This episode continues applying the holistic cross of self-denial to all areas of life that aren't sinful per se. Christ Himself set the example: He didn't use His abilities without submitting them over to the Father's discretion. The God-man could easily have overwhelmed his hearers with His wit and mental acuity but chose on many occasions to refrain. Isaiah 42:3 says about Him "a broken reed He would not break nor a dimly burning wick He would not snuff out." He didn't break broken sinners but submitted all His talents and abilities over to the Father, to be used only at His discretion. Christ exemplified TOTAL submission to the Father and it had little to do with sin, for He was morally perfect and free from sin. So when believers subsequently identity with Christ in His death, burial and resurrection they ideally should present their whole selves as living sacrifices, to be used for His pleasure.
Present All of You as a Slave of Righteousness
This episode addresses the cross of self-denial with respect to all of our natural abilities and talents. Identifying with Christ is His death, burial and resurrection doesn't just apply to our sin issues and suffering for Christ: it also refers to holistically submitting to the will of the Father, presenting our natural giftings over to Him to be used at HIS discretion. Paul modeled this kind of self-denial to the Corinthians: to the weak he became weak, "becoming all things to all men that he might win some." (1 Corinthians 9:19-22) The episode cites several examples in which Christians win battles but lose souls when they fail to lay their knowledge and verbal acumen at the Master's feet, only to be used upon His leading.
“Don’t Let Persecution Go to Waste”
This episode spells out the dynamic of persecution in the lives of believers. Persecution arises because of the Word sake. (Mark 4:17) Christians have received a kingdom which cannot be shaken. (Heb. 12:28) The sovereign purpose of God in persecution is therefore the removal of things which can be shaken so that the things which cannot be shaken remain. (Heb. 12:27) So typically God allows persecution in the lives of believers to expose residual unbelief and sympathy with the kingdom of darkness (Col. 1:13). The Christian should then repent and be more committed to Christ. Amidst persecution, believers are called to identify with the sufferings and death of Christ, fully cognizant that this posture glorifies Christ, as it testifies to the veracity of the gospel. The episode finally notes that Paul was motivated to suffer for Christ because he knew Him intimately: he had "the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ." (2 Cor. 4:6)
The Multi-Faceted Cross
This episode introduces the second arena in which believers are called to apply the death, burial and resurrection of Christ to their lives, that of self-denial. While Christians use the paradigm of Christ's death and resurrection as a model for dealing with the cross of sin, closely related, but not the same, is our attitude towards everything we have that is NOT sinful. All of our gifts and talents need to placed at the Master's feet and utilized based on HIS leading. The episode also mentions the cross of persecution, the third area in which we apply the death, burial and resurrection of Christ to our lives. The episode affirms that the three crosses carried by Christians (sin, self-denial, and persecution) are inter-related. Our submission to Christ over sin issues naturally affects how we respond to self-denial in other areas and our attitude towards persecution.