause us, is justified.  We, by HIS grace, need to have FAITH, we need to BELIEVE all is in His hands and it will all work out.

Rom_8:28  And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

And we cry out with the loudest voice we can, shedding many tears along with the father who was desperate for his son to be healed-

Mar_9:24  And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.

LORD, I BELIEVE, HELP THOU MINE UNBELIEF!