The Quill and Me—Devotional Blog•Oswald Chambers Reflections
For whosoever will save his life shall lose it:
and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.
For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world,
and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?
Matthew 16: 25-26
July 22
Today's Reading: My Utmost for His Highest
1 Thessalonians 4:3
"This is the will of God, your sanctification . . ."
The Moment You Let Go
The Death Side of Sanctification...
There is a season in life where we have to make a decision to choose Christ or... not. Death to self is a term used to describe the stripping down of the person you think you are to the person Christ wants to sanctify. Sanctification cannot come until you are stripped of all identities except the only one that matters.
This is a time of inner struggle. A time of coming to Jesus just as we are and letting Him work a miracle in your life.
Your biggest enemy in all of this is not sin... it is your self-will. If you can find one moment in your life when you can totally let go and stop insisting on your own way... stop fighting against God and let Him have His way with you... the grace being poured out for you can be received and your striving will end.
Death to self is where you surrender control of your life to Christ. To the Holy Spirit dwelling inside of you. It is the death of your earthly self, ego, will, and pride. You must let go of your control on your life.
You must let go of every identity rooted in self, and return to the one identity rooted in God—the soul He created.
Unfortunately this process usually occurs when your soul reaches empty... you come to a physical, emotional, spiritual depletion of your personal existence in this world. When you are weak and weary you can finally recognize your essential need of the only one able to revive you. When the constant battle with the Spirit of God comes to an end and you accept His right to your life, you open your hands and release control of the life that He purchased for you on the Cross of Calvary.
You let go and the Holy Spirit does the work. He will cleanse the heart and transform your character. This is not self-improvement. It is Christ's dwelling within you and becoming the prominent identification in your life.
Sanctification is done to you, by God. It is not something you create within yourself. It happens after the "death of self."
Sanctification is the moment you stop clinging to yourself and let Jesus live His life through you.
Prayer
Lord, I yield myself to You.
I open my hands and release control of — my self‑will, my pride, my ego.
Cleanse my heart and break the chains that keep me bound to myself.
Fill the place in me made only for You.
Take Your rightful place as Lord of my life.
Let Your life be lived through me.
Teach me what sanctification means, and make me one with Jesus.
Let my surrender be given freely, without resentment.
Strengthen me to stand firm in my yielding, trusting that what You begin in me,
You will complete.
I rest in Your will and Your strength.
I surrender all.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
And Jesus asks:
"What shall a man give in exchange for his soul?"
Selah,
~ Quil
Scripture References
1 Thessalonians 4:3 — “This is the will of God, your sanctification…”
Matthew 16:25-26— "For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? "
Luke 9:24-25— "...whoever loses his life for My sake will save it."
Mark 8:35-36— "Whoever loses his life for My sake... will save it."
Luke 9:23 — deny yourself, take up your cross
Galatians 2:20 — “I have been crucified with Christ…”
Romans 6:6 — the old self crucified
Romans 12:1 — present your body as a living sacrifice
Matthew 16:24 — deny self and follow Christ
John 12:24–25 — grain of wheat dying to bear fruit
2 Corinthians 5:17 — new creation in Christ
Colossians 3:3–4 — your life is hidden with Christ
Ephesians 4:22–24 — put off the old self, put on the new
Romans 8:14–16 — identity as children of God
Matthew 5:3 — blessed are the poor in spirit
Psalm 34:18 — God is near the brokenhearted
2 Corinthians 12:9–10 — His strength made perfect in weakness
Isaiah 40:29–31 — He gives power to the faint
Philippians 2:13 — God works in you to will and to act
Titus 3:5 — renewal by the Holy Spirit
2 Thessalonians 2:13 — sanctification by the Spirit
Galatians 5:16–18, 22–25 — walking by the Spirit
Romans 8:9–14 — life in the Spirit
Hebrews 10:10 — sanctified through Christ
Hebrews 13:20–21 — God equips you to do His will
1 Corinthians 1:30 — Christ is your sanctification
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