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
about our decision, 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 things that we ‘put away’ (destroyed)
to become part of our lives again (build again),
or do we ‘stay the course’ and leave them where we put them
when we chose 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.
According to the scriptures they are called ‘transgressors’.
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.
This was to be his new life (it was the choice he made).
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 (which lead 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 now
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 domination of us
for the joy of 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 (bear fruit) to His ministry as 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 wanted them
to understand that in a sense he was also crucified.
Why?
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 the things we have.
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 a new life that is 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:
When some virus invades our body,
our antibodies take action in an effort to get rid of it.
Sometimes we have to add antibiotics to destroy the virus.
At any rate, our mind and body knows the virus doesn’t
belong and the only way to get rid of it is to ‘do something’.
The same should be true whenever sin enters our minds.
If we ‘do nothing’, the sin will have free reign within us.
We need to ‘take action’ to rid our minds of this sin
invasion, or we will become more friendly with it.
If we don’t ‘do something’, then it will continue
to grow uninhibited and will gain control of all we do.
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 new
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.”
BREAD FOR BELIEVERS 
Discussion
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