Dead to sin, alive to God

 

Today’s devotional begins with this: “There is a subtle enjoyment in torturing the outward self if the inner self-life may be fed thereby.” It goes on to say that that old nature of a Christian likes to share in the glory and cannot bear to be counted as dead or ignored. All religions based on rules and do-it-yourself principles give followers the opportunity to be exalted. “Look what I did” is a common goal in even those who follow Christ. How many of us will credit ourselves (I follow Christ) rather than glory in God who changed our lives?

Legalism permeates the Body of Christ. We have our ‘rules’ even though many of them are unspoken because obedience to a rule is opportunity to pat myself on the back. In contrast, life in the Spirit is action that is seldom premeditated. It is doing the will of God and looking at what we have done with wonder (where did that come from?) rather than taking credit for it.

This is a serious matter. The NT says:

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 8:6–8)

Living legalistically by rules is useless. It does not accomplish the will of God nor give inner peace. It may produce a deep sense of inferiority, or feed the ego and fuel boasting, but that ‘pleasure’ does not last nor does living this way fill the empty place in our hearts. God gives His children the desire to serve Him, but doing it by rules cannot please Him. It should not please me either.

Being “in the flesh” is about living by the self-centered old nature of the life lived without Christ. It is being governed by the I-wants and gives little attention to what God wants. It is doing life without Him or the new power He gives. It is living to please me and impress others. The flesh can seem pious and full of goodness, but the inner man (mind, will, emotions) run the show, not the Spirit of God.

Being ‘dead to sin’ requires having the Spirit of Christ living in me. This is not an event that I can control or make happen.

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. (Romans 6:3–11)

I need to read that often. Death to sin is my reality. Alive to God is my reality. Anything else is an illusion. I died with Christ and need to consider this is so, like Paul wrote:

I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. (Galatians 2:20)

It’s important to know the difference. The flesh can make itself look good, sound good, even do good, but how can I know for sure when that dead thing is flopping around? My flesh resists being exposed for what it is, but God will let me know:

For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account. (Hebrews 4:12–13)

Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting! (Psalm 139:23–24)

PRAY: Lord God, You show me that my old nature with its desire for self-glory motivates me far too often instead of wanting to glorify You. I confess these as sin, and am thankful You forgive and cleanse (1 John 1:9) As the psalmist says, lead me in the way everlasting, that the life You gave me will glorify You.

Trust and obey . . . is there no other way?

 

1 Chronicles 15; Amos 9; Luke 4; James 2

After capturing Jerusalem, David was determined to bring the ark of the covenant up to the new capital city. On the way, Uzzah reached out to steady the ark because the oxen pulling the cart stumbled. He touched it and died instantly. David was both angry with God and afraid of Him, He abandoned his mission and left the ark in the home of Obed-Edom. This family was abundantly blessed so David tried again, this time in obedience to God’s instructions on the handling of this matter. Only the Levites were to handle the ark and David said to them:

“You are the heads of the fathers’ houses of the Levites. Consecrate yourselves, you and your brothers, so that you may bring up the ark of the Lord, the God of Israel, to the place that I have prepared for it. Because you did not carry it the first time, the Lord our God broke out against us, because we did not seek him according to the rule.” So the priests and the Levites consecrated themselves to bring up the ark of the Lord, the God of Israel. And the Levites carried the ark of God on their shoulders with the poles, as Moses had commanded according to the word of the Lord. (1 Chronicles 15:12–15)

I’ve often heard, “Do God’s work God’s way” and this is an example. Exact obedience is not only important but disobedience can also be fatal.

A few years ago, a new Christian who lived near us experienced one of those vital needs for obedience. She was ready for bed and the Lord impressed on her that she must go to a friend’s house. She argued. The impression strengthened. She finally agreed. When she got there, the friend and her daughter came to the door. Both of them had no sense of smell, but our neighbor did not have that problem. The friend’s house was full of gas fumes to the degree that one spark would have meant disaster. Our neighbor learned to do exactly what the Lord asks.

God’s people have not always been this quick to learn. Their confidence was in their status but not expressed by doing what God told them. The OT prophet Amos kept telling them and finally said:

“For behold, I will command, and shake the house of Israel among all the nations as one shakes with a sieve, but no pebble shall fall to the earth. All the sinners of my people shall die by the sword, who say, ‘Disaster shall not overtake or meet us.’ (Amos 9:9–10)

From this, I get the same message as the NT; do not assume that salvation means I can do whatever my sinful flesh desires. Instead, I’m to be filled with the Spirit of God and let Him govern my life. “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 8:6–8)

Jesus is the ultimate example of doing the will of God. In Luke 4, He knew the Word of God and why He was sent to earth. He was able to use specific Scriptures to resist the temptations of Satan and even the demands of people. His obedience was not popular yet that did not stop Him from being obedient. These verses show why He was sent and His determination to do as His Father instructed:

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” (Luke 4:18–19)

And when it was day, he departed and went into a desolate place. And the people sought him and came to him, and would have kept him from leaving them, but he said to them, “I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns as well; for I was sent for this purpose.” And he was preaching in the synagogues of Judea. (Luke 4:42–44)

James also brings out the importance of obedience. He says it is the expression or proof that faith is genuine. How can I claim to believe in God if I don’t do what He says? James calls that ‘dead faith’ because it is separated from the Spirit of God and without life . . .

For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead. (James 2:26)

APPLY: I’m not certain what this day will bring but I do know that God will instruct me and give me to-do tasks in attitude, words and actions. He blesses those who obey Him, even when His instructions seem odd or difficult. Being posed for obedience is far better than tackling the day with my own plans!