Hebrews 13: 8 NKJV
I spent quite a bit of time this past weekend working through the thoughts that I needed to do something to change my station in life. I'm not exactly sure what drove me to this decision, only that I was sure that I needed to change something. I think we've all been there at one time or another. We may become frustrated with the way that we feel our lives are headed and our desire is to do what any sane person might do. That is, to hit the brakes and change what we're doing. It wasn't until late on Sunday night that I realized that I was chasing a losing proposition. I was running after something I had no chance of catching up to. Better yet, I was chasing something I no longer needed to worry about...at all. See, it was at that point that I realized that...Christ Jesus never needs to change. The author of Hebrews tells us this as he tells us that Christ Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever. So what does this have to do with me? Well, as the apostle Paul tells us in Galations 2...I AM Jesus. I share His identity, His Spirit and His very DNA. Knowing that, what is it that I need to be changing in this life of mine? For each and every day I am living as Christ who is in me. Believe me, I think that I just saved myself a ton of money on psychologist fees by recalling this simple truth about the man that I truly am inside. There is nothing about me that needs to be changed if Christ Jesus is in me. Now, I know that I'll more than likey get a bit of pushback from those who have entrenched themselves in the institutional teachings of the modern church, where we are but sinners saved by our Lords graces. Despite the sacrafice of Jesus, we must continue daily to dig ourselves out of our sin hole. I was reminded of this this weekend in our Sunday meeting when one of our own expressed his concerns over what he perceived as that sin that was in him. That sin which, as we were all reminded once again, we are all dead to {Romans 6:11}.
6knowing 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. 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, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 6: 6 - 11 NKJV
See, the apostle Paul got it. Paul knew that in his flesh there was nothing good {Romans 7:18}. Paul had that very same frustration which we all to often hold against ourselves. In our hearts we know that it is Christ who has set us free, yet we continue to listen as that tape from our own past is played back in our minds. I'm just a sinner, I need to change, how could God love ever love me? I get it. However, it is not that voice of our heavenly Father who is throwing these flaming darts of accusation our way. For we know that there is now NO condemnation for those who are in Christ {Romans 8:1}. Or, at least we should know this by now. The enemy uses any means at his disposal in order to set us astray from the God we love. Despite this, it does not change who it is that we truly are.
I remember a epiphany moment that occured when I was still attending church on a regular basis. It happened during the annual Easter morning celebration as the congregation was celebrating the resurection of Christ. In the midst of this celebration, the pastor called upon the congregation to come forward in prayer if we felt that need to confess that sin in our lives. I remember thinking to myself...what sin? Here we were celebrating the resurection of Jesus, who had become sin on our behalf that we should not face that penalty {2 Corinthians 5:21}. What sins of ours did Christ not take upon Himself? Needless to say, I left that morning feeling more confused than forgiven. I remember feeling that maybe, just maybe, it was me who needed to change. I'm glad I know better.
19For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice. 20Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. 21I find then a law, that evil is present with me, the one who wills to do good. 22For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man. 23But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. 24O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?
Romans 7: 19 - 24 NKJV
~Scott~
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