Christian Fellowship Community Group
A safe place for Christians who Love Jesus Christ to meet and ask for prayer and share scriptures from the bible. We value the posting of Christian music, poems, stories and also personal testimonies. Please let us know your needs, concerns and have some fun getting to know each other. We treat each other with respect.
The wisdom of the fathers
THE SOUL'S DESIRE FOR SELF-PRESERVATION
The subjective working of the cross - continued
...The soul is the seat of the affections, and what a great part of our decisions and actions is influenced by these ! There is nothing deliberately sinful about them, mind you, but it is simply that there is something in us which can go out in natural affection to another person, and which as a result can influence wrongly our whole course of action.
...Then we pass to the reference in Mark chapter 8. I think that is a most important passage. Our Lord had just taught His disciples at Caesarea Philippi that He was going to suffer death at the hands of the elders of the Jews, and then Peter, with all his love for his Master, came up and rebuked Him and said to Him: ' Lord, do not do it; pity Thyself: this shall never come to Thee !' Out of his love for the Lord he appealed to Him to spare Himself; and the Lord rebuked Peter, as He would rebuke Satan, for caring for the things of men and not the things of God. And then to all present the word was spoken once more: " If any man would come after me let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his soul shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his soul for my sake and the gospel's shall save it" (Mark 8. 34, 35, mg.).
The whole question at issue is again that of the soul, and here it is particularly of the soul's desire for self preservation. There is that subtle working of the soul which says, ' If I could be allowed to live I would do anything, be willing for anything; but I must be kept alive!' There you have the soul almost crying out for help. ' Going to the Cross, being crucified, oh that is really too much! Have mercy on yourself; pity yourself ! Do you mean to say you are going against yourself and going with God ?' Some of us know well that in order to go on with God we have many a time to go against the voice of the soul, our own or other people's, and to let the Cross come in to silence that appeal for self- preservation.
Am I afraid of the will of God? The dear saint whom I have already mentioned as having had such an influence upon the course of my life, many times asked me the question: 'Do you like the will of God?' It is a tremendous question. She did not ask, 'Do you do the will of God?' she always asked, 'Do you like the will of God?' That question cuts deeper than anything else. I remember once she was having a controversy with the Lord over a certain matter. She knew what the Lord wanted, and in her heart she wanted it too. But it was difficult, and I heard her pray like this: ' Lord, I confess I don't like it, but please do not give in to me. Just wait, Lord, and I will give in to Thee.' She did not want the Lord to yield to her and to reduce His demands upon her. She wanted nothing but to please Him.
Many a time we have to come to the place where we are willing to let go things we think to be good and precious, yes, and even, it may be, the very things of God themselves, that His will may be done. Peter's concern was for his Lord and was dictated by his natural love for Him. We might feel that Peter had a marvellous love for his Lord, sufficient even for him to dare to rebuke Him. Only a strong love could bring one to attempt that! Yes, but when there is purity of spirit without that mixture of soul, you will not be led into Peter's mistake. You will recognize the will of God and you will find that that is what your heart delights in alone. You will no longer even shed a tear in sympathy with the flesh. Yes, the Cross cuts deeply, and we see here once more how utterly it has to deal with the soul. ( from "The Normal Christian Life" by Watchman Nee)
THE SOUL'S DESIRE FOR SELF-PRESERVATION
The subjective working of the cross - continued
...The soul is the seat of the affections, and what a great part of our decisions and actions is influenced by these ! There is nothing deliberately sinful about them, mind you, but it is simply that there is something in us which can go out in natural affection to another person, and which as a result can influence wrongly our whole course of action.
...Then we pass to the reference in Mark chapter 8. I think that is a most important passage. Our Lord had just taught His disciples at Caesarea Philippi that He was going to suffer death at the hands of the elders of the Jews, and then Peter, with all his love for his Master, came up and rebuked Him and said to Him: ' Lord, do not do it; pity Thyself: this shall never come to Thee !' Out of his love for the Lord he appealed to Him to spare Himself; and the Lord rebuked Peter, as He would rebuke Satan, for caring for the things of men and not the things of God. And then to all present the word was spoken once more: " If any man would come after me let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his soul shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his soul for my sake and the gospel's shall save it" (Mark 8. 34, 35, mg.).
The whole question at issue is again that of the soul, and here it is particularly of the soul's desire for self preservation. There is that subtle working of the soul which says, ' If I could be allowed to live I would do anything, be willing for anything; but I must be kept alive!' There you have the soul almost crying out for help. ' Going to the Cross, being crucified, oh that is really too much! Have mercy on yourself; pity yourself ! Do you mean to say you are going against yourself and going with God ?' Some of us know well that in order to go on with God we have many a time to go against the voice of the soul, our own or other people's, and to let the Cross come in to silence that appeal for self- preservation.
Am I afraid of the will of God? The dear saint whom I have already mentioned as having had such an influence upon the course of my life, many times asked me the question: 'Do you like the will of God?' It is a tremendous question. She did not ask, 'Do you do the will of God?' she always asked, 'Do you like the will of God?' That question cuts deeper than anything else. I remember once she was having a controversy with the Lord over a certain matter. She knew what the Lord wanted, and in her heart she wanted it too. But it was difficult, and I heard her pray like this: ' Lord, I confess I don't like it, but please do not give in to me. Just wait, Lord, and I will give in to Thee.' She did not want the Lord to yield to her and to reduce His demands upon her. She wanted nothing but to please Him.
Many a time we have to come to the place where we are willing to let go things we think to be good and precious, yes, and even, it may be, the very things of God themselves, that His will may be done. Peter's concern was for his Lord and was dictated by his natural love for Him. We might feel that Peter had a marvellous love for his Lord, sufficient even for him to dare to rebuke Him. Only a strong love could bring one to attempt that! Yes, but when there is purity of spirit without that mixture of soul, you will not be led into Peter's mistake. You will recognize the will of God and you will find that that is what your heart delights in alone. You will no longer even shed a tear in sympathy with the flesh. Yes, the Cross cuts deeply, and we see here once more how utterly it has to deal with the soul. ( from "The Normal Christian Life" by Watchman Nee)
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