My Utmost for His Highest - March 31st - Heedfulness v Hypocrisy In Ourselves

If anyone sees his brother or sister committing a sin not leading to death, he shall ask and God will, for him, give life to those who commit sin not leading to death. There is sin leading to death; I am not saying that he should ask about that. - I John 5:16

If we are not heedful of the way the Spirit of God works in us, we will become spiritual hypocrites. We see where other folks are failing, and we turn our discernment into the gibe of criticism instead of into intercession on their behalf. The revelation is made to us not through the acuteness of our minds, but by the direct penetration of the Spirit of God, and if we are not heedful of the source of the revelation, we will become criticizing centres and forget that God says--". . . he shall ask, and He shall give him life for them that sin not unto death." Take care lest you play the hypocrite by spending all your time trying to get others right before you worship God yourself.

One of the subtlest burdens God ever puts on us as saints is this burden of discernment concerning other souls. He reveals things in order that we may take the burden of these souls before Him and form the mind of Christ about them, and as we intercede on His line, God says He will give us "life for them that sin not unto death." It is not that we bring God into touch with our minds, but that we rouse ourselves until God is able to convey His mind to us about the one for whom we intercede.

Is Jesus Christ seeing of the travail of His soul in us? He cannot unless we are so identified with Himself that we are roused up to get His view about the people for whom we pray. May we learn to intercede so whole-heartedly that Jesus Christ will be abundantly satisfied with us as intercessors.

Oswald Chambers - From My Utmost for His Highest Classic Edition

- Underlines and highlights are courtesy of Mom from her Print Edition

My Utmost for His Highest - March 30th - Holiness v. Hardness Towards God

And He saw that there was no one,

And was amazed that there was not one to intercede;
Then His own arm brought salvation to Him,
And His righteousness upheld Him. - Isaiah 59:16

The reason many of us leave off praying and become hard towards God is because we have only a sentimental interest in prayer. It sounds right to say that we pray; we read books on prayer which tell us that prayer is beneficial, that our minds are quieted and our souls uplifted when we pray; but Isaiah implies that God is amazed at such thoughts of prayer.

Worship and intercession must go together, the one is impossible without the other. Intercession means that we rouse ourselves up to get the mind of Christ about the one for whom we pray. Too often instead of worshipping God, we construct statements as to how prayer works. Are we worshipping or are we in dispute with God--"I don't see how You are going to do it." This is a sure sign that we are not worshipping. When we lose sight of God we become hard and dogmatic. We hurl our own petitions at God's throne and dictate to Him as to what we wish Him to do. We do not worship God, nor do we seek to form the mind of Christ. If we are hard towards God, we will become hard towards other people. 

Are we so worshipping God that we rouse ourselves up to lay hold on Him so that we may be brought into contact with His mind about the ones for whom we pray? Are we living in a holy relationship to God, are are we hard and dogmatic? 

"But there is no one interceding properly"--then be that one yourself, be the one who worships God and who lives in holy relationship to Him. Get into the real work of intercession, and remember it is a work, a work that taxes every power; but a work which has no snare. Preaching the gospel has a snare; intercessory prayer has none.

Oswald Chambers - From My Utmost for His Highest Classic Edition

- Underlines and highlights are courtesy of Mom from her Print Edition

 

My Utmost for His Highest - March 29th - Our Lord's Surprise Visits

You too, be ready; because the Son of Man is coming at an hour that you do not think He will. - Luke 12:40

The great need for the Christian worker is to be ready to face Jesus Christ at any and every turn. This is not easy, no matter what our experience is. The battle is not against sin or difficulties or circumstances, but against being so absorbed in work that we are not ready to face Jesus Christ at every turn. That is the one great need, not the facing our belief, or our creed, the question whether we are of any use, but to face Him.

Jesus rarely comes where we expect Him; He appears where we least expect Him, and always in the most illogical connections. The only way a worker can keep true to God is by being ready for the Lord's surprise visits. It is not service that matters, but intense spiritual reality, expecting Jesus Christ at every turn. This will give our life the attitude of child-wonder which He wants it to have. If we are going to be ready for Jesus Christ, we have to stop being religious (that is, using religion as a higher kind of culture) and be spiritually real.

If you are "looking off unto Jesus," avoiding the call of the religious age you live in, and setting your heart on what He wants, on thinking on His line--you will be called unpractical and dreamy; when He appears in the burden and the heat of the day, you will be the only one who is ready. Trust no one, not even the finest saint who ever walked this earth, ignore him, if he hinders your sight of Jesus Christ.

Oswald Chambers - From My Utmost for His Highest Classic Edition

- Underlines and highlights are courtesy of Mom from her Print Edition

My Utmost for His Highest - March 28th - Isn't There Some Misunderstanding?

Then after this He *said to the disciples, “Let’s go to Judea again.” The disciples *said to Him, “Rabbi, the Jews were just now seeking to stone You, and yet You are going there again?” - John 11:7-8

I may not understand what Jesus Christ says, but it is dangerous to say that therefore He was mistaken in what He said. It is never right to think that my obedience to a word of God will bring dishonour to Jesus. the only thing that will bring dishonour is not obeying Him. To put my view of His honour in place of what He is plainly impelling me to do is never right, although it may arise from a real desire to prevent Him being put to open shame. I know when the proposition comes from God because of its quiet persistence; When I have to weigh the pros and cons, and doubt and debate come in, I am bringing in an element that is not of God, and I come to the conclusion that the suggestion was not a right one. Many of us are loyal to our notions of Jesus Christ, but how many of us are loyal to Him? Loyalty to Jesus means I have to step out where I do not see anything (cf. Matthew 14:29); loyalty to my notions means that I clear the ground first by my intelligence. Faith is not intelligent understanding, faith is deliberate commitment to a Person where I see no way.

Are you debating whether to take a step in faith in Jesus or to wait until you can see how to do the thing yourself? Obey Him with glad reckless joy. When He says something and you begin to debate, it is because you have a conception of His honour which is not His honour. Are you loyal to Jesus or loyal to your notion of Him? Are you loyal to what He says, or are you trying to compromise with conceptions which never came from Him? "Whatsoever He saith unto you, do it."

Oswald Chambers - From My Utmost for His Highest Classic Edition

- Underlines and highlights are courtesy of Mom from her Print Edition

James 2:14-19 - What is Saving Faith?

James 2:14-19

14 What use is it, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but he has no works? Can that faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and be filled,” and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that? 17 Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself.

18 But someone may well say, “You have faith and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works.” 19 You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder.

Message: What is Saving Faith?

Time: Thought to be James, the half-brother of Jesus, though he was not a follower when Jesus was walking on the earth. He believed post-resurrection. He likely wrote this in AD 45-48. This is like the first New Testament book written and it was written to Jewish Christians. It is focused on practical application or how God's people are to "act" like God's people and this is a faith that produces life change. 

What the Lord is Saying:

As I've mentioned, my walk through these texts is slow. I admit I miss being able to run through these lessons at a faster pace. For now, I'm doing BSF and we are studying Genesis and  many days I am doing that. Other days, I am waking late and not getting to quality time in the Word or not taking breaks like I should at work for lunch. I have time each day I know, but I admit I struggle spending that time consistently in God's word day by day. 

Last time I looked at Why Faith 'acknowledging that faith is what ushers into our life the righteousness and this is the righteousness of Christ whereby I am declared righteous and thereby free from the penalty of sin and will live eternally with God in heaven.' Now in this lesson is the question, "What is Saving Faith?" or more clearly, what does this faith that saves me, that declares me righteous and free from sin, what does this faith look like in a person's life? 

The text today is James 2:14-19. As a personal note, James is one of my favorite books because I love application and talking about it. I was never much into school and learning because it was all just that, but having a job and working I like because it is taking what you know and applying it. James states simple principles here in this text, namely:

• Faith w/o works is dead faith. 
• Faith is the instrument to receive the righteousness of Christ - thus heirs of eternal life

We need to know this because there is a special and scary warning found in Matthew 7:21-23 -- “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven...Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not [do this and that]....And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me.’ These are nerve-racking verses because they speak of works people did. Self-deceived Christians are talked about here and even false prophets. 

Thus here, James notes that we receive the righteousness of Christ via Faith and this faith will result in works. It is two prong. We know one (faith) by the other (works). But still, it begins with faith, then action follows. 

Today's devotion mentions 3 aspects of saving faith found in scripture:

1. Notitia - the intellectual consent of what we believe => what we know => knowledge

2. Assensus - the knowledge is true; there is understanding and there is declaring it is true

3. Fiducia - placing trust in the knowledge - live my life / works => walk = talk

Saving faith is not simply understanding truth, it is believing the truth is true and then living by that truth. The sinner's prayer often will speak of receiving Jesus into our life. We are trusting in Him and declaring that He is Lord of our Life. We submit and surrender to Him daily. We start with what faith is and then take the next step that faith is living my life for Him. 

Promise: In giving ourselves to Christ, we are saying, "Lord, take us and use us as you will." 

Prayer: Lord, give me everything. I want it all. I want all of you in me. I want to be redefined, away from the idea that I know best, but Holy Spirit, transform me daily to live a life of faith and living for You and doing what you call me to do. Transform me. Lord, it is normal for me to think that this must be something big. Maybe it is, but maybe it isn't. Maybe you have called me to minister and speak to a few. Help me to have peace with this. Lord, today, as I wake up, now at the age of 53, at times I struggle with the meaning of my existence. The days and times feel repetitious. Speak to me God. Keep me consistent in Your word and living for you. Help me to see each day what you are doing through me and trusting you for this. 

Note: I follow the readings from the Tabletalk Magazine devotional, though I am a little behind and working through 2017 devotionals. 2017 is a study of key biblical doctrines celebrating the 500th year of the Reformation. The month of June is about justification; May was about solus Christus - Christ Alone; April, salvation by grace alone; March, the sovereign providence of God; February, the doctrine of revelation and the various aspects of the doctrine of Scripture that sola Scriptura seeks to preserve; January, the doctrine of God.

Mankind's Condition - The Sins of the Gentiles - Though born with God being evident, Gentiles do not honor God or give thanks, look to their selves for truth, and God gives them over to their sin, and in the process God's wrath is sin which will culminate on the Day of the Lord. The Sins of the Jews - Jews thought their status meant only Gentiles were true sinners. Romans 2 and 3 explains that Jews are just as guilty before God. 

The Law Speaks - The Law and Accountability - the Law reminds us we are sinners and doing good will not outweigh this bad; I am condemned. Righteousness According to the Law - The Law can make one righteous if obedient to all, but we are sinners. Human Inability - man cannot make himself righteous because he is a sinner. 

Only Justified through Christ (God) - The Obedience of One - with Jesus all obedience was completed in Him which resulted in Him taking on all sin; we trust only in His words, not ours. God's Initiative In Justification - God initiates the act of justification through the work of Christ alone; he saves us out of His kindness. Faith and Justification - no one is continually righteous; only through Jesus one will be made righteous; to be made righteous one must believe in God, ask for His mercy. 

Saved by Faith - Faith and Righteousness - Faith is what God uses in us to build the bridge to being accepted by God and restored to a right relationship with Him. Justification and Sin - Nothing changes the fact that we are sinners, but our status before God changes by Christ's obedience as this declares us to be righteous. Not by any of our works - Justification is by faith alone. By adding any work, we must add all works. Why Faith - Faith is the instrument [or what we do] to usher in to our life the finished act of righteousness. 

My Utmost for His Highest - March 27th - Vision By Personal Character

After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven, and the first voice which I had heard, like the sound of a trumpet speaking with me, said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after these things.” - Revelation 4:1

An elevated mood can only come out of an elevated habit of personal character. If in the externals of your life you live up to the highest you know, God will continually say--"Friend, go up higher (Luke 14:10)." The golden rule in temptation is--Go higher. When you get higher up,  you face other temptations and characteristics. Satan uses the strategy of elevation in temptation, and God does the same, but the effect is different. When the devil puts you into an elevated place, he makes you screw your idea of holiness beyond what flesh and blood could ever bear, it is a spiritual acrobatic performance, you are just poised and dare not move; but when God elevates you by His grace into the heavenly places, instead of finding a pinnacle to cling to, you find a great table-land where it is easy to move. 

Compare this week in your spiritual history with the same week last year and see how God has called you up higher. We have all been brought to see from a higher standpoint. Never let God give you one point of truth which you do not instantly live up to. Always work it out, keep in the light of it. 

Growth in grace (2 Peter 3:18) is measured not by the fact that you have not gone back, but that you have an insight into where you are spiritually; you have heard God say 'Come up higher," not to you personally, but to the insight of your character. 

"Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do (Genesis 18:17)?" God has to hide from us what He does until by personal character we get to the place where He can reveal it. 

Oswald Chambers - From My Utmost for His Highest Classic Edition

- Underlines and highlights are courtesy of Mom from her Print Edition

My Utmost for His Highest - March 26th - Vision by Personal Purity

Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those with leprosy, cast out demons. Freely you received, freely give. - Matthew 10:8

Purity is not innocence, it is much more. Purity is the outcome of sustained spiritual sympathy with God. We have to grow in purity. The life with God may be right and the inner purity remain unsullied, and yet every now and again the bloom on the outside may be sullied. God does not shield us from this possibility, because in this way we realize the necessity of maintaining the vision by personal purity. If the spiritual bloom of our life with God is getting impaired, in the tiniest degree, we must leave off everything and get it put right. Remember that vision depends on character--the pure in heart see God.

God makes us pure by His sovereign grace, but we have something to look after, this bodily life by which we come in contact with other people and with other points of view, it is those that are apt to sully. Not only must the inner sanctuary be kept right with God, but the outer courts as well are to be brought into perfect accord with the purity God gives us by His grace. The spiritual understanding is blurred immediately the outer court is sullied. If we are going to retain personal contact with the Lord Jesus Christ, it will mean there are some things we must scorn to do or to think, some legitimate things we must scorn to touch.

A practical way of keeping personal purity unsullied, in relation to other people is to say to yourself--That man, that woman, perfect in Christ Jesus! That friend, that relative, perfect in Christ Jesus!

Oswald Chambers - From My Utmost for His Highest Classic Edition

- Underlines and highlights are courtesy of Mom from her Print Edition

- Sullied - to soil, tarnish, especially by disgracing

My Utmost for His Highest - March 25th - The Most Delicate Mission on Earth

He who has the bride is the groom; but the friend of the groom, who stands and listens to him, rejoices greatly because of the groom’s voice. So this joy of mine has been made full. - John 3:29

Goodness and purity ought never to attract attention to themselves, they ought simply to be magnets to draw to Jesus Christ. If my holiness is not drawing towards Him, it is not holiness of the right order, but an influence that will awaken inordinate affection and lead souls away into side-eddies. A beautiful saint may be a hindrance if he does not present Jesus Christ but only what Christ has done for him. He will leave the impression --"What a fine character that man is!" That is not being a true friend of the Bridegroom; I am increasing all the time, He is not.

In order to maintain this friendship and loyalty to the Bridegroom, we have to be more careful of our moral and vital relationship to Him than of any other thing, even of obedience. Sometimes there is nothing to obey, the only thing to do is to maintain a vital connections with Jesus Christ, to see that nothing interferes with that. Only occasionally do we have to obey. When a crisis arises we have to find out what God's will is, but the greater part of the life is not conscious obedience but the maintenance of this relationship--the friend of the Bridegroom. Christian work may be a means of evading the soul's concentration on Jesus Christ. Instead of being friends of the Bridegroom, we may become amateur providences, and may work against Him whilst we use His weapons.

Oswald Chambers - From My Utmost for His Highest Classic Edition

- Underlines and highlights are courtesy of Mom from her Print Edition

My Utmost for His Highest - March 24th - Decreasing Into His Purpose

He must increase, but I must decrease. - John 3:30

If you become a necessity to a soul, you are out of God's order. As a worker, your great responsibility is to be a friend of the Bridegroom. When once you see a soul in sight of the claim of Jesus Christ, you know that your influence has been in the right direction, and instead of putting out a hand to prevent the throes, pray that they grow ten times stronger until there is no power on earth or in hell that can hold that soul away from Jesus Christ. Over and over again, we become amateur providences, we come in and prevent God; and say--"This and that must be." Instead of proving friends of the Bridegroom, we put our sympathy in the way, and the soul will one day say--"That one was a thief, he stole my affections from Jesus, and I lost my vision of Him."

Beware of rejoicing with a soul in the wrong thing, but see that you do rejoice in the right thing. "The friend of the Bridegroom...rejoiceth greatly because of the Bridegroom's voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled. He must increase, but I must decrease. (John 3:29-30)" This is spoken with joy and not with sadness--at last they are to see the Bridegroom! And John says this is his joy. It is the absolute effacement of the worker, he is never thought of again.

Watch for all you are worth until you hear the Bridegroom's voice in the life of another. Never mind what havoc it brings, what upsets, what crumblings of health, rejoice with divine hilarity when once His voice is heard. You may often see Jesus Christ wreck a life before He saves it. (“Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. Matthew 10:34)

Oswald Chambers - From My Utmost for His Highest Classic Edition

- Underlines and highlights are courtesy of Mom from her Print Edition (she made no underlines or highlights for this one)

- throes - a spasm or pang of pain
- effacement - to rub out, erase; the act or process of eliminating something

My Utmost for His Highest - March 23rd - Am I Carnally Minded?

for you are still fleshly. For since there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not fleshly, and are you not walking like ordinary people? - 1 Corinthians 3:3 

No natural man knows anything about carnality. The flesh lusting against the Spirit, that came in at regeneration, and the Spirit lusting against the flesh, produces carnality. "Walk in the Spirit" says Paul, "and ye shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh (Galatians 5:16)"; and carnality will disappear.

Are you contentious, easily troubled about trifles? "Oh, but no one who is a Christian ever is!" Paul says they are, he connects these things with carnality. Is there a truth in the Bible that instantly awakens petulance in you? That is a proof that you are yet carnal. If sanctification is being worked out, there is no trace of that spirit left. 

If the Spirit of God detects anything in you that is wrong, He does not ask you to put it right; He asks you to accept the light, and He will put it right. A child of the light confesses instantly and stands bared before God; a child of the darkness says--"Oh, I can explain that away." When once the light breaks and the conviction of wrong comes, be a child of the light, and confess, and God will deal with what is wrong; if you vindicate yourself, you prove yourself to be a child of the darkness.

What is the proof that carnality has gone? Never deceive yourself; when carnality is gone it is the most real thing imaginable. God will see that you have any number of opportunities to prove yourself the marvel of His grace. The practical test is the only proof. "Why", you say, "If this had happened before, there would have been the spirit of resentment!" You will never cease to be the most amazed person on earth at what God has done for you on the inside.   

Oswald Chambers - From My Utmost for His Highest Classic Edition

- Underlines and highlights are courtesy of Mom from her Print Edition

- carnality - of the flesh, material, worldly
- trifles - something of little value or importance
- petulance - impatient or irritable, especially over a petty annoyance 

My Utmost for His Highest - March 22nd - The Burning Heart

They said to one another, “Were our hearts not burning within us when He was speaking to us on the road, while He was explaining the Scriptures to us?” - Luke 24:32

We need to learn this secret of the burning heart. Suddenly Jesus appears to us, the fires are kindled, we have wonderful visions, then we have to learn to keep the secret of the burning heart that will go through anything. It is the dull, bald, dreary, commonplace day, with commonplace duties and people, that kills the burning heart unless we have learned the secret of abiding in Jesus.

Much of our distress as Christians comes not because of sin, but because we are ignorant of the laws of our own nature. For instance, the only test as to whether we ought to allow an emotion to have its way is to see what the outcome of the emotion will be. Push it to its logical conclusion, and if the outcome is something God would condemn, allow it no more way. but if it be an emotion kindled by the Spirit of God and you do not let that emotion have its right issue in your life, it will react on a lower level. That is the way sentimentalists are made. The higher the emotion is, the deeper the degradation will be, if it is not worked out on its proper level. If the Spirit of God has stirred you, made as many things inevitable as possible, let the consequences be what they will. We cannot stay on the mount of transfiguration, but we must obey the light we received there; we must act it out. When God gives a vision, transact business on that line, no matter what it costs.

            "We cannot kindle when we will

                The fire which in the heart resides,
            The spirit bloweth and is still, 
            In mystery our soul abides;
                But tasks in hours of insight will'd
                Can be through hours of gloom fulfill'd."  -- Matthew Arnold

Oswald Chambers - From My Utmost for His Highest Classic Edition

- Underlines and highlights are courtesy of Mom from her Print Edition

My Utmost for His Highest - March 21st - Interest or Identification?

I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me. -- Galatians 2:20

The imperative need spiritually is to sign the death warrant of the disposition of sin, to turn all emotional impressions and intellectual beliefs into a moral verdict against the disposition of sin, viz., my claim to my right to myself. Paul says -- "I have been crucified with Christ"; he does not say -- "I have determined to imitate Jesus Christ," or "I will endeavor to follow Him" -- but -- "I have been identified with Him in His death." When I come to such a moral decision and act upon it, then all that Christ wrought for me on the Cross is wrought in me. The free committal of myself to God gives the Holy Spirit the chance to impart to me the holiness of Jesus Christ. 

"... nevertheless I live ..." The individuality remains, but the mainspring, the ruling disposition, is radically altered. The same human body remains, but the old satanic right to myself is destroyed. 

"And the life which I now live in the flesh...," not the life which I long to live and pray to live but the life I now live in my mortal flesh, the life which men can see, "I live by the faith of the Son of God." This faith is not Paul's faith in Jesus Christ, but the faith that the Son of God has imparted to him--"the faith of the Son of God," It is no longer faith in faith, but faith which has overleapt all conscious bounds, the identical faith of the Son of God. 

Oswald Chambers - From My Utmost for His Highest Classic Edition

- Underlines and highlights are courtesy of Mom from her Print Edition

• imperative - indicating authority or command, necessary, urgent
• death warrant - an official order for the execution of a condemned person
• disposition of sin - the authority to settle or control sin 
• viz (namely)

- 

My Utmost for His Highest - March 20th - Friendship with God

The Lord said, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do, - Genesis 18:17

Its Delights. This chapter brings out the delight of real friendship with God as compared with occasional feelings of His presence in prayer. To be so much in contact with God that you never need to ask Him to show you His will, is to be nearing the final stage of your discipline in the life of faith. When you are rightly related to God, it is a life of freedom and liberty and delight, you are God's will, and all your common-sense decisions are His will for you unless He checks. You decide things in perfect delightful friendship with God, knowing that if your decisions are wrong He will always check; when He checks, stop at one. 

Its Difficulties. Why did Abraham stop praying when he did? He was not intimate enough yet to go boldly on until God granted his desire, there was something yet to be desired in his relationship to God. Whenever we stop short in prayer and say---"Well, I don't know; perhaps it is God's will," there is still another stage to go. We are not so intimately acquainted with God as Jesus was, and as He wants us to be--"That they may be one even as we are one (John 17:22)." Think of the last thing you prayed about--were you devoted to your desire or to God? Determined to get some gift of the Spirit or to get at God? "Your Heavenly Father knows what things you have need of before you ask Him (Matthew 6:8)." The point of asking is that you may get to know God better. "Delight yourself also in the Lord; and He shall give thee the desires of thine heart (Psalm 37:4)." Keep praying in order to get a perfect understanding of God Himself. 

Oswald Chambers - From My Utmost for His Highest Classic Edition

- Underlines and highlights are courtesy of Mom from her Print Edition

My thought is "He checks" is God speaking to us by His Spirit and letting us know our way is not His way. 

My Utmost for His Highest - March 19 - Abraham's Life of Faith

By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed by going out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he left, not knowing where he was going. - Hebrews 11:8

In the Old Testament, a person's relationship with God was seen by the degree of separation in that person's life. This separation is exhibited in the life of Abraham by his separation from his country and his family. When we think of separation today, we do not mean to be literally separated from those family members who do not have a personal relationship with God, but to be separated mentally and morally from their viewpoints. This is what Jesus Christ was referring to in Luke 14:26 (If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his own father, mother, wife, children, brothers, sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple.)

Living a life of faith means never knowing where you are being led. But it does mean loving and knowing the One who is leading. It is literally a life of faith, not of understanding and reason -- a life of knowing Him who calls us to go. Faith is rooted in the knowledge of a Person, and one of the biggest traps we fall into is the belief that if we have faith, God will surely lead us to success in the world. 

The final stage in the life of faith is the attainment of character, and we encounter many changes in the process. We feel the presence of God around us when we pray, yet we are only momentarily changed. We tend to keep going back to our everyday ways and the glory vanishes. A life of faith is not a life of one glorious mountaintop experience after another, like soaring on eagles' wings, but is a life of day-in and day-out consistency; a life of walking without fainting (Isaiah 40:31 - Yet those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary.) It is not even a question of the holiness of sanctification, but of something which comes much farther down the road. It is a faith that has been tried and proved and has withstood the test. Abraham is not a type or an example of the holiness of sanctification, but a type of the life of faith--a faith, tested and true, built on the true God. "Abraham believed God . . ." (Romans 4:3). 

Oswald Chambers -From My Utmost for His Highest Updated Edition