Daily Journal: 18 August

A Transformed Life

of Faith

Dying to self is an uncomfortable term that, honestly, at first we prefer not to look too closely at. It doesn’t sound good.

Dying to self is a phrase in the bible that distinguishes the follower of Christ from a general believer in God. The message focuses on our need to relinquish our ‘self’ and allow Christ to govern our thinking because of our understanding that His Spirit now lives in us and we submit our lives to Him and His absolute goodness.

Well, that doesn’t sound too bad, does it?

We tend to predominantly think dying to self is all about loss and sacrifice that hurts and is always going to feel like a struggle.

This message we carry doesn’t usually consider properly that when we die to self, we die to chaos and disorder. Who wants chaos and disorder in their life? This is so critical to engage with!

The loss of self is not only about having the willingness to let go of anything we might desire, it’s a loss of the destruction that sin brings into our life, like pride, covetousness, jealousy or greed. Dying to self is making us alive in Christ, allowing us to become free in nature through Him so that nothing rules us except His goodness and value in us; therefore, nothing can destroy us.

Dying to self begins with relinquishing earthly comfort and natural sight for greater spiritual sight and maturity and the greater desire for Him, that then brings enormous comfort and blessing in the richness of what He gives to us (Matthew 6:33).

Things that can look nice and exciting on the surface (with our natural sight and desires) can often become ugly and self-destructive. When we recognise that, our desire for God’s righteousness, justice and goodness becomes what we seek more and we die to self; relinquishing things of our nature for God’s nature.

In dying to self we can recognise how Christ grants us a transformed life of faith:

Isaiah 61:3 (AMPC)

To grant [consolation and joy] to those who mourn in Zion—to give them an ornament (a garland or diadem) of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, the garment [expressive] of praise instead of a heavy, burdened, and failing spirit—that they may be called oaks of righteousness [lofty, strong, and magnificent, distinguished for uprightness, justice, and right standing with God], the planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.

God establishes us as we plant ourselves in Him. We recognise our need for Him as we humble ourselves and bring our suffering to Him. As we do that we recognise how He humbled Himself and suffered for our sake. His righteousness, which includes justice for us and over us, becomes life-transforming.

Matthew 5:3-6 (NLT)

“God blesses those who are poor [in spirit] and realize their need for him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs. God blesses those who mourn, for they will be comforted. God blesses those who are humble, for they will inherit the whole earth. God blesses those who hunger and thirst for justice [righteousness], for they will be satisfied.

So then, I become a new creation, viewing things that matter on this earth as less desirable than what God offers, not more desirable. And there, I become aware of His will for me.

Romans 12:1-2 (GNT)

So then, my friends, because of God's great mercy to us I appeal to you: Offer yourselves as a living sacrifice to God, dedicated to his service and pleasing to him. This is the true worship that you should offer. Do not conform yourselves to the standards of this world, but let God transform you inwardly by a complete change of your mind. Then you will be able to know the will of God—what is good and is pleasing to him and is perfect.