Weekly Devotional 10-3-16 The Greatest Delusion
What is the Greatest Delusion that one can be under? For the non-believer, the greatest delusion is that they will someday be in the presence of God without having lived for Him during their lifetime. For a believer, the greatest delusion is to believe that he or she can be a nominal Christian, but yet be pleasing to God. Didn’t Jesus say, “If anyone desires to come after Me [follow Me], let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it?” Yes, He did. “Take up your cross and follow me.” What did Jesus mean by this declaration? In context, Jesus was admonishing Peter because he was not willing to believe that Jesus would soon go to Jerusalem and be killed. We read from (Matthew 16:13-27 NKJV);
“13When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, ‘Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?’ 14So they said, ‘Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.’ 15He said to them, ‘But who do you say that I am?’ 16Simon Peter answered and said, ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.’ 17Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. 18And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. 19And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.’ 20Then He commanded His disciples that they should tell no one that He was Jesus the Christ.
21From that time Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day. 22Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, ‘Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!’ 23But He (Jesus) turned and said to Peter, ‘Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.’ 24Then Jesus said to His disciples, ‘If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. 25For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. 26For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? 27For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works.’”
What was the essence of Jesus’ admonition? In essence, Jesus told Peter, and indirectly us, that unless he committed himself and we commit ourselves to following Jesus, not just in word, but in full surrender, he and we would not be pleasing to God. Being a Christian, a faithful follower of Jesus, is much more than a verbal assent. It is a life of total commitment.
Jesus’ choice of words is interesting. He said, “Unless a man take up his cross.” Why would He use such terminology?
The cross was a method used in Rome for the execution of capital offenders of its laws. Many times a prisoner was taken to the location of the deed and executed there. Some had to drag their cross through the streets of whatever locale to demonstrate their subservience to Rome’s authority. This would not have been done willfully, but Peter was to willfully surrender to Jesus’ authority and all things pertaining to the kingdom of heaven.
We too, are willfully to surrender ourselves to His authority, and all things pertaining to His kingdom. Consider for instance what Paul was inspired to write to the Church at Ephesus, and what he was inspired to write to the Colossian Church.
To the church at Ephesus, Ephesians 4:17-32 (NKJV), “17This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind, 18having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart; 19who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness. 20But you have not so learned Christ, 21if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: 22that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, 23and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness. 25Therefore, putting away lying, ‘Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor,’ for we are members of one another. 26’Be angry, and do not sin’: do not let the sun go down on your wrath, 27nor give place to the devil. 28Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need. 29Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. 30And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. 32And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you”.
To the Colossian church, Colossians 3:1-17 (NKJV), “1If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. 2Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. 3For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory. 5Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. 6Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience, 7in which you yourselves once walked when you lived in them. 8But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. 9Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, 10and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him, 11where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all and in all. 12Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; 13bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. 14But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. 15And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. 16Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. 17And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.”
Jesus and Paul both spoke of commitment, not halfhearted commitment, but full commitment with total surrender. Their offerings were not subjective or suggestions, but commands. Let us not be delusional thinking that we will be pleasing to God without having made Jesus Lord of our lives. As Paul instructed the Corinthians (1st Corinthians 10:31), we must live lives in a manner that glorifies the Lord in all manners of life.
Thank you, Lord for giving us your Spirit making our surrender and commitment possible. To God be the glory for the forever and forever.
stevelampman@comcast.net stevelampman.com
Transforming Power; The Work of God on Behalf of Man