- Jesus became a man
- He is touched with feelings our infirmities…
- He was tempted in all points like we are…
- And our prayers follow suit, usually sounding like this - forgive me, bless me, I’m so bad, make me better, get me out of this mess, etc.
But over time we move beyond ourselves and grow to the place where our emphasis shifts more towards God and less upon ourselves. Suddenly it’s not about God identifying with us, but rather US identifying with Him. Now we are…
- Seated with Christ in heavenly places
- Being conformed to the image of His Son
- Ambassadors for Christ
- Presenting ourselves to God as living sacrifices
At this stage, we don’t have to be ‘talked into’ doing God’s will. We just do it! When it comes to duties like giving, prayer, time in God’s Word, worship, being in church, volunteering, serving, etc, no one has to beg, plead, or guilt-trip us into compliance. We are glad to do it. Commands like deny yourself and take up your cross are incorporated into our daily lives voluntarily, and with joy.
The Bible teaches both of these emphasises as a natural process in our spiritual journey; and it’s important that we understand the difference between the two, keep them in balance, and give each one their proper place in our life.
It is also important to recognize which stage others might be in, so as not to lose patience with them.
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