I want my life to be God’s personal credit card.
The true Christian life, the life which God imparts to us, is a crucified life. What does that mean? It means that my control, my ambitions, my self-centered choices and desires have all been nailed to the Cross. Why did Paul say (Galatians 6:17) that he bore on his body the marks, the stigmata of the Lord Jesus? Back then the worshipers of false gods had the symbol of their god branded on their bodies. Paul’s body gave evidence and proof of the ownership of Christ, his Lord and Master. Is there anything about me that proclaims my loyalty and allegiance to the Lord Jesus Christ and His ownership of me? If your pride leads you to seek (John 12:43) the praise and approval of others, you are not (Galatians 6:14) glorying in the Cross but in something totally other than the Cross. The Cross is not a good luck symbol but the heart of the Gospel and the centre of time and eternity.
If the Lord reminds us at times of past sins, it is not to tell us how bad we were but to encourage us by reminding us of the magnitude of His limitless grace and mercy. So in that grace let us go on (Philippians 3:12-14) toward perfection. While we are still on Planet Earth, we will not reach full perfection, but through the resurrection life of Jesus within us, the Holy Spirit can reproduce in us the perfections of Jesus. Everything in Jesus and Jesus everything.
The pathway to this goal is Crucifixion and the glowing reward (1 John 3:2) is that when we see Jesus we will finally be like Him. I am (Galatians 2:20, Galatians 6:14) crucified with Christ and I will glory only in the Cross. (Dr. Stanley) “What happened on the Cross of Christ back then, crucified the world unto me and continues to produce fruit in my life as I am crucified to the world - - dead to the appeals, the allurements and the magnetic pull of the world.”
To crucify the flesh (Galatians 5:24) and the world means to surrender total control, total possession/ownership and total use of my life to God. I want my life to be God’s personal credit card; He is the only One Who can use it and how, when and where He chooses to use it is entirely up to Him. He placed His personal authorizing signature on this credit card at Calvary. I must be a wise and obedient self-disciplined steward to manage (Psalms 139:16) the time and (Ephesians 2:10) the good works He has purchased for me. All His purchases for me can be returned and I will be held accountable for my stewardship. Therefore, I must be sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s guidance and direction for how to spend my time and fulfilling my good works. All of this is specifically suited to the way God has wired me. I do not want to be (1 Corinthians 9:27) a cancelled credit card.
I wonder what the Lord has on His shopping list for me to-day. I know that it will have eternal significance. That is why, even though in prayer I accompany the Lord on His shopping trips, He must make all the choices. Sometimes in one aisle a particular need beckons to me so I point it out to the Lord. But He pushes on and gently reminds me that all needs are His business and obedience is mine. Sometimes obedience seems difficult but it is always free of stress because we are never troubled by second-guessing after the deed is done. The better we know Him the more we will love Him. Then obedience becomes the glad and only option of our free will. Keep fixed in your mind that the purpose of our holy God in everything is to make us holy.
To have a personal relationship with the king of some country would be very special – but – my relationship with the KING of all Kings is far beyond special, beyond description and no comparison exists. My relationship with Him is very loving and intimate. And 24/7, I have an audience with the King through unending communication, often without words, just basking in His unfailing Presence. I can count on God’s Presence in times of prayer and in warfare (Romans 8:26) against the enemy.
Take a few minutes to consider the men of Ephraim. They were armed with weapons (Psalms 78:9) yet turned back in the day of battle. They could show off their weapons and impress some people but they were deserters without ever going to war. What about us, you and me? If we are truly Christians we are equipped with (2 Peter 1:3) everything we need for Christian life and godliness. We can be dressed for battle in the (Ephesians 6:11-18) full armour of God with the whole range of weapons. Are we (2 Timothy 2:4) good soldiers or are we so entangled with civilian affairs that our weapons have become rusted from disuse? We need to be prepared and vigilant because (1 Peter 5:8) our enemy is always on the prowl. He never goes on leave.
In these days, possibly the last days of grace, our call to prayer is more intense. We have been instructed to pray at all times. Why? Because prayer is our most effective weapon. It gives us immediate access to (Psalms 103:19) the Almighty Sovereign Controller of the entire universe. In the midst of the unceasing tragedies and disasters in our world, everywhere in this world, we need to pray that nations, communities of unsaved people will be brought to realize (Psalms 83:18) that God alone is the Lord and He is Most High over all the earth. Pray for the good news of the Gospel to reach the darkest, most inaccessible places and Jesus will continue to build His Church. If I am a good and faithful soldier I will (1 Corinthians 15:31) die daily, take up my cross and die to self. My whole life will be all about pleasing, obeying and co-operating with my Commanding Officer so that His victory will be won and His Name exalted and honoured.
The love of God is shed abroad in our hearts (Romans 5:5) by the Holy Spirit. (Oswald Chambers) “No one on earth has this personal passionate devotion to the Lord Jesus unless it is imparted to him by the Holy Spirit.” When the Holy Spirit imparts to us this passionate devotion to Jesus, we will have unfaltering loyalty to Him and compassion for others. Steadfast unwavering loyalty to Jesus is part of personal passionate devotion to Him. Of course, we need to be deeply thankful for all the blessings of His grace but we must love the Lord for Himself and continue to love Him even if all his blessings are removed. Do we truly love Him or just what He does for us? This is the acid test of love.