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Tuesday, June 24,
2008
It Didn’t End At Calvary
Romans 6:5-8 For if we have been planted
together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of
his resurrection: (6) 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. (7) For he that is dead is freed from sin. (8) Now if we be dead
with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him: (KJV)
As we see in the above verses, although
our Lord was crucified on the cross at Calvary it didn’t end there, but
rather there is a continual crucifixion that has to take place in each and
every believer if they to wish to partake of a new life in Christ. Do you
know for a fact that your old fallen nature is crucified and being kept in
subjection to the Spirit or are you running from the truth and looking for
an alternate way out? You wonder why at times that it seems hard to believe
in the word of God more than what the outward circumstances are dictating,
most likely it is because you haven’t died to self, but rather you spend
more time feeding the flesh than the Spirit. Our Lord went to a cross at
Calvary so that He could die and a new man could resurrect. We too are
constantly dying on a daily basis so that a new man can resurrect and live
a life dictated by the Spirit and not the flesh and its lethal desires. If
you notice in the above verses, 6&8, you see words like, is crucified
and now if we be dead with Christ. Many teach a one and done theory, that
all you have to do is show up at some organization, do some ritual or
recite some sinners prayer and your ticket is stamped; but be assured
nothing could be farther from the truth and this once saved always saved is
a doctrine the devil enjoys seeing taught. Your commitment to our Lord is
just the beginning, so the fact that God sent His Son to do a complete work
on our behalf and give us a perfect example He expects nothing short of a
whole hearted commitment as well if you wish to obtain your inheritance,
which simply put means, walk not just talk.
Galatians 2:17-20 But if, while we seek
to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is
therefore Christ the minister of sin? God forbid. (18) For if I build again
the things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor. (19) For I
through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God. (20) I am
crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in
me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the
Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. (KJV)
Paul didn’t make the statement I was, or
I am thinking about this crucifixion stuff, but rather it is something that
he continued in to the end. The devil made me do it or blaming others for
your lack of diligence in the word of God is not an excuse for sin, and
don’t think for one moment that you would be the first person to ever
accept the Lord and walk with Him for a season only to end up walking away
and falling back into sin. Thus the reason why God had Paul write words of
encouragement concerning baptism and crucifixion so that God’s people
wouldn’t fall back into the old ways but continue to walk in the Spirit
realm. No one said it was going to be an easy path that leads to eternal
life, however there is only one that will get you there and it is the same
one our Lord walked, even that stuff that happened at Calvary. As a
Christian, in order to maintain a healthy walk with the Lord you will have
to take up your own cross on a daily basis if you truly wish to move
forward in your walk. Otherwise you will end up sitting at the garden of
Gethsemane sweating drops of blood and dreading the outcome. Please keep in
mind that although there was a death it was followed by a glorious
resurrection; so know too for yourself that even though the Lord is asking
us to nail something to the cross, afterward there is also a glorious
resurrection of a new found life in Christ. Once you put your hand to the
plow the enemy will do all he can to keep you from looking forward to the
new life the Lord has for you, but rather he will try to keep you stuck in
the old realm drinking the old whine. Be sure that if the Lord is asking
you to walk away from something focus more on what He is asking you to walk
into knowing that it is for your benefit, one that will draw you closer to
Him.
Galatians 6:12-15 As many as desire to
make a fair shew in the flesh, they constrain you to be circumcised; only
lest they should suffer persecution for the cross of Christ. (13) For
neither they themselves who are circumcised keep the law; but desire to
have you circumcised, that they may glory in your flesh. (14) But God
forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by
whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world. (15) For in
Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision,
but a new creature. (KJV)
Williams New Testament translation
for Galatians 6:12-13
12. These men who are trying to force you
to let yourselves be circumcised simply want to make a fine outward show,
only to keep you from being persecuted for the cross of our Lord Jesus
Christ. 13. Indeed, the very men who let themselves be circumcised do not
themselves observe the law. But they
simply want you to let yourselves be circumcised, so that they can boast of
you as members of their party.
Did you ever stop and think why people
still hold to rituals, works of the law? Most of it is just some big show.
Like a circus, they use the people so that they can boast of big numbers;
really, like that is going to impress God. Quite the opposite is true
people; Paul realized that in order to please a Spiritual being he could no
longer be a people pleaser, one that was seeking approval from the world
and its worldly preachers. Worldly people seek recognition for other
worldly people and base their results on outward things and not inward.
Whether it manifests in the form of circumcision, water baptism, or some
other dead end ritual it’s all for naught and avails nothing. The only
thing important to God is that new creation within, something you should be
concerned with as well. While many people flock to a circus to see some
death defying act or to get entertained, many of these so called traveling
evangelists and preachers are nothing more than a circus act. Back in the
day when a man named P.T Barnum started the circus he realized that the
acts, tricks, and illusions would bring in thousands of people as well as
thousands of dollars. He also made the statement concerning the flocks of
people ‘that a sucker is born every day’. As I look around at what man
calls preachers and teachers and so called sound doctrine I too see ‘that
suckers are born again every day’ because of their lack of diligence and
knowledge in the word of God, and the fact they don’t take a stand for the
Lord they end up falling for any cheap trick and illusion of the devil
seeking more to be entertained than built up in the truth. A crucifixion
took place at Calvary some two thousand years ago to pay the price for
mankind and allow you access into the realm of the Spirit. It didn’t end
there people, but is a symbol, a likeness or representation of something
that should be continuing in each and every believer so that they can
continue their walk in the Spirit no longer feeding and nurturing the old
fallen man. A new day has come, now go walk in it.
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