I am crucified with Christ.

— Galatians 2:20

No one is ever united with Jesus Christ until he is willing to
relinquish not sin only, but his whole way of looking at things. To
be born from above of the Spirit of God means that we must let go
before we lay hold, and in the first stages it is the relinquishing
of all pretence. What Our Lord wants us to present to Him is not
goodness, nor honesty, nor endeavour, but real solid sin; that is all
He can take from us. And what does He give in exchange for our sin?
Real solid righteousness. But we must relinquish all pretence of
being any thing, all claim of being worthy of God’s consideration.

Then the Spirit of God will show us what further there is to
relinquish. There will have to be the relinquishing of my claim to my
right to myself in every phase. Am I willing to relinquish my hold on
all I possess, my hold on my affections, and on everything, and to be
identified with the death of Jesus Christ?

There is always a sharp painful disillusionment to go through before
we do relinquish. When a man really sees himself as the Lord sees
him, it is not the abominable sins of the flesh that shock him, but
the awful nature of the pride of his own heart against Jesus Christ.
When he sees himself in the light of the Lord, the shame and the
horror and the desperate conviction come home.

If you are up against the question of relinquishing, go through the
crisis, relinquish all, and God will make you fit for all that He
requires of you.

On this day...

• Ephesians 1:3-6 - 2011
• The Gift of Jesus - 2011
• Psalms 62:5 - 2009