Christ and Emptying Self

One thing that those who mean business with God will experience, is the work of the Holy Spirit in helping us to empty ourselves in order that Christ may be enlarged in us.

This will be His continual focus, as the Holy Spirit, as far as He relates to believers, lives to remove and weaken our self life in order that Christ may be formed in us. That is the end result of all that God has for us, and it's an enormous undertaking; one that will continue on into eternity.

What we must understand to cooperate with the Holy Spirit is there is nothing in us that He can work with. Nothing good dwells in the flesh, and the sooner we accept that, the sooner we and God can get on with His purpose for us.

No matter how good we may seem when compared to other human beings, no matter what we may consider as good intentions or clean living, all of it is unclean before the Lord, who is the only true light.

In other words, from our fallen nature we have absolutely nothing to offer God but our hearts. That's it. Even there our hearts can be deceptive, and we can't trust anything about ourselves as it relates to God.

If we will embrace the work of the cross within us, we will find that God will have a place to do the work of conforming us to the image of Jesus Christ. If not, He will continue to work and wait until we're ready to surrender all to Him. Saying we are ready to surrender, or singing we're ready to surrender all, doesn't mean we are in fact surrendering all.

The Holy Spirit is perfect in being able to reveal that by putting us through difficulties. It is in the hard times of life that we find out where we are really at. There is where God can do some work if we're willing to abide in Him while we go through our struggles.

Many Christians unnecessarily harden their hearts or are clueless as to the ways of God as they relate to finding a place to build Christ within the believer. If we are willing to see, we will discover and understand that it is in the struggles of life that the Holy Spirit finds a place in us to do His work.

Embracing that reality won't make it any easier, but it will work out the peaceable fruit of righteousness, where we can graciously be quiet and restful within even if our outer world seems to be falling apart.

All of it is for the glory of God in that we continually grow more and more like Jesus. The key is self-emptying, and the Holy Spirit is able to help you in that if you open your heart to Him.