THE CRITICAL ELEMENT
Issue #6 2-May, 1990
I'm sorry it has been so long since I have last written to
you. I'm afraid the noose of academia has been tight around my
neck these last few weeks. I've also been struggling with some
thing. I've been struggling with complacency. I'm afraid that
God and the pleasure of serving Him have not been as important to
me these last few weeks as they should have been. I have placed
God on the back burner and only consulted Him when I was in great
need.
I have already written to you about how you could be sure
that you are a Christian. Later, I challenged you to seek God
and begin to give Him control of your life. Next, you read about
how important it is to love God before all things. What you are
about to read is a higher calling. It is one that we are all
called to follow, but only a very few ever choose to do so. What
I am talking about here is a total dedication of your life to
God. I don't mean just a willingness to do some specific thing.
I mean a continuous and consistent dedication of one person to
one God. I'm talking about a total sell-out; completely empty
ing yourself moment by moment and being sensitive to the urgings
of the Spirit.
"I urge you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to
present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to
God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be
conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of
your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is, that which
is good and acceptable and perfect." (Romans 12:1,2).
The word sacrifice in the above passage is derived from the
Greek word Thuo, a primitive verb meaning to kill. Is Paul
telling us to kill ourselves? In a manner of speaking, yes. 2
Cor. 5:15 states, "and He died for all, that they who live should
no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose
again on their behalf." Now that we are Christians, our lives
are not our own. Everything that we have has been generously
given to us by God. We, as believers, are on His time.
If we look at the parable of the landowner (Matt. 21:33-46),
and try to apply it personally, we can see how the above state
ments are true. God has placed us in His vineyard (school,
classes, clubs, Greek letter organizations, circle of friends,
etc.). He expects us to produce fruit. If we do not do as He
asks, then our vineyard will be given to someone who is being
faithful. We are on God's time clock.
So just how are we to live for Him? There are two keys to
this act. These have already been stated in the Romans 12 pas
sage. We are to present our bodies as living sacrifices and to
be transformed by renewing our minds. Let's look at the first
part of this in more detail.
"For you have been bought with a price; therefore glorify
God in your body." (1 Cor. 6:20). Christ died for us; that was
the price that has ransomed our lives. We were once slaves to
sin and to Satan, but we have been purchased and rescued from
that horror. Shockingly enough, I can't believe how many times I
have placed the irons back upon my wrists and went back into
slavery. "Do you not know that when you present yourselves to
someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom
you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience
resulting in righteousness?" (Romans 6:16). I don't know about
you, but I am growing weary. I am tired of living an up and down
spiritual existence. I'm ready for a change! It's time for me
to stop pursuing my own lusts and desires and start focusing on
God. It is time to be transformed!
"For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on
the Spirit is life and peace, because the mind set on the flesh
is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law
of God, for it is not even able to do so." (Romans 8:6,7). A
friend of mine gave me a booklet by Robert Munger entitled "My
Heart-Christ's Home." In this booklet, the author compares the
mind to a library or study in a home. The following is a quota
tion from the booklet in which Christ and the author are convers
ing.
"'First of all, take all the material your are reading and
viewing which are not true, good, pure and helpful, and throw
them out. Now put on the empty shelves the books of the Bible.
Fill the library with Scriptures and meditate on them day and
night. As for these pictures on the walls, you will have diffi
culty controlling these images, but I have something that will
help.' He gave me a full-sized portrait of Himself. 'Hang this
centrally,' He said, 'on the wall of the mind.' I did, and I
have discovered through the years that when my thoughts are
centered on Christ, the awareness of his presence, purity and
power causes wrong and impure thoughts to back away. So He has
helped me to bring my thoughts under His control, but the strug
gle remains. If you have difficulty with this little room of the
mind, let me encourage you to bring Christ there. Pack it full
with the Word of God, study it, meditate on it and keep clearly
before you the presence of the Lord Jesus."
I know you are anxiously awaiting the end of the semester.
Praise God there are only a few more days. Unfortunately, for
most of us the summer is a notorious time of falling away from
God. Our parents may not be as supportive of our Christian walk
as our friends can be. You may just not feel comfortable being a
Christian around your family. Regardless of what you do this
summer, don't let Satan have his way. Make plans now to study
the word and to be faithful to His calling. Don't let yourself
slip away this summer and have to come back with a renewed atti
tude.
As for me I will once again have a chance to be alone with
myself. I will again be isolated from my Christian friends here
at Tech. I am determined not to fall away from God! I am tired
of a roller coaster ride. I want to maintain the same attitude
that I have now - to serve the Lord my God!
I challenge you to be faithful this summer. Read the word
daily. Talk to your family and friends about God (Yes, I know
that is scary). Spend some time everyday in prayer. Set aside
some special, longer times each week when you can pray or read.
Perhaps you can share this time with a friend. Have someone hold
you accountable. Have this person ask you hard questions. Don't
fall away, "For I am confident of this very thing, that He who
began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ
Jesus." (Phil. 1:6).
For further reading:
Romans 6:13,19; 13:14
James 4:4,7
Ephesians 2:3; 4:23
** Philippians 1:20
Philippians 4:6,7
1 John 2:15-17; 3:2
2 Cor. 11:15
Psalms 119:1
Colossians 1:21,22
1 Peter 2:4,5
../