The Divine Way

The Divine Way

Through Suffering to Glory

"In Christ's use of Scripture the most remarkable thing is this: He found Himself there; He saw there His own image and likeness. And He gave Himself to the fulfillment of what He found written there. It was this that encouraged Him under the bitterest sufferings, and strengthened Him for the most difficult work. Everywhere He saw traced by God's own hand the divine way: through suffering to glory. He had but one thought: to be what the Father had said He should be, to have His life correspond exactly to the image of what He should be as He found it in the Word of God." (Believer's Secret of Living Like Christ by Andrew Murray)

The Divine Way is through the cross, through the path of suffering to glory, through the path of sacrificial love, making sure the old man, the old nature, the old habits and ways are nailed to the cross and remain on the cross as you walk through your trials and the process of your sanctification. It's an opportunity for God to be glorified, for His glory to been seen and revealed through you as you walk and remain in the Spirit through them, and as you resist and refuse to let that old man come down from the cross, resisting and refusing to allow yourself to be angry, bitter or resentful, jealous, fearful, controlling or judgmental (as well as other carnal characteristics).  These are old ways and old habits of the old man that we must make sure remain nailed to the cross and dead.

The tests, trials and transition of suffering to glory, the divine way ordained of God into His glory, can be manifest in many ways: in our challenges through troubled relationships, through our financial challenges, through physical challenges in our body and health, and through challenges in our goals, dreams and life aspirations.

In troubled relationships we are challenged in our emotions to walk in love and forgiveness and to refuse to take the bait of Satan by taking up an offense when a person says or does something cruel or hurtful to you. We are challenged to keep that old man on the cross and to walk in the supernatural love and forgiveness of the living and resurrected Christ in us. 

In financial trials we are challenged to give and sow as the Spirit leads us to into the house of God and into the lives of the poor and the needy, keeping the old man and his fear of lack and not having enough upon the cross. We are challenged not to focus on ourselves and our needs, but to sow first out of our need into the lives of others by faith and with an expectation of divine provision from our true Source and Provider to meet our own personal needs. 

In our physical challenges of our body and health, we are challenged to stand on the Word of truth "by His stripes we are healed", standing on the victory and divine health that Jesus purchased for us by His blood and His death on the cross. We are challenged to resist yielding to, embracing and focusing on the symptoms of our body and physical ailments by making sure that those physical symptoms remain nailed to the cross while we embrace, confess and believe the truth of our healing and what has been purchased for us already. 

And in our dreams, goals and life aspirations, we are challenged to surrender them all to the will and divine purpose of God, to submit them and align them with God's Word and heart. We are challenged to keep this old man, our old driven and controlling nature upon the cross as our new regenerated man, the man made alive in Christ, is led by the Holy Spirit taking the steps that have been prepared for us already by the Father Himself. The sacrifice and surrender of our failures submitted to God always turns into something more glorious and beautiful, something that glorifies Him and advances the Kingdom of God in a greater way.

The divine way of suffering to glory was ultimately given to us through our example in Christ Jesus. As new creations crucified with Christ we are called to follow His example, to walk and live in the sacrificial love of Christ, and to make sure our old man and old nature remains on the cross so that we may live out a life empowered by Him through His Holy Spirit and glorify the Father.

Thank You, Jesus, for all that You did, for all that You purchased for us at the cross and for giving us an example to follow as well as the power within us by Your Holy Spirit to follow it. Help us to walk out our life's journey with You bringing You glory as we keep our old man and old nature nailed to the cross and as we walk, confess and live out the truths of who we are in Christ. May we come forth as gold, seeing the fruit of our walk with You here on earth as we disarm and break the powers of darkness through lives surrendered to Your service and empowered by Your Spirit. Amen and Amen