Greater Love has No One Than This...
"Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. . . . I have called you friends . . . "
—John 15:13, 15
Extract from My Utmost for His Highest:
Jesus does not ask me to die for Him, but to lay down my life for Him. Peter said to the Lord, "I will lay down my life for Your sake," and he meant it ( John 13:37 ). He had a magnificent sense of the heroic. For us to be incapable of making this same statement Peter made would be a bad thing—our sense of duty is only fully realized through our sense of heroism. Has the Lord ever asked you, "Will you lay down your life for My sake?" ( John 13:38 ). It is much easier to die than to lay down your life day in and day out with the sense of the high calling of God. We are not made for the bright-shining moments of life, but we have to walk in the light of them in our everyday ways. There was only one bright-shining moment in the life of Jesus, and that was on the Mount of Transfiguration. It was there that He emptied Himself of His glory for the second time, and then came down into the demon-possessed valley (see Mark 9:1-29 ). For thirty-three years Jesus laid down His life to do the will of His Father. "By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren" ( 1 John 3:16 ). Yet it is contrary to our human nature to do so.
If I am a friend of Jesus, I must deliberately and carefully lay down my life for Him. It is a difficult thing to do, and thank God that it is. Salvation is easy for us, because it cost God so much. But the exhibiting of salvation in my life is difficult. God saves a person, fills him with the Holy Spirit, and then says, in effect, "Now you work it out in your life, and be faithful to Me, even though the nature of everything around you is to cause you to be unfaithful." And Jesus says to us, ". . . I have called you friends. . . ." Remain faithful to your Friend, and remember that His honor is at stake in your bodily life.
This is perhaps the most difficult decision that i've and will have to make for the rest of my life.. to choose to live a life worthy of His love and call. Though this a choice that I make.. and it is a free choice, I know that I won't be alone when i walk this decision throughout my life. As daily as it is a decision, He also gives the grace needed.
"Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. ."
- 2 Cor 9:7-8
Would i cheerfully give of my life? every day, every moment, every second? But if this means being able to live in the presence of God in a greater measure, I would much rather choose it. Life apart from the presence of God is the last thing I would ever want for my life.. i cannot, and thank GOD, I don't have to.
This abstract reminds of this link i used to go to http://www.donghaeng.net/english/duty/duty.swf. And though I really look forward to the day I meet my First Love... oo Soooo much! I will do my best and give my utmost to Him with what I have while I m here on earth and may the grace found through our Lord Jesus Christ carry me through...
"I can only imagine what it will be like, when I walk by Your side...
I can only imagine, what my eyes will see, when Your Face is before me!
I can only imagine. I can only imagine."
~ I Can Only Imagine, MercyMe
posted by Ivy @ 10:43 AM
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