“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me”. Galatians 2:20 (NIV)
When the Apostle Paul makes this confession he is revealing that his old ways, character, nature, the sinful self has been nailed and died on the cross with Christ. He has forsaken his own life that Christ might live in and through him.
There’s not two lives which exists, there’s only Him, Christ Jesus. If like Paul, you confess you’ve been crucified with Christ and you no longer live, you’re clearly stating that who you once were, is dead. A dead man or woman has no will, no desires, or pleasures. These things have been forsaken and abandoned for God’s to be expressed in and through you. This is what REPENTANCE looks like. Turning away not only from what you once did, but from who you once were. And we are called to repentance. ‘Believing and confessing’ are a part of Repentance, but it’s not repentance.
The gospel has truly been cheapened in the manner in which it is presented. “Accepting Jesus” and becoming a “believer” has been reduced to nothing more than a simple prayer. Being Christian comes down to acknowledging what Jesus done for us on the cross, and now that we’ve accepted Him as ‘Lord and Savior”, what can we get from Him?! And yes He has plans and promises concerning us, and has good thoughts towards us, but not for the purpose of us living “our best lives”. Nothing could be further from the truth. All things are to serve HIS PURPOSE.
Accuracy has to be restored in how the gospel is presented. We need to understand that the ‘image and likeness’ in which we’ve been created has been lost. And to regain it, and once again be conformed to His image and likeness, we will have to go through the process called ‘suffering’. Like Jesus, the goal is to bring us to a place of ‘obedience’.
The scripture says the student is not beyond the master. If the master suffer, the student will suffer, that the student might at least be as the master is (Luke 6:40). If Jesus suffered, and He left us an example in order to be like Him, then we should expect to suffer (in a manner of speaking) as He did, that we may bear His image and likeness. That like Jesus, we may accurately represent the Father and His working, in the earth! A very different truth from merely saying, “repeat this prayer and accept Jesus into your heart”. Nowhere in scripture has this been the manner in which salvation was offered.
“I am dead and it is Christ who lives through me”. Anyone considered “dead” has no pleasures, no desires, no will of their own. If it is Christ who now lives through you then it is His will, purpose, desires which are fulfilled through your body which is nothing more than a vessel.
Forget about an overflow of responses at your alter-call presenting that as the offer. This is what REPENTANCE is! The need for us to come into a true and accurate understanding of God’s desire and will has never been greater.
Matthew 28:19 (NKJV)
“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit”.
Go and make disciples. That was the instruction, or as it’s known, ‘The Great Commission’. However, we have successfully filled and occupied the church with converts, but no disciples. Someone who has accepted Jesus might be considered a ‘Believer’, but is not a ‘Disciple’. A disciple is one who is submitted to the processes it takes to learn how to “deny themselves, pick up their cross, and follow Jesus”. We do not automatically know how to follow Jesus. We need to be taught and instructed, accurately, how to walk as Jesus walked. How to fully give ourselves, heart, soul, mind and strength.
The sad truth is that the average believer never journeys beyond having ‘believing and confessing’. They never attempt to press in beyond the cross and the forgiveness of their sins. The focus is now to attempt to live a sinless life, accessing the gifts of divine health, prosperity and abundance. Because that was the gospel which was sold to them at the point of “conversion”. They attend church weekly, are active in some form of ministry, read the word daily, and live a good Christian life as far as their understanding goes to what that is. Still, there’s no conforming of their nature and character to the image and likeness of Christ. Remember, even demons believe; James 2:19 (NKJV)”You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble!”
Satan is not threatened by anyone who has ‘believed, confessed, and accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior’. He pays no mind to those attending and is active in service each week, able to pray long prayers, fast occasionally and quote the entire bible. Satan knows these things do not mean, nor does it guarantee that the will of God is being fulfilled. This typical Christian life does not hinder the plans of satan, neither is it a threat to the kingdom of darkness.
Acts 19:15 (NKJV)
And the evil spirit answered and said, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you?”
The enemy knows that the typical Christian is thankful for the saving of their souls, that they won’t go to hell, and now simply hope in God for His provision, protection, and healing. But none of these things are focused on the plans and purpose of God. It’s the fulfillment of God’s plans and purpose which overthrows the work of the enemy.
The truth of the matter is that God is not looking for those who have believed and confessed, and now await the coming of the Lord. No, scripture reveals that you give your life for His life. God is looking for a crucified life. Confession of sins and accepting Jesus is not a crucified life. It may be the potential to become one, but because present day preachers do not accurately present the truth, the believer continuously functions in error. These are not the teachings taught by Jesus and the Apostles.
John 12:25 (AMP)
“The one who loves his life [eventually] loses it [through death], but the one who hates his life in this world [and is concerned with pleasing God] will keep it for life eternal”.
Nothing, absolutely nothing in the life of a Christian will ever exceed the concern of pleasing God. This verse could be aligned to Matthew 6:25-33. Referring to our desire to preserve our lives, but rather seek God’s kingdom and His righteousness. Those who’ve given themselves to God do not live seeking to preserve themselves. They understand there’s nothing to preserve. How do you preserve a life you don’t have? Did you not give it to God? Seeking God, His kingdom, will and to please Him are far greater than the need to preserve our own lives. Remember what Jesus prayed, “nevertheless, NOT MY WILL, but Yours be done”. Jesus’ desire to please the Father was beyond His need to save His own life.
Matthew 10:37-39 (NIV)
“Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it”.
This is a harsh truth spoken by Jesus, Himself. God wants us to place nothing above Him. Not your family, father, mother, daughter or son, not even your own life is placed above God and His will. If we can’t grasp this, we will never truly accomplish the purpose of God. These verses of scripture makes one understand that the truth of God’s word cannot be comprehended by the natural mind. To the natural mind these things makes no sense.
1 Corinthians 2:14 (NIV)
“The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit.”
We’d be foolish to think that “without the Spirit” was specifically referring to unbelievers. You can be a blood-washed believer and yet live a life void of the leading of the Spirit.
1 Corinthians 3:1-3 (AMP)
“However, brothers and sisters, I could not talk to you as to spiritual people, but [only] as to worldly people [dominated by human nature], mere infants [in the new life] in Christ! I fed you with milk, not solid food; for you were not yet able to receive it. Even now you are still not ready. You are still worldly [controlled by ordinary impulses, the sinful capacity]. For as long as there is jealousy and strife and discord among you, are you not unspiritual, and are you not walking like ordinary men [unchanged by faith]?”
That’s why even the concept of “suffering” is a foolish concept to most Christians. Spiritually, they do not understand what results the process of suffering is aiming to produce in their lives.
Current culture is obsessed with “self-development, self-improvement, becoming self-sufficient, self-made”. This is seeking to accomplish purpose through empowering the dimension of our own souls. To become great and of value by what we can achieve through our talents and abilities. God is removed from the equation. And that’s understandable for those who are of the world and need to supply their daily bread by the work of their own hands.
But not so for those who proclaim to be in Christ. Our declaration is that He is our source, provider, sustainer, He is our daily bread. We are weak, but He is strong, we are foolish but He is wise. We can only do all things through Christ who strengthens us. In our culture, the Kingdom culture, we speak of such matters as “self-sacrifice; self-denial; selflessness”. Because this is the manner in which Jesus walked. He denied Himself, gave Himself as a sacrifice, not only on the cross, but displayed it throughout His life in nature and character.
“But who are you?” This is the question the evil spirit asked the sons of Sceva in Acts 19:15. Believers who fall short of totally surrendering their lives and allowing themselves to become discipled in the ways of Christ, typically fail in establishing the will of God. They might become good Christians, but “good Christians” are not what God the Father is after. The Kingdom of God will only accurately expand through a life which has been crucified with Christ, and exists only to have Christ made manifest through it.
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