The natural life itself is not sinful. But we must abandon sin, having nothing to do with it in any way whatsoever. Sin belongs to hell and to the devil. I, as a child of God, belong to heaven and to God. It is not a question of giving up sin, but of giving up my right to myself, my natural independence, and my self-will. This is where the battle has to be fought. The things that are right, noble, and good from the natural standpoint are the very things that keep us from being God’s best. Once we come to understand that natural moral excellence opposes or counteracts surrender to God, we bring our soul into the center of its greatest battle. Very few of us would debate over what is filthy, evil, and wrong, but we do debate over what is good. It is the good that opposes the best. The higher up the scale of moral excellence a person goes, the more intense the opposition to Jesus Christ. “Those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh….” The cost to your natural life is not just one or two things, but everything. Jesus said, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself…” (Matthew 16:24). That is, he must deny his right to himself, and he must realize who Jesus Christ is before he will bring himself to do it. Beware of refusing to go to the funeral of your own independence.The natural life is not spiritual, and it can be made spiritual only through sacrifice. If we do not purposely sacrifice the natural, the supernatural can never become natural to us. There is no high or easy road. Each of us has the means to accomplish it entirely in his own hands. It is not a question of praying, but of sacrificing, and thereby performing His will.

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December 9 2014

Journal Entry for Today-JDV

Lord, when I first read this devotional it seemed like one more of Chambers’ devotionals about personal discipline, rejecting the “wrong” things and denying self; one more lesson about what I should do, (I get so weary of the “shoulds”). And then I read this from the devotional….  The cost to your natural life is not just one or two things, but everything. Jesus said, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself…” (Matthew 16:24). That is, he must deny his right to himself, and he must realize who Jesus Christ is before he will bring himself to do it. Beware of refusing to go to the funeral of your own independence. Then it all made sense in light of what You have been teaching us: That when I choose Jesus and deny my own ideas and understanding, I am choosing the best for my own life and it really is no sacrifice. How can it be a sacrifice to choose the best over the good?

And God says…”You often get caught up in the “blessings” of life or the mountain tops; convinced that I am with you when circumstances are working to your advantage in this life. And you assume in your natural way that if things are not going your way that somehow I have abandoned you. What I want you to understand is that I am always with you…always. And when you trust in Me with all your heart and do not rely on your own ways and means, you know this and feel the peace and joy that passes all understanding. To deny yourself means that you are connected to Jesus, and know that all things work for your good. You do not have to strive or work harder to feel the peace and joy; in fact you do not have to work at all. You simply need to create a pattern of living whereby you trust all your ways (all actions and decisions, not just the ones that seem “religious”) to Me, and let Me make your paths straight. Seek first the kingdom of God, which is Jesus, and allow Me to provide all else you need. When you sacrifice your own notions of what you are to do, how you are to live and trust Me wholly, you give me the latitude to bless you immeasurably. When you wait upon the Lord, you give Me room to give you the wings of eagles, to give you strength and power. When you delight yourself in Me, you give me the opportunity to give you the desires of your heart.”