LIVING AS FOLLOWERS OF JESUS (part-02)

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, and we will
invite the Lord to make changes in us. Together with the Holy Spirit,
we begin to weed out the things that are not pleasing to the Lord, and
we 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 must
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,
none of us want to wear the moniker of a ‘transgressor’.

Unfortunately, some want to follow the Lord at certain times, but at
other times, they participate in things that they know will displease
Him. The scriptures tell us that when we ‘build again’ we 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)
He chose to be ‘fully committed’ to following the Lord. This was
to be his new life (it was the choice he made). He was determined
that he would not return to the life he once lived, but instead, he
would keep moving in a positive direction of living for God.

In his letter to the Romans, Paul told them that because of the Spirit
living in him, he was no longer under the bondage of things from his
previous life (which were leading to death).
    Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those
    who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ
    Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set
    you free from the law of sin and death.
    (Romans 8:1-2)

According to the scriptures, when we are saved, we die to the sins
which have been controlling us, and we start living 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 (things they did 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 its domination over us, for the joy of living a new life that
is influenced by God’s grace. Does that mean the temptations go away?
No, Satan will continue to try to discourage us from living a life that is
dedicated to the Lord.
    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 now have
a desire to discover and use the spiritual gifts He has given as a way
of contributing (bearing fruit) to His ministry as we live for Him.
    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 had also been 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’, his life would not be
controlled ‘by the flesh’, but would be guided ‘by his faith in Christ’.

Paul was motivated to live by faith. Why? Because he realized the
magnitude of the love Christ had for him and how He proved it by
sacrificing Himself for Paul. Shouldn’t all Christians do the same?
    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 decided
to crucify our old sinful life, so we will no longer be controlled
by our sinful desires. It is not something we can accomplish in
our own strength, so we call on the Lord to ‘transform’ us.
    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 own.
         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 activate in
an effort to get rid of it. Sometimes we need to add antibiotics
that will destroy the virus. Our mind and body know 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’, it
will continue to grow unrestrained and will gain control of
everything we think and do.

Questions to consider:
    – 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 us, which means we can’t cling to Him with one
hand and hold on to a few of our ‘favorite’ sins with the other hand.
Satan wants us to think that God loves us too much to impose severe
punishment on us.

He wants to convince us that God’s punishment is nothing more than a
slap on the wrist. But we know from reading the bible that our Creator
is a God of justice, which means the choices we make will have serious
consequences which will last forever.

Wrong choices can lead to our being condemned to a horrible place
where we wish we could die, but can’t. Instead, we will continue to
suffer and our greatest pain may be – being able to see how we could
have spent eternity if we had made the right choices.

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

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