Thursday, April 12, 2012

Crucified With Christ--Part 2

“Our crucifixion can never be made effective by will or by effort, 
but only by accepting what the Lord Jesus did on the cross.
Our eyes must be opened to see the finished work of calvary.
This is how we entered into salvation in the first place. 
Sanctification is made possible for you on exactly the same
basis as that initial salvation.
When we are preoccupied with the power of sin in our lives,
we naturally conclude that if we are to have victory we need 
more power. ‘If only I were stronger,’ we say, ‘I could overcome
my violent outbursts of temper,’ so we plead with God to strengthen 
us so we can exercise more self control. However, God’s means 
of delivering us is by making us weaker and weaker. God sets
us free from the dominion of sin, not by strengthening our old
man but by crucifying him, not by helping him to do anything but
by removing him from the scene of action. Once you see the
truth that you are powerless to do anything, that God has done
it all, it brings to an end human striving and self effort.”  
Watchman Nee
Well, I don’t know about you, dear reader, but this goes against
my grain and against what I have been taught in church 
through the years. Just before Jesus died He said, 
it is finished.” 
I know that He took care of it all. I want to grasp this truth 
and so I say, “Help.”

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