(Romans 6:1-3) What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?
Many of us as we have come out of the religious church systems have learned many great truths of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We learned that the Church system as we know it in America is deeply steeped into the ways of this world. Desiring to put off the world and it’s ways, we have taken up our cross to follow our Lord. We learned that we are to die daily to our own wants and desires, just as Christ did when he prayed “not my will, Father, by thy will be done”.
But I have seen a pitfall that some have fallen into. In the zeal to please the Lord, many have fallen back under the law that our Lord came to set us free from.
Paul said in Colossians 2:20-23, “If then you have died with Christ to material ways of looking at things and have escaped from the world's crude and elemental notions and teachings of externalism, why do you live as if you still belong to the world? [Why do you submit to rules and regulations?--such as] Do not handle [this], Do not taste [that], Do not even touch [them], (22) Referring to things all of which perish with being used. To do this is to follow human precepts and doctrines. [Isa. 29:13.] Such [practices] have indeed the outward appearance [that popularly passes] for wisdom, in promoting self-imposed rigor of devotion and delight in self-humiliation and severity of discipline of the body, but they are of no value in checking the indulgence of the flesh (the lower nature). [Instead, they do not honor God but serve only to indulge the flesh.]”
Many that are still in the church systems believe that they are saved by grace alone. This means to them that, though they continue to sin, God will ignore it because of grace and will cover it up with the blood of Jesus. But we have learned this also is not true, we have learned that we are created to do good works. Quoting from Ephesians 2:10 “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.”
So what then? We die to ourselves daily, what’s next?...We learned it isn’t the LAW……Living as Christ was in this world cannot be done through the law. But the scriptures reveal that “the just shall live by faith” Hab 2:4, Rom 1:17, Gal 3:11, Hbr 10:38. This faith doesn’t mean that we believe God will ignore our sins as we “try” to live a Godly life……that is only trying to live by the law, but denies the judgment that comes from the law. No, this faith is believing and trusting that Christ is able to cause us to walk just as he walked (1 John 2:6) as we yield to him. That we don't have to sin any longer.
Many of us as we have come out of the religious church systems have learned many great truths of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We learned that the Church system as we know it in America is deeply steeped into the ways of this world. Desiring to put off the world and it’s ways, we have taken up our cross to follow our Lord. We learned that we are to die daily to our own wants and desires, just as Christ did when he prayed “not my will, Father, by thy will be done”.
But I have seen a pitfall that some have fallen into. In the zeal to please the Lord, many have fallen back under the law that our Lord came to set us free from.
Paul said in Colossians 2:20-23, “If then you have died with Christ to material ways of looking at things and have escaped from the world's crude and elemental notions and teachings of externalism, why do you live as if you still belong to the world? [Why do you submit to rules and regulations?--such as] Do not handle [this], Do not taste [that], Do not even touch [them], (22) Referring to things all of which perish with being used. To do this is to follow human precepts and doctrines. [Isa. 29:13.] Such [practices] have indeed the outward appearance [that popularly passes] for wisdom, in promoting self-imposed rigor of devotion and delight in self-humiliation and severity of discipline of the body, but they are of no value in checking the indulgence of the flesh (the lower nature). [Instead, they do not honor God but serve only to indulge the flesh.]”
Many that are still in the church systems believe that they are saved by grace alone. This means to them that, though they continue to sin, God will ignore it because of grace and will cover it up with the blood of Jesus. But we have learned this also is not true, we have learned that we are created to do good works. Quoting from Ephesians 2:10 “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.”
So what then? We die to ourselves daily, what’s next?...We learned it isn’t the LAW……Living as Christ was in this world cannot be done through the law. But the scriptures reveal that “the just shall live by faith” Hab 2:4, Rom 1:17, Gal 3:11, Hbr 10:38. This faith doesn’t mean that we believe God will ignore our sins as we “try” to live a Godly life……that is only trying to live by the law, but denies the judgment that comes from the law. No, this faith is believing and trusting that Christ is able to cause us to walk just as he walked (1 John 2:6) as we yield to him. That we don't have to sin any longer.
We can only be justified by faith, as we freely yield our lives to Christ…..allowing him to work in us. Allowing him to fill us with his life…… Galatians 2:20 says “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.”
This is the newest of life that is spoken of in (Romans 6:4-5) "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, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:"
Even Christ had this mind: Philippians 2:6-8) "Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross."
And Because Christ had this mind he answered the one who had called him "good master"
(Matthew 19:17) "And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments."
(Matthew 19:17) "And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments."
He laid down his own righteousness, even though it would not have been "robbery to be equal with God", and walked in the holiness of his father."
Oh the power of the resurrected life of Jesus Christ living in us! Many say that “Jesus lives in us”, but have not allowed him to live HIS life in us. Daily as our thoughts and emotions being to guide our paths that we walk, we recognize it as our flesh….we do not have the power in ourselves to destroy it….OH….but that resurrected life of Jesus Christ does! As the Lord shows our sins to us, we repent (meaning to turn away from it) we judge it as sin not coming from the Lord, we give it to him to destroy for us, replacing his thoughts, emotions and ways in us. Oh the power of the resurrected life of Jesus Christ, it is able to keep us from sin!
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