Do you really want to be pure?

This was the question asked by my pastor yesterday morning. It is one of the most important questions that can be asked of each of us. It will reveal to us what is truly our heart's treasure. It reminded of a quote from Andrew Murray from his sermon, Absolute Surrender.

"Who is there who truly longs to be delivered from the power of the self-life, who truly acknowledges that it is the power of self and the flesh, and who is willing to cast all at the feet of Christ?"

Can any of us say these words truly? "I give up everything. I will hold nothing back. Nothing in myself or in my life, nothing I own or hold valuable, not my friends, my family, my job, my beliefs of who He is, my time, my money, my rights, nothing is off limits to God and his purifying fire. Which fire is His love that has and always will burn us clean."

As much as I hate to say it, I have not been and still seem not willing enough to give over EVERYTHING. God is allowed to walk the halls of my life in only certain areas. I come out to see Him every now and then, but when I get uncomfortable or find it more than I am wanting to give or do I hide in the parts of myself I have refused to let Him enter.

My answer to these questions would have to be, "No. I don't really want to be pure. I don't really want to be free of my self-centered life."

How can I change? How can you? It seems like an impossible task, even if I wanted to change. It is impossible. "Without me you can do nothing." Christ is the answer, Himself. I have, and maybe you can relate, taken His teachings or His ministers or His people, instead of Him alone. We will never be able to apply Christ's teachings to our lives. We must have Christ!

God does not want to be a part of our lives. He want's be our Life.