Living for Eternity – The Priced Prize!
As we know, no one wants to waste his or her life: We want to feel important or do something important to make a name for ourselves. But, the question is: what will we leave behind as our identity here on earth? Will it be the memory that we lived for Jesus with all our heart—that we gave Him all we had and we were building His kingdom or some other kingdoms?!
A person’s wealth represents the result of his ambitions, dreams, toil, priorities, time, activities, motives — everything he is. When we commit ourself to live for Jesus, we cannot live just like everyone else. We can either choose to be led by the Spirit, or by the flesh – by our own flesh, or own logic, or driven by other people’s opinions. Our choice to live for Jesus is not just a means to escape hell. It is not just to have our sins forgiven or to have a nice, comfortable life here on earth with good fellowship and a free ride to heaven.
Are we willing to walk away from all that we could accumulate on this earth and be content with what the Lord gives us? God will give us the grace to live this life as per He call. Only Lord can provide the balance we need in our walk.
Mt 13:44-46 44"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. 45Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, 46who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it."
Giving up everything for the treasure & the pearl of great price means not just material things but our priorities, people, time.... everything we hold dear to! (may not be literal selling everything we've got!)
Balance: We can use all those things that has been given to us, but don’t forget they are His, as well as we're bought by a price. When He need to use any of the things we're using, we must give them because God is the owner.
Jesus didn’t just talk about paying the price, but paid it too with His blood. His eyes were not focused on the cross & the sufferings; but He looked beyond it.
Heb 12:1-4 1Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls. 4You have not yet resisted to bloodshed, striving against sin.
If we choose to obey and move forward in faith, looking at Jesus, we will find ourselves drawing closer to Him—and becoming more like Him in the process. In the light of eternity, the battle is really not that long. The prize is to meet and be in the presence of the one who loves us the most and gave His life a ransom for us.
The joy beyond the sufferings:
The only way we will have the strength to do what God asks us to do is by keeping our eyes on Jesus just as He had done while going through the cross! As we focus our eyes on Him, all the sounds and sights that distract us from the race fade away. We'll have the joy that will make every little suffering and inconvenience worth it all. (2 Cor 4:17)
Not Asceticism: Many people around the world strip themselves of material goods in order to seek internal peace. Buddha, Gandhi... but is only the attempt of the self to gain salvation.
Col 2:20-23 20Therefore, if you died with Christ from the basic principles of the world, why, as though living in the world, do you subject yourselves to regulations; 21"Do not touch, do not taste, do not handle," 22which all concern things which perish with the using; according to the commandments and doctrines of men. 23These things indeed have an appearance of wisdom in self-imposed religion, FALSE humility, and neglect of the body, but are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh.
Every Bible college and seminary teach their students theology & philosophy. Only few train students to make them to be Christlike or disciples by counting the cost of following Jesus! As a result we produce consumer-managers to have the biggest church with detailed business plan. In a recent survey of 1,000 church attenders in USA (2013), respondents were asked, “Why does the church exist?” According to 89 percent, the church’s purpose was “to take care of my family’s and my spiritual needs.” Only 11 percent said the purpose of the church is “to win the world for Jesus Christ.” These attitudes of a business-driven response make things worse. In the long run, when they train consumers instead of communers, it’ll end up with customers instead of disciples.
Mt 16:24-26 24Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. 25"For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. 26"For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?
What does it mean to deny self?
Col 1:24 I now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, for the sake of His body, which is the church,
Paul says: I don’t consider my own life dear to me!! The Lord prepared Him for the trials!
Acts 20:22-24 22"And see, now I go bound in the spirit to Jerusalem, not knowing the things that will happen to me there, 23"except that the Holy Spirit testifies in every city, saying that chains and tribulations await me. 24"But none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.
Acts 21:10-14 10And as we stayed many days, a certain prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. 11When he had come to us, he took Paul's belt, bound his own hands and feet, and said, "Thus says the Holy Spirit, So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man who owns this belt, and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.' " 12Now when we heard these things, both we and those from that place pleaded with him not to go up to Jerusalem. 13Then Paul answered, "What do you mean by weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus." 14So when he would not be persuaded, we ceased, saying, "The will of the Lord be done."
Phil 3:13-14 13Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, 14I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
Walk by Faith
The Lord may sometime ask us to do something that opposes our very logic. God wants us, in our life and ministry for Him, to stand on emptiness: holding onto something you cannot tangibly feel. Your eyes see nothing but still you follow – by faith. (We walk by faith not by sight! 2 Cor 5:7)
Nothing we do for the Lord can ever come from our own resources. Everything we are, everything we trust—our own know how, abilities, talents, strength—all are nothing compared to His infinite resources. We have to arrive at this right perspective about ourself & God until we're able to walk by faith!
Reasons for the necessity to walk by faith
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If it is physically possible for us, then we'll take the credit for that:
God waited until Abraham had nothing humanly speaking to hold onto; he was then totally dependent on God for the fulfilment of the promise. (Heb 11:12)
My own call for ministry came in such an “emptiness”
- The problem is we're Running on our own Agenda: We've our own plans and agendas.
Children of Israel grumbled because God did not deliver according to their schedule or likings. God wanted them to focus their hearts not on what they would eat the next day, or on where they would go, or how they will be safe, but on Him. As a result of their rebellion, they had to spend 40 years in the wilderness to learn this!
How can we walk by faith or on emptiness?
Some of the possible scenarios that God want us to avoid in this process are as follows!
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Do not trust in man/ Someone more Predictable: Israel wanted to be sure what would
happen tomorrow. They wanted to be confident that things would work out a certain way. They wanted that secure feeling of knowing that the storehouses were full and that if something disastrous happened, a king would be there to take care of them and defend them with his army.
We're no different that the Israelites. And in the end God gave them what they wanted after severe warnings!
Eg: Job might have looked towards his wife, friends, but at the end only the Lord remained!
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Do not trust in our talents/abilities:
We should have the mentality that our talents and abilities are gifts from God, and we surrender them to Him to use as He see it fitting.
Ps 19:12-13 12Who can understand his errors? Cleanse me from secret faults. 13Keep back Your servant also from presumptuous sins; Let them not have dominion over me. Then I shall be blameless, And I shall be innocent of great transgression. (arrogance from ability to do something)
We should be totally dependent on God. Else, flesh gets in the way & the Lord has to make them nothing before He can build us back up again for His service. This helps us know beyond a shadow of a doubt that God has accomplished these things.
Eze 22:30 "So I sought for a man among them who would make a wall, and stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found no one.
God is looking not for Bible knowledge, impeccable theology, great zeal, missions conferences or computer information networks. He is looking for surrender—men and women at home who are willing to say, “My life no longer belongs to me; I have given it as a sacrifice.” (like Paul in Act 20:24)
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Do no Depend on our strength/numbers :
Gideon had 32,000 warriors when God first led him to war against the Midianites. Only 300 was allowed for the battle to show that it would be His victory alone, and to weed out those who did not put their trust wholly in the Lord. These 300 were willing to go into battle regardless of the outcome because they realized the victory did not depend on them. They were willing to stand on emptiness & trusted that God would fight for them.
David took census in 2 Sam 24 to check the strength of his army – result 70k died!
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Remove Pride:
King Uzziah – ruined his career due to pride.
2 Chro 26:1-5,16,21 1Now all the people of Judah took Uzziah, who was sixteen years old, and made him king instead of his father Amaziah. 2He built Elath and restored it to Judah, after the king rested with his fathers. 3Uzziah was sixteen years old when he became king, and he reigned fifty-two years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Jecholiah of Jerusalem. 4And he did what was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father Amaziah had done. 5He sought God in the days of Zechariah, who had understanding in the visions of God; and as long as he sought the LORD, God made him prosper. … 16But when he was strong his heart was lifted up, to his destruction, for he transgressed against the LORD his God by entering the temple of the LORD to burn incense on the altar of incense. … 21King Uzziah was a leper until the day of his death. He dwelt in an isolated house, because he was a leper; for he was cut off from the house of the LORD. Then Jotham his son was over the king's house, judging the people of the land.
Our heart becomes lifted up for our own destruction. The attitude of the heart which we must continually guard against is the attitude of thinking we have it made. Humility as shown by Jesus should be the goal.
Being Prepared to give up our rights:
Jesus said: show the other cheek, give garment...
Luk 17:7-10 7"And which of you, having a servant plowing or tending sheep, will say to him when he has come in from the field, Come at once and sit down to eat'? 8"But will he not rather say to him, Prepare something for my supper, and gird yourself and serve me till I have eaten and drunk, and afterward you will eat and drink' 9"Does he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I think not. 10"So likewise you, when you have done all those things which you are commanded, say, We are unprofitable servants. We have done what was our duty to do.' "
We may not know where the Lord will have us go tomorrow or next year but, all we should care is that we're standing on faith and declaring total dependence on the Lord. It is He who leads us, whether that means having everything or having nothing. All that matters is His will.
Stripping Away Our Secret Longings is the key: Can we honestly say that this world is not our home and that we're are simply passing through?
Meditation:
- Is there something the Lord has asked me to do that I have put off because I’m are afraid to lose control of the situation or insecure about the price to be paid?
- Have I stripped myself of the secret longings deep within my heart for acceptance, security and recognition to put my eyes on the real prize (the pearl of great price)?
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