Death to Self

The relationship between the world and the kingdom of God is quite paradoxical. For example; receiving in the kingdom of God usually comes by virtue of giving, true freedom is achieved by being a slave to Christ, dominion is gained through submission, etc.  So it is with finding life and that (life) more abundant – life is gained through death.  “For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it” (Luke 9:24).  The word “life” as used here refers to the “soul”, or rather, the “soul life”.  When man was created, God breathed into him and he became a living soul (Genesis 2:7).  However, God did not intend man to live his life in the soul realm – being led of his soul which was influenced by the carnal nature and therefore doing that which was right in his own eyes – but rather to live his life being led of his spirit which is the place where he can commune with God.  In order for this to happen, we must die to the things of the carnal nature thereby being freed from the influence of the flesh so we will only be influenced by God.  Paul describes it this way in Philippians 3:10 … “That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable to his death”.  Jesus, while in the flesh here on earth, went through the same process of laying down His life continually in obedience to the Father.  Not just once on the cross, but His whole life He was learning obedience.  “Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; and being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all that obey him” (Hebrews 5:8-9).  It was through suffering and dying to self that Jesus learned obedience and it is through suffering and dying to self that we learn obedience.  Jesus was perfected through His obedience and we will also be perfected if we obey Jesus and are made conformable to His death, experience and know the fellowship of His sufferings, continue on to know the power of His resurrection, and ultimately KNOW Him even as we are also known (“For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as I am also known” I Corinthians 13:12).  Brethren, Paul is speaking of our potential here on earth – not of a future time in heaven.

I believe that throughout time there have been those that have come to know God in this way, in intimacy and unity with Him, and most certainly through the process of dying to self.  Consider men like Enoch, Noah, Job, and Abraham who knew God in a way that we should envy – and long before Christ came into this earth and the Holy Spirit was given to the church.  Certainly the first apostles knew the Lord in this way.  But there are many others not mentioned in the bible that have tapped into this revelation and understanding of how to walk in the fullness of the presence of God.  I would like to introduce you to Jeanne Guyon who lived from 1648-1717.  Few of which I am aware have achieved the depth of intimacy with the Lord that she did.  John Wesley said of her “How few such instances do we find of exalted love to God, and our neighbor; of genuine humility; of invincible meekness and unbounded resignation”.  I will let Jeanne speak for herself through quotes I have taken from a book entitled “The Unabridged Collected Works of Jeanne Guyon”.  In these selected quotes I’m confident you will see what may be attained if we will just cooperate with God and do things His way.

“After I had come out of the trying condition I have spoken of I found it had purified my soul, instead of blackening it as I had feared.  I possessed God after a manner so pure, and so immense, as nothing else could equal.  In regard to thoughts or desires, all was so clean, so naked, so lost in the divinity, that the soul had no selfish movement, however plausible or delicate; both the powers of the mind and the very senses being wonderfully purified.  Sometimes I was surprised to find that there appeared not one selfish thought.  The imagination, so formerly restless, now no more troubled me.  I had no more perplexity or uneasy reflections.  The will, being perfectly dead to all its own appetites, was become void of every human inclination, both natural and spiritual, and only inclined to whatever God pleased, and to whatever manner He pleased.  This vastness or enlargedness, which is not bounded by anything, however plain or simple it may be, increases every day.  My soul in partaking of the qualities of her Spouse seems also to partake of His immensity.  My prayer was in an openness and singleness inconceivable.  I was, as it were, borne up on high, out of myself.  I believe God was pleased to bless me with this experience.  At the beginning of the new life, He made me comprehend, for the good of other souls, the simplicity and desirableness of this passage of the soul into God.” (page 140)

A soul in this state seeks nothing for itself, but all for God.  Some may say, “What, then, does the soul?”  It leaves itself to be conducted by God’s providence and creatures.  Outwardly, its life seems quite common; inwardly, it is wholly resigned to the divine will.  The more everything appears adverse, and even desperate, the more calm it is, in spite of the annoyance and pain of the senses and of the creatures, which, for some time after the new life, raise some clouds and obstructions, as I have already signified.  But when the soul is entirely passed into its original Being, all these things no more cause any separation or partition.  It finds no more of that impurity which came from self-seeking, from a human manner of acting, from an unguarded word, from any warm emotion or eagerness, which caused such a mist, as it could neither prevent nor remedy, having so often experienced its own efforts, to be useless, and even hurtful, as they did nothing else but still more and more defile it.  There is in such case no other way or means of remedy, but in waiting till the Sun of Righteousness dissipate those fogs.  The whole work of purification comes from God only.  Afterward this conduct becomes natural; then the soul can say with the royal prophet, “Though a host should encamp against me, in him will I confide.”  For then, though assaulted on every side, it continues fixed as a rock.  Having no will but for what God sees meet to order, be it what it may, high or low, great or small, sweet or bitter, honor, wealth, life, or any other object, what can shake its peace?  It is true, our nature is so crafty that it worms itself through everything; a selfish sight is like the basalisk’s, it destroys.” (page 156)

“The order of divine providence makes the whole rule and conduct of the soul entirely devoted to God.  While it faithfully gives itself up thereto, it will do all things right and well, and will have everything it wants, without its own care; because God in whom it confides, makes it every moment do what He requires, and furnishes the occasions proper for it.  God loves what is of His own order, and of His own will, not according to the idea of the merely rational or even enlightened man; for He hides these persons from the eyes of others, in order to preserve them in that hidden purity for Himself.” (page 163)

“No, beloved souls, you will not find consolation in aught, but in the love of the Cross, and in total abandonment.  “Whosoever favors not the Cross, favors not the things that be of God.” (Matthew 16:23)  It is impossible to love God without loving the Cross; and a heart that favors the Cross, finds the bitterest things to be sweet.  “A famished soul finds bitter things sweet” (Job 6:1) because it finds itself hungering for God in proportion as it hungers for the Cross.  God gives us the Cross, and the Cross gives us God.  We may be assured, that there is an internal advancement, where there is an advancement in the way of the Cross.  Abandonment and the Cross go hand in hand together.  As soon as suffering presents itself, and you feel a repugnance against it, resign yourself immediately unto God with respect to it, and give yourself up to Him in sacrifice; you shall find, that, when the Cross arrives, it will not be so very burdensome, because you had disposed yourself to a willing reception of it.  This, however, does not prevent your feeling its weight as some have imagined; for when we do not feel the Cross, we do not suffer it.  A sensibility of sufferings constitutes a principal part of the sufferings themselves.  Jesus Christ Himself was willing to suffer its utmost rigors.  We often bear the Cross in weakness, at other times in strength; all should be equal to us in the will of God.” (pages 244-245)

“The soul that is faithful in the exercise of love and adherence to God above described, is astonished to feel Him gradually taking possession of their whole being.  It now enjoys a continual sense of that Presence, which is become as it were natural to it; and this, as well as prayer, is the result of habit.  The soul feels an unusual serenity gradually being diffused throughout all it faculties; and silence now wholly constitutes its prayer , while God communicates an intuitive love, which is the beginning of ineffable blessedness.” (page 250)

“If all who labored for the conversion of others were to introduce them immediately in prayer and the interior life, and make it their main design to gain and win over the heart, numberless as well as permanent conversions would certainly ensue.  On the contrary, few and transient fruits must attend that labor which is confined to outward matters; such as burdening the disciple with a thousand precepts for external exercises, instead of leaving the soul to Christ by the occupation of the heart to Him.  If ministers were solicitous thus to instruct their parishioners; shepherds, while they watched their flocks, might have the Spirit of the primitive Christians, and the husbandman at the plough maintain a blessed intercourse with his God; the manufacturer, while he exhausts his outer man with labor, would be renewed in internal strength; and every species of vice would shortly disappear and every parishioner become a true follower of the Good Shepherd.  O when the heart is gained, how easily is all moral evil corrected!  It is, therefore, that God, above all things, requires the heart.  It is the conquest of the heart alone that can extirpate those dreadful voices which are so predominant, such as drunkenness, blasphemy, lewdness, envy, and theft.  Jesus Christ would become the universal and peaceful Sovereign, and the face of the Church would be wholly renewed.” (page 269)

In these few quotes from Jeanne Guyon we can see a pattern of the purpose and intent of God for our lives.  Simply put, we must love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength … and our neighbor as ourselves.  This is impossible to do, unless we surrender all to the lordship of Jesus Christ.  We are bought with the precious price of His blood, and we are no longer our own.  But, it not only about embracing the cross and dying to self, but about being raised up in the power of His resurrection – to be transfigured into His image so the world no longer sees or hears us – they encounter Jesus.  This is the true world order – that all that has been stolen and perverted be restored to its rightful owner: the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords.  And as we, the true church, embrace all that the Lord allows in our lives for our perfecting and are brought together in unity with Him and one another as the bride of Christ – then we will behold that of which I quoted Jeanne saying in the above paragraph: Jesus Christ becoming the universal and peaceful Sovereign and the face of the church being wholly renewed.  Selah!