I have been praying for more understanding regarding what it means to live a “new” life as a follower of Christ. It seems there is only one way to a new life—death.
Bear with me for a moment.
We read in Romans, “Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. The death he died he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God….therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body…(Romans 6:8-10)
The book of Romans is brimming with truth on topics related to struggles with sin, being dead to sin, being controlled by sin, being alive in Christ and how to live life in the Spirit.
In Romans 8:8 we read, “Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God.”
All the dealings of the flesh, our sinful nature, must be crucified and put to death. The mind of the flesh, will of the flesh, wisdom of the flesh, purposes of the flesh, glorying of the flesh all have no value in the sight of God.
We are given a great illustration of the temptation to hold onto parts of our sinful nature that we feel are good and justified. In I Samuel the Lord told King Saul “Now go, attack the Amalekites and TOTALLY destroy everything that belongs to them. Do not spare them; put to death men and women, children and infants, cattle and sheep, camels and donkeys.” (I Samuel 15:3)
King Saul sort-of-kind-of obeyed the Lord: “But Saul and the army spared Agag and the best of the sheep and cattle, the fat calves and lambs—everything that was good. These they were unwilling to destroy completely, but everything that was despised and weak they totally destroyed.” (I Samuel 15:9)
King Saul felt justified in holding onto what was good rather than fully obeying the Lord. The following day when approached by Samuel, whether self-deceived or in self denial, King Saul stated, “I have carried out the Lord’s instructions.”
But Samuel said, “What then is this bleating of sheep in my ears? What is the lowing of cattle that I hear?” (I Samuel 15:14)
Samuel knew that the Lord had given clear instructions for King Saul to spare nothing—that which is utterly destroyed can neither low nor bleat.
There remains within this new life of mine patches of my old life that are still bleating and lowing. Areas of sin that at times I justify as good and in rebellion and pride have been unwilling to crucify and put to death.
Our Lord beckons us to destroy everything that belongs to the flesh. He yearns for each one of us to live the life of the risen Christ; whose sanctification can only be made complete through the nailing of the old man (both the sin that we acknowledge as despised and weak as well as every sin that we treat as good) upon the Cross of Calvary.
In faith, may our prayers echo the prayer of Paul, “I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.” (Philippians 3:10-11)
Stay the Course…
Sheila
