I am not My Own

by Tiffany S.
from Virtuous Daughters, May 2008~Volume 8, Number 2

The wonderful news is that all our sins were paid for on Calvary! Christ willingly took it upon Himself to pay for our wrongdoing that we might have everlasting life. While we were yet sinners, He died for us. This is something to be excited about!
   
I’m writing to encourage you in two areas: first, victory can always be found in our Savior; second, we do not belong to ourselves.
   
Victory can always be found in our Savior. Jesus died for every single person in the entire world. Sadly, though, many have/will reject His gift. Sometimes I ponder this sober thought. How could Christ sacrifice in such a way? I cannot fathom it. To die, first of all, for sinners who have wronged Him immensely. And then to die for people who would completely disregard, reject, and even blaspheme the sacrifice. Our Lord is truly “merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.”
   
Those who have chosen to reject Christ will one day pay the penalty for their sin. But those who have accepted His free gift have been bought with a price and have the privilege of belonging to Jesus! "But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”—1 Corinthians 15:57 This Scripture causes us to rejoice! Through Jesus, we can be victorious over the world, the devil, and our flesh.
   
Recently the Lord has given me a joyful victory over sins that I needed to conquer. This does not mean that I’m through with them forever—I certainly wish it did—but I have seen improvement. For example, I have strived to speak kinder toward my siblings (even when I’m not “in a good mood.”) When I rely on Christ to give me strength, I claim a victory that is found in Him alone!
   
Another area has been pessimism. I have often struggled to maintain a cheerful attitude—even when I have so much to be grateful for! This is something I wondered if I’d ever conquer! By God’s grace, I have seen spiritual progress in this area also. It was not an overnight change. It was a slow process of learning contentment and joy that only comes from knowing and trusting Christ.
   
1 Peter 3:12 reminds us, “For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and His ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil.” None of us are perfect. But if we desire to please God and to conform to the image of His Son, He will work through us. We must stop trying to do things on our own and start relying on Christ. The truth is: we cannot do it! But Christ can. (Read John 15.)
   
Philippians 1:6 is an encouraging verse: “Being confident of this very thing, that He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.” The day we accepted Christ as Savior, a good work was begun in our hearts and lives. It will continue until we meet Him face to face. We will never be finished learning about Him, maturing in Him, or growing in Him. It is a daily dying to self and dedication to Christ. But God is faithful, even when we are not.
   
The Christian life is an upward journey. It is a walk in which we should always be hungering and thirsting for more of Jesus, longing to know Him even better than before. We should never become comfortable with our present condition, but should press toward the high calling (Philippians 3). A.W. Tozer’s The Pursuit of God emphasizes this vital truth.
   
To overcome our sins, we must stop loving the things of this world (1 John 2).We must stop loving ourselves. We must zealously long for Christ alone to satisfy and bring us complete joy! Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 2:2 “For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and Him crucified.” May we all agree? 
   
If you are a Christian, you are able to call upon your Savior and work in His strength. You are even able to claim His victory as you recognize your own weakness. Christ, our unfailing source of strength and victory, is all we need. “. . . Greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world.”—1 John 4:4
   
We do not belong to ourselves. Even we Christians enjoy thinking that we belong to ourselves. We like to know that we may do as we please, when we please, and what we please. But when we read 1 Corinthians 6:19–20, we are stabbed with the truth. “What? Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.”
   
The world tells us that we should “do our own thing,” and “live our life.” How could we justify such actions when the Scriptures clearly declare that we belong to Christ? How could we even fathom leading a life that only fulfills our wishes, our desires, and our goals? No. We do not belong to ourselves. We belong to Christ and should be constantly seeking to bring Him glory.
   
Ironically, there is such a peaceful joy in living for Christ alone. It eliminates the strains to please the world, to please ourselves, and to be “on our own.” In recognizing that we belong to the Lord, we simply trust and obey Him. His way is best. Always. “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Thee: because he trusteth in thee.”—Isaiah 26:3
   
We tend to put self on the throne of our hearts, thus denying Christ His rightful place. But since we belong to Christ, He should always reign as King over our lives and hearts. That is the place of true rest, certainty, and trust.
   
I recently read a sweet story titled Journey of the Heart. It emphasized the reality that we are not our own, and that when we are living for Christ, we will experience an amazing joy and peace. When we choose to abide in Christ by putting Him first, loving Him wholly, and giving Him every part of our hearts, we are content. Because He is enough.
   
​Remember: we belong to Christ—and in Him alone is true victory. May He strengthen you and grow you in Him each day as you seek to know Him more fully!