Born Crucified

I've been reading this book for several years. Years? Yes, years. It is rich, rich, rich in self-examination and reproving truth and so, as sinful and selfish as my heart is, I am only able to read a paragraph or two, small snippets, at a time.

Tonight's reading was no less an appeal to lay down self (die) and live for Christ, the only true life worth living.

"The purpose of the Cross of Christ, as all His teaching, was to set self aside and to bring our hearts and wills into harmony with God. The whole of redemption is to save man from himself and from his wicked pride and self-exaltation. It is the power of the Cross to work in us the blessed will of God. 'Such a claim does the Cross lay upon our hearts that, though our deepest attachments be violated, and what we love more than anything else in the universe, namely, 'self', be crucified, we give our consent. We cry out: 'Spare nothing, O God, in me that would keep me from merging my life with thine in an everlasting union of love.' Here lies the supreme glory of the Cross, and the reason why it is, as Paul says, 'the power of God, and the wisdom of God.' It disposes us to die to 'self'. That is why it saves. It gets the consent of our wills that we be detached from ourselves and attached to God. Any other kind of salvation would necessarily be fictitious."

The last line was truly a Selah moment for me. (Thank you, Brother Barba)

Any other kind of salvation would necessarily be fictitious. Any kind other than less of me/more of Him, none of me/all of Him, my weakness for His strength, giving up my unsettled thoughts for His perfect peace. Stepping out, reaching out, speaking a word or life when Pride would have me stand still, don't touch, be quiet.

Detaching from the idol of self and attaching, clinging, cleaving to God in Christ.

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If you've never heard of this book before then may I point you HERE where you can read the entire book on-line, or you may find it in e-book format from Christian Book Distributors or Amazon.