This Week's Focal Passage:
"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
Strong's
Crucified #4957 - sustauroo = "the death of Christ on the cross has wrought the extinction of our former corruption, by the death of Christ upon the cross I have become utterly estranged (dead to) my former habit of feeling and action."
In the last devotion, I talked about embarking upon a new journey, a new season in my spiritual walk with the Lord. I mentioned that I felt the Lord impressing upon my heart that I needed to focus on becoming a more godly wife, loving my husband in ways that encourages him and honors the Lord. Now, I understand that the men reading this may be tempted to think that this devotion may not contain any life application for them. I urge you to consider that although your goal is not to be a godly wife your goal in Christ should be to become a godly man fulfilling the role(s) the Lord has called you to fill. Remember that "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful in teaching, correcting, rebuking, and training in righteousness so that the man of God will be thoroughly equipped for every good work (2 Timothy 3:16)".
In John MacArthur's book Twelve Extraordinary Women, he writes "Eve must have been a creature of unsurpassed beauty. She was the crown and the pinnacle of God's amazing creative work. The first female of Adam's race was the last living thing to be called into existence-actually fashioned directly by the Creator's own hand in a way that showed particular care and attention to detail. Remember, Eve wasn't made out of dust like Adam, but carefully designed from living flesh and bone. Adam was refined dirt; Eve was a glorious refinement of humanity itself. She was a special gift to Adam. She was the necessary partner who finally made his existence complete-and whose own existence finally signaled the completion of all creation" (p.1). "The circumstances of Eve's creation illustrate how deep and meaningful the marriage of husband and wife is designed to be. It is not merely a physical union, but a union of heart and soul as well. Eve was Adam's complement in every sense, designed by God to be the ideal soul-companion for him. And the intimacy of her relationship with her husband derives from her being literally taken from his side. In his classic commentary on the Bible, Puritan author Matthew Henry wrote these familiar words, which have been adapted and quoted in many marriage ceremonies: "The woman was made out of the side of Adam; not made out of his head to rule over him, nor out of his feet to be trampled upon by him, but out of his side to be equal with him, under his arm to be protected, and near his heart to be beloved"" (p.6).
Beloved, the Lord God's ways are perfect. His design for all of mankind comes from His unconditional love and His perfect plan for us. We can trust in Him and know that when we follow the Lord's direction in all aspects of our lives HE will bless us in ways that we can never even imagine!! God's blessings flow from His heart into our lives and nothing this world or our flesh offers us will ever come close to equaling what God has for us. When we manipulate, control, and work things out according to our thoughts, our ways, our plans, and/or our desires, we will ALWAYS end up disappointed. The very depth of our souls crave the Lord Jesus Christ and when we try to fill that void with anything else, we are left wanting, hurting, and completely dissatisfied!!
Reread our focal passage. "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). What is God's Word telling us? According to this passage of Scripture, when we were crucified with Christ (accepted Him as our personal Lord and Savior and surrendered our life to Him), at that moment, we become new!! (2 Corinthians 5:17) We were, at that moment, freed from all sin!! "Knowing 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. For he who has died, has been freed from sin" (Romans 6:6-7). Then why do we continue to sin?
Allow me to share a personal testimony for a moment. I am learning that I have been holding onto sinful habits, patterns, thoughts, and behaviors and defining those as "my personality." I have excused or justified my sin by saying, "Well, I cannot help it…I was made that way" or "That is just me!" That is a lie straight from the pit of hell! God's Word tells me that when I accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior, the same power that raised Him from the dead now dwells within me (Ephesians 1:17-23). If the power who raised Jesus from the dead now lives within me, then I am not subject to sin any longer!! I now have a choice as to whether I will obey the Lord Jesus or rebel against Him and His authority over my life. Sin is defined as rebellion against the Lord God. Sin stems from a prideful heart, a heart that wants to be its own god.
Beloved, if we are children of the Risen Lord, then we are no longer slaves to sin!! We do not have to act according to our old habits, behaviors, thoughts, and desires. God designed us with unique characteristics and personalities but what we do with those things can either glorify the Lord or dishonor Him. Those portions of our "personality" that dishonor the Lord can be removed through the power of the cross. As a child of God, we are being transformed into the image of Christ. In order to be transformed, the old has to be shed and the new has to be applied. Thus begs the question: Do you REALLY want to be like Christ?
Becoming like Christ means giving up the old self, dying to those old habits, thoughts, feelings, reactions, behaviors, and fleshly desires. It is not an easy task but it is the ONLY way that we can truly become the men and women God created us to be. "For me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain" (Philippians 1:21). Is this your heart's prayer today? If so, praise the Lord for opening your eyes to see His truth and your heart to receive His Word. If this is not your prayer, I encourage you to come before the Lord God and allow Him to search your heart. Do not be afraid to allow Him to reveal to you the heart issues that are separating you from Him. HE loves you and HE gave Himself up for you. HE is trustworthy and HE is the only completion and satisfaction for your soul.
