The deliverer cannot be delivered
“He saved others; Himself He cannot save.” (Matt. 27:42). “He saved others; let Him save Himself, if He be Christ, the chosen of God.” (Lk. 23;35).
Moses interceded to save the people but who was able to intercede for him after he struck the rock twice and lashed out at the people? No one.
Jephthah laid down his life for Israel, but when he made a rash vow to bargain for God’s already promised victory, who could free him from his painful oath?
In his last effort to deliver Israel, Samson must lose his life.
Abraham had overcome and in himself had delivered his whole future family from idolatry, but when he must offer up Isaac as a sacrifice to God, who greater than he could offer another son in Abraham’s place? Not even Sarah must be awakened or she would have fought to deliver Isaac—and thus Abraham, from this horrible task. But, deliverance must not be for Abraham which brought him almost to the breaking point.
Whoever will save the world must lose himself. Gehazi sought to receive his reward in this life, and the Lord sent him a plague of leprosy instead. The unnamed prophet rewarded himself with food and, through providence, became food for a lion. The Lord takes the business of salvation seriously. Will we take up His cross?
“Said Jesus unto His disciples, If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.
For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for My sake shall find it….
For the Son of man shall come in the glory of His Father with His angels; and then He shall reward every man according to his works.” (Matt. 16:24,25,27). There is no glory now in our work for the Lord. Our glory is all future. “Thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just.” (Lk. 14:14).
We do have a present reward, but it doesn’t come in the form of our recognition or any aggrandizement. Our reward comes to us today in the precious knowledge of God in Christ. Abraham and all the patriarchs, prophets, apostles, and saints discovered that obedience to Christ provided the grace to see Him. “Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day: and he saw it, and was glad.” (Jn. 8:56).
Baptized by fire, Abraham understood the suffering of Christ in His baptism of the same. And after it was all over for Abraham, he rejoiced because knowing God had become his firmest endeavor and highest joy.
Is an intimate knowledge of God our greatest need? If it is, then we will glory in tribulation, knowing that tribulation works in us an experience of God’s character. Knowing God will be everything to us; we will need no earthly reward. After all we have done for Jesus we will humbly and thankfully say, “We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do.” (Lk. 17:10). Jesus will be our “exceeding great reward.” (Gen. 15:1). Any other earthly prosperity will pale into insignificance.
If we know God we will never complain that after we have been spent for others, no one has been there for us. We will never murmur because we will know that such was the experience of Christ. His life will be in all our thoughts, His sacrifice of self will become our utmost excellent aspiration. His character will be beautiful to us.
“Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,
And be found in Him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:
That I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being made conformable unto His death;
If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead….
I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” (Phil. 3:8-11,14).
The 144,000 will know this sacrifice of self, for of them it says that they “follow the Lamb whithersoever He goeth,” “and they loved not their lives unto the death.” (Rev. 14:4;12:11).
Let us get ready for the Latter Rain of the Holy Spirit, and the great time of trouble “such as never was” that follows on its heels. They will teach us both the mercy and justice of God. Both are essential to ready us to finally, personally, physically see Jesus and His Father coming on Judgment Day.
Moses interceded to save the people but who was able to intercede for him after he struck the rock twice and lashed out at the people? No one.
Jephthah laid down his life for Israel, but when he made a rash vow to bargain for God’s already promised victory, who could free him from his painful oath?
In his last effort to deliver Israel, Samson must lose his life.
Abraham had overcome and in himself had delivered his whole future family from idolatry, but when he must offer up Isaac as a sacrifice to God, who greater than he could offer another son in Abraham’s place? Not even Sarah must be awakened or she would have fought to deliver Isaac—and thus Abraham, from this horrible task. But, deliverance must not be for Abraham which brought him almost to the breaking point.
Whoever will save the world must lose himself. Gehazi sought to receive his reward in this life, and the Lord sent him a plague of leprosy instead. The unnamed prophet rewarded himself with food and, through providence, became food for a lion. The Lord takes the business of salvation seriously. Will we take up His cross?
“Said Jesus unto His disciples, If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.
For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for My sake shall find it….
For the Son of man shall come in the glory of His Father with His angels; and then He shall reward every man according to his works.” (Matt. 16:24,25,27). There is no glory now in our work for the Lord. Our glory is all future. “Thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just.” (Lk. 14:14).
We do have a present reward, but it doesn’t come in the form of our recognition or any aggrandizement. Our reward comes to us today in the precious knowledge of God in Christ. Abraham and all the patriarchs, prophets, apostles, and saints discovered that obedience to Christ provided the grace to see Him. “Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day: and he saw it, and was glad.” (Jn. 8:56).
Baptized by fire, Abraham understood the suffering of Christ in His baptism of the same. And after it was all over for Abraham, he rejoiced because knowing God had become his firmest endeavor and highest joy.
Is an intimate knowledge of God our greatest need? If it is, then we will glory in tribulation, knowing that tribulation works in us an experience of God’s character. Knowing God will be everything to us; we will need no earthly reward. After all we have done for Jesus we will humbly and thankfully say, “We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do.” (Lk. 17:10). Jesus will be our “exceeding great reward.” (Gen. 15:1). Any other earthly prosperity will pale into insignificance.
If we know God we will never complain that after we have been spent for others, no one has been there for us. We will never murmur because we will know that such was the experience of Christ. His life will be in all our thoughts, His sacrifice of self will become our utmost excellent aspiration. His character will be beautiful to us.
“Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,
And be found in Him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:
That I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being made conformable unto His death;
If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead….
I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” (Phil. 3:8-11,14).
The 144,000 will know this sacrifice of self, for of them it says that they “follow the Lamb whithersoever He goeth,” “and they loved not their lives unto the death.” (Rev. 14:4;12:11).
Let us get ready for the Latter Rain of the Holy Spirit, and the great time of trouble “such as never was” that follows on its heels. They will teach us both the mercy and justice of God. Both are essential to ready us to finally, personally, physically see Jesus and His Father coming on Judgment Day.
posted by David | 10:52 AM
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