Putting to death that which is dead . . .

Called up to serve in the military is a good illustration of salvation. God called me to be in His family, and as soon as that happened, I became a Christian. However, like a soldier goes to bootcamp, I had to learn how to act like the new person I already am.

There are two sides to this illustration. The other side is that old civilian life. It is over. Even though what a soldier does with it is not as extreme as what God does with a Christian’s old life, it still needs to be left behind. Simply put, the old life of believers is and always has been dead to God, separated from Him by sin. With the new life, I am continually learning how to deal with the old, continually realizing that it is a dead thing, separated from God and unable to serve Him.

We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. For one who has died has been set free from sin. Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. (Romans 6:6–8)

A young missionary explained how that new life must continually be offered up as a sacrifice. She said, “The big problem with a living sacrifice is that it keeps crawling off the altar.”

I’ve often quoted her, but it is not the new creation that gives us the problem of crawling away from God; it is the old nature, the part of us that refuses to lie down and quit. This is the reason God gives us the challenge of continually denying it, putting it to death. (I see myself beating it with a stick!) A dead thing cannot function and if we “consider ourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus” then it is easier to not allow sin to “reign in our mortal body, to make us obey its passions” (see Romans 6)

The book called “Atomic Habits” is about giving ourselves a strong new identity so that we can persist in reaching our goals. Without realizing it, the author is describing how the Gospel works, only we don’t do the “new person” part . . . God does. He made me a “new creation” and gave me a new identity. He tells me to live according to who I now am. As for the old me, I’m to reckon or consider that a dead thing, useless and interfering with new life.

And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another. (Galatians 5:24–26)

This isn’t as easy as it might sound. The old nature does not want to go away quietly. How easily I can be conceited, even about my spiritual life. Yikes, that is an oxymoron. Conceit is bad for my spirituality, but it also provokes others to competitive attitudes. I can also envy others who seem closer to God than I am without stopping to think that such envy keeps me from being close to God. All such nonsense is to be crucified; it does not come from the Holy Spirit and the new life God gives.

^^^^^^^^^^^^

Lord Jesus, I’m thankful that the temptations to think such old dead thoughts are not sin; sin is giving in to them and letting them rule me. My challenge for today is to refuse to let any pride and envy live in my heart and to quickly recognize such deadness and put it in the grave where it belongs. May Your Spirit put life in and boot out any deadness that tries to take His place.

Today’s thankful list . . .

Blessed time of prayer with friends.

Answered prayer.

A good workout at the gym.

The ability to take a nap even with the television on.

Leftover chicken in noodles with veggies and sauce.

Sunshine after ten days of cloud and rain.