Fall 1998
Be It done unto Me
Nancy Coen

"Behold, the handmaid of the Lord: Be it done unto
me according to Your Word" Luke 1:38.

If Christ is to be formed in us, we must become as humbly submitted to the will of the Father as was Mary. If our Lord is to be BORN out of us and made "manifest" to a hurting, wounded world, our heart's desires must be made as pure and virgin as those of Mary's heart. We must be as yielded as she, and as unfettered and untouched by the things of the world, if we are to bring forth the life of Christ.

Even though Mary faced definite rejection by her people and possible stoning for her willingness to submit to a pregnancy outside of marriage, she was willing to pay the price of death in order to be wholly and totally submitted to the will of the Lord for her life.

In order for us to be effective servants in bringing Christ into the world, we also must come to that place where we are ready to suffer the penalty of death (to self), so that the will of the Lord will be accomplished in us.

"... always bearing about in the body the dying of
the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might
be made manifest in OUR body"

"For we which live are alway delivered unto death
for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus might
be made manifest in OUR mortal flesh" II Cor 4:10-11
(emphasis added).

All this must be done without any question on our part about God's sovereign right to control our destiny in every area of the body, mind, and spirit. Such a thing is not possible unless we consent to be "handmaidens" willing to serve the Kingdom of God in any and every way of His choosing. Mary "consented" mentally, emotionally, spiritually, and physically to the will of the Father.

The result was,

"Christ IN her ... the hope of glory."

FATHER, "Let it be done unto me according to your word.