By nature...

Most of us naturally desire to have Godly attributes. Even those who don't know God, want to be viewed by others as good people. We desire to do good, we want others to think we are good, but we don't, naturally, know how to be good. Our nature desires a "good" outcome for ourselves, but naturally (and often blindly) it acts in ways which are contrary to that. This results in attaining an outcome that is the opposite of the one we set out to reach to begin with. We don't realize, naturally, that that which we desire, if we truly want to attain it, would require that we ask and desire nothing for ourselves. A person who is truly good, will not be wanting or desiring to be viewed as a good person because it is already in them by nature. If it is already a fact, then there is no reason to desire it. A person who is honest, does not consciously think or contemplate telling the truth, for it comes so naturally to him that to consider it would be redundant and pointless.

One who desires to be exalted must first become nothing and emptied of self. By nature, this is an impossibility for the two are contrary. One desires to be exalted and so, is not willing to give anything up of himself, he is full of pride. He thinks he deserves to be exalted and therefore nullifies any right to exaltation. The other would not even consider thinking of himself or care about exaltation, but would live for others, lovingly and humbly serving without asking for any return. No one desires to be less than every other person and at the same time better than every other person for these two desires are conflicting in nature. In order to be exalted, in truth, one must think of others and think not upon himself. Pride must be discarded until "self" is emptied of any motive and one exists in true humility. Working from the above premise, it could only be one who is truly worthy of all exaltation that could possibly live a life of complete humility, give it all, and ask for nothing. This is why there is only one name, Jesus, who truly deserves exaltation. He, as God, did this. Noone else, for there is no other God, could accomplish what He did, even if they tried. In fact, even if they did all that He did on earth, they are not God and so would be a false God with false motives, setting themselves up to be God, but not deserving of it. For there is only one man in all of time and history who lived a sinless, blameless life, who deserved every exaltation, but asked for and desired nothing and then gave it all, His very lifeblood, for every last one of us. He was the only one who could have or ever will accomplish this. It is only because He is God that He was able to live life here, considering not Himself, but living only for others. Truly, it could only be God humbling Himself to a servant who deserves exaltation. Jesus is the only one who ever lived as God in human form. He deserved every glory and honor and praise, but asked for nothing. He came to show us the way to true Life...Life not of flesh, but born of the Spirit.

The more we walk in the Truth with Jesus, the more we realize that, unlike Him, who came deserving to be exalted, but asking for nothing, we came desiring to be exalted and so, deserving to be nothing. We need to realize that, "Every good and perfect gift is from above," (James 1:17) and "Apart from Him I can do no good thing." (John 15:5) The more humbled we become, the more we realize that we are nothing and He is everything and give praise more and more so to Him who lived a perfect, sinless life, desired nothing for Himself, yet created everything. We begin to live in awe of Him. Not just know that we are supposed to be in awe of Him, but we are literally humbled and amazed by Him.

The things of God do not make sense to the natural mind. Understanding is only given to us by revelation through the Holy Spirit. Man's view of the world is opposite of God's view because apart from God we desire to place ourselves first, before others. Even as children, we want and expect others to put us first, thereby putting ourselves first before others. This is why Jesus said, in Luke 13:30, "Indeed, there are those who are last who will be first, and first who will be last." When we receive the Holy Spirit and become born again, when we surrender all to Jesus because He bore all things for us, it is a setting aside of this "natural, selfish spirit" and, as a result of this emptying of self, God fills us with His Spirit. Our desires become His desires and we finally understand what it means for our lives to be a living sacrifice and it is not at any cost that we are unwilling to pay. For by God's grace our eyes are open and we finally realize that Jesus gave it all. He, literally, took my place and yours upon that cross and bore the burden of sin and death for me and for you so that we could, if we so choose, be set free from chains and captivity and slavery to sin and be alive with Him forever. Now, here, it must be noted that many people will just stop here and say, "it is my choosing Jesus, going to church and trying to be a good person that makes me saved." This is a lie and deception. It is a thought that keeps us farther from grace than those who are purposefully committing arbitrary sins.

It is not by my choosing Him that I am good. It is only by His blood given for me, His substutionary act of atonement whereby He died in my place, because of His infinite grace, mercy and love that I am freed to become like Him. It is only in being humbled in this way that I am able to become even the slightest amount more pure. Now He sees me not for who I was or who I am now, still feebly attached to human nature, but for the new creation He has made me and calls me His Beloved. He sets me apart and I will forever spend eternity doing two things that grow in proportion to each other: 1) becoming more like Him and, 2) living in greater and greater awe and amazement at His holiness and my own inability to be holy at all apart form Him.