The Crisis

I recently listened to a brother talk about a number of men that he has worked with who never seem to really enter into victorious and abundant life in Christ.They live in cycles of defeat. I understood. In more than 40 years of ministry, I have encountered the very same thing, and I believe I know why it is so. I'm an adherent to Wesleyan-Arminian doctrine and teaching, the teachings of John Wesley. Wesley was a strong advocate of what he called a "second work of grace," what we call "entire sanctification." To be sanctified is to be set apart for Him alone, with no part of our heart, lives, or will held back. Paul said that we are "crucified with Christ, and it is no longer we who live, but Christ lives in us (and through us.) Our will and desire to control our lives is crucified, and we are fully yielded to His will and His Lordship. The result of this is the fullness of His Holy Spirit entering our being and we now have the power and ability to live a holy, overcoming and victorious life. The power of those things that once controlled us and held us in bondage has been broken. Wesley's brother Charles wrote of it in his great hymn; "My chains fell off, my heart was free, I rose, went forth, and followed Thee." This deeper work of grace comes about as a result of a crisis. We are brought to a place where we are confronted with our inability to free ourselves from those things holding us in captivity, be it alcohol, drugs, pornography, raging anger, lust, and a seemingly endless range of "masters." This deeper work of grace happens at His cross. We come to His cross, and at His cross our will is crucified so that we might come fully alive in the fullness of His. We begin to live in His resurrection life and power. The things that hold us captive are the things of death. His Cross yields life, His life. At the cross, the cycles of defeat are broken. We can now live in the power of His risen life. Space doesn't allow me to tell you of how I came to know the truth of all this. Let me just say that for the first year of my walk with Him, growth was very difficult. Habits, ways of thinking, attitudes, and more were stumbling blocks in my walk. I kept failing at the same things. Finally, after another failure, I had reached my crisis point. I had come once more to His cross. This time I didn't turn away, I surrendered. Everything. I died to my way at the cross and came alive to His way. Abundant and overcoming life was the result. Yes, there were still great challenges, and yes, there was still much needed growth in my life, but the cycles of defeat were over. He kept calling me upwards and I kept walking by the power of His life. I still am. Not perfectly, but consistently. Maybe you're at another crisis point in your life. Maybe you think all this just isn't possible. I invite you to run to His cross, not away from it. Let Him crucify all that is not Him in your life so that you may live in the power of all that is His life. All you have to lose is your prison cell, and you gain all the fullness of His life. At the cross you will find life. He promises it. Put that promise to the test. All you can lose are your chains. Blessings, Pastor O