Chapter 1 A Consecrated Life - Far Eastern Bible College

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was actually a cousin of Jesus and this would make it quite natural for Jesus to ask him to care for His mother. He wanted John to take her to his home, so that she would not have to bear the anguish of seeing her son suffer and die like this. And John did. This is quite different from the scene at the cross portrayed by the Catholic Church, that shows Jesus lying dead in the arms of His mother who looks down lovingly at Him. This scene is known as the Pieta. But none of the Gospel records indicate that Mary the mother of Jesus was still at the cross when Jesus gave up the ghost and was taken down from the cross. Instead, the account given in John’s gospel emphasises His unselfish love for her, rather than her love for Him. How thoughtful and unselfish He was. Most of us would want our closest relatives to be very near to us when we are in deep distress. Their presence brings some comfort to us. But Christ was willing even to give up this kind of comfort, because of His tender concern that His mother should not be overly distressed. This is not the only way He showed His love. From Luke’s account we learn that Jesus also had great compassion on the dying thief that was crucified beside Him. In Luke 23:42, when the thief said unto Jesus, “Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.” Jesus replied, “Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.” How encouraging these words must have been to the dying thief, even though they were uttered by one who desperately needed encouragement Himself. But that is not all. It may be easier for a person to feel love and compassion for those who are feeling distressed for you or feeling distressed with you, like the mother of Jesus and the dying thief. But 22 A <strong>Consecrated</strong> <strong>Life</strong>
how can it ever be possible to feel love and compassion for those who hate you, for enemies that are cruel, for those who take delight in causing you your greatest distress? This is the point where Christ’s love is shown to be far greater than any human love. On the cross, He loved not only His own mother, His disciples and the dying thief. He even loved those who were crucifying Him and who still continued to revile and mock Him. According to Luke 23:34, Jesus said, “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.” Jesus, our great Lord, showed His love even to those who truly did not deserve to be loved by Him. We observe that all the while He was on the cross, He did not utter a single unkind word against them. He did not harbour any ill feeling or desire for revenge against them. What amazing love it must take to be able to do this. This world had never known such love before, until Christ died on the cross and showed it. Is our own love like that? No. We would find it most difficult to ever love like that without God’s help. But when such wondrous love is shown it should never fail to melt the hearts of those who receive it. Do you know that we have received such love? God’s Word tells us that when Jesus died on the cross, He did it because He loves sinners like you and me. Did we deserve that love? No. By our sins, we had offended and insulted Him just as much as those who nailed Him to the cross. He could have left us as we were, destined for the eternal death we deserved, for having done these things against Him. And yet it was His marvellous love for us that made Him bear the judgement for our sins on the Cross, to die in our place, so that we may be saved. Romans 5:7–8 tells us, For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. When Jesus lovingly prayed on the cross to forgive those who were crucifying Him, His prayer was heard and answered, because it was His own death that made that forgiveness possible. That death which took place on the cross was not a setback or an accident, it was not an The Mercies of God 23
Page 3 and 4: Far Eastern Bible College Press Sin
Page 5 and 6: Contents Foreword..................
Page 7 and 8: Foreword A Consecrated Life—Roman
Page 9 and 10: Chapter 1 A Consecrated Life Text:
Page 11 and 12: God rather than our bodies? After a
Page 13 and 14: elong to him. He has to bear the lo
Page 15 and 16: from now on. It means living only t
Page 17 and 18: are afraid of embarrassment, and of
Page 19 and 20: Chapter 2 The Motivation for Consec
Page 21 and 22: people, but being mocked, insulted
Page 23: cross, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthan
Page 27 and 28: suggested. It was done by the Roman
Page 29 and 30: permission to give Jesus a proper b
Page 31 and 32: Truly we must be greatly amazed tha
Page 33 and 34: was a church leader named Stephen.
Page 35 and 36: I. Busy in Doing Whatever the Lord
Page 37 and 38: Lord spake unto Philip, saying, Ari
Page 39 and 40: As Philip came nearer the carriage
Page 41 and 42: go around boasting to others about
Page 43 and 44: Abraham showed that he was willing
Page 45 and 46: life. It was not a static faith or
Page 47 and 48: There was no law in Canaan to prote
Page 49 and 50: Lord be proud to reveal Himself to
Page 51 and 52: honest to ask yourself, “Do I hav
Page 53 and 54: Chapter 5 Hindrances to Consecratio
Page 55 and 56: leaving behind any will and his chi
Page 57 and 58: But then something quite unexpected
Page 59 and 60: How frail your life is! The news is
Page 61 and 62: three generations. All the wealth t
Page 63 and 64: III. Be Rich Toward God, and Not to
Page 65 and 66: Chapter 6 The Objective Of Consecra
Page 67 and 68: Another person whose life was wonde
Page 69 and 70: II. Renew Your Mind and Conscience
Page 71 and 72: 5:16 says, “Walk in the Spirit, a
Page 73 and 74: We must maintain the desire in our
Page 75 and 76:
To Be Like Him What can it mean to
Page 77 and 78:
Through this Book, God has made kno
Page 79 and 80:
9. Does it come from or have the po
Page 81 and 82:
from this then I must follow Him. T
Page 83 and 84:
your feet; ye also ought to wash on
Page 85 and 86:
But after he graduates four things
Page 87 and 88:
straight furrow he must concentrate
Page 89 and 90:
that we want to observe in the pass
Page 91 and 92:
The reason why Basanio succeeded wh
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where Christians never faced persec
Page 95 and 96:
Having seen what the motivation for
Page 97 and 98:
What this passage prophesies is tha
Page 99 and 100:
to even live for Christ, how then c
Page 101 and 102:
My own turning point took place in
Page 103 and 104:
partners had sailed back to shore e
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elievers are sometimes reluctant to
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If God calls you today to forsake a
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III. The Grace We Have Received fro
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