AS A CHRISTIAN, HOW FAR HAVE I MOVED AWAY FROM PREVIOUS SINS?

BIBLE PASSAGE:
For if I build again those things which I destroyed, 
I make myself a transgressor. 
(Galatians 2:18)

MEDITATION:
Whenever we receive the Lord’s salvation, 
if we are sincere then we will start making changes in our lives.
We begin weeding out the things that are not pleasing to the Lord, 
and start replacing them with things that do please Him.
However, before long the temptation 
to return to previous sins starts creeping into our lives again.

It is at that point in our lives that we have to make a decision.
Do we allow the things that we ‘put away’ to become part of our lives 
again, or do we ‘stay the course’ and leave them where we put them 
when we decided to follow the Lord and live a life that pleases Him?

In Galatians 2, Paul tells us that we become transgressors 
when we ‘build again those things which we destroyed’.
As followers of Christ, 
we do not want to have the moniker of a transgressor.
Unfortunately, there are some who want to follow the Lord at certain 
times, and participate in things they know displeases Him at other times.

Paul said his desire was to live for God.
For I through the law died to the law that I might live to God. 
(Galatians 2:19)
Paul chose to be fully committed to following the Lord.

In his letter to the Romans, Paul told them that with the Spirit living 
in him he was no longer under the bondage of things from his previous 
life (that leads to death).
because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life 
has set you free from the law of sin and death. (Romans 8:2)

According to the scriptures, when we are saved, we die to the sins 
which have been controlling us and live a new life with God in control. 
In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin 
but alive to God in Christ Jesus. (Romans 6:11)
 
Paul seemed confused that some who claimed to have died to the sinful
things prior to receiving God’s salvation, could return to those things 
once again, and to be controlled by them.
It’s almost as if Paul is saying, “Are you REALLY a Christian? 
If you are, then why aren’t you living like one?”
By no means! We are those who have died to sin; 
how can we live in it any longer? (Romans 6:2)

As Christians, we are no longer controlled by sin, because we have
exchanged it’s control for living under the influence of God’s grace.
For sin shall no longer be your master, 
because you are not under the law, but under grace. (Romans 6:14)

When we are saved, we not only belong to the Lord, 
but we have a desire to use the spiritual gifts He has given us 
to contribute to His ministry while we live. 
So, my brothers and sisters, you also died to the law through the body 
of Christ, that you might belong to another, to him who was raised from 
the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God. (Romans 7:4)

In his letter to the Galatians, Paul said that in a sense, 
he was also crucified because his old life of sin was killed 
and he was now living a new life of faith.
He said that although he was still living a life ‘in the flesh’, 
it was not controlled ‘by the flesh’, but by his faith in Christ.

Paul was motivated to live by faith because he realized the magnitude 
of the love Christ had for him and how He proved it 
by sacrificing Himself for Paul.
I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, 
but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh 
I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.
(Galatians 2:20)

Paul says that when we become Christians, we have made a decision 
to crucify our old sinful life, so that we will no longer 
be controlled by our sinful desires.
For we know that our old self was crucified with him 
so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, 
that we should no longer be slaves to sin— (Romans 6:6)
Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh 
with its passions and desires. (Galatians 5:24)

And what does our new life look like?
1.    We lose our arrogant pride and our desire to boast about ourselves and our things.
May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through 
which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. (Galatians 6:14) 

2.    We choose to please the Spirit instead of pleasing our fleshly desires.
3.    We choose to do good things for others, and especially for other believers.
Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; 
whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. 
Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will 
reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, 
let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the 
family of believers. (Galatians 6:8-10)
 
4.    We exchange living a life of pleasing ourselves 
       for living a new life dedicated to pleasing the Lord.
And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for 
themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again. 
(2 Corinthians 5:15)
 
5.    We refocus our priorities so that eternal things (things above) 
      are more important to us than the temporal things (earthly things).
Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things 
above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds 
on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is 
now hidden with Christ in God. (Colossians 3:1-3) 

6.    We learn to live a life controlled by love 
       because we realize how much the One we are following loves us.
and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself 
up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. (Ephesians 5:2)

ACTION:
If you are a Christian, how has your life been changed?
What is missing in your 'new life' (from the list above)?
Are you guilty of rebuilding something from your pre-Christian life 
that you destroyed when you received God’s salvation?
In other words, have you become known as a transgressor because you have 
returned to some of the sinful habits you had before the Lord saved you?
God wants ALL of you, so you cannot cling to Him with one hand 
and hold on to a few of your ‘favorite’ sins with the other hand.

Pray,
“Heavenly Father, help me to realize the importance of being fully 
committed to You. Forgive me for being a part-time Christian with 
a part-time relationship with You. Help me to be like Paul and crucify 
my old self so that I can joyfully embrace my new self and my relationship 
with You. Guide me in developing a mindset similar to Jesus so that I 
can live a life of loving You, serving You and loving others.”

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