Page 49 - lifeandgrace
P. 49
the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave
himself for me."
Col 2:20-21 (RSV) "If with Christ you died to the elemental spirits of the universe, why do
you live as if you still belonged to the world? Why do you submit to regulations, 21"Do not
handle, Do not taste, Do not touch""
Col 3:3 (RSV) "For you have died, and your life is hid with Christ in God."
From all these scriptures, it is quite plain that when Jesus died on the cross, somehow, some way,
God caused me to die with Him. Now there is one thing sure about death: It will separate us! So it
separates us from our old, sinful life. The old man, the one born after our forefather Adam with its
tendency to sin, is dead and gone. That man is dead and buried with Christ!
Now it is also true that I arose with Jesus: (Eph 2:6 RSV) “and raised us up with him, and made us sit
with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus," I am now seated with Christ in heavenly places. How is
this possible? It is possible because we are spirit beings though we have a soul and live in a body. Our
spirits are perfectly capable of living with Jesus in heavenly places. In fact, the life in me comes from
“imperishable seed”. 1Pet 1:23 (RSV) "You have been born anew, not of perishable seed but of
imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God;"
Jesus now lives in me. I have received the very Spirit of God in my spirit so that the life of Jesus is
now giving me life. John 14:6 (RSV) “Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one
comes to the Father, but by me."
Now if indeed I have died to sin as the scriptures tell me, then it should no longer have control of me.
Indeed this is true. This new man (me) does not have to sin! That is good news.
But you may say, “But that is my problem, I do sin”. Now it is time to do what Jesus told us to
do.
Mat 16:24-25 (RSV) "Then Jesus told his disciples, "If any man would come after me, let
him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 25For whoever would save his life
[his soul life] will lose it, and whoever loses his life [his soul life] for my sake will find it."
What is Jesus trying to tell us? Simply this: We have to die to the old “self-life” we have been living
since we were born. What is this “self-life”? Rom 7:18 (RSV) "For I know that nothing good dwells
within me, that is, in my flesh. I can will what is right, but I cannot do it."
The flesh or self-life is nothing less than the way we have been getting our needs met - apart from
God - all our lives. It does not depend on God; it depends entirely on our own strength to accomplish all
we accomplish in life.
Paul could not have said it more plainly: There is nothing good dwelling in my flesh! And Jesus
plainly tells us we need to deny this old self or soul life which does not include God at all and put it to the
cross daily. Every day, we once again consciously decide that our “self” will not rule but rather we
voluntarily choose to allow the Lord Jesus to live out His life through us. Very plainly, since we were
born again, He has been living in us. His Spirit is fused with our spirit. We have received of His divine
life. He has willingly chosen to indwell us. 1Cor 6:19-20 (RSV) "Do you not know that your body is a
temple of the Holy Spirit within you, which you have from God? You are not your own; 20you were
bought with a price. So glorify God in your body."
How do we “glorify God in our body”. Very simply we give up our life to Him and allow Him to
begin to live out His life through us.
Rom 12:1 (RSV) "I appeal to you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present
your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual
worship."
himself for me."
Col 2:20-21 (RSV) "If with Christ you died to the elemental spirits of the universe, why do
you live as if you still belonged to the world? Why do you submit to regulations, 21"Do not
handle, Do not taste, Do not touch""
Col 3:3 (RSV) "For you have died, and your life is hid with Christ in God."
From all these scriptures, it is quite plain that when Jesus died on the cross, somehow, some way,
God caused me to die with Him. Now there is one thing sure about death: It will separate us! So it
separates us from our old, sinful life. The old man, the one born after our forefather Adam with its
tendency to sin, is dead and gone. That man is dead and buried with Christ!
Now it is also true that I arose with Jesus: (Eph 2:6 RSV) “and raised us up with him, and made us sit
with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus," I am now seated with Christ in heavenly places. How is
this possible? It is possible because we are spirit beings though we have a soul and live in a body. Our
spirits are perfectly capable of living with Jesus in heavenly places. In fact, the life in me comes from
“imperishable seed”. 1Pet 1:23 (RSV) "You have been born anew, not of perishable seed but of
imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God;"
Jesus now lives in me. I have received the very Spirit of God in my spirit so that the life of Jesus is
now giving me life. John 14:6 (RSV) “Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one
comes to the Father, but by me."
Now if indeed I have died to sin as the scriptures tell me, then it should no longer have control of me.
Indeed this is true. This new man (me) does not have to sin! That is good news.
But you may say, “But that is my problem, I do sin”. Now it is time to do what Jesus told us to
do.
Mat 16:24-25 (RSV) "Then Jesus told his disciples, "If any man would come after me, let
him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 25For whoever would save his life
[his soul life] will lose it, and whoever loses his life [his soul life] for my sake will find it."
What is Jesus trying to tell us? Simply this: We have to die to the old “self-life” we have been living
since we were born. What is this “self-life”? Rom 7:18 (RSV) "For I know that nothing good dwells
within me, that is, in my flesh. I can will what is right, but I cannot do it."
The flesh or self-life is nothing less than the way we have been getting our needs met - apart from
God - all our lives. It does not depend on God; it depends entirely on our own strength to accomplish all
we accomplish in life.
Paul could not have said it more plainly: There is nothing good dwelling in my flesh! And Jesus
plainly tells us we need to deny this old self or soul life which does not include God at all and put it to the
cross daily. Every day, we once again consciously decide that our “self” will not rule but rather we
voluntarily choose to allow the Lord Jesus to live out His life through us. Very plainly, since we were
born again, He has been living in us. His Spirit is fused with our spirit. We have received of His divine
life. He has willingly chosen to indwell us. 1Cor 6:19-20 (RSV) "Do you not know that your body is a
temple of the Holy Spirit within you, which you have from God? You are not your own; 20you were
bought with a price. So glorify God in your body."
How do we “glorify God in our body”. Very simply we give up our life to Him and allow Him to
begin to live out His life through us.
Rom 12:1 (RSV) "I appeal to you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present
your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual
worship."
