Confessing sin and being obedient is vital…

What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. 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. We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness. For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace. (Romans 6:1–14)

Before Adam sinned, he reflected the image of God who created him. Alive in his inner spirit, he listened to God and expressed that life in his thinking, emotions, and will. After he sinned, that inner spirit became dead or separated from God and he was left with a soul and body that could not obey the Lord. This condition became the problem of all who came after him. 

No one could obey God with a dead spirit unless God revived that inner faculty. Such a person is only able to do things according to his own ideas, emotions, and choices, which the Bible calls our sin nature. Sadly, that sin-nature was passed down to all humans. All were born with our spirits dead to God and no longer able to function in union with Him. Since we were created to reflect God, humanity began to worship home-made gods, even our own selves and fed by outside forces; the world and the devil. This old nature was once powerful in Adam before he sinned but became unable to please God or bring life back to the deadness within. 

Given the appropriate circumstances and an appealing set of lies, Satan can influence people who seem like they have faith, but their faith is in themselves. One cult believes Jesus died to give them the right to earn their salvation, but He is not God in human flesh, only a created being that they do not worship. Not one Bible verse supports that so they rewrite a few!

On the other hand, God tells Christians that because of faith in Christ, our spirit is made alive and we can hear and obey Him. He tells us to renew our minds, base our emotions on His, and yield our will. This is why Jesus said, “Not my will but thine be done” even though His will was perfect and without sin. 

Religious people might try but no matter how good we might look, Isaiah 53:6 calls it “turning our own way” and “iniquity” if we try to please Him without that reborn spirit. However, Jesus will say, “Depart from me; I never knew you.” (Matthew 7:21-23)

Romans 8 adds that, “For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.” (Romans 8:5–8) A dead spirit cannot serve God. 

It is a challenge to listen to God in my spirit, to be filled with the spirit and refuse to let my old nature rule. It often wants comfort, an easy life, no worries or challenges, and having my way, but God's will is not like that.  

Jesus, when You toss difficulties my way, I’m learning to listen and obey rather than ask You to remove them. Very often You surprise me with great grace to face those issues in ways that I would not imagine. Your mind, Your feeling, Your will is so much better than what my selfishness can come up with. Thank You for saving me from myself!

 

Let God change my mind…

Reading this morning, I’m reminded how quickly the God-blessed understanding He gives to His followers can turns into a self-centered attitude motivated by Satan and rebuked by the voice of the Lord. Main example: Jesus asked His disciples...

“Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” (Matthew 16:13–19)

God revealed the identity of Jesus to Peter and when he said it, Jesus told Peter that this was  were foundational to the establishment of the church and key to answered prayer. Recognizing the deity of Jesus Christ is vital, but it also makes targets of those who believe it. Peter was Spirit-filled and obedient, but after that, he yielded to sinful thinking: 

From that time Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, “Far be it from you, Lord! This shall never happen to you.” But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.” (Matthew 16:21–23)

This incident seems shocking until I think of a few examples, some observed and some from my own quickly changing loyalties to Jesus. I can say certain sins are behind me and no longer an issue, but stray off in a dream or imagination myself back into that sin. I can pledge forgiveness to others who have hurt me, then find myself thinking of ways to get even or verbally complaining about what they did. I can vow that prayer is vitally important yet be distracted by my to-do list or some other lesser matter and forget to pray. 

Key to much of this is a mindset. Jesus told Peter his mind was set on the things of man, in this case the idea that good people should not suffer, or that Jesus’ purpose was to conquer the world rather than die for our sins. 

The NT says much about mindset:

For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. (Romans 8:5–8)
Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. (Colossians 3:2)
Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever. (1 John 2:15–17)
It also says: “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” (Romans 12:1–2)

I could blame my lapses on ADHD, or like others say, “I’m only human” but those are only excuses. God tells me to be in His Word and let Him continually renew my mind rather than letting it, or the world, or the devil govern my thinking.

PRAY: Lord, I know this is important. Also, I know that confessing each lapse into fleshy thinking means forgiveness AND cleansing (1 John 1:9). Excuses do not move me into a godly mindset. Only Your Holy Spirit can do that, for which I am humbly and totally thankful. Enable me to guard my heart today and every day. Amen.


 

How often I need reminding . . .

 

READ Luke 21-24

The Lord’s Supper, also called Communion, was instituted just before Jesus died. “And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, ‘This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.’ And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, ‘This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.’ “ (Luke 22:19–20)

Whenever we do this as a local congregation in our church, it is solemn, a time for reflection of what Jesus did on the Cross, our own unworthiness. We confess known sins and are thankful for our redemption. Yet at that first communion, the disciples quickly revealed why redemption was necessary. Right after this solemn occasion when Jesus also told them He would be betrayed and killed by one of them, they were discussing who that might be. That soon led to this:

A dispute also arose among them, as to which of them was to be regarded as the greatest. And he said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those in authority over them are called benefactors. But not so with you. Rather, let the greatest among you become as the youngest, and the leader as one who serves. (Luke 22:24–26)

I tried to imagine this scenario in our church and became dismayed to think of us arguing over who was the greatest Christian in the congregation. If that happened, what would I think? Or do?

Then Jesus told Peter that He was praying for him because his determination to be faithful would become three denials on that very day. Peter was dismayed, probably a similar feeling as mine toward fighting after communion, but Jesus was not wrong; Peter did deny Him three times.

We might defend Peter and say this happened before the Cross, before the Holy Spirit filled him and that is part of the story, yet it also reveals the need for redemption. The human heart can be sincere in wanting to love and obey God, but without the power of the Holy Spirit, sin can and will defeat good intentions. We need Jesus.

In a conversation yesterday about the convoys of truckers who are protesting government actions, my conclusion was this: no one can knowingly obey the will of God without the Spirit of God in their life, without the faith in Jesus Christ and the redemption that comes from repentance and yielding to Him. We who are Christians cannot demand that non-Christians do God’s will apart from having Him in their lives. We could not do it so it is unfair and even foolish to be disappointed when others cannot.

For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. (Romans 8:5–8)

Trying to persuade unbelieving leaders to do justly is something like Moses trying to persuade Pharaoh to let God’s people go. Releasing them from bondage was not profitable for that Egyptian leader. No matter the pressure put on him to do so, his heart was hard. In the end, God hardened it because He had a better plan. When His people left, they were ready to leave, but even then they were soon lamenting that their lot in life and insisting things would have been better had they stayed.

Such describes the human heart. Obeying God is hard. It meets with resistance, not only from those who do not want to obey God, but from our own sinfulness. Sin makes us quick to want to be the greatest, have it all, live according to those old desires even though we know that sinful living does not please God and instead leads to death.

For me, these days often find me battle weary. Fighting sin and praying for others to win that battle can be physically, mentally, and spiritually exhausting. In today’s reading, I felt the sorrow and passion of Jesus as He sweat blood for us, for me. Lord Jesus, how badly we Your people need revival. Hear our prayers and grant us what we need to stop falling back into the life You saved us from. Enable us to be bold and joyful in the life You died to give us.