October 22

JESUS, THE PATTERN SON / PART 6

DEATH TO SELF

-Matthew 26:38,39 states, … Then said He unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry here, and watch with Me. And He went a little farther, and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, O My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from Me: nevertheless not as I will, but as You will …

-The most important thing that Jesus taught us ( concerning our sonship process ) was that there must be a death to the self-life. This is what enabled Him to do only those things that pleased the Father. The problem of mankind has always been … THE SELF-LIFE! Remember … It is the soulish part of man that is in need of sanctification. Well … This involves a death to our ways, causing us to embrace God’s ways. The Father is bringing us to the place where our life clearly says, … NOT AS I WILL, BUT AS YOU WILL!

-This death to self ( the soulish part of man ) is what enables the Spirit of God to flow unhindered through man, causing his mind, will, and emotions to be conformed to the image of the Son of God. As we have already stated, this process is called sanctification, and is to be found at work in all of God’s sons. Without the death of self there is no way to experience the resurrection life of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is not possible to have a resurrection without a death first. This is why it is so important for us to understand what Jesus was teaching when He stated, … NOT AS I WILL, BUT AS YOU WILL! He was laying down the pattern for all who would follow in His footsteps. It is the pattern which acknowledges that the Father’s will is greater than ours. This was at the very heart of the Lord’s Prayer, which states, … YOUR KINGDOM COME! YOUR WILL BE DONE!

-It is those who understand this principle in God that will grow in grace and in the knowledge of the Lord. If self is not recognized for what it is and dealt with, it will prevail, causing the Spirit of God to be quenched in our lives. On the other hand, if self is recognized for what it is and dealt with, then we have tapped into THE VERY KINGDOM OF GOD! How is it that so many Christians do not see this aspect of the ministry of the Pattern Son of God, AND THAT IT APPLIES TO ALL OF GOD’S SONS? Blessed is the person who is able to see that their greatest enemy is to be found when they look in the mirror. It is this person that will experience all that the Father is and has to give. It is this person who understands the person, work, and ministry of …

-THE PATTERN SON OF GOD!-