Death to the world and death to sinful behavior bring us toward the image of Christ and toward our rightful inheritance of fruitfulness, dominion and service to God. Yet, there still is the need for the inwrought obedience produced by the third death—death to self.

The third death brings us to the place where the purposes of God can be established in the heavens and on the earth. It is death to self.

The difference between sin and self is described in Romans 7:20:

Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.

Can you see, in the above verse, the difference between "I" and "sin?"

After God begins to bring the sin in us under control, then He works with the "I." The "I," as Romans, Chapter Seven points out, is quite willing to perform the righteous acts of the Law of God. When God deals with the "I" He is not emphasizing sin; the issue is that of stern obedience to the Father.

Abraham, Job and Joseph were righteous men. But God brought them low in order to test their obedience. Christ Himself was perfected in obedience while He was on the earth. Sin is not the issue here. It is the being, the identity, the self of the believer that must be poured out in complete consecration.

We may be as a beautiful flower blooming before the Lord. But then the Lord requires of us that we be poured out to death. He calls for the "alabaster box" of the perfume of our soul that it may be poured on Himself.

Our "Isaac," that which God Himself has given to us, must be returned to God as an offering. We must receive our "Isaac" back from the dead before he becomes our inheritance. Only by such a pouring out of what God has wrought can there be the fullness of the multiplication of Christ, dominion over the enemies of Christ, blessing for the nations of the earth, and the filling of the heavens and the earth with the fruit—Christ.

The third death (death to self) is accomplished by self-denial as we become willing to make Christ the absolute Lord of our life. We have spoken of Abraham, of Joseph, of Job. These were righteous men who were tested concerning their willingness to love and serve God even though "unreasonable" demands were placed on them. We could mention Jeremiah, Paul, Peter and a host of others who bore an abundance of fruit because they were willing to deny themselves and follow Christ.

We may be saved and walking in holiness. But God requires further that we give over to Him all of our rights and privileges as creatures of God, as human beings. We are to maintain unswerving faithfulness to death. It is impossible to be an overcomer unless we are willing to love not our life to the death.

God is not impressed with our twentieth-century ideas of whether or not He is treating us fairly.

We must deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow Christ wherever and whenever He may lead. We sometimes must go places that are not of our choosing, to do things that are unpleasant, and to do so without complaining against God or people.

We may be called on to suffer the loss of all things (Philippians 3:8). The rich young ruler was keeping the Law but Christ demanded the "unreasonable" of him: "Sell your possessions and give away the proceeds."

To be continued.