Thursday, September 21, 2017

The Death of Ego


UV 2779/10000 The Death of Ego
Father, glorify thy name. Then came there a voice from heaven, saying, I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again.
John 12 v 28
History is a record of many individuals seeking their own glory. It is a vain attempt to gain immortality or to live on beyond death. But,the Lord God is already glorious. He does not need any glory to be added to His name. Yet Jesus prays this somewhat strange prayer. It implies that the glory of the Father is complete only when His human creations, created in His image, in His likeness are redeemed from death and judgement of the law unto eternal life. The Father loved His Son Jesus and yet, He spared Him to be like an ordinary human being, one of His many creations so that He could take the place of judgement of all mankind. Jesus did not do this to glorify His own name. He did this to glorify the name of the Father in heaven. When Jesus died on the cross to fulfil the Father’s will and then from the grave ascended to heaven, He drew men and women from all nations to the Father. The Father used Jesus to glorify His name. Jesus became a willing and powerful instrument in the hands of the Father. Likewise, we are to be used to glorify the Lord. All that is in our hands are meant for this purpose. This has a huge spiritual significance for each of us- it means the death of our human egos, our selfish wills, our desire for self gratification and aggrandisement, that we live not for ourselves but in alignment with a greater and divine purpose. The human ego dies but is resurrected as a will that is fully submitted to the Lord God. We need to suffer the death of ego in order to live the life of God, the life of Jesus.
We are to yield ourselves imitating the Saviour Jesus in order to glorify the name of the Father. To glorify Him implies we need to make His name known- Jehovah Shalom. We need to make His deeds known. We need to do and say things that will bring glory to His name. Jesus had been used to glorify the Father’s name in the miracle at the marriage at Canna, to multiply bread and fish to feed the hungry- as Jehovah Jireh- the One who provides. He had glorified the Father’s name in healing people with all types of diseases- as Jehovah Rapha- the One who heals. He had been used to defeat the plans of the enemy of all human souls – Jehovah Nisi. He had been used to cleanse the temple- Jehovah El Shaddai, the Almighty God. He had been used to resurrect Lazarus- the God of Resurrection. He had been used to manifest the righteousness of God- Jehovah Tsidkenu. He had been used to forgive the adulterous woman- the God of mercy. The greatest work of Jesus was reserved for what He accomplished on the cross: He became the veritable way, the truth and the life and brought ultimate and continuing glory to the Father. By this one act of sacrifice, He brought us into relationship with the Father as His own children. No longer are we creatures who had rebelled and continue to rebel but children who find pleasure like Jesus in glorifying His name.
As He used Jesus, the Father uses each of His children as we yield to Him to glorify His name. In the past He has used us to glorify His name. Hereafter, He will use us to glorify His name. As we pray, “Father, use us to glorify your Name,” we will hear a voice from heaven endorsing us, encouraging us, empowering us. Life is a series of finite moments and experiences lived to fulfil an infinite purpose. The infinite purpose is to glorify the name of the Father and the name of His Son Jesus. In whatever we do we do not to seek glory or greatness for ourselves but to seek the glory or greatness of the Father and of the Son. We suffer the death of ego in order to live the life of God.

Prateep V Philip

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