So, after a good, long conversation with my roommate, I have more to write about. Lots more, but I'll contain it to one topic. God's self-existence, if that's a real word/phrase. "I am what I am" was God's answer to Moses when he asked how to respond when the people ask who sent him. God exists and doesn't need us or depend on us for existence, while we, on the other hand, need Him desperately and intrinsically. I have no control over my existence. I am dependent on God, but, because of the Fall of humankind, I live and act and think as though I am independent, when, in fact, I am not. I have no control over whether or not my liver will continue functioning properly or that my legs will work in the morning to get myself out of bed. Tozer talks about the essence of sin being that I put myself on the throne of my Self, where only God belongs, because only He is self-existent. I am dependent on Him, so I can't claim any authority over my life or existence. That being said, we are stained and bent towards this Self-exultation and that is the essence of our sin nature and rebellion against God. It isn't that we got drunk or had sex before we were married or murdered someone. It was that we determined that we would decide whether or not those actions were okay for us to do. We decided our own morality. We, created beings, refused to acknowledge our creature-hood and instead told God that He can take a hike. That's how we live. That's the root of the problem for anyone who doesn't believe in and follow Jesus Christ and that's the root of the problem for those who do. We are constantly climbing back up on the throne of our Self and refuse to submit to God.
So then, how do we live? If we want to surrender that delusion of authority, if we want to lay down our Self ("deny yourself" as Jesus put it)... how do we do that? What does that even mean? It is easy to talk about things like this within a Christian context, because I'm used to the jargon. "Take up your cross daily and follow me" and other verses like that are too familiar. How do I practically "take up my cross"? If, like the apostle Paul said, "I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." I am phyiscally still alive. I have never been crucified. So is this verse just blatant lie? I don't think so. So there is something spiritual that is going on that I can't see, something abstract... When Jesus Christ was crucified, somehow, I died, too? How? Or is that what Paul means—that through faith, I accept that this mysterious truth is, in fact, true? I guess this is getting a little too "systematic theology" for me so I'm going to switch gears a bit...
How do I as a follower of Jesus Christ live this out? I believe there is something deeply true about this concept, but it is hard in this culture (or maybe every culture) to live out. How do we deny ourselves and take up our crosses and follow Christ? How do I keep from exalting my Self? How do I surrender that and submit to God on a practical level?
Apparently if you shut down your computer it doesn't save the last thing you had copied on your mouse...so, my comment went something like this.
ReplyDeleteI think part of the answer to your question is "Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord so walk in Him" Col.2:6
Just as I counted on Christ's cross & resurrection for my salvation, I am to count on it for my daily triumph over sin. To walk in Him we need not only forgiveness for what we've done, but deliverance from what we are. "For you have died and your life is hidden with the Messiah in God...who is your life" Col.3:3-4