We know quite well that after our coming to God we can’t be the same as we were before — we get changed, in order to bring fruits for the Kingdom. God gives us a warning in John 15:2 that branches can be cut off. But let us try to make out what stands in our way to bring fruits or what stops us from bringing fruits.
The classical and central verse in the Scriptures is John 12:24, which shows the obstacle on the way of bringing fruit. Yes, we must die for the values and enjoyments of this world. It’s because we can’t preserve our soul as it is, and at the same time be able to bring fruit for the Kingdom of God. It’s not possible, even if you are still 18 or 20, and your soul hasn’t yet become rough, to come to the Kingdom of God and to easily bring fruits. So, let’s take a look at our soul. Firstly, I’d like to make a remark: regrettably, but the things Jesus spoke so little about (only once), are discussed in the modern church so often nowadays (Galatians 5:22), and these are the works of the flesh. But the soul was the center of Jesus’ teaching, He made an accent on it, that’s why we shall also make an accent on it. Our soul includes our will, our mind, our emotions. And we must die for ourselves in these very directions, in order to get alive for the Gospel. But it’s not a momentary action, we must do it every day — 1Cor.15:31.
If we look at our Lord Jesus Christ, who was the most perfect person, we can see that many times He had to die for His soul, in order to do the will of God. God’s will is obviously connected with extreme load for our soul. If Jesus, being God, makes such a declaration: «Now My soul is deeply troubled..» (John 12:27), then our souls will rebel and suffer even much more, than His soul. If even God’s soul failed Him (Matthew 26:38), then evidently we shall also have to humble ourselves «to sweat with blood». It’s the evident fact, that you can’t enter the will of God joyfully and full with pleasant emotions. The struggle lasts all your life long. God takes something away from us, in order to purify us, so that we could devote our life for Him and stick to Him with all our heart. And we are fighting to come back to our former state, because our soul rebels, having lost the balance. But if we are thankful to Jesus, then by our faith and gratitude for everything Jesus has done for us, we are ready to give our soul for the Gospel. Change of our soul is really a very painful process, but in the end we can see the fruit (John 12:24). The main obstacle to do the will of God on earth is the revolt of our soul and absence of desire to get changed (it’s my personal opinion).
Now we shall discuss it in more detail. Let’s take such an illustration: in the beginning of our way with God, our hearts are filled with immeasurable love for Him, and we are really burning with this «first love». We are speaking loud words about our love to Jesus and our devotion to Him, and then we see such a picture, for example: Jesus is walking, and I am walking after Him. But in my hands I have very heavy bags. And these bags are filled with earthly anchors (Luke 14:26) — my summer-house, my favorite TV programs, such as: «Wait for me», «X-Factor», «Dinamo-Kiev», or I want to get married, there is nobody to take care of my grandchildren, I have my favorite job, I love fishing, my hobby etc. And it’s like this: the Lord goes before you, and you are following Him for a certain period of time, and in your hands you are carrying all these heavy bags. But the moment will come when you lose your breath, and then you have to make the choice: either you drop your bags and you follow Jesus, or you stay on the same place, and Jesus continues to walk without you. Roughly speaking, our worldly values and attachments are like a magnet for our souls — it’s very heavy, and very strong. We hold it in our hands, as if we were in a big metal barrel. And we are pulled all the time: now to the right, then to the left, back and forward, and we stick by our soul to obstacles, to idols. This is how unrenewed soul is acting, revolting against its movement to the will of God.
This world influenced greatly the formation our soul. In general, this world is a human radio (a kind of canalization), that wants to fill us with itself, using everything: stage, TV shows, coziness, human laws, values, enjoyments etc. Practically everything this stands in our way to spend time with Him in our secret room. God gives us a hint how our soul must position itself to this world, or how it should feel in this world — we must hate our soul (John 12:25). Worldly people, who are led by their soul, not by the spirit, are no more different from murderers or drug-addicts, though outwardly they may look very pleasant for us. Worldliness is the same evil and curse as everything else, the difference is that outwardly it is covered with kindness. Judah 1:19
Unbelieving people can’t believe, that people can get changed, because it’s possible only with the Holy Spirit, with the Word of God and your devotion to Him. The more we copy the life of Jesus Christ or Apostle Paul, the more terrible for our soul is to try on this clothes on ourselves. Example: I love Jesus’ words, I love Jesus’ works, I love Jesus’ Spirit, but I don’t love to live the way He lived (without relatives, without close people, without wife (husband), without children, being hungry and always under the threat). Let’s repeat it once again: I love Jesus’ words, I love Jesus’ works, I love to worship Jesus, but I don’t want to live Jesus’ life — in no way. It is our soul who opposes sufferings, and Gospel without sufferings is not the full Gospel (but we are the church of the Full Gospel). Soul is eager to live and to get satisfaction both at 20, at 30 and at 70. Our soul desires romanticism — we expect from God the things He never promised to us (it’s just the influence of fairy-tales we read in our childhood), and in the result we get a romantic worldly view on christianity.
The four Gospels — it’s a drug-store (surgery) for your soul. The result of worldliness looks like this: you come to the church on Sunday, breath in the Spirit of the Kingdom of God, close your nose, and starting Monday you plunge into this world (canalization), in search for pearls. How can you find pearls in canalization?
Jesus was so devoted to the will of God, that He called it His food (John 4:34). Davis ordered his soul: «Praise the Lord!» It means your soul will not always aspire to fasting, prayer, to worshipping and doing the will of God. So, what have we learned? Since Jesus’ soul used to get tired, our souls will also betray us from time to time, and will oppose the will of God for our life. Refusal from comfort and different «heaters» of our soul, from feather blankets and silk scarfs for the sake of His will, makes you a warrior of Christ, who is able to be His instrument on earth. You have to make your soul work not for your family or for your business, but for the Kingdom of God and its purposes. And then Gospel will be fulfilled in your life. «Chasing a happiness bird» is not the goal why Jesus came to your life, and moreover, it’s not His will for you. «A happiness bird» of christians dwells in Heavens with Christ, because the nature of christian happiness has nothing to do with worldly things. That is, believers are waiting from God «a happiness bird», in order to make it domestic here on earth (that is, to use it not to the purpose). But is it really possible?
The Lord remains the One, who owns «a happiness bird». And He already designed the airfield for it — the Heavens! You may try to «catch» this bird by you worship, by your sacrifice and anointing, but it will not peck a single seed of your expectations. Sooner, a black raven will fly to you — a raven of lies and falsehood. It means that your happiness and your dreams about happiness are dislocated in Heavens. You should only change your mentality and satan will not fool you, forcing on your soul the earthly happiness, as if you were a person of the world, who belongs to Him.
Finally, let’s realize such a thing: it doesn’t matter how often you try to take firm decisions, and it doesn’t matter how hard you try to sanctify yourself — you will not get a long-patience. But how can you get it? The answer is: you must die for the values and enjoyments of this world.
A Book Revelation 12:11 speaks about the peak of fruitfulness of the Gospel — you must deny your soul, even to death.
P.S. Even physical food has to do not with the works of flesh, as many people think and preach; it has to do with the works of soul — Luke 12:19-23. Amen!
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