The Flesh is Already Dead

The carnal person lives in rebellion to God’s desires for our life. The natural person resists God’s redemption and forfeits His peace and joy both on earth and for eternity. The focus of carnality is on the self and everything that benefits the flesh, regardless of any spiritual priorities or needs. Even Born Again people often cater to their flesh more than their spirit.

However, this carnal focus will not continue in the life of an authentic Believer. Our union with Christ makes a huge difference in our life. God’s Spirit will continually convict the sinful soul of His priorities. We find the freedom of forgiven sin, the contentment of acceptance in God’s Family and the security of our identity in Christ’s character within us (Galatians 5:22-23).

God’s Spirit renews our mind (2 Corinthians 4:16; Titus 3:5), transforms our emotions (Ephesians 3:16-20) and heals our body (Psalm 103:3). We enjoy worshipping our King more than serving our flesh. We willingly lay down the deeds of our flesh, because we realize that in Christ our flesh is already dead (Colossians 3:3-4). Spiritually alive, we experience victory over both sin and death (1 Corinthians 15:57).

Prayer:

Father God, by Your divine power, You provide us with every resource we need to live a godly life (2 Peter 1:3). The fact that You dwell in us by Your Spirit and that You will perfect us in spirit, soul and body relieves so much pressure from us on a daily basis (Ephesians 1:14). We do not have to perfect our self. You give us the desire and the ability to work out our own salvation, as we live in respect for Your authority and power in us (Philippians 2:13).

Thought for the Day:

Be filled with the Spirit and speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs; singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord. – Ephesians 5:18-19

United with Christ

 

Our salvation unites us with Christ in an eternal union that will never end. This opens up for us a whole new world. Neither death nor judgment will break this everlasting tie. We reap the victorious, joyful, righteous life of Christ in place of our lowly sinful nature. The authentic Born Again Believer lives in Christ, who is our life (Philippians 1:21; Colossians 3:4). The Holy Spirit conforms our soul’s nature to possess all of Christ’s character. He lives, moves and has His being in and through us (1 John 5:5).

We are renewed and holy; but more than that, God actually lives through Christ in us. God perfects us in Christ (Colossians 2:9-10). The world should see the reality of Christ through our life as He is formed in our soul (John 17:23,26; Colossians 1:27; Galatians 4:19). His life in us is our real life (Ephesians 1:23). Our fleshly leanings and desires are part of the old, carnal self, which is now dead in Christ (Galatians 2:20). The sum total of our converted life is: Christ in me, and I in Christ (Colossians 2:9-10). He is all we need.

His fullness dwells within us now. We are no longer our own, because Christ bought us with a price (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). Our life is so perfectly connected to Christ that people see Him instead of us and are drawn to His glory and love. It is up to us to surrender our life totally to God’s will, so that Christ is revealed through us to the world in which we live. Do your family, workmates, community and church see Christ in you; or is your life all about “you”?

We were once dead in sin, lost and undone with no hope of a future life (Ephesians 2:1,5). We rejected the truth of God’s Word, because it sounded like nonsense to us. We had no way to understand these truths, because they were spiritually discerned (1 Corinthians 2:14). Now, our humanity is dead and hidden with Christ in God (Colossians 3:3). We set our hope on the living Lord within us because the Spirit of life makes us righteous (John 14:6; Romans 8:10).

We pass from death to life because the love of Christ manifests through us toward our Christian brothers and the world around us (1 John 3:14). Our whole spirit, body and soul – our mind, will and emotions – are kept holy and blameless by His Spirit until Christ returns (1 Thessalonians 5:23). We are competent as ministers only because of God’s spiritual covenant with mankind (2 Corinthians 3:6). Let us never pass up an opportunity to share with others the change that God brought into our life.

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, You came to bring us abundant life both now and in eternity. We were once lost in sin and degradation, squandering our natural resources and bound up with making a living and finding natural success. Then, You came and transformed us from the kingdom of darkness into the Kingdom of Your glorious life. We find peace, joy and fulfillment that do not depend on this physical world. We look forward to eternity with You in Heaven.

Thought for the Day:

We have eternal, everlasting life in God’s Son. - 1 John 5:11-12; Romans 6:23