This is a
powerful statement from Paul! He longed to be sold out to Jesus. He didn't care
what that sacrifice cost, because His Savior had paid the greatest price. He
never once forgot that living his faith was all about Christ. Paul knew the cost
of absolute surrender.
We begin our
Christian life called out of love for our Savior. Our hearts initially burn with
joyful amazement at the magnitude of what God has started only to find along the
way that our inability to surrender control to the Lord chokes out His spiritual
life. There are some things we should never forget. Never forget that we have no
purpose without Him. Never forget the costly price He paid for our love. Never
forget so pride will not be an issue. Pride exists without our surrender. We are
called to have a servant’s heart, and we are certainly no higher or better than
those we serve. If a person feels the need to speak of his humility, then pride
is really an issue. True humility is a powerful tool. It reveals that spiritual
power in a believer’s life has been placed under the guidance of the Holy
Spirit. Paul found it in absolute surrender. We can find it too.
Paul knew
that the cost of living the Christian life should only be counted spiritually. There is a great danger in humanly counting the cost of commitment. Analyzing too much about what you
believe is personally required can cause you to retreat from the depth of inward
commitment necessary. Too little commitment and your desire to live for Jesus
fades away. However, there is power in spiritually counting the cost. When the
price of commitment is spiritually counted and the cost is absolute surrender to
Jesus Christ, then biblical paradoxes take on new spiritual depth. Servitude
brings greatness. Weakness brings strength. To live is to die, and to die is to
live. Paul experienced these in his life. They are also what we receive when we
are sold out to Christ.
Your life in
Christ requires surrender. God doesn’t want you “burned out and used up” because
of His call upon your life. He wishes you fresh, alive, and able to pour His
life through you. Give whatever is necessary spiritually. You will receive the
empowering presence of the Holy Spirit, and what is so important, you will
inspire commitment in others. Live what Paul wrote. “I press on to take hold of
that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.” There is no greater life. There is
no greater passion. There is no greater reward.
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