BROKENNESS
Principle
God must
break my outward man (soul and five senses of the body), so that the inward man
(His Spirit) may be manifest through me; so that I may receive from Him and
display His very life in me (II Corinthians 4:10).
Truly, truly
I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains
by itself alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.
He who loves
his life loses it: and he who hates his life in this world shall keep it to
life eternal
(John 12:24,25) Luke 17:35; Luke 9:23,24; Mark 8:35;
Matthew 10:39
…There came a woman with an alabaster vial of very
costly perfume of pure nard; and she broke the vial and poured it over His head
(Mark 14:3).
But we have
this treasure in earthen vessels (II Corinthians 4:7).
Purpose
For whom He
foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son
(Romans 8:29). My Father has dedicated
Himself to the task of conforming me to the image of Christ. He who began
His good work in me will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus (Philippians
1:6).
I want to
know Christ and the power of His resurrection...and the fellowship of His
suffering, being conformed to His death (Philippians 3:10).
Now, those
who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and
desires (Galatians 5:24). However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit
(Romans 8:9); Let us also walk by the Spirit (Galatians 5:25).
His purpose
is to allow the Holy Spirit to control my mind, will, and emotion. For we who
live are constantly being delivered over to death for Jesus' sake, that the
life of Jesus also may be manifest in our mortal flesh (II Corinthians 4:11).
Process
But his
wife, from behind him, looked back; and she became a pillar of salt (Genesis
19:26). What has become life to me? I continue to use my old ways of satisfying
my need for love and acceptance, but God desires that I look to Him as my
Source, and for Him to supply all my needs. God lovingly begins to draw me unto
Himself and away from my false gods, object of trust, or idols, from which I
seek to get my needs supplied.
The
instruments God can use in my life are: husband or wife, father or son, mother
or daughter, friend, boss, health, finances, etc. Often He allows something in
my life that my flesh cannot handle or control in order to break me. He will
allow my old ways not to work (we are all reluctant to give up on our old ways
that have worked for us). He wants me to turn from leaning on the
trustworthiness of my talent, my attractive appearance, my spiritual gift, my
intelligence, my position, my popularity, my good job, my financial security,
my good marriage, my obedient kids…these can give me a sense of security and
significance.
God has to
allow some of the all things of
Romans 8:28 to come in to my life. He never causes it, but He allows it, and
His purpose is love. He is totally committed to my well-being. The all things are designed to bring me (the
believer) to the end of my self-sufficiency.
I enter into
a relationship of oneness with Him; I am a participant in the Lord Jesus
Christ. He wants me in a loving, dependent relationship. He hates independence.
He spends the rest of my life getting my walk and my talk congruent with His:
And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your
soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength (Mark 12:3).
This people
honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far away from Me (Matthew 15:8).
I must be willing for God to show me the truth about myself. I can be prideful,
rebellious, and stubborn, and refuse to repent, or I can humbly bow my head and
say, Yes, Lord.
Simon, son
of John, do you love Me? Yes, Lord: You know that I love You (John 21: 15-17).
Lord, with
You, I am ready to go both to prison and to death (Luke 22:33).
…And he wept
bitterly…(Luke 22:56-62).
He always
had the very nature of God but He did not think that by force He should try to
become equal with God. Of His own free will He gave it all up and took the very
nature of a servant. He was willing to have no rights of His own. He went
humbly to the cross. There He was broken for me (Philippians 2:5-8).
Problem
Jonah 4
Resources
Lifetime Guarantee, Bill Gillham, pages 167-186
The Calvary Road, Roy Hession, pages 21-26
Born Crucified, L.E. Maxwell, page 87
The Release of the Spirit, Watchman Nee
The Handbook to Happiness, Charles Solomon, pages
34, 35, 81
The Ins and Out of Rejection, Charles Solomon, pages
154-171
Brokenness, audio tapes, Dr. Charles Stanley
Blackmon, Selma, editor. The Exchanged Life News.
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