He…said to them, “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem…” —Luke 18:31

You call Me Teacher and Lord, and you say well, for so I am ….I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master… —John 13:13, 16

To have a master and teacher is not the same thing as being mastered and taught. Having a master and teacher means that there is someone who knows me better than I know myself, who is closer than a friend, and who understands the remotest depths of my heart and is able to satisfy them fully. It means having someone who has made me secure in the knowledge that he has met and solved all the doubts, uncertainties, and problems in my mind. To have a master and teacher is this and nothing less— “…for One is your Teacher, the Christ…” (Matthew 23:8).

Our Lord never takes measures to make me do what He wants. Sometimes I wish God would master and control me to make me do what He wants, but He will not. And at other times I wish He would leave me alone, and He does not.

“You call Me Teacher and Lord…”— but is He? Teacher, Master, and Lord have little place in our vocabulary. We prefer the words Savior, Sanctifier, and Healer. The only word that truly describes the experience of being mastered is love, and we know little about love as God reveals it in His Word. The way we use the word obey is proof of this. In the Bible, obedience is based on a relationship between equals; for example, that of a son with his father. Our Lord was not simply God’s servant— He was His Son. “…though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience…” (Hebrews 5:8). If we are consciously aware that we are being mastered, that idea itself is proof that we have no master. If that is our attitude toward Jesus, we are far away from having the relationship He wants with us. He wants us in a relationship where He is so easily our Master and Teacher that we have no conscious awareness of it— a relationship where all we know is that we are His to obey.

Journal DJR
Good morning Lord, I agree with Chambers that I prefer other words to describe our relationship, besides Master. I like friend and mentor and coach, perhaps because I’ve had some good experiences with humans in those capacities.

Now the Lord says, who formed Me from the womb to be His Servant… —Isaiah 49:5

The first thing that happens after we recognize our election by God in Christ Jesus is the destruction of our preconceived ideas, our narrow-minded thinking, and all of our other allegiances— we are turned solely into servants of God’s own purpose. The entire human race was created to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever. Sin has diverted the human race onto another course, but it has not altered God’s purpose to the slightest degree. And when we are born again we are brought into the realization of God’s great purpose for the human race, namely, that He created us for Himself. This realization of our election by God is the most joyful on earth, and we must learn to rely on this tremendous creative purpose of God. The first thing God will do is force the interests of the whole world through the channel of our hearts. The love of God, and even His very nature, is introduced into us. And we see the nature of Almighty God purely focused in John 3:16— “For God so loved the world….”

…be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect. —Matthew 5:48

Our Lord’s exhortation to us in Matthew 5:38-48 is to be generous in our behavior toward everyone. Beware of living according to your natural affections in your spiritual life. Everyone has natural affections— some people we like and others we don’t like. Yet we must never let those likes and dislikes rule our Christian life. “If we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another” (1 John 1:7), even those toward whom we have no affection.

The example our Lord gave us here is not that of a good person, or even of a good Christian, but of God Himself. “…be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.” In other words, simply show to the other person what God has shown to you. And God will give you plenty of real life opportunities to prove whether or not you are “perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.” Being a disciple means deliberately identifying yourself with God’s interests in other people. Jesus says, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:34-35).

The true expression of Christian character is not in good-doing, but in God-likeness. If the Spirit of God has transformed you within, you will exhibit divine characteristics in your life, not just good human characteristics. God’s life in us expresses itself as God’s life, not as human life trying to be godly. The secret of a Christian’s life is that the supernatural becomes natural in him as a result of the grace of God, and the experience of this becomes evident in the practical, everyday details of life, not in times of intimate fellowship with God. And when we come in contact with things that create confusion and a flurry of activity, we find to our own amazement that we have the power to stay wonderfully poised even in the center of it all.

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Journal DJR
Good Morning Lord,
I’m seeing that the benefits of prayer come both at the time of sweet fellowship with you AND also in our more Godlike reactions that come later in the day to day events of life. In fact, how we act in these everyday interactions is a pretty good indicator of how good our connection was in the prayer time. I’ve been considering lately how you do your work to make me God-like. You’ve given us your cross and your example of surrendering life and receiving new life. We can bring general things like the “Big Four”…our desire to look good, feel good, be right and be in control as well as specifics…that guy cut me off in traffic, etc. It’s been helpful to visualize packing those things up in a box and setting them at the foot of the cross. But I’m curious, Do you then infuse your life into me? Or does getting rid of my sin and ego and “false self” get down to the basic me that you created in your image and said was Good… before the fall? Or does it matter? Maybe it’s both? I’ll be waiting to hear your thoughts on that. Since I’m not hearing anything right now, perhaps I need to clear out some tensions and preconceptions so that I can hear better?

Good idea. Sometimes I don’t answer you immediately because I want to give you time to better formulate your question. It may be in that struggle that I will answer.

That makes sense. I was struggling with the question(s). And I do have a lot of time for the next 9 weeks as I am out of my familiar surroundings and responsibilities for this Proton Cancer Therapy. I’m looking forward to spending a lot of time with you. And I’ll struggle as much as I need to to get my questions clear…. I’m looking forward to this opportunity and seeing it as a gift.

You are those who have continued with Me in My trials. —Luke 22:28

» Read more: Praying to God in Secret

We have renounced the hidden things of shame… —2 Corinthians 4:2

Have you “renounced the hidden things of shame” in your life— the things that your sense of honor or pride will not allow to come into the light? You can easily hide them. Is there a thought in your heart about anyone that you would not like to be brought into the light? Then renounce it as soon as it comes to mind— renounce everything in its entirety until there is no hidden dishonesty or craftiness about you at all. Envy, jealousy, and strife don’t necessarily arise from your old nature of sin, but from the flesh which was used for these kinds of things in the past (see Romans 6:19 and 1 Peter 4:1-3). You must maintain continual watchfulness so that nothing arises in your life that would cause you shame.

“…not walking in craftiness…” (2 Corinthians 4:2). This means not resorting to something simply to make your own point. This is a terrible trap. You know that God will allow you to work in only one way— the way of truth. Then be careful never to catch people through the other way— the way of deceit. If you act deceitfully, God’s blight and ruin will be upon you. What may be craftiness for you, may not be for others— God has called you to a higher standard. Never dull your sense of being your utmost for His highest— your best for His glory. For you, doing certain things would mean craftiness coming into your life for a purpose other than what is the highest and best, and it would dull the motivation that God has given you. Many people have turned back because they are afraid to look at things from God’s perspective. The greatest spiritual crisis comes when a person has to move a little farther on in his faith than the beliefs he has already accepted.

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Journal DJR
Good Morning Lord,
That part about your “blight and ruin” didn’t fit the God I am learning to love. Probably sowing and reaping would be a better description.
The last sentence spoke loudest to me today… which is often the case. “…spiritual crisis comes when a person has to move a little farther on in his faith than the beliefs he has already accepted.” Things have been stirring in me for a few months but I’ve only been able to generally say that I was restless and sensing that there must be more. Couldn’t really articulate it and when I tried, the words just weren’t right. I still don’t have all the words but I have a few. I’m seeing that my God has been too small. You’re bigger than I imagined. And you’re all about love and I get to learn how big you are and how big you love and to find my place in you and you that big God in me. It’s kind of mind blowing. Especially since there are 3 of you and you’re all in on this…and inviting me in too. No more ATM in the sky or vending machine that works if I get may prayers just right. Or angry Judge, or Santa Claus checking his list to see who’s been naughty or nice.
So, I’m going to have to (get to) move on in my faith journey. Where I have been just won’t do anymore. I have seen too much, even though thru a glass darkly. I have no clue where this journey will lead. and am a little apprehensive, as I’m sure Abraham was when you called him to move on.

Gen 12:1 “Leave your native country, your relatives, and your father’s family, and go to the land that I will show you.

So I’ll stay curious on the balcony as you’ve taught us. and Habakuk.

Habakuk 2:1 I will stand at my watch and station myself on the ramparts;
I will look to see what he will say to me, and what answer I am to give to this complaint

And like you told him, I’ll do my best to write it down

Habakuk 2:2 The LORD answered me: Write down this vision; clearly inscribe it on tablets so one may easily read it.

…the simplicity that is in Christ.  —2 Corinthians 11:3

I have finished the work which You have given Me to do. —John 17:4

True surrender is not simply surrender of our external life but surrender of our will— and once that is done, surrender is complete. The greatest crisis we ever face is the surrender of our will. Yet God never forces a person’s will into surrender, and He never begs. He patiently waits until that person willingly yields to Him. And once that battle has been fought, it never needs to be fought again.

Surrender for Deliverance. “Come to Me…and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). It is only after we have begun to experience what salvation really means that we surrender our will to Jesus for rest. Whatever is causing us a sense of uncertainty is actually a call to our will— “Come to Me.” And it is a voluntary coming.

Surrender for Devotion. “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself…” (Matthew 16:24). The surrender here is of my self to Jesus, with His rest at the heart of my being. He says, “If you want to be My disciple, you must give up your right to yourself to Me.” And once this is done, the remainder of your life will exhibit nothing but the evidence of this surrender, and you never need to be concerned again with what the future may hold for you. Whatever your circumstances may be, Jesus is totally sufficient (see 2 Corinthians 12:9 and Philippians 4:19).

Surrender for Death. “…another will gird you…” (John 21:18; also see John 21:19). Have you learned what it means to be girded for death? Beware of some surrender that you make to God in an ecstatic moment in your life, because you are apt to take it back again. True surrender is a matter of being “united together [with Jesus] in the likeness of His death” (Romans 6:5) until nothing ever appeals to you that did not appeal to Him.

And after you surrender— then what? Your entire life should be characterized by an eagerness to maintain unbroken fellowship and oneness with God.

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Journal DJR
Good Morning Lord,
Today Chambers asks if we know what it means to be “girded for death.” I suppose getting this cancer diagnosis at least got me considering that question. Actually, I’ve been surprised… as I consider my mortality, I thought I would be more panicky. I don’t feel any of that. Maybe it hasn’t sunk in… Maybe I’m just committing my life to you, including the time of departure. Whatever the case, thank you for the peace, and the gift that this sabbatical time is being. I’m looking forward to diving deeper.
Neither JD nor I related to having a “once and done” surrender experience that lasted the rest of our lives as Chambers mentions. It seems to us that there may be a big surrender, but in our experience, that is followed by us picking up our lives again… our taking control with one of the big four (must look good, feel good, be right and be in control) so to speak… followed by surrender again, perhaps deeper this time, and on and on the cycle goes, until we get to the final surrender of death. Am I missing something here?

He only said you don’t have to worry…”once this is done, the remainder of your life will exhibit nothing but the evidence of this surrender, and you never need to be concerned again with what the future may hold for you. Whatever your circumstances may be, Jesus is totally sufficient” Isn’t that just what you were saying about the peace about your mortality?

OK, I see that part and I am beginning to worry less. Getting out of “dual thinking” where everything is either good or bad, for me or against me, leaving room for paradox and mystery and a third way…. that has been freeing and helped me relax and enjoy or walk together. Thank you for all the things you’ve shown us since we started this blog. When I go back to it’s beginning or think about our initial retreat at Shaver lake… I was a pretty uptight and self assured guy. Thanks for not giving up on me. What we went for, and didn’t receive…now we are receiving in spades. You are good.

Jesus answered and said, “You do not know what you ask.” —Matthew 20:22