It is Finished?

At the close of a beautiful, restful Easter Sunday filled with the love of my creator, I ventured out to a choir service. The melodies met me as I entered the church door and my heart swelled with wonder and amazement as my mind focused on Him.

The final song that the choir sang was "It Is Finished." I chose to focus on what my Savior had done, but my heart became heavy as I pondered statements made prior to the choir singing this old song.

The leader presented the prospect that if I give my life to Jesus the battle will be over, or finished. While I agree that as I develop a relationship with God, a desire to please Him is there so that I don't want to go against His best, the battle of our flesh and spirit seems to still exist. Maybe I'm just the odd one, but it is a daily choice to follow Jesus. I must consistently, consciously choose to give up myself so that He can form me to be like Him.

You see, I have layers, or areas that Jesus continually shows me as I walk with Him. I have a choice as to how I respond when presented with another area that needs work. I can take the easy route. I can blame it on others around me. I can blame it on my personality or the way that I was raised. I can reject it as truth and simply go on believing what I want to believe. OR
I can ask for forgiveness concerning this area that I did not see and with the help of God I can grow and change and move along to the next layer.

This to me doesn't seem like a battle that is over. Yet, a continual refining of me and continual trusting of my Lord.

Recently there have been several issues in my life that I have reexamined. I've felt a little out of the loop, sort of like an older woman. :) Here are the ideas of some other people who seem to think that the battle isn't over.

Ellen White
On one occasion I spoke in reference to genuine sanctification, which is nothing less than a daily dying to self and daily conformity to the will of God... Paul's sanctification was a constant conflict with self. Said he, "I die daily." 1 Cor. 15:31. His will and his desires every day conflicted with duty and the will of God. Instead of following inclination, he did the will of God, however unpleasant and crucifying to his nature.

Helen Keller
“Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through the experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, vision cleared, ambition inspired, and success achieved.”

Oswald Chambers
“Jesus Christ had no tenderness whatsoever toward anything that was ultimately going to ruin a person in his service to God.... If the Spirit of God brings to your mind a word of the Lord that hurts you, you can be sure that there is something in you that He wants to hurt to the point of its death.”

If you follow this link, you will find a clip of Elisabeth Elliot speaking about dying to self.

http://faithvisuals.com/content/thecove/rediscoveringthefaithfulone/dyingtoself.html

I would love to hear your suggestions, comments, ect. I've found that often I can see things more clearly when it is contradicted by someone. :)

Have a great day!