Tozer writes................. In every Christian's heart there is a cross and a throne, and the Christian is on the throne till he puts himself on the cross; if he refuses the cross, he remains on the throne. Perhaps this is at the bottom of the backsliding and worldliness among gospel believers today. We want to be saved, but we insist that Christ do all the dying. No cross for us, no dethronement, no dying. We remain king within the little kingdom of Mansoul and wear our tinsel crown with all the pride of a Caesar; but we doom ourselves to shadows and weakness and spiritual sterility. (Tozer)
The simple fact is that spiritual dying is brutal. Crucifixion was the most brutal death that the Romans, with all their ingenuity and brilliance, could come up with. It often took several days to die and every single breath was an agony. Are you dying? Is there a cross on your back? I often think of the agonizing walk that took the Lord from a place of torment and scourging, to the agonizing death of the cross. Can you honestly say that you have even submitted to the process? Have you had your Gethsemane moment? There will be no death for the Christian, no dethroning of the flesh, until we have our own Gethsemane. The will, my will, your will, has to come into the shadow of the cross. It has to look at the cross and all that would entail and it then has to shrink back in horror, struggle, agonize, then submit. All of us know in our hearts what holds us back from this. What part of your life keeps you on the throne of your heart?
The special forces in America are volunteers drawn from the ranks of servicemen. Their training is brutal. They are " broken down and rebuilt." Their brutal training ends in what is known as " hell week." They have a failure rate that averages about 80%. Those who fail, return to their units. They are still soldiers. The special forces soldier will be involved in combat in the most dangerous of situations, typically behind enemy lines. They will never be publicly recognized. There will be no parade ground and applause. No medal pinning ceremonies.
What kind of Christian life do you want to lead? Are you living in " shadows and weakness and spiritual sterility?" as Tozer so eloquently wrote. Are you waiting for the Lord to wave a magic wand over your life so that you can become a spiritual giant? There is no such wand and all waiting of that ilk is futile. In order to serve the Lord with your whole heart you must be dead to this world but your heart must be open to this world. It will not be good enough to forgive your enemies. There will be no virtue in this, you will be called to love your enemies. You may complain " I am simply being sanctified." I believe in the sanctification process, but not as an excuse for sin. The truth is , one is fully sanctified the moment one is genuinely saved. The process is reckoning that to be so. The process is reaching out and taking a hold of God's promises for our lives. He has called us, He has equipped us. We have everything that we need to live a Godly and Holy life. Now it's not a simple thing. Is there anything worth having that is simple and easy? Was it simple and easy in the garden of Gethsemane for our Lord? If it was difficult for Jesus, then do you suppose it will be easy for you? When you survey your life, when in the deepest parts of you, you know what has to die, will you bend the knee knowing that when you bend the knee that this will lead to the brutal death of the cross? Victory comes in bending the knee, the decision is made, but then the death will come.
The genuine Christian life is no mere cliché. How many times in Christendom do we hear the phrase " oh, you have to pick up your cross." "Lord, bend me." These are mere words. If the words are uttered with a genuine heart there is a brutal reality that lies behind them. Your life will be totally dismantled, piece by piece. Everything that you hold dear, everything, will pass through the fires, everything brothers and sister. It is a terrifying prospect. Reject any notion that the Christian life is a play-ground, it's not a play ground, it's a battle-field. Yet, it is a choice. You can choose the play-ground so to speak. That's not to say that you will not suffer hard times in the play-ground, for all men suffer hard times if they live long enough. This is not the cross, this is the shadows and the weakness and the sterility of the regular life. If you choose the battle-field, if you ask to be broken, to die, to go deeper, then you will have what you ask for. Jesus knew what lay ahead when he sweated great drops of blood. Paul knew what lay ahead as he started out in his ministry. Knowing that every part of you, every part that you hold dear will be dismantled and passed through the fire, will you still cry out to the Lord " Here I am Lord, send me?" " Break me Lord." I pray that you will. If you do, then you will dethrone your flesh. The shadow that you will stand in will be the shadow of the cross. The weakness that you have will be for Gods glory and you will not be sterile but you will give birth to hope and joy, living waters will be poured through you and everywhere the waters go, there will be healing.......brother Frank