"(3) Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again ('from above'), he cannot see the kingdom of God.
"(6) That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit." -(Jhn. 3:3,6)
"Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away: behold, all things are become new." -(2 Cor. 5:17)
"For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for My sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it." -(Mark 8:35)
"(24) Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.
(25) He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal." -(Jhn. 12:24-25)
... See More
"(28) Then Peter began to say unto Him (Jesus), Lo, we have left all, and have followed Thee.
(29) And Jesus answered and said, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for My sake, and the gospel's.
(30) But he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life.
(31) But many that are first shall be last; and the last first."
- (Mark 10:28-31)
"I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, Who loved me, and gave Himself for me." -(Gal. 2:20)
Contrary to popular opinion among most in this world, man is NOT inherently "good", and cannot simply be "improved" (ie: "renovated"). According to the Bible, man is inherently EVIL from BIRTH, possessing a "sin nature" from the "original sin" of Adam in the garden of Eden, passed down through his corrupt blood to every baby born. This nature is intrinsically "selfish", and filled with pride, the middle letter of that word "prIde" being "I".
"(10) As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:
(11) There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.
(12) They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one." -(Rom. 3:10-12)
IT NEEDS "REPLACED"!!!
There has only ever been ONE altogether "good" Man, the Man JESUS CHRIST, Who was sent by the Father to die on the Cross to be man's "sin Substitute", to pay the penalty of OUR sins, that we may be justified before a thrice-holy God and be "imputed" "righteous", being given JESUS' spotless Righteousness, through our REPENTANCE OF SINS and faith in Him and His Blood Sacrifice PAID on that Cross.
The thing is.... what to do about that old "sinful self"?
IT CANNOT BE "RENOVATED"; IT MUST....DIE". But how? By surrendering our WHOLE LIFE over to Christ (denotes "surrender" and "whole-heartedness"), and then identifying with Him in His death on the Cross.
"(6) Knowing this, that our 'old man' (old sinful self) is crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.
(7) For he that is dead is freed from sin.
(8) Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him (have resurrection Life, which is "more abundant Life" -Jhn. 10:10b)." -Rom. 6:6-8
God has incorporated the "death of the old, life of the new" into NATURE ITSELF. A "dead" SEED is planted in the ground; From it, at the scent of water, a new plant springs forth, travelling up through the earth into the air above.
In Autumn, a TREE "dies" (goes into dormancy), it's leaves turning into various colors of crimson, gold, and orange as THEY die and fall to the ground. The tree remains "dead and buried" (so-to-speak) throughout the winter, barren and seemingly lifeless.. Yet, at the appointed time in Spring, the buds on it's limbs miraculously change color, soften, and send forth brand NEW branches, leaves, and FRUIT. And yet again... there is the CATERPILLAR, which spins itself a web to "entomb" itself (signifying it's "death"); And then, miraculously, out of the "tomb" comes a completely DIFFERENT creature: the MOTH. Now if you notice in each of these examples... the seed was not "self-improved", the tree was not "purposing to be different", the caterpillar was not "making itself a better caterpillar". No; in each instance, they were (in a sense) REPLACED:..... OUT with the OLD, In with "the new". Likewise, God expects the same.... with US. True Christianity CANNOT be an "improvement" of the "old" self; That old self must DIE through IDENTIFICATION WITH CHRIST IN HIS DEATH ON.... "THE CROSS".
"(3) Know you not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into His Death?
(4) Therefore we are buried with Him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the Glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of Life.
(5) For if we have been planted together in the likeness of His death (Paul proclaims the Cross as the instument through which all Blessings come; consequently, the Cross must ever be the object of our Faith, which gives the Holy Spirit latitude to work within our lives), we shall be also in the likeness of His Resurrection (we can have the "likeness of His Resurrection" i.e: "life this Resurrection Life", only as long as we understand the "likeness of His Death", which refers to the Cross as the means by which all of this is done)." -(Rom. 6:3-5)
Do you see this, friend? Only as "self" is "DEAD with Christ can a person partake of His resurrection/ "abundant" Life. And Christ's "death" speaks of His "Crucifixion". Because OF Christ's Blood Sacrifice on the Cross, HIS Resurrection, and OUR'S to eternal Life was made possible. And this is not just a "physical" Resurrection (which definitely WILL occur); It is also, and MAINLY, a "spiritual" resurrection, in the "here and now", which translates into that ABUNDANT LIFE through the Power of.... the HOLY SPIRIT. And you can HAVE this, every.... DAY! HALLELUJAH!!!!!! Do you BELIEVE it?! You, yes I said YOU, can have GOD'S "Righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost (Rom. 14:17) EVERY SINGLE DAY! You do not have to live any LONGER under the jack-booted heel of Satan. He, and his demonic principalities and powers were SPOILED on the Cross of Calvary (See Col. 2:13-15). HALLELUJAH!!!!! And now, because of THAT, God's Power is available to flow through you, like high-voltage ELECTRICITY!
This almost sounds "too good to be true", doesn't it? Is there a "catch"? To be honest, yes there IS, and I already mentioned it: You need to be willing to completely DIE to self and PRIDE, and to surrender EVERYTHING, ALL-THAT-YOU-ARE... WHOLE-HEARTEDLY... to the LORD Jesus Christ ("Lord" denotes complete rulership and authority over another- in this case: JESUS, over... US!). "Lip-service" will not DO. 1 Cor. 6:20 and 7:23 say that we are "bought with a price (the Blood of Jesus)." Now, if one is "bought", that means that Whomever "bought" him has "ownership" of him, correct?
"(18) Forasmuch as you know that you were not REDEEMED (BOUGHT) with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your empty works received by tradition from your fathers;
(19) But WITH THE PRECIOUS BLOOD OF CHRIST, as of a Lamb without blemish and without spot." -(1 Pet. 1:18-19)
This "redemption with the precious Blood of Christ" speaks of.... "THE CROSS". It all goes back to the CROSS, friend!
Now BEING a "purchased possession" of Christ, our lives are not our "own". If YOU are a true Christian, your life is not YOUR own, and if you refuse to yield "self" upon the "Altar of the Cross", in identification with Christ's DEATH, you cannot "qualify" for His abundant Life of Power in the Spirit; However, if you ARE, IT IS YOURS!
In a little while, I shall speak at length about the HOLY GHOST POWER OF GOD, that "Resurrection abundant Life" available TO us through the Cross. This is most glorious; However, and as previously mentioned, there must come .... a DEATH, of our "old self", and to FOUR THINGS SPECIFICALLY:
1) To "LAW" as a means of righteousness
2) To "the world" (with it's "lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, and pride of life"),
3) To (the) SIN (nature)
4) To "philosophies, commandments and doctrines of man.
[A person, from his HEART (which God sees) must be WILLING to give up these things, or God says... "NO DEAL" to "abundant Life". It's "a HEART thing", plain and simple! God can and DOES change a persons "heart", but the person has to "agree" to it. God will not alter his free will.]
Let us now go over each of these things we are to be "dead" to, one-by-one:
1) "LAW" as a means of righteousness:
"LAW" and "SELF" are sort of welded together. Let me explain: "In Christ", through faith in "the CROSS (ie: the Blood SACRIFICE of Christ), "SELF", being "dead", no longer has to strive to do the right things, or avoid the wrong things. Instead, a new "POWER" lives "within" us to accomplish these things: The HOLY SPIRIT, HALLELUJAH!!!
1 John says "Greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world (Satan and the power of the sin nature)." You see, "LAW" stimulates the sin nature; It is it's "strength" (see 1 Cor. 15:56b). "LAW" says "I need to do THIS, or avoid THAT." This places you right square in a TRAP, my friend! And "SELF" l-o-v-e-s "LAW", because if it is US doing something, it feeds the FLESH, and makes us seem IMPORTANT. "Look at what... I... can accomplish, through MY efforts, MY will-power!". Now let me ask you... Who is getting the glory for that? Is it JESUS? No. To HIM all glory belongs! His glory, Isa. 42:8 declares, He will NOT give to another. If one follows that path, he is led right into "SELF-righteousness and 'religion'"
*** "If a person trusts in what HE does (or avoids) for moral living, he is under "LAW", and is CURSED by God; But if he trusts in what CHRIST has done on the CROSS, he is under "GRACE", and is BLESSED by God." (See Gal. 3:10-14) ***
Here are some important scriptures on being dead to "LAW" as a means of righteousness:
- Rom. 7:4
-Gal. 2:19
-Gal. 5:18
-Eph. 2:14-15
Paul in his epistles used the term "LAW" many times. At times he used it with the definite article a"the" in front of it; During these times he was referring to "the LAW of Moses", which is "the ten commandments". At other times, he just said "LAW", which indicated law IN GENERAL.... "as a means to be righteous" in terms of using "WHAT WE DO OR DON'T DO" as a means of being "good morally". That could BE "the ten commandments", or it could be laws that WE MAKE UP: traditions, programs, rules, regimens, "personal convictions" about music, tv, etc.; Laws which could even include GOOD things like the "spiritual disciplines" of prayer, Bible study, fasting, etc. What ends up happening is that we can turn even those GOOD things into.... "sin". How so? If we turn anything into a "law" for righteousness, to be spiritual, to be... "good". "...for WHATSOEVER IS NOT OF FAITH IS SIN." -(Rom. 14:23b)
The "LAW" in terms of the "ten commandments" was never intended to save us or to even to guide our way for living, because it has no power to do so. It is indeed "good" (Rom. 7:12a), but the problem is that man is "carnal, sold unto sin" (Rom. 7:12b). It was merely meant by God to show us His standard of morality, as a sort of "schoolmaster" to lead us unto CHRIST (Gal. 3:23-24), Who is "the end of the law for righteousness to everyone that believes IN CHRIST AND HIS BLOOD SACRIFICE" (Rom. 10:4; 3:21-28; 5:8-9). Yet, most people mistakenly use the law AS a means of righteousness, which it was never meant to be.
2) Dead to "THE WORLD":
This refers to Satan's system of human behavior which operates by "the law of sin and death" (Rom. 8:2), called "this present evil world" (Gal. 1:4; 1 Jhn. 5:19). Within this system is an "anti-Christ" spirit (1 Jhn. 4:3; 2:18) which operates in people through an active "sin nature" (which we will discuss shortly); Demonic spirits are definitely involved within this to catch and hold people in bondages. Three main categories characterize "the world": The "Lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, and the pride of life (1 Jhn. 2:15-16). These correspond with and mirror perfectly the "tree of the knowlege of good and evil" which Satan through the snake tempted EVE with in Gen. 3:6!
According to Jesus, His true followers are NOT OF "the world" (Jhn. 17:14,16), while "those of the world" SPEAK of the world, and the world hears them" (1 Jhn. 4:5). According to James 4: 4, whoever is a "friend of the world" is at "enmity with God" and is actually an ENEMY of God! Friend, I don't want to be God's enemy; How about YOU! In 2 Cor. 6:17 God tells us to "come OUT from the world and by ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you." 2 Cor. 7:1 goes on to tell us to "cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God (to bring to a state of completion; we can do this only by "walking after the Spirit" (Rom. 8:1-2), which refers to looking to the Cross, and looking to the Cross exclusively)."
3) Dead to "THE SIN NATURE":
The "sin nature" is actually the "evil nature" inherited through the fall of Adam in the garden of Eden. As he procreated and had children, this nature has passed down through his corrupt blood-line to every succeeding child born into the world. Alot of preachers and professing Christians do not believe that a Christian HAS a sin nature, but the following verses declare otherwise. That we DO have one, but that we can be "dead" to it (ie: put it into "dormancy") through identification with Christ on the CROSS:
Keep in mind, the following verses were written to... CHRISTIANS:
"This I say then, Walk in the Spirit (by placing our Faith exclusively in Christ and the Cross, through which the Spirit works exclusively) [Rom. 8:1-2], and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh." -(Gal. 5:16)
"If we say we have no sin (nature), we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us." -(1 Jhn. 1:8)
"(1) What shall we say then? Shall we continue in (the) sin (nature), that grace may abound? (2) God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to (the) sin (nature) live any longer therein?" -(Rom. 6:1-2)
"(6) Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with Him, that the body of (the) sin (nature) might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve (the) sin (nature)." -(Rom. 6:6-7)
"(11) Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto (the) sin (nature), but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord." (12) Let not (the) sin (nature) reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof." -(Rom. 6:11-12)
4) Dead to "PHILOSOPHIES, COMMANDMENTS AND DOCTRINES OF MAN":
This one is certainly a "biggie". Religious man has always been prone to ADD TO THE WORD of God all kinds of philosophies, commandments, and doctrines which God has never even INTENDED, and which actually NEGATE (cancel out) GOD's commandments! These are damnable, because religious authorities (as well as lay people) begin to make "laws" out of them, and then if the people do not perform them, Satan heaps condemnation and discouragement upon those people! This was certainly prevalent, even in the time when Jesus walked this earth in ministry:
"(8) And He (Jesus) answered and said unto them (the Pharisees), Well has Isaiah prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoreth Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me. (7) Howbeit in vain do they worship Me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. (8) For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do. (9) And He said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep you own tradition." -(Mark 7:6-9)
According to the Bible, we are to be "dead" to this damnable practice:
"(20) Wherefore if ye be DEAD with Christ from the rudiments (principles) of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances, (21) (Touch not; taste not; handle not; (22) Which all are to perish with the using;) after the commandments and doctrines of men?" -(Col. 2:20-22)
"(8) Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments (elements) of the world, and not after Christ. (9) For in Him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. (10) And ye are COMPLETE IN HIM, Who is the Head of all principality and power." -(Col 2:8-10)
So... "in Christ" through faith exclusively in His Blood Sacrifice (ie: "the Cross"), we are DEAD to all those things, but ALIVE unto GOD through Jesus Christ (Rom. 6:11) and a servant of RIGHTEOUSNESS (Rom. 6:18); [But GOD'S Righteousness, not our's (Phil. 3:9)]. And "in Him" we are now also "risen with Him" (Col. 3:1) and "seated with Him in heavenly places" (Eph. 2:5-6). HALLELUJAH!!!!!!!!!!
Moreover, we can daily live this "resurrection Life" by the Power of the Holy Spirit, having "abundant Life" (Jhn. 10:10b). Ahh do you HAVE this Life, friend? This "Life in the Spirit"? It is a SIMPLE Life, really; One of daily trust in Jesus and His Righteousness through His "finished Work" on the Cross, that Blood Sacrifice. "As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in Him." -(Col. 2:6). If you sin, you REPENT (1 Jhn. 1:9). And you listen for the Voice of the Holy Spirit every moment, heeding His instructions.. for decisions in your personal life, and in ministry (whether called as a Pastor, Evangelist, etc., or simply in witnessing to others.). You also rely upon His Strength, HIS Power, HIS enablement, "casting all your care upon Him, for He careth for you -(1 Pet. 5:7)". There is no more exciting, rewarding life upon this earth; Will there will be troubles? Yes, plenty, along with persecution, mainly from the religious Pharisee type! But fear not, and CLING TO JESUS, and He will see you through, giving you "righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost" (Rom. 14:17). HALLELUJAH!!!!!!!!!!!!! And in the mean time, look for SOULS TO BE SAVED, for "he that winneth souls is wise" (Prov. 11:30). :)
If, right now, you have read all this and realize... "I am not where I need to be with God. He seems distant to me, I do not HAVE abundant Life, nor am I even persecuted for my faith."... then say this prayer to be saved or even re-dedicated to the Lord:
"Father God, please forgive me of all my sins; Wash me and cleanse me from all unrighteousness, including any selfish pride. Right now, I confess with my mouth that Jesus is my LORD. With my heart, I believe that you raised Jesus from the dead. I give my entire life to you; Help me to keep my faith EACH DAY in your Son Jesus and His Blood Sacrifice on the Cross for EVERY IOTA of Righteousness. I NEED You, Lord!"
Friend, if you have prayed that prayer and sincerely meant it, GOD WILL MAKE A WAY FOR YOU. He LOVES you!
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