Strip Yourself

Natural man is focused on himself, building up himself, being accepted by society, being highly regarded, being reputable, being rich, being famous, being accomplished in life, but Jesus Christ, God almighty, the image of God, He came down to this earth and He stripped Himself. He became of no reputation. We read in Philippians 2:5 “Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men and being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”

Jesus did not hold on to His status, His power, His glory. He stripped Himself of all of that. He became a man, and not just a man, He became a servant. He became of no reputation. He willfully laid down all His godly qualities, His power. He didn't hang on to it. He willfully gave it up and that is the attitude that we must have if we want to follow Jesus. That is why Jesus said:”If anyone wishes to come after me, He must deny Himself, pick up his cross, come here follow Me.” Repentance does not just mean that you stop sinning. It doesn't just mean that you become a Christian and you do certain things differently. It means that you strip yourself of yourself and just as Jesus Himself, stripped Himself of His glory, we also need to strip ourselves of our status, our abilities, our wisdoms, our knowledge, our dependance on our self - we need to lay that down, willfully, and come into obedience to Jesus Christ, as He also said, I read from Luke 6:29. “Whoever hits you on the cheek, offer him the other also and whoever takes away your coat, do not withhold your shirt from him either. “Give to everyone who asks of you, and whoever takes away what is yours, do not demand it back, and just as you want men to treat you, treat them in the same way. And if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same thing.”

Jesus requires of us to strip ourselves of ourselves and to obey Him, not to follow our own mind and our own insight. We cannot serve Him in our way, we must submit our will and everything that is “US” and in us, we need to submit to Him and become a servant of the Kingdom of God. That is what He requires of us, if we want to follow Him.

Dear friend, are we willing to let go of everything, our reputation, our love of the world, everything that we have, and follow Jesus Christ? Because that is what He requires of us if we want to become part of His Kingdom.

May Jesus bless you.