What is the self Life. It is just simply living your own life. Everyone has a life to live. Some choose to live in negativity and drama and others choose to walk away from that kind of life and make their own place to abide with a greater peace around them and their loved ones. Some desire to move out from the drama, but feel they are stuck and cannot.
It is hard to explain the “self-life” Before we were born-again, we had no idea what it was like to feel the Holy Spirit inside one’s heart speaking, guiding leading. We just were empty, mostly doing our own thing. When Paul was explaining in Corinthians saying, “death worked in us, but life in you.” He was speaking about the old nature. (I’m just making this up to fit in today’s experiences) that didn’t want to hang around and wait on these dudes to get it together. He was tired, hungry, frustrated or maybe just didn’t’ know how to help. But he died to his lack of “know-how,” he died to his fear of being wrong or whatever the heck he was dealing within himself at the time. Then, when he chose to “love” which, if you wait on the Lord instead of going in search of some lofty goal of Love, the Holy Spirit rises up within the believer and leads, guides and directs you. He will do that every time you wait on Him, which is simply dying to the flesh…..instead of reacting to another when you are yelled at or do not measure up, Instead of blaming someone else you stay silent. (He was led like a sheep to the slaughter) I’
Consider Mr Wigglesworth and his walk with the Lord and countless others like Kathrine Kuhlman and George Warnock, John Wesley, George Whitfield the circuit-rider preacher. Consider Hebrews 11. Like the faith of those prophets who have gone before us who were sawn into, burned at the stake, crucified upside down. Why were these people hated so? Because they reminded others of the Christ. What a privilege to be counted to suffer for Christ. He is the one that Suffered, yes in our place, but we too must let go of the self life that the Life of Christ might be manifest within us. Romans, Peter, Ephesians, Galations, Jude, I know they were all Paul’ teaching, But there is something missing in the Body of Christ right now. Is it holiness? What is holiness? It is something we cannot work up, but must receive…..as we walk in the glory of Christ. He must become our all. Otherwise he is just another one of our idols. We have all these nice toys on the shelf and we take one down and work with it and play with it, talk to it and then put it back on the shelf till a more opportune time. Jesus won’t be one of our idols. He wants all or nothing. All or nothing is a pretty tall order.
If we have committed our life to Christ, we are not our own. Our lives must exhibit the beautly of the Lord Jesus. The only way that can really be manifested is that we die to this “old man.” James called it the “Lust of the eyes the lust of the flesh and the boastful pride of life.” These are the things that caused Eve to consider rebellion in the garden where humanity lost thier glory cloud. God was searching: “Adam where are you?” “I was hiding in the bushes because I was naked,” he quivered as he confessed his worst fears might be unfolding. “Who told you you were naked?” God asked a rhetorical question. Have you eaten of the tree of knowledge of good and evil which I commanded you?: And so comes the blame game….she gave me and serpent deceived me, etc.