Crucify the Old Man
Galatians 5:24-25 [AMP]
24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature together with its passions and appetites.
25 If we [claim to] live by the [Holy] Spirit, we must also walk by the Spirit [with personal integrity, godly character, and moral courage—our conduct empowered by the Holy Spirit].
Romans 6:1-2, 6 [AMPC]
6 What shall we say [to all this]? Are we to remain in sin in order that God’s grace (favor and mercy) may multiply and overflow?
2 Certainly not! How can we who died to sin live in it any longer?
6 We know that our old (unrenewed) self was nailed to the cross with Him in order that [our] body [which is the instrument] of sin might be made ineffective and inactive for evil, that we might no longer be the slaves of sin.
2 Kings 14:3-4 [NLT]
3 Amaziah did what was pleasing in the Lord’s sight, but not like his ancestor David. Instead, he followed the example of his father, Joash. 4 Amaziah did not destroy the pagan shrines, and the people still offered sacrifices and burned incense there.
(This is just one of the many verses in 1 Kings and 2 Kings that say the same thing)
Why have I chosen these three passages of Scripture for this month’s Blog - because there’s an urgency on the heart of God at this time that His people need to be pure, holy and worshipping Him alone. Not following the ways of the world, or be tempted to go back to the ways of sin.
‘But I don’t have any idols in my life! I’m serving God with my whole heart’ I hear you cry. That’s my cry too! But let’s stop and take a moment to consider that maybe we are doing what the kings in the Books of 1 & 2 Kings did – that we are doing what is pleasing in the Lord’s sight, but there are still ‘idols’ in our lives that are tempting us back into sin.
Unless we slay the giant, and CUT OFF ITS HEAD, we will leave opportunities for the giant to rise up and come and tempt us into the sin that we are supposed to have left behind.
Here’s what Nicky Gumble writes in his and Pippa’s devotional ‘The Bible in a Year’:
“’They imitated the nations around them although the LORD had ordered them, “Do not do as they do.”’ (2 Kings v.15). The result of not listening was that the people of Israel lost the presence of God and were sent into exile in Assyria: ‘he thrust them from his presence… the LORD removed them from his presence’ (2 Kings vv.20,23).
Like us, so often, they had not been ruthless enough about sin in their lives: ‘They honoured and worshiped God, but not exclusively... They don’t really worship God – they don’t take seriously what he says regarding how to behave and what to believe’ (vv.32,34 MSG). ‘They didn’t pay any attention. They kept doing what they’d always done’ (v.40, MSG).
Do you sometimes find that your heart is divided between following God and following your own desires? Guard yourself against complacency or carelessness – allowing sin to creep in. Don’t let the enemy lead you into disobeying God.
The truth is that God’s desire is always to bless us. His commands and instruction are given so that you might flourish (see Deuteronomy 6:1–3).”
Do we see ourselves flourishing – or do we keep going back to the sin and the idols in our lives because they are our ‘comfort zone’, or because ‘it’s familiar’, or because we have an issue with addiction to the sin?
When Jesus went to the cross, He took upon Himself ALL OF OUR SIN – and when He went to the depth of hell, He left our sin there and, in essence, locked the door to our sin and took the keys with Him. He did not give us a set of keys so that we could go back and claim back the bits of sin that we like doing. He cut the head off of the giant!
You know how you enjoy cake, but you know you should give it up. But you think that NOTHING will EVER come close to the enjoyment you find in eating cake. And so you convince yourself that a little slice every now and again won’t do anyone any harm, especially not you. But what it will do is satisfy the craving, and give just enough of a sugar-rush that you will be able to leave it be – until the next time. But the next time that piece of cake may harm you to such an extent that your life is changed forever, and not in a good way.
Well that is what it is like with the sin, the idols, the bad things that we do and convince ourselves that it’s only a ‘small sin and God won’t notice’. Eventually it is going to harm us, bring us down, destroy us and our ministry.
When God says in Scripture ‘CRUCIFY THOSE SINFUL PASSIONS’ He means it!! Let the old man – that is the carnal, worldly, ungodly man – the man that can still rise up from time to time, be crucified, because the new man – the spiritual man, the man that is one with Jesus – has been raised to life in Christ. We can’t serve two gods – the god of sin AND Jesus. God is a jealous God, He’s jealous for us and wants all of us.
God intends that we should live in a right relationship with Him. God has committed Himself to us totally – therefore we should commit ourselves to Him totally, and be sanctified, guard our hearts and flourish. The Holy Spirit has been given to us so that we can walk in a restored relationship with God.
So each day wake up and resolve to “walk by the Spirit [with personal integrity, godly character, and moral courage—our conduct empowered by the Holy Spirit]” {Galatians 5:25}.
Be blessed
Jean
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