The secret of dying to the world and to sin is dying to our “self”. Just as those who are dead in their flesh do not respond to anything, even so those who are dead to their “self”, do not respond to the world or to sin. ‘For we know that our old “self” was CRUCIFIED WITH HIM so that the “body of sin” might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin because ANYONE WHO HAS DIED HAS BEEN FREED FROM SIN.’ – (Romans 6:6-7) Dying to our “self” is the objective of our Christian life but its easier said than done because our “self” refuses to die! We will not yield our “self” to be crucified unless we experience the compulsion. ‘For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that ONE DIED FOR ALL AND THEREFORE ALL DIED. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.’ – (2 Corinthians 5:14-15) Its the realisation of this truth that will cause us to say what Paul said: ‘I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself up for me.’ – (Galatians 2:19-20) This then is the main tenet of our faith: ‘The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.’ – (Romans 6:10-11) Without adhering to this principle, all our self-effort to be very spiritual doesn’t help us die to our “self”. We will only end up striving in the flesh to attain the things of the Spirit instead of yielding to the Spirit!
Speaking to the Jewish believers in Galatia, Paul asked : ‘Did you receive the Spirit by observing the law (meaning by human effort) or by believing what you heard? … After beginning with the Spirit , are you now trying to attain your GOAL by human effort (meaning by observing the law) ?’- (Galatians 3:2-3) ‘But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law’.– (Galatians 5:18) The opposite of this statement should hold true as well ! If you are NOT led by the Spirit, you are STILL under the law (meaning by human effort , striving to attain the promise of the Spirit ). So what does it mean to be ‘led by the Spirit ‘ ? It does mean to follow the lead of the Holy Spirit. The Israelites were led by the ‘pillar of cloud’ by day and the ‘pillar of fire’ by night, for forty years and yet they perished in the desert because of their rebellion, except for two! So it is not just a physical leading that is being implied but a spiritual consecration as well. ‘We have an obligation – but it is not to the sinful nature, to live according to it. For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die ; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live because those who are led by the Spirit are the sons and daughters of God .’ – (Romans 8:12-14)
‘So I say live by the Spirit and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature.’ – (Galatians 5:16) ‘You are not controlled by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ , he does not belong to Christ.‘ – (Romans 8:9) ‘Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.’ – (Galatians 5:24- 25) All these Scriptures do imply that if the sinful nature is NOT crucified, we will be ‘out of step’ with the Holy Spirit and might find ourselves ‘left behind’ at Rapture! As said earlier , the promise of the Spirit is not attained by striving but by yielding to God, as Paul himself asked : ‘Does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you because you observe the law or because you believe what you heard ?’ – (Galatians 3:5) So let’s stop striving and start yielding to Holy Spirit. Amen.
Site Title : Teaching of Christ 