All I've Left Behind

6knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be adone away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. 7For he who has died has been freed from sin. 8Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, 9knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. 10For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. 11Likewise you also, creckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 6: 6 - 11 NKJV

There was a radio preacher this morning who was harping on all that we need to leave at the altar of God in order to satisfy the will of Christ.  Now, I can usually listen to these radio pulpit pounders with a bit of discernment, but this guy struck a nerve.  So, I began thinking of all that I have left behind me as I began to follow Christ Jesus.  It didn't take me long to account for more than a few items, the major ones were easy.  Pride, arrogance, hatred and guilt were a few of the baggage items I recognized right away.  As old preacher droned on in his discourse, he staked the claim that Jesus would ultimately strip us of those worldly things which we continue to carry with us.  I can agree with this, to a point.  The apostle Paul tells us in Romans 6 that the very sin nature we once carried, our old man, was put to death with Christ at the cross.  So, Mr. Preacher, tell me again what there is left for Jesus to strip from us if we indeed have already died to sin?  Now, I agree that there are things that do not belong in the life of a follower of Jesus, but can we really change something we have no ability to?  Yes, I am talking of our inability to change truly change ourselves.  For we are certainly not our own independent beings as many have believed.  If indeed we were truly independent, we would not need Jesus to strip anything away from us.  In fact, we would not even need Jesus would we?  For if I was independent, I would have truly created myself wouldn't I?  In need of and desiring nothing from anyone, for I am independent.  Of course, this statement is ridiculous, for the ONLY independent self in the universe is our heavenly Father.

14For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died; 15and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again. 16Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer. 17Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. 18Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, 19that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. 21For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
2 Corinthians 5: 14 - 21 NKJV

So, what it that I left behind when I came to know Christ Jesus?  Well, Paul indeed tells us that we who have accepted Jesus are new creations, that the "Old" things have passed away.  That old sin nature which I was born into is now gone forever, put to death by Christ Jesus.  Therefore, God has reconciled the the world to Himself through Christ Jesus.  We need not bring anything to the altar of God when we choose to accept Jesus, only ourselves.  Jesus Himself has done away with that condemnation which was upon us.  For there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.  Jesus takes us as we are, and with that simple act of accepting Him, all that we once were is replaced and we are now one with Him.  What we gain is far greater than what we leave behind.

~Scott~