Be Dead

Did you know that if we are in Christ we have been raised to new life spiritually just like Christ has been raised?  We are new creations in Christ, praise the Lord!!  We were once dead spiritually in our sins and trespasses, please read Ephesians 2:1-7, “And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others. But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.”   

We were also created in the image of God and we have been given different gifts and talents to be used for God’s glory.  Please read verses 8-10 in that same chapter, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.”

We were not saved by anything that we did prior to our conversion, but God did prepare good works that we can and should be doing after our conversion.  This may sound strange but before we can really be effective in our walk with the Lord we must die.  What I mean is we must die to ourselves and live for Christ and not desire or run after the things that the worldly run after.  Please read what Paul said about this in Philippians 3:10-21, “that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Therefore let us, as many as are mature, have this mind; and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal even this to you. Nevertheless, to the degree that we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us be of the same mind. Brethren, join in following my example, and note those who so walk, as you have us for a pattern. For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame—who set their mind on earthly things. For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself.”

Now please read Romans 6:5-11, “For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. For he who has died has been freed from sin. Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

If we can ever be effective in our ministries, or works, that we put our hands to, we must each and every day put to death the old man with its evil, sinful desires and put on the new man and live a life of holiness.  We must resist the devil so that he will have to flee from us, praise the Lord!!

So let us put on the armor of God, you can find this in Ephesians 6:10-18!!  

I have given you something to think about, I pray that it will be a help to you and also an encouragement.  May the good Lord bless you and yours and may you have a super day!!