Our monthly letter is about guarding the heart in unfair situations. We are all familiar with the wonderful promises in the Bible. However so much of our lives are spent controlling our personal sinful nature and situations caused by others who have no self-control.
Col 3:3-4: “For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.”
In Romans 8 Paul says that we share in the glory of Christ but also in His suffering. I believe this suffering we partake of is dying to self.
Col 3:5: “Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry.”
Yes, our sinful nature has died with Christ but as you can see, we still have to mortify the deeds of the flesh.
The point is that we have died with Christ but we are still taking part in the transformation of the mind as long as we are alive in the earth it must be more of Christ and less of me.
2 Cor 6:16: “And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
2 Cor 7:1: “Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.”
We take part in daily sanctification. Other translations say we must work to die to the things of the flesh.
Rom 8:36: “As it is written, for thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.”
The 7th and 8th chapters of Romans should be our daily meditation. We die in Christ daily to the flesh but we also rise in Christ daily to serve God by the Spirit. (Rom 7:6)
We will never be as bad as when we try to be good by ourselves.
Rom.7:14-15 “I am sold into slavery with sin as my master. I don’t understand myself at all. I really want to do what is right, but I don’t do it, instead I do the very thing I hate. I can’t help myself; it is sin inside me that makes me do these evil things.” (N.B. Bible)
Note that the subject is the evil sinful nature that is inside us all, as written by the apostle Paul. Sin is not coming from outside somewhere and jumping into him. He is saying that although he is serving the Lord Jesus Christ, he is partaking of dying to the old sin nature daily. Rom 7:17 it is sin inside me that makes me do these evil things. And again, in verse 22 he says the same thing. Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that pleases the Spirit. If your sinful nature controls your mind, there is death. But if the Holy Spirit controls your mind there is life and peace. For the sinful nature is always hostile to God.
It seems that the subject of the Bible is the dying of the sinful nature.
1 Pet 2:18 in my own words. If you are being treated unfairly and do endure it with patients for the sake of the conscience then God is pleased with you.
Every time that you have to be so patient in unfair situasions give yourself a right mark. You see, the fruit of the spirit includes longsuffering.
Lets talk about it! Leave your comments below.