“Christ acquires our spiritually bankrupted life, pays our sin debts, and sets us free to live an abundant life abiding in His love.”
Thoughts from daily Bible reading for today – September 27, 2023
What can one give in exchange for one’s life? Matthew 16:26
After becoming a Christian in college, I remember having a boldness that was not within me before Jesus came to live in me. Before, I was shy, unsure, and intimated by others who seemed to be with it and so sure of themselves. But, to have a heavenly Father who knew my name, whose love wiped away my shame, was truly a life-changing experience. My false self felt alone and afraid. My true self in Christ was at peace and comforted by the presence of the Lord in my life. My false self that only knew self-survival was replaced by my true self that totally trusted in God. Christ acquired my spiritually bankrupted life, paid my sin debts, and set me free to live an abundant life abiding in His love. Our old self is buried with Christ in baptism as our new self is risen by the Spirit and made alive to walk with Jesus. We die daily to embrace our true selves.
“I [Paul] affirm, brothers and sisters, by the boasting in you which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, that I die daily.” (1 Corinthians 15:31, NASB).
C.S. Lewis gives a freeing description of what it means to die to ourselves, “The more we get what we now call “ourselves” out of the way and let Him take us over, the more truly ourselves we become. . . I am not, in my natural state, nearly so much of a person as I like to believe: most of what I call “me” can be very easily explained. It is when I turn to Christ, when I give myself up to His Personality, that I first begin to have a real personality of my own.” Yes, our true self is to live as a child of God, as He desires us to live…unencumbered, secure, and free to be our best selves in Christ. We become the best version of ourselves as we surrender to Christ’s life.
Are you exhausted trying to be someone you’re not? Unconsciously, you may have drifted into the trap of always seeking to please by conforming to how you think others want you to act. By mirroring back the behavior of others, you may give your false self temporary satisfaction while your true self starves to come alive. Posing is a child of pride that stays stuck in the crazy cycle of chasing approval and acceptance. Only when your approval and acceptance rest solely in Christ are you able to grow into who the Lord intended you to become…His beloved child on whom His favor rests. Your true self and false self cannot co-exist, if you are deceived to think so, you are only lukewarm in your love. Your false self can never rise above being self-serving, while your true self defers to serve, expecting nothing in return. True love flows from your true self!
As Lewis reminds us, “It is when I turn to Christ, when I give myself up to His Personality, that I first begin to have a real personality of my own.” The real you…the personality others love to be around, is Christ’s personality living through you. His joy, His boldness, His confidence, His love, His service, His wisdom, and His faith are all fruits of who He is through you. If you try to be someone other than yourself, then you will flounder, but if you are who the Lord made you to be, then He will cause you to flourish. Your true self trusts when threatened, perseveres when rejected, forgives when hurt, and loves when ignored. Live in abandonment to your life in Christ!
“Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it” (Matthew 16:24-25).
Prayer
Heavenly Father, by faith, I come alive by allowing the life of your Son to live in and through me through Christ’s love, and in Jesus’ name, Amen.
Application
Consider this helpful 3-minute read from Jan Johnson on Dying to Self.
Related Reading
Proverbs 1:7; Isaiah 43:19; 2 Corinthians 5:17; 1 Peter 1:3
Worship Resource
Hillsong Worship: Come Alive (Acoustic)
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