The Day of New Beginnings

A Lamb Led to the Slaughter

 

When the Lord begins to expose our corrupt flesh natures, the tendency is to panic and feel driven to correct whatever behavior or ugly thing we see about ourselves. “I can’t stand this about myself, I’ve got to change,” is a common response to what the Lord is putting His finger on. It becomes very hard to live with yourself when suddenly you can’t find anything redeeming in your life. Although that urge to start “changing” sounds spiritual enough, it’s exactly the wrong approach. Even if we do manage to alter our behavior or get rid of some habitual response we have to certain stimuli, it profits us nothing. God is not looking to change our behavior patterns but rather to replace them with Himself. It’s His righteousness that must be formed in us. All the self discipline in the world does not produce the righteousness of God. How then do we change? 
 
Col. 2:11:
“…and in Him you were also circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, in the removal of the body of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ;”
 
There is a circumcision made without hands we must experience. “Made without hands” means it’s not of our own doing. It becomes the work of the Holy Spirit within us. It’s the circumcision of Christ in the removal of the flesh nature. How is this circumcision accomplished? By refusing any attempt to fix what we see in ourselves. We reach the place where we sense the utter futility in even trying to change. What we do instead is stand before the Lord with our hearts open, fully exposing ourselves, without any withdrawal or condemnation. This is easier said that done. It’s very difficult not to bolt and run when He begins to give us a revelation of ourselves. As a matter of fact, it’s impossible. What we need to sustain us is Christ’s heart. 
 
Isa. 53:7:
He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He did not open His mouth; Like a lamb that is led to slaughter, And like a sheep that is silent before its shearers, So He did not open His mouth.
 
The Lord did not draw back from the cross. There was no withdrawal in His spirit. He was silent before the shearers. When He stood before Pilate and was repeatedly accused by the chief priests and elders, He answered them not a word (Mat. 27:12-14). When we too are accused by the “chief priests and elders” of our flesh nature, we must learn to trust in God’s love and compassion toward us. We are not to turn away from the corruption we see, but rather keep entrusting ourselves to Him who judges righteously (1st Pet. 2:23). We are not to be many lambs led to the slaughter, but rather we allow the One Lamb to fill our hearts and hold us steady while the circumcision that is made without hands is accomplished in us. This is a work we will experience many times as we progress from one realm to another in our relationship with the Lord.