Dying To Self

The Christian life is to be lived in the Spirit, not the flesh. We must crucify the flesh, mortifying the members, and die-to-self so the Spirit of God can rule and reign in our lives. The Bible says it’s like a seed that falls into the ground and dies only to spring up.

A seed is a container of life. As long as this container remains alone, it cannot grow. Some seeds sit for decades with no growth and seemingly no purpose, until something breaks open the outer shell so the seed can interact with the soil and water to grow. A seed can sit for a hundred years in its own identity and accomplish nothing. But when a seed finally dies, one seed can feed millions. Jesus said, “The hour has come … when the Son of Man has to die” (John 12:23-24). He is our example.

A woman came to Jesus with a costly box of perfume called “nard,” worth an entire year’s wages. She broke the box directly on Christ’s head so that He would catch every drop of oil. The disciples grumbled that she’d wasted money, but Christ was so moved, He said she had anointed Him for His death and that wherever His gospel was preached, the story of her offering would be told. The box itself wasn’t the fragrant offering for Jesus. The woman didn’t paint or polish the box. She didn’t try to get the box to smell like perfume. Instead, she smashed the box so the purity of the nard inside the box could be released upon Christ. Through an act of humility and brokenness, she wrestled with God, enjoying the nearness of His presence.

For the life of God to be released, God Himself, through Jesus Christ, had to go into the earth to die. We follow Christ’s pattern. The person’s outer shell—the “natural man,” not the body—has to die for the “inner man” to be released. As long as we try to preserve the outer shell, keeping the flesh intact, the inner man will never be released. As long as we are enamored with our outer shell, we will never see the ministry of Jesus Christ live through us.

“But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us" (2 Corinthians 4:7 KJV). We have to remember the power is from God and is inside the jar, not outside. God literally placed the Person of Jesus, through the Holy Spirit, in our earthen vessels! Only when our external, fleshy part is broken can the power of the aroma of the treasure be received into Heaven.

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THE HIDING PLACE told us what Corrie and her family did, now this very special booklet tells us how she felt during those dark days. You won't want to miss reading what this great hero of the mid-20th Century shared in this marvelous literary work.