Choosing His Road to Love and Life

There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.

Prov. 14: 12

I hate the feeling of anger rising up inside me. Hate it, hate it, don't know what to do with it most of the time. How about you?

Tonight that opportunity presented itself to me, and in my own estimation it seemed "right" to me to be angry with someone who hurt my feelings. In a moment of haste, I put on my tennis shoes and since it was a nice evening, hoped to work off my angry feelings while I took a brisk walk.

Somewhat like the disciples on the road to Emmaus, my blessed Lord somehow spoke to my spirit, reasoning with a poor fool like me as I walked along...

(Come, let us reason together, saith the LORD...) Isaiah 1:18

I really didn't want to feel anger the whole time I walked and so I tried to think of the Lord and His goodness, how He bore my sins on the cross and also the sins of the one who hurt me. Then I realized if I did that I couldn't stay mad at the same time. Still the temptation of retaliate was there and I didn't know quite what to do with it. For a minute or two I actually believed that giving in to the anger would be more satisfying than obeying God.

In my heart I cried, "Lord, You said I was dead to sin, but it sure doesn't feel like it,"  In the smallest way, however, I took a tiny step of faith and believed what God said He'd done to that old person that wanted to retaliate and get even. Some wonderful truths from Romans came to mind.

"What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it?" Rom. 6:1-2

From this teaching I remembered that: "There is NO advantage to sin." I can sin but there is no advantage to it. Ever.  Screaming, getting the last word in, "venting": all they really do is lead to carnal death. If I'm a believer, it will only bring a huge harvest of corruption. It will never bring peace or satisfaction.

"We know that our old self was crucified with Him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. " Rom. 6:6

In my flesh, when I've been hurt I want the offending party to know they've hurt  me and not just bear it silently. I think I might explode inside if I don't let them know how they've hurt me.  How "right" that seems! Someone hurts you, you hurt them back. All this talk about being dead to sin seems ridiculous in the heat of the moment...

But then another verse came in,  Romans 8:35, "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?"  I concluded that God's love for me is greater than all the hurts ever done to me. 

Suddenly, it was OK. God loves me, and will never stop loving me. This might not seem like such a big revelation, but it freed me tonight from sin's tyranny.

Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ... II Cor. 2:14a

Three Stages of Deliverance

But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead: Who delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver: in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us... II Corinthians 1:9-10

Have you faced your sentence of death yet? I mean it not in a bad way, but a good way. When I realize that I don't have to listen to my "old man"with his incessant demands, I am liberated. Christ has already taken care of that for me, I only need believe it.

I was struck the other day as I read in II Corinthians 1, there were 3 stages of deliverance for the believer in Christ. He delivered us (past tense) and does deliver (present tense) and will yet deliver us (future tense). That leaves me with nothing but to believe it, I do not have to deliver myself!

That is some of the best news I can think of, for it means that Jesus did it all when He died upon the cross for me. And all believers were also with Him as He died for us. For Paul tells us clearly:

"Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death?" Romans 6:3 (emphasis mine)

Not only were we baptized into His death, we also were buried with Him when He was buried.

Colossians 2:12 "...buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead."

And not only buried with Him, but also raised to a new life, a brand new way of walking, through His gracious plan for us.

John 11:25 "Jesus said to her, 'I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.' "

Romans 6:5-6 "For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:
Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin." (emphasis mine)

Not only are these facts true, but He lives daily to deliver us in all our afflictions. Sometimes, it may not mean that He takes the afflictions away, but He gives us what we need to get through them, even so that we can comfort others through the very comfort we ourselves have received.

II Corinthians 1: 1-6
3 "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. 5 For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also abounds through Christ. 6 Now if we are afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effective for enduring the same sufferings which we also suffer. Or if we are comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation." (emphasis mine)

We also are encouraged to know that we are not alone in our sufferings, but to realize that our brothers and sisters around the world are going through these very same trials.

I Peter 4: 12-14a
12 "Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; 13 but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy. 14 If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you..."

So even if we are going through a long-standing trial, we may be assured that God has a purpose in it, even if it is so that one day we may be able to comfort or encourage someone else who is going through a similar testing. And when we hear our old self crying out for attention, we can reckon on the fact that he in fact is dead, no matter how loudly he demands our attention.

These are just a few things I have been thinking about lately. I pray that God will encourage your heart today, as He has mine, by my starting (in the smallest way) to learn these truths.

Dead to Sin....Alive to God

I found an old message from my church while on my cleaning binge the other day. It was from five years ago. Sometimes, when we find old things like that, we tend to shrug them off, or at least I do. I think to myself, "Oh, that was from 2007, it's 2012, what could that message have to say to me now?"

I found out it had something very important to say. Something that I am ashamed to admit, I have not really learned yet, even after knowing Christ for the greater portion of my life.

The book of Romans is a foundational book. I need to understand Romans in my spirit for victory in my spiritual life. It tells me what Christ did for me, it tells me what happened that day when He took my sins upon His body on the tree. But it also tells me that I was crucified there with Him when He died, that my old sinful body was put away permanently.

Is that true or isn't it? Most of my life I have not believed it is true. But Scripture says I am dead to sin (Romans 6:11) but alive to God. That doesn't mean I won't sin anymore, but if I do, its because I chose it, God has made a way for me to be free from that old life forever.

I think it has to start with thinking about what Christ did for me, and not only me, but everyone else too. Seeing people differently than I have before. Like layers of onion skin, God slowly peels layer after layer away to reveal the truth about mankind and His great love for them.

There are two categories of people really. One is bound for heaven. Earth is the closest to hell they will ever get. The other group is blinded by the evil one for whatever reason. Let us have compassion. They may do us great harm. Let us have compassion. This is the only heaven they will ever see.

Its not about "trying" to be nice to them. It is about begging them to be reconciled. (II Corinthians 5: 20-21) We don't deserve redemption either. It is realizing Christ took their sin burden just like He took yours and mine. He paid for their crimes too. That is what makes "hell" hell. They could have had heaven as a free gift. But they said no.

If I stand here and judge by my own human judgments than I am just like the rest of the world. But Jesus said "Judge the righteous judgment." (John 7:24) Jesus judged nothing by appearances, how much less so then should I?

It boils down to this: Everyone I see is "a dead man walking." Now hear me out. You are either dead to sin and alive to God like the Bible says if you are in Christ,(Romans 6: 11) or if you are not yet born again you are dead in your trespasses and sins.(Ephesians 2:1-3) But, and here is a BIG but, you can change that destiny, however, in ONE moment, by a moment of personal faith in Jesus Christ.

Lord, help me reckon, moment by moment, I am dead to sin and alive to God... Amen.