INSIGHTS & NOTES FROM
CHAPTER 2, PART 2
"2. Emptying" "The pathway into the deeper life is, secondly, our willing acceptance of a Kenosis or self-emptying experience." Philippians 2:5-9 "The kenosis, or self-emptying, means giving up our lives, interests, plans rights or prerogatives, & accepting the cross which is the crucifixion of the 'self-life.'" "We shall never have this same mind in us & follow in His steps as true servants until we too step down from our thrones in the kingdoms we have built, & empty ourselves of all the fruits of the self-life: the desire to have our own way, to defend our rights, or to be ministered unto, instead of ministering to others; the love of recognition & position; the normal tendency to put one's own selfish interests first, & so on." "We have been pampered & encouraged to seek self-expression & self-recognition for so long that the message of the crucified life presents a real crisis in one's life." Matthew 20:26-28 "Without the emptying of the self-image there can be no reproduction of the divine image." "3. Dying" "The pathway into the deeper life is, thirdly, acceptance of the crucified life." "Since it is the cross where the self-life must die, then any unwillingness to accept the self-emptying experience, any desire to keep the self-life alive, would produce only suffering & agony on the cross & never issue in its death." "...they have not yet been willing ...to surrender family, career, material security, recognition, rights & privileges, & humble themselves as servants." "What is the crucified life & what is its nature? The message of the deeper life is the message of the cross. Let no one be deluded into thinking that there is an easier way, for to come 'unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ,' we must follow in His steps - this is by way of the cross." "...crucifixion involves separation & suffering, as well as death." "(1) Crucifixion is Separation." "When one was thus nailed to the cross he was 'separated' from the world & all the activity which took place around him. There is just such a separation which is supposed to take place in the salvation experience." "The second phase of separation occurs in the believer's baptism in the Holy Spirit." "The third place of separation is separation from one's affections for anything but Christ." "(2) Crucifixion is Suffering." "The first aspect of suffering concerns our personal trials." "The second phase of crucifixion as suffering involves suffering on behalf of others." II Timothy 2:24-26 "The third aspect of suffering is that suffering which is offered us in behalf of Christ." "...it is experiencing the 'fellowship of his sufferings,' which will bring us into conformity to His death (Phil. 3:10)." I Peter 4:12 - 13 "(3) Crucifixion is Death" II Corinthians 5:14 "...'if one died for all, then all died.' When Christ died, every believer was in Him as He died on our behalf. It is the same as if we had died. This is a legal transaction which we enter into by faith in Christ." "...our actual death with Christ, which is the death of the self-life." "The first truth that we must accept is that the deeper life is crucifixion & death." "...the 'self' must go to the cross." "The 'self' is God's greatest competitor for our love & affections." "...we must be willing to go to the Garden of Gethsemane & settle the matter once for all just as did Jesus." "It is one thing to pray in a general way about the crucified life, but it is quite another to face the sentence of death squarely & wrestle in agony with it, as did Jesus, until it is finally, & forever, resolved." "What we surrender on the altar is the self-life (Rom. 12:1-2). When we offer the 'self' on the altar, the Holy Spirit expects, from then on, to have full control in our lives." "As a living sacrifice, you will always take the Spirit's side against yourself. If He says this or that habit must go, you will not argue, but simply will die to it. If He informs you that you are to suffer some trial, or surrender up some area of your personal life, you will not offer any objection to His wishes." "Are you willing to give such complete submission to the Holy Spirit? If not, then it means that you have not yet been to the 'garden' & accepted the sentence of death." "Accepting the sentence of death... is getting alone with God & surrendering up the self-life unto the cross." "The final aspect of crucifixion is our acceptance of the humiliation of the cross." Isaiah 53:4 "The world & the organized religious systems today do not have any more insight into the real nature of your crucifixion & death than they did of Jesus' sufferings, but will misinterpret your trials & sufferings as evidence, not of the deeper work of the Spirit in your life, but as evidence of God's disapproval." "God will allow no flesh to glory in His presence (I Cor. 1:27)." "Those who finally press into the deeper life will be those who willingly accept the humiliation of the cross & say, as the Apostle Paul, 'God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, & I unto the world' (Gal. 6:14)." "4. Overcoming." "Fourthly, the pathway into the deeper life in the Spirit is by means of the overcoming life." "Nothing is promised to those who allow themselves to be overcome." "...the pathway to the fulness of God is not merely to experience the baptism in the Holy Spirit, but it is also required that we overcome." "...promises made by the Lord to overcomers in the Book of Revelation are: they will eat of the tree of life (2:7); not be hurt by the 2nd death (2:11); eat of the hidden manna & be given a white stone with a new name written thereon (2:17); be given power to rule over the nations, & be rewarded with the morning star (2:26-28); be clothed in white raiment (3:5); be a pillar in the Temple of God (3:12); sit with Christ in His throne (3:21); & finally inherit all things (21:7)." "(1) The overcoming life will be characterized by uncompromising loyalty to God. Revelation 2:1-7" Deeper Life In The Spirit, Hobart E. Freeman, pgs. 45 - 55.
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AuthorCross Preaching Pentecostal Pastor. Husband to Tonia, Father to 3 beautiful girls, Monica, Zoe & Briana, & Grandfather to Wesley & Elliott Archives
September 2023
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