|
Author
|
Topic: Being a True Disciple of Christ
|
Found in Him
Advanced Member
Member # 7596
|
posted
Now that's good stuff! ![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)
--------------------
~To Him That is able to keep you from falling and to present you before His glorious presence without fault and with great joy...to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.~ Jude 24
Posts: 1503 | Registered: Jan 2009
| IP: Logged | 
|
|
practicalbibleteaching
Advanced Member
Member # 7755
|
posted
Pleas read Romans chapter 7 verses 1 - 25. Luke 9:23 ...If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. The cross is an instrument of death. To follow Christ we have to daily crucify the flesh (the old sinful nature). The fact that we still have a sinful nature after salvation is borne out by the conflict Paul expresses is within himself in our text.
What does it mean to die to the flesh? How is it accomplished? These are questions that God's people need to have clearly answered. If our flesh is not put to death then Christ will never completely control us and our ministry will not be as fruitful as it should be.
7:1-3 We are all bound by laws. If we break them and get caught there is a penalty to be paid. In most cases the only way to escape being bound by laws is to die. Since God's law was given to mankind everyone born into this world has been born under God's law. The breaking of God's law brings a penalty, spiritual and physical death. The only way to become free from God's law is to become dead to it.
7:4 dead to the law by the body of Christ - The law was given that we might see our sin and its result. Rom 3:19 Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Once we realize our condemnation under the law we can properly see the way of salvation. Gal 3:24 Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. Christ can save us from the law because He fulfilled it on our behalf. How Jesus fulfilled the law:
1. He never broke God's law. Heb 4:15 ...we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.
2. He bore our punishment under the law. Gal 3:13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree.
3. As our Great High Priest He offered His own shed blood on the mercy seat in heaven. Heb 9:12 Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. When a person realizing their condemnation under the law believes on Christ as their Savior, something wonderful happens. 1 Cor 12:13 For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. The believer baptized into the body of Christ by the Holy Spirit becomes dead to the law. Becoming dead to the law simply means you can no longer be condemned by it. Paul said it like this, 1 Cor 6:12 All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any. 1 Cor 10:23 All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not. Children of God are dead to the law because they are in Christ.
7:5 in the flesh - In the flesh here refers to what we were before salvation, a slave to sin, under sin's penalty and under sin's power. Since being born into God's family a believer is said to be in the Spirit. Rom 8:9 ...ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. A believer may live in a body of flesh but he is no longer under the curse of sin because of the presence of the Holy Spirit. Rom 8:2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.
7:6 we should serve in newness of spirit - Since God's children can no longer be condemned by the law they can serve God motivated by love and not fear, with peace and joy in their hearts. They can serve because they want to not because they have to. This is the newness of spirit that Paul speaks of.
7:7 Is the law sin? - Since the believer is dead to the law through Christ does that make the law bad? No! The law is how we identify sin. Though the law condemned me, it led me to Christ that I might be justified by faith.
7:8 sin - The law is not bad, it's the sin the law identified that condemned me. The law when used properly forces me to see my wickedness and look outside myself to Christ for forgiveness.
7:9-10 I was alive without the law once - Paul in these verses is speaking of his own personal experience. There was a time in his life when he believed that he would be justified by the law. He felt that the keeping of the law gave him spiritual life. At that time he like so many of the Jews didn't understand the law's true purpose. The law was never the way of redemption, it was and is the way of condemnation.
when the commandment came - When the day came that Paul correctly understood the law, he truly seen his sin and understood that he was spiritually dead. On that day he realized that the laws he thought could give him life only brought death.
7:11-13 It's important for us to understand that it wasn't the law of God that caused us to be condemned before God, it was the sin the law identified that condemned us. The law of God is perfectly holy, mankind on the other hand is carnal and in slavery to sin. When a person is truly saved they are: 1. Forever freed from the penalty of the law, meaning they no longer have to spend eternity in hell. 2. Freed from the power of sin over their life if they choose. Rom 6:6 ...our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. The old man was the slave of sin. 3. Promised that one day they will be free from the very presence of sin.
7:14 Though God's people are dead to the law through the body of Christ and free from the power of sin over their life if they choose, there is still a very real problem. We live in a wicked piece of flesh, that has an evil desire to commit sin, and we must struggle against it everyday. Our soul and spirit are saved and secure in Christ, but our body is still under the curse of sin. In the following verses Paul talks about his own struggle with the flesh.
7:15-23 Paul had a real problem. He had a new nature because he had been born again, but he also had a sinful nature because of the unredeemed flesh he lived in. Paul says that the good things he wants to do, his sinful flesh often keeps him from doing, and many times what in his mind he hates is what he ends up doing in his body. He recognized that the problem was the sin that still lived in his flesh. He said he found a law that when he would do good, evil was present with him. He delighted in the law of God inwardly, but the sin that lived in his flesh often kept him from living it outwardly.
7:24 Paul's desperate cry here is how do I escape the death which still dwells in my body because of sin? The desires of the flesh always lead to separation or death.
7:25 The answer to Paul's question in verse 24 is found here. The flesh he lived in still served the law of sin, but what was different now is that he had a union with Christ. Through that union the flesh could be brought into subjection to God. We often refer to it as putting the flesh to death.
Again, what does it mean to die to the flesh? How is it accomplished? To start with we must be reminded that the sinful nature was not crucified with Christ, it's still very much alive and that's why it's a struggle to serve God. It's our responsibility through the union God has given us with Him in Christ to put the flesh to death. If we are to be a disciple of Christ it's a must. Luke 9:23 ...If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. The cross is an instrument of death. To follow Christ we have to daily crucify the flesh. It's not something God will do for us, but it's something He will help us to do.
1. The first thing we must have to put the flesh to death is desire. As Paul in Rom 7:24 we need a great desire to see the power of sin through the flesh broken in our lives. Once we have that desire God will help us do the rest. How do we get that desire? Illustration: A person who eats junk food all the time will never have a desire for the good food his body needs. A Christian often does not have a desire for what God wants for him because he has filled up his life with too much junk food. If you have truly been born again get off the junk food and a desire for what's good will return.
2. We must understand that we can not put the flesh to death with the power of the flesh. Many think that denying the flesh is just a matter of having enough willpower to say no to the flesh. However, ultimately you will discover that the flesh will not consistently deny the flesh. Peter struggled with this. Mark 14:27-31 And Jesus saith unto them, All ye shall be offended because of me this night: for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered. But after that I am risen, I will go before you into Galilee. But Peter said unto him, Although all shall be offended, yet will not I. And Jesus saith unto him, Verily I say unto thee, That this day, even in this night, before the **** crow twice, thou shalt deny me thrice. But he spake the more vehemently, If I should die with thee, I will not deny thee in any wise. Peter was fiercely determined not to deny the Lord and even to die with Jesus if it should come to that. Peter's mistake was that he substituted physical strength and determination for spiritual strength and understanding. We know the rest of the story. We read of Peter's third denial and the events that followed in Luke 22:59-62 And about the space of one hour after another confidently affirmed, saying, Of a truth this fellow also was with him: for he is a Galilaean. And Peter said, Man, I know not what thou sayest. And immediately, while he yet spake, the **** crew. And the Lord turned, and looked upon Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how he said unto him, Before the **** crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. And Peter went out, and wept bitterly. This brings us to the next and final point.
3. We must understand that the proper way to put the flesh to death is by walking after the Spirit. Rom 8:12-14 Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh. For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die (remember death is separation): but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. The Holy Spirit will lead us to do the things necessary for the flesh to be crucified. Since we have been saved what does God want from us more than anything else? The answer is fellowship. Fellowship is communion which is mutual sharing. God speaking to us through His Word, we speaking to Him through prayer. That's what is meant by walking with God and if those two are what they should be and are maintained the flesh will be put to death. Putting the flesh to death is not something you do just one time, it's something you must do all day everyday. To maintain proper fellowship with God there are three main things we must do: 1. We must allow God to speak to us through His Word often. The way to do that is by reading it, memorizing it, and meditating on it. Ps 119:9 Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word. 2. We must try to maintain a constant attitude of prayer. 1 Thess 5:17 Pray without ceasing. We can never ignore God. 3. We must be sensitive about sin and willing to confess it quickly, even if it is just in our thoughts. If sin is confessed when it is just in our thoughts then we don't commit it outwardly, the flesh is crucified. Amos 3:3 Can two walk together, except they be agreed?
--------------------
The Church of Jesus Christ is perfect for those who are not!
Posts: 53 | From: Tennessee | Registered: Jun 2009
| IP: Logged |
|
|
|
Printer-friendly view of this topic
