December 14, 2011
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occupy ~ do you seek your own – or the things of Christ? does His Spirit occupy?
Philippians 2:21 For all seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ's...Romans 15:3a For even Christ pleased not himself...
Luke 22:42 Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.
John 8:29 And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him.
Luke 9:23 And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.
Philippians 2:5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus...do you seek your own –
or the things of Christ?
does His Spirit occupy?do you have Christ's mind?
does His Spirit occupy?is your heart circumcised?
are you yourself denying?united with Him, fully alive
to God's will freely resigned?like Christ, broken bread and poured-out wine,
a vessel honorable, fully sanctified?Let this mind be in you, which was also in Jesus Christ...
the form of God
Lord Jesus Christ
reigned in glory
heaven occupiedHis glory throne
laid asidebecame a man
a body occupiedfrom divinity's height
a womb occupiedhumiliation
manger occupiedof palaces worthy
yet the lowly occupiedthe highest King
lowest place occupiedthe name above every name
servant's rank occupieddo you seek your own –
or the things of Christ?
does His Spirit occupy?do you have Christ's mind?
does His Spirit occupy?is your heart circumcised?
are you yourself denying?united with Him, fully alive
to God's will freely resigned?like Christ, broken bread and poured-out wine,
a vessel honorable, fully sanctified?Let this mind be in you, which was also in Jesus Christ...
uncomely root
by men despisedby His own
brushed asideman of sorrows
tears and strong criesthe garden's kiss
by friend thrice deniedmocked and scourged
suffering occupiedbearing reproach
burned outsidesilent Lamb
weakness occupiedmade a curse
the cross occupiedpropitiation
for His bridesuffering Servant
with joy occupiedby His own rejected
Lord of glory crucifiedput to grief
crushed for our crimesobedient Son
the tomb occupiedthe work finished
His Father glorifieddo you seek your own –
or the things of Christ?
does His Spirit occupy?do you have Christ's mind?
does His Spirit occupy?is your heart circumcised?
are you yourself denying?united with Him, fully alive
to God's will freely resigned?like Christ, broken bread and poured-out wine,
a vessel honorable, fully sanctified?Let this mind be in you, which was also in Jesus Christ...
His own will set aside
with His Father's will occupiedthe Glory of God manifest
meekness and majesty collidethe Gospel of God manifest
justice and mercy abide
in His furnace be refined
that His glory in you may shinewith things too profound
may we not be occupiedmay our souls be like a child
with only Christ be occupiedmay our souls be weaned
with Christ be wholly satisfied"Thou, O Christ, art all I want,
more than all in Thee I find!"
~ Charles Wesley ("Jesus, Lover of My Soul")do you seek your own –
or the things of Christ?
does His Spirit occupy?do you have Christ's mind?
does His Spirit occupy?is your heart circumcised?
are you yourself denying?united with Him, fully alive
to God's will freely resigned?like Christ, broken bread and poured-out wine,
a vessel honorable, fully sanctified?Let this mind be in you, which was also in Jesus Christ...
II Corinthians 8:9 For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.Do you know Christ's grace?Do you have Christ's mind?
Philippians 2:5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: 7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: 8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. 9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: 10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; 11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
12 Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. 13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. 14 Do all things without murmurings and disputings: 15 That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world; 16 Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain.
Matthew 10:24 The disciple is not above his master, nor the servant above his lord.
Luke 9:23 And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.
Colossians 1:24 Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ's afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church, 25 of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God that was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known, 26 the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to his saints. (ESV)II Corinthians 13:4 For though he was crucified through weakness, yet he liveth by the power of God. For we also are weak in him, but we shall live with him by the power of God toward you.5 Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates? 6 But I trust that ye shall know that we are not reprobates.
Romans 6:1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? 2 God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? 3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? 4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: 6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. 7 For he that is dead is freed from sin. 8 Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him: 9 Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him. 10 For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. 11 Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
do you seek your own –
or the things of Christ?
does His Spirit occupy?
do you have Christ's mind?
does His Spirit occupy?is your heart circumcised?
are you yourself denying?united with Him, fully alive
to God's will freely resigned?like Christ, broken bread and poured-out wine,
a vessel honorable, fully sanctified?
Related:Christ's Advent Hymn ~ "Trinity's Counsel, Divine Design"
Can two walk together... Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit...
"if I would but cease struggling ... I might be happy" (Edward Payson)
Psalm 131 ~ Lord, calm my soul; Lord, wean my soul in this mephitic air | W.H. Hewitson
O, this cross! ~ We are but vessels
Fourth Sunday of Advent (2007): The Magnificat
Happy Mother's Day (2007): Mary's "Kingdom Availability" and "Kingdom Vision"
A Song of Surrender: Aaron Shust's "Give It All Away"
Bible Reading:The Good Shepherd Recovers All, Disadvantages Himself & Is a Good Theologian
Atlanta: What Is Poverty? Jesus' Poverty: The One Who Wast Rich beyond All Splendor
What Is Success? What Is Making a Difference? Part 1: Jesus and Success
What Is Success? What Is Making a Difference? Part 11 ... from Oswald Chambers
What Is Success? What Is Making a Difference? Part 14-Being Faithful Wherever God Places Me
What Is Success? What Is Making a Difference? Part 15: What we learn from Jesus
A Hymn for "Shelf" Times..."Lord, We Know That Thou Art Near Us"
(9) Kingdom-Obsessed People don't seek "great things" for themselves
The Feast of Christ the King: (10) Kingdom-Obsessed People crown Him Lord of all
Bible Reading: Esther/(11) Kingdom-Obsessed people don't act like Queen Vashti
My love affair . . . whose trumpet, whose glory & incomplete joy
Lenten Reflections: Climbing (the minister's descent)
Lenten Reflections: What HE Gave Up ~ Does His grace get you amazed?
I keep seeking (the minister's confession)
tangled
the gall of bitterness (receiving glory from one another ~ ministry's temptation)
Save me from the mouth of the lions! (the minister's battle with pride)
but made Himself of no reputation ~ O, for grace to be a doorkeeper! (Philippians 2, Psalm 84)
Scripture quotations unless otherwise indicated are taken from the King James Version of the Holy Bible.Scripture quotations marked ESV are taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. Copyright ©2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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Comments (4)
Thou in me dwelling and I in Thee one.
That was awesome. This was a good message for me.
Good Afternoon, Karen. Another seminary level post on the sacrificial attitude of Christ and my so called sacrifice. When Jesus told His followers to pick up the instrument metaphorically, He was not kidding. Death to self is talked about, but its execution is seldom experienced. There seems to be stories about great Christians who truly followed Christ sacrificially, but there are not many---certainly not me.
I think my level was simply trying to be good at what was given to me in life. Some compliment me and others refuse to read my Xanga site.
Christ set the incredible example for followers. I think we like to hear the happy sermons about God's provision and our position, but not our Christian performace--we can always accuse others of legalism if they hit a nerve about our walk with Christ.
What you wrote is true,but not many get there.
frank
@quest4god@revelife - Yes! A wonderful hymn that expresses the oneness believers have with Christ.
@angys_coco - Thanks. It's a message we have to keep before us all the time. We're too easily preoccupied with other things that pull us away from Christ.
@ANVRSADDAY - Christ set the example, but, in addition, He provides the power. If we stop at the example, then we'll begin to despair – or else just dismiss such a sanctified life as an impossibility (which it is if we try to live like Christ in our own power). However, if we look beyond the example of Christ to the life of Christ who dwells in us and begin to pray for more of the Holy Spirit, then we will find ourselves increasingly occupied with Christ & His Kingdom and denying self and mortifying sin and offering ourselves as instruments to God.