Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. ~~Galatians 5:24 NIV
This Holy week, which coincides this year with Passover, thoughts turn to the Passion of Christ. Jesus, who was fully man but also fully God, laid aside his will to live for God's will to prevail.
After having a Passover meal with His disciples, also known as the Last Supper, Jesus went to the Mount of Olives to pray. He felt such anguish over what He knew was to come, He sweat drops of blood. Laying down His human desires to escape the adversity, he prayed, “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done” (Luke 22:42).
Jesus being completely human wanted to escape the agony He was about to face. The Lord sent an angel to strengthen Him, as it was not God's plan for Jesus to continue living in human form. At this moment in time, Jesus' human desires did not line up with His Father's desires. So Jesus prayed to seek God's will. You see--the lives of ALL people hung in the balance of this one choice.
How often are we faced with having to let go of our own desires? Sometimes we must give up something in our lives that is not God's plan for us or for others. We want to escape the torment and trials. Sometimes we must go through the trials because on the other side of those trials may hinge the lives of other people.
Christ died so all of us can live. For through Him comes everlasting life with the Father. When Jesus is our Savior, He lives through us. We touch lives for His sake. Sometimes the trials we face are not for ourselves, but to be a living testimony for others to see Jesus. We must let go of our passions that do not line up with God's plan. When in agony, we must pray, "Lord your will be done, not mine."
The Passion of Christ refers to the suffering Christ went through before His death. Most of us cannot even fathom what he faced for our sake. In return, those who belong to Christ must crucify our sinful passions. Yes, sometimes it's painful to let those things go, but when we crucify our desires, we will experience God's grace.
What desires have you crucified?
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2 gracious comments:
Shonda,
For me, the most difficult thing to do daily is crucify my will. Sometimes when God leads me through the wilderness I find it quite difficult to fully submit my will to the LORD and trust Him to act in His time and manner. As a pastor, I am acutely aware that my actions are scrutinized by my denomination as well as my parishioners. Yet, only when I commit to "Not my will, but thine" do I begin to live as Christ commands. Please pray for my family and me, that we would perpetually live as His disciples.
Chris K.
Fantastic post! Thanks for the inspiration!
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