Dead, dying or not even trying?

How common today is the misunderstanding, or sadly, in some cases, outright unbelief, in the fact that when we died with Christ, "our old man was crucified with Him, and likewise, as Christ was raised to newness of life, so were we."


It is, without a doubt, the major cause of the decline of the church into a religious instiutution rather than the power packed church that spread the gospel over the entire known world in one generation. Unbelief is not a weakness, but a sin and God calls it "an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God."


How satan has subtly thrown us back on our own efforts to "die to self". What a huge difference there is between "keeping our body under" by faith in His promises and trying to make our body go under by our efforts, our strength, our self control, especially if, in our hearts, we believe it is not even possible!

 This error is no small thing and inevitably puts us back under the law, which depended on self effort to become holy. The result is death, not life. It ends not in the faith filled confession of Paul that says "I can do all things thru Christ that strengthens me" , but the sad confession of unbelief, cloaked in a false robe of humility, that we are "only human" and "Christians aren't perfect, just forgiven". How "holy" and logical that mantra sounds, but it drips with the venom of the enemy.



How we need to re-read the story of Abraham. What shall we learn as part of His seed and why he was chosen to be the father of many nations,m and why he was considered one of the main heroes of faith:



"He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform. And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness."

                                                                     Romans 4:20-22


Have we forgotten that this is the only way to please God? The only way to truly glorify God? Faith in his incredible promises to us!



"Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust."

                                                                         2 Peter 1:4



Are we found staring at the impotence we find in ourselves to free us from the grip of sin, or are our eyes firmly fixed on the God who can "save us to the uttermost" and bring us by His efforts, not ours, into "the glorious liberty of the children of God".



God has said clearly that He came to set us free from sin's grip, not just its guilt. (John 8). Are we pressing toward this goal, believing God that we are His workmanship so that nothing is impossible to us, or have we sat down in unbelief, content to be forgiven and not even caring that we are not yet victorious over the lusts that come with our old nature? If so, it is a dangerous place to be found.



Lest we forget:



"They that are Christ's have crucified the flesh, with the affections and the lusts thereof."

                                                                  Galatians 5:24


The question before each of us remains:



"Believeth thou that I can do this?"

Or perhaps more appropriately, "Do you believe that I have done this?


Blessings, Bruce