Dying To Self

I am concentrating on the aspect of Sanctification in the Christians life and in mine particulary lately. Maybe you can input your thoughts on this subject. Obviously we start out as Born-Again Believers and this act is begun by the HOLY SPIRIT giving us new life! We have our names written in Heaven and have Eternal Life! But we are only Babes, just as the "Born-Again" suggests. Henceforth we have to grow in this new life. The food is The Word of GOD and it is watered by Prayer. So far so good. But then why is it that so many Christians never really grow very far in their faith? Those who seldom read the Bible or Pray we can understand. But their are many who"do" read the Bible a lot and Pray and yet still stay very childish in the Faith. Now I'm not looking at others only when I say this cause I am concentrating on myself growing deeper. I want to be "Saved to the Uttermost" as it says that JESUS can do for us! There is a "Finished"-ness that can come to a fully matured Christian. Eph 4.13-15 talks about this from The Whole Church perspective, but this can also be indicative of the individual as well. But there is a better Passage in Scripture I think that defines the process more clearly. It is 2Cor 4:7-10. In particular, verse 10. "Always bearing about in our body the dying of the LORD JESUS that the Life of JESUS may also be in our bodies!" How do we effect this dying then? It suggests here that it is a Moment by Moment contest, and the rivals as we know from Galatians, are the Flesh and the Spirit. To crucify or put to death something in us at any particular moment is to refuse our "will" or "desire". Die to self. Now people think they have such a good hold on this dying to self, as in "No" I cant have that ice cream right now, or I wont buy myself that sweater. But how about when in a crowd and a person of lesser stature contradicts you? Or how about when someone you know has hurt you, and later on you get a chance to put them in bad light or hurt them back? (Revenge may well be the hardest to die to of all our passions and lusts.) Or how about even when GOD has locked you up like Job in the Bible, and you look like the most pathetic Christian ever and people come and criticise you even worse and put you lower than you thought possible? Will you even strike out at GOD? Remember, that "self" --- that self that I have just described, that is in you and me, is the thing that keeps us from knowing GOD and keeps us from Growing in GOD. Christian Maturity is gained by who can die more to his self. Phil 3.10 states, "That I may know HIM and the power of HIS Resurrection and the fellowship of HIS Sufferings being made conformable to HIS Death". "HIS Death?" What is HIS Death? "Dying to Self!" Yes, JESUS Had a Self! HE died to it every second of HIS life, but it is that dying that you and I are to die to as well! Oh it is a dark night. Oh consider Job more closely and see how he looked so well in the Spiritual eyes of all before his trial, and then put yourself in his life during the sickness and the criticism of his friends. Could we take that? You will never really know JESUS unless you and I die to that self. It wants to live with a force that is unimaginable in power. (Suicide is the ultimate SELF-"Love", not hate). Those who have crossed it out, are few and rare individuals. But though they may look like such losers in the worlds eyes! They are the true lights shining on this earth! And if they don't have much respect or acknowledgment from the Church, they have such Peace with JESUS and they wouldn't trade it for the other! And, they get that which Peter spoke of "For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our LORD and Saviour JESUS CHRIST!!!