{"id":4670,"date":"2011-10-09T21:52:54","date_gmt":"2011-10-09T21:52:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.freedomfrommedom.com\/wp3\/?page_id=4670"},"modified":"2014-09-28T00:53:51","modified_gmt":"2014-09-28T00:53:51","slug":"sympathetic-savior-role-model-for-recovery","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.freedomfrommedom.com\/wp3\/sympathetic-savior-role-model-for-recovery","title":{"rendered":"Sympathetic Savior… Role Model for Recovery"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>Long lay the world in sin and error pining.<\/em><\/span>
\n Till He appeared and the Spirit felt its worth.<\/em><\/span>
\n A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices,<\/em><\/span>
\n For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

The King of kings lay thus lowly manger;<\/em><\/span>
\n In all our trials born to be our friends.<\/em><\/span>
\n He knows our need; our weakness is no stranger,<\/em><\/span>
\n Behold your King! Before him lowly bend!<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Truly He taught us to love one another,<\/em><\/span>
\n His law is love and His gospel is peace.<\/em><\/span>
\n Chains He shall break, for the slave is our brother.<\/em><\/span>
\n And in His name all oppression shall cease.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Led by the light of faith serenely beaming,<\/em><\/span>
\n With glowing hearts by His cradle we stand.<\/em><\/span>
\n Fall on your knees! Oh, hear the angel voices!<\/em><\/span>
\n O night divine, the night when Christ was born.<\/em><\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

The Apostle Paul wrote that in Jesus we have a Savior who sympathizes<\/span><\/a> with us since he lived among us as a human being, and as a man endured all temptation yet remained\u00a0innocent. He knew what it was as a man\u00a0to be misunderstood, betrayed, and rejected. He knew what it was as a man\u00a0to be abused, bullied,\u00a0and victimized. \"\"<\/a>He knew what it was\u00a0to grieve the loss of loved ones. He knew what it was to feel abandoned by a parent. He knew what it was to be reconciled into friendships that had been wounded.\u00a0He knew what it was to want\u00a0things to be better. He knew what is was as a person of flesh and blood to need God in recovery to restore him.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled \"\"<\/a>himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross! <\/strong>Philippians 2:5-8 (NLT)<\/p>\n

While a\u00a0human being <\/span><\/a> who experienced hunger, fatigue, loneliness, and weakness, Jesus Christ\u00a0said, “I can do nothing on my own. I judge as God tells me. Therefore, my judgment is just, because I carry out the will of the one who sent me, not my own will.” <\/strong>John 5:30 (NLT) <\/span><\/p>\n

Please allow me\u00a0the liberty\u00a0to paraphrase the words of Jesus: \u201cI ADMIT<\/strong> I have no authority in my flesh to sufficiently do what I have been called to do. I BELIEVE<\/strong> my authority comes from God the Father. Since it is by His authority that I am righteous and just, I seek not my own desires, but COMMIT<\/strong> to submit daily to the will of\u00a0whom I serve; under His authority.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

So we have stopped evaluating others from a human point of view. At one time we thought of Christ merely from a human point of view. How differently we know him now!\u00a0This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!<\/strong> 2 Corinthians 5:16-17 (NLT)<\/span><\/p>\n

\".....baby<\/a> \".<\/a><\/span>Central to Christ-centered recovery that works is to center on recovery the way Christ himself modeled recovery for us. Jesus surrendered his life into the care and plan of God. He depended on God absolutely every day of his life. If that was the recovery model for Jesus, who vacated his authority as God so that he could get to know us intimately (as a person of flesh), who are we to think we can realize real recovery into freedom any other way? Through the vehicle that is His life experience as a fully human being, now<\/em> fully God, we can enter into the fullness of our new life experience. We must, however, be willing to lay down the former life that is in one way or another killing us. We must be willing to die to the life that is death to us in the end. How much more sensible can it be?<\/span><\/p>\n