Again, Jesus, My Life Is Yours :: By Dennis Huebshman
Just over five years ago, I submitted a message about “Take My Life and Let It Be.” It’s from a hymn written by Frances R. Havergal in 1874. Since that time, major changes have taken place in this world, proving the accuracy of our Heavenly Father’s word and telling us that we are closer than ever to going Home. (ESV – all emphasis is mine)
Paul tells us to become a “living sacrifice” in Romans 12:1-2. “I appeal to you, therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”
In John 10:9-11, Jesus says, “I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief comes only to kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.”
Going to John 10:14-18, Jesus adds to this testimony; “I am the Good Shepherd. I know My own, and My own know Me, just as the Father knows Me and I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to My voice. So there will be one flock, one Shepherd. For this reason the Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it up again. No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of My own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from My Father.”
In Paul’s verses, he states that we should not be “conformed to this world.” In Matthew 7:13-14, Jesus states that He knows many more will be on the wide path leading to destruction than on the narrow path leading to eternity with Him. Looking at the attitudes of this world today, we see the validity of their statements.
When Jesus speaks of “the thief” in John 10:10, it’s obvious He is referencing Satan. From the first sin in the Garden of Eden in Genesis 3, all the way through today, and continuing to the end of this earth, Satan and his demons will have done everything to try and pull souls away from our Savior and our Heavenly Father. They know their ultimate destiny will be the lake of fire forever, according to Matthew 25:41.
Jesus allowed Himself to be “tested” by Satan after He was baptized by John the Baptist and then fasting for 40 days. In human form, He totally experienced the effects of a long fasting period. Satan tried several tactics to get Jesus to fall under temptation, yet the Savior ended up the obvious winner of that encounter.
People have said that it stands to reason that Jesus was able to resist temptation. After all, He is God. What they fail to realize is that, as Hebrews 2:7 and 9 tell us, for a little while, He was made lower than the angels. In other words, He had the ability to stop at any time, but for our sakes, He stayed true to His “assignment” from the Father to bring Salvation to all who would receive and accept His sinless blood sacrifice.
Just imagine where all of us would be today if, just before being nailed to that cross, He had decided that humans weren’t worth all the effort. Even after His sacrifice and resurrection and going back to Heaven, no one is forced by our Heavenly Father to accept His Son. It’s completely our free-will choice.
As stated before, more will end up rejecting my Jesus than will ask His forgiveness and call out to Him to be their Eternal Shepherd. This is made very clear in 1 Corinthians 1:18; “For the word of the Cross is folly to those who are perishing; but to us who are being saved, it is the power of God.”
The song by Frances R. Havergal is a praise, glory and submission hymn for our Triune God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit. It is well worth revisiting and giving thanks to our Lord and Savior Jesus the Christ for His precious gift for all of us.
1.) Take my life and let it be consecrated, Lord, to Thee. Take my moments and my days; let them flow in endless praise; let them flow in endless praise.
2.) Take my hands and let them move at the impulse of Thy love. Take my feet and let them be swift and beautiful for Thee; swift and beautiful for Thee.
3.) Take my voice and let me sing, always, only for my King. Take my lips and let them be filled with messages from Thee, filled with messages from Thee.
4.) Take my silver and my gold; not a mite would I withhold. Take my intellect and use every power as Thou shalt choose; as Thou shalt choose.
5.) Take my will and make it Thine; it shall be no longer mine. Take my heart; it is Thine own; it shall be Thy royal throne; it shall be Thy royal throne.
6.) Take my love, my Lord, I pour at thy feet its treasure store. Take myself and I will be, ever, only, all for Thee; ever, only, all for Thee.
Please remember, we can neither earn nor buy one minute in Heaven. It is a free gift from the Father through His Son for all who will receive and accept it (Ephesians 2:8-9).
All who refuse the free gift will discover their terrible mistake when they take their last breath on this earth. They will be put in line for the Great White Throne Judgment of Revelation 20:11-15 to receive their forever sentence in the lake of fire with Satan and his demons. Meanwhile, prior to that sentence, they will already be suffering as the rich man was in the parable in Luke 16:19-31.
All who died prior to Calvary that were in God’s will went to a place of peace, as described where the beggar Lazarus in that parable went.
Paul tells us that all who were in Christ from Calvary to the end of the age would be in the presence of the Lord, as given in Philippians 1:21-23. “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I choose I cannot tell. I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better.”
All who will be taken up to meet Jesus in the air, the dead in Christ first, followed by those still alive, will never have the issues we face today on earth. We will receive forever immortal, imperishable bodies and have the mindset of our Savior (1 Thessalonians 4:13-17 and 1 Corinthians 15:51-53). We may come back to earth with Jesus at the end of the tribulation, but not as humans as we once were. We will be in the service of the Lord forever and loving every moment of it.
We pray for all of our loved ones daily that they all have received and accepted Jesus as their Savior. We don’t know the day or hour when the Rapture will take place, but it could happen at any moment.
Romans 10:9-13 gives the simple ABCs leading to Salvation, and there is nothing difficult about this. Some will make it more difficult by believing there has to be more to be done than what’s given in God’s word.
Our Father gave us His love letter to let us know that all has been done except to admit that we are all sinners, have faith and believe that Jesus died for us and was raised on the third day to conquer sin and death for us, and that when we call out to Him to be our forever Savior, we will be saved.
We are not guaranteed tomorrow. Today would be a good time to become a part of our Savior’s precious flock. Hope to see you at Home.
Shalom!
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