"So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption: It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power: It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body." 1 Corinthians 15:43-44
"And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly. Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit corruption." 1 Corinthians 15: 49-50
"Nothing, not even the best and noblest, can go on as it now is. Nothing, not even what is lowest and most bestial, will not be raised again if it submits to death. It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. Flesh and blood cannot come to the Mountains. Not because they are too rank, but because they are too weak. What is a lizard compared with a stallion? Lust is a poor, weak, whimpering, whispering thing compared with that richness and energy of desire which will arise when lust has been killed." C.S. Lewis, The Great Divorce
What did Paul mean when he said, "I have been crucified with Christ?" in Galatians 2:20? I used to read and quote that verse a lot, but only now am I beginning to understand what it truly means. We are born with many natural desires, part of our human nature, so to speak. Some desires are sinful, like lust or greed; some are not, like love for our friends, our family, or that special person. But to be crucified with Christ? It is to take all our natural desires, our entire nature itself, with all its triumphs and shortcomings, and to nail it to the Cross. To offer them up to God, just like our Lord Jesus offered up his life for us. And it doesn't end there. Just like our Lord Jesus was raised from the dead and is now King of the Heavens, all that is in us, no matter how despicable or praiseworthy, can be transformed into the "image of the heavenly". I do not believe that when Paul wrote the above verses he was talking about after-death alone; in his letter to Romans he wrote a well-known verse, "be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God" (Romans 12:2)
I know it sounds rather philosophical and unapplicable to everyday life, but I have discovered very recently how real it actually is. God's Word should never be taken lightly. I hesitate to share this, but God has closed the door on the relationship that I've been in for practically my whole life. I've struggled with it for months, and even now I still feel the pinch of loneliness. But through the process I have learnt how selfish and possessive my love has been, even after all these years. "My friends keep telling me, that if you really love her, you gotta set her free...." How awfully far it is from the kind of unconditional, everlasting love that God has for us. I would be ashamed to bring that kind of love before Christ in heaven.
Now I'm in the process of that surrender; letting God transform that love, to make it more perfect, more "heavenly", and to extend it to everyone around. To learn to love unselfishly, to desire the best for others, just like God desires the best for us. It would be blasphemy for anyone to say that we can be perfect in life, because only God is perfect, and as long as we are in the flesh, we will always struggle against sin. But Jesus Himself encourages us, "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect." Matthew 5:48
One common misunderstanding that people carry about Christianity is that in becoming Christian, they will have to change- give up their feelings, desires, relinquish control of their lives and let Someone else, someone they can't even see, take the reins. To many it doesn't sound a single bit appealing. Especially in the world we live in, which preaches freedom, democracy and the right to live life the way you want to, according to the principles you believe. Jesus Himself did not deny this. "If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me." Matthew 16:24
But what people do not hear is the other side of the story. Jesus died, but rose from the dead. We surrender all, but in return we get everything. In surrendering our imperfect loves we can learn to love more wholly and perfectly; in surrendering our desire for material success and wealth we can learn to be content with what we have in life and to desire things that are more eternal, like caring and loving the people around us and sowing joy wherever we go. In surrendering our need for love and recognition and honour and glory we can learn to rest wholly in God's love, and not worry a bit about what people think of us- tell me, can anything be more wonderful and secure than that? And in surrendering those things that have a stranglehold on our lives, we can bring them under our control, and be free to serve God with all our hearts. I never realised how much my life depended on my relationship until now, and now that it's over I realise that I'm so much freer, to serve God, to serve others. To pursue the plans He has for me. God did not mean for us to be miserable and stifled on earth. "Thou wilt show me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures forever more." Psalm 16:11
Jesus said to His disciples, "Blessed are the eyes which see the things that ye see, for i tell you, that many prophets and kings have desired to see those things which ye see, and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them." Do not take Jesus' words lightly; when He said that we are blessed if we live in Him, He really meant it, to everyone.
"As sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things." 2 Corinthians 6:10
"And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly. Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit corruption." 1 Corinthians 15: 49-50
"Nothing, not even the best and noblest, can go on as it now is. Nothing, not even what is lowest and most bestial, will not be raised again if it submits to death. It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. Flesh and blood cannot come to the Mountains. Not because they are too rank, but because they are too weak. What is a lizard compared with a stallion? Lust is a poor, weak, whimpering, whispering thing compared with that richness and energy of desire which will arise when lust has been killed." C.S. Lewis, The Great Divorce
What did Paul mean when he said, "I have been crucified with Christ?" in Galatians 2:20? I used to read and quote that verse a lot, but only now am I beginning to understand what it truly means. We are born with many natural desires, part of our human nature, so to speak. Some desires are sinful, like lust or greed; some are not, like love for our friends, our family, or that special person. But to be crucified with Christ? It is to take all our natural desires, our entire nature itself, with all its triumphs and shortcomings, and to nail it to the Cross. To offer them up to God, just like our Lord Jesus offered up his life for us. And it doesn't end there. Just like our Lord Jesus was raised from the dead and is now King of the Heavens, all that is in us, no matter how despicable or praiseworthy, can be transformed into the "image of the heavenly". I do not believe that when Paul wrote the above verses he was talking about after-death alone; in his letter to Romans he wrote a well-known verse, "be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God" (Romans 12:2)
I know it sounds rather philosophical and unapplicable to everyday life, but I have discovered very recently how real it actually is. God's Word should never be taken lightly. I hesitate to share this, but God has closed the door on the relationship that I've been in for practically my whole life. I've struggled with it for months, and even now I still feel the pinch of loneliness. But through the process I have learnt how selfish and possessive my love has been, even after all these years. "My friends keep telling me, that if you really love her, you gotta set her free...." How awfully far it is from the kind of unconditional, everlasting love that God has for us. I would be ashamed to bring that kind of love before Christ in heaven.
Now I'm in the process of that surrender; letting God transform that love, to make it more perfect, more "heavenly", and to extend it to everyone around. To learn to love unselfishly, to desire the best for others, just like God desires the best for us. It would be blasphemy for anyone to say that we can be perfect in life, because only God is perfect, and as long as we are in the flesh, we will always struggle against sin. But Jesus Himself encourages us, "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect." Matthew 5:48
One common misunderstanding that people carry about Christianity is that in becoming Christian, they will have to change- give up their feelings, desires, relinquish control of their lives and let Someone else, someone they can't even see, take the reins. To many it doesn't sound a single bit appealing. Especially in the world we live in, which preaches freedom, democracy and the right to live life the way you want to, according to the principles you believe. Jesus Himself did not deny this. "If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me." Matthew 16:24
But what people do not hear is the other side of the story. Jesus died, but rose from the dead. We surrender all, but in return we get everything. In surrendering our imperfect loves we can learn to love more wholly and perfectly; in surrendering our desire for material success and wealth we can learn to be content with what we have in life and to desire things that are more eternal, like caring and loving the people around us and sowing joy wherever we go. In surrendering our need for love and recognition and honour and glory we can learn to rest wholly in God's love, and not worry a bit about what people think of us- tell me, can anything be more wonderful and secure than that? And in surrendering those things that have a stranglehold on our lives, we can bring them under our control, and be free to serve God with all our hearts. I never realised how much my life depended on my relationship until now, and now that it's over I realise that I'm so much freer, to serve God, to serve others. To pursue the plans He has for me. God did not mean for us to be miserable and stifled on earth. "Thou wilt show me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures forever more." Psalm 16:11
Jesus said to His disciples, "Blessed are the eyes which see the things that ye see, for i tell you, that many prophets and kings have desired to see those things which ye see, and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them." Do not take Jesus' words lightly; when He said that we are blessed if we live in Him, He really meant it, to everyone.
"As sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things." 2 Corinthians 6:10
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