(I really hope you will read this note I just wrote. It is as essential to the believer as "ye must be born again" is to the lost).
YA GOTTA DIE
Death is an extremely difficult thing. Death to self may be the most difficult thing. I say this because most people would sooner see a loved one die than be willing to die to self. People will cling to habits, desires, pleasures, relationships, addictions, fears, ideas, principles, organizations, "stuff," attitudes, even when it means the loss, or the death of a loved one.
Death to self is essential for total commitment to God. Death to self is not required at our salvation. Instead we are given life (regenerated). We come to Christ, dead in our sins and trespasses, and then we are quickened (born again), we are transformed into new creations (received Divine nature) and begin to walk in newness of life. But as we grow in knowledge (by hearing the whole gospel truth of the fullness of the Holy Spirit) and as we grow in our relationship with Christ, we discover that there is an "Old Man" (sinful nature, inherently evil disposition) lurking deep within us, and occasionally erupting in lust or hate or greed or deceit or evil desire. This "evil heart of unbelief," this "double mind" rises up in defiance of God Himself, even within a convert.
This is the famous, but often misunderstood "inner struggle" of Romans chapter seven. The carnal Christian has an inner battle between his new nature (new man) and his old nature (old man), and sometimes the believer gives in to his root of bitterness, resulting in sin. The believer must then confess and repent in order to be forgiven and cleansed. False doctrine says that the sinful nature is the human nature and that believers can never be purified and delivered from this inner struggle. WRONG. Christ saves from ALL SIN.
However, God has the answer to this "sin" problem within the believers. It is, DEATH TO SELF. Jesus referred to it by saying that we must DENY OURSELVES AND TAKE UP OUR CROSS. Paul told us that spiritual victory requires our Old Man to be crucified with Christ. This is because the sinful self does not submit to the law of God, and in fact, it cannot be subject to God because it is the enemy of God by nature.
But the sinful self does not want to die. Crucifixion is a good description of death to self because it is a slow and deliberate death, during which time the crucified person fights for life and argues against his execution. Our Old Man fights this death to self and resists God's work of purifying the believer.
The interesting thing is, the person who will not die to self, carries about the decay and stench of death as a carnal believer, because God says, to be carnally minded is death, ultimately culminating in eternal death.
If you are struggling with this inner battle, talk to me and I will tell you about God’s deliverance. If your church or pastor does not believe that God can or will save His people from all their sin, here and now, then talk to me. Remember, only the pure in heart will see God and without holiness of heart and life, no man shall see the Lord.
YA GOTTA DIE
Death is an extremely difficult thing. Death to self may be the most difficult thing. I say this because most people would sooner see a loved one die than be willing to die to self. People will cling to habits, desires, pleasures, relationships, addictions, fears, ideas, principles, organizations, "stuff," attitudes, even when it means the loss, or the death of a loved one.
Death to self is essential for total commitment to God. Death to self is not required at our salvation. Instead we are given life (regenerated). We come to Christ, dead in our sins and trespasses, and then we are quickened (born again), we are transformed into new creations (received Divine nature) and begin to walk in newness of life. But as we grow in knowledge (by hearing the whole gospel truth of the fullness of the Holy Spirit) and as we grow in our relationship with Christ, we discover that there is an "Old Man" (sinful nature, inherently evil disposition) lurking deep within us, and occasionally erupting in lust or hate or greed or deceit or evil desire. This "evil heart of unbelief," this "double mind" rises up in defiance of God Himself, even within a convert.
This is the famous, but often misunderstood "inner struggle" of Romans chapter seven. The carnal Christian has an inner battle between his new nature (new man) and his old nature (old man), and sometimes the believer gives in to his root of bitterness, resulting in sin. The believer must then confess and repent in order to be forgiven and cleansed. False doctrine says that the sinful nature is the human nature and that believers can never be purified and delivered from this inner struggle. WRONG. Christ saves from ALL SIN.
However, God has the answer to this "sin" problem within the believers. It is, DEATH TO SELF. Jesus referred to it by saying that we must DENY OURSELVES AND TAKE UP OUR CROSS. Paul told us that spiritual victory requires our Old Man to be crucified with Christ. This is because the sinful self does not submit to the law of God, and in fact, it cannot be subject to God because it is the enemy of God by nature.
But the sinful self does not want to die. Crucifixion is a good description of death to self because it is a slow and deliberate death, during which time the crucified person fights for life and argues against his execution. Our Old Man fights this death to self and resists God's work of purifying the believer.
The interesting thing is, the person who will not die to self, carries about the decay and stench of death as a carnal believer, because God says, to be carnally minded is death, ultimately culminating in eternal death.
If you are struggling with this inner battle, talk to me and I will tell you about God’s deliverance. If your church or pastor does not believe that God can or will save His people from all their sin, here and now, then talk to me. Remember, only the pure in heart will see God and without holiness of heart and life, no man shall see the Lord.
