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21st September 2007

All the Way to Life

David Weber

This is a note that was written to a brother but was never sent. I felt that I should just "wholesale" this one out, as it applies to us all ...


Hi Bro,

I've got to say after our recent conversation, that it's easy to talk about going to the cross, and talk about the will of God being "the desire of our heart" ... but really, where is the evidence of that in our lives?

If we so long for the laid down life, and to be conformed into the image of the Selfless One Himself, where have we attempted to lay down our life to that end? Let's look. Can we? Just briefly? ...

Have we attempted to lay down our financial life to the Lord, maybe? Have we, really? Do we give to others sacrificially as the Lord desires - even to the point that we and our families regularly do without so that others can have? Do we do that? Or is most of our money spent on US?

What about our ministry life? Let's look there. Is our time spent in service to the Lord and to others in a sacrificial way? Do we go to the least and the lost and the downtrodden of society without even thinking of our personal expense -- even the time that we spend which could be spent in much more enjoyable ways? Do we do that? Is our time spent mostly on us and our families? Or is it spent on those who may not even have families and who need to know that they are loved and are part of OUR FAMILY in Christ? Tell me. Just how many of us "living as sacrifices" regularly pour our love out on those who love us, but rarely, if ever, pour ourselves out for others in the world who need to know the unconditional love of Jesus Christ?

Are we living as sacrifices? Are we? Or are we just kidding ourselves?

Let's look at our prayer life, okay? Surely we must "lay it down" there. Are we so desperate for God that we often fast and pray so that we can touch the very heart of God? Are we on our faces before God in fasting as we ought to so that we can walk in authority to heal the sick and cast out demons? Or do we pray as it is convenient for us - and usually between the times when we are watching TV or stuffing our faces? Could it be possible that WE are not much different from the ones that Jesus called "faithless perverts" because they were so spiritually lazy that they didn't live lives filled with prayer and fasting? Please excuse the Greek here, Bro, but just how the "Hades" can we say that we want to "lay down our lives" when we can't even lay down our FORKS!

Man, I could go on and on with this, as there is a fire burning in my heart to see some real disciples who are laying down their lives unto the Lord ... but I won't go on. I'm sure that you probably get the picture by now.

I just don't see it, man -- laid down lives, that is -- not even among these "sonship" and "deeper life" people. I see a lot of religious hypocrisy, though, and a whole lot of people who are a form of godliness without power who cling to their comfortable selfish lives -- but real disciples who are regularly laying down their lives for others? Uhhh ... not even close. I know that there are some out there. God has a remnant. Perhaps a very small one. He did say that only a few will actually follow "the path" all the way to LIFE.

D