The Life Cycle of a Christian
DEATH FROM SIN, to
NEWNESS OF LIFE, to
DEATH TO SIN, to
FULLNESS OF LIFE
A right relationship with God requires a decision. The Bible clearly teaches this. However, a decision is not all that is required. A decision must be accompanied by action. For the believer who wants to follow Jesus fully there must be death; death of the Old Man (Ro. 6:6), death to the world (Ga. 6:14) and death to sin (Ro. 6:11).
Part of the problem with most Christian's commitment today is that a person might "make a decision" to believe on Christ and receive Him as Savior, but he/she does not come to grips with total trust and total surrender, which results in death.
Death is not pleasant.
Death is heart wrenching.
Death is a crises.
Death is life changing.
Most people think of total surrender as being like upgrading from coach to first class. It is not.
It is DEATH of self, it is TOTAL SURRENDER of heart and life, it is ABANDONMENT of worldly attachments and affections. IT IS NOT PLEASANT.
And, since people don't like to do the hard thing (especially today's generation), there are very few who enter into the Spirit filled life, the Spirit led life, the Spirit controlled life.
The GOOD NEWS is, on the other side of this spiritual death, there is fullness of life and power and purity and purpose and poise. Death is not death to the good, it is death to the tyranny of evil. Until there is total surrender, there is no peace treaty with God.
Romans 6:6
(6) Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.
Romans 6:11
(11) Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Galatians 2:20
(20) I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
Galatians 5:24
(24) And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.
Galatians 6:14
(14) But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.
Ephesians 4:22
(22) That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;
Colossians 3:8-9
(8) But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth.
(9) Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds;
A right relationship with God requires a decision. The Bible clearly teaches this. However, a decision is not all that is required. A decision must be accompanied by action. For the believer who wants to follow Jesus fully there must be death; death of the Old Man (Ro. 6:6), death to the world (Ga. 6:14) and death to sin (Ro. 6:11).
Part of the problem with most Christian's commitment today is that a person might "make a decision" to believe on Christ and receive Him as Savior, but he/she does not come to grips with total trust and total surrender, which results in death.
Death is not pleasant.
Death is heart wrenching.
Death is a crises.
Death is life changing.
Most people think of total surrender as being like upgrading from coach to first class. It is not.
It is DEATH of self, it is TOTAL SURRENDER of heart and life, it is ABANDONMENT of worldly attachments and affections. IT IS NOT PLEASANT.
And, since people don't like to do the hard thing (especially today's generation), there are very few who enter into the Spirit filled life, the Spirit led life, the Spirit controlled life.
The GOOD NEWS is, on the other side of this spiritual death, there is fullness of life and power and purity and purpose and poise. Death is not death to the good, it is death to the tyranny of evil. Until there is total surrender, there is no peace treaty with God.
Romans 6:6
(6) Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.
Romans 6:11
(11) Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Galatians 2:20
(20) I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
Galatians 5:24
(24) And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.
Galatians 6:14
(14) But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.
Ephesians 4:22
(22) That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;
Colossians 3:8-9
(8) But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth.
(9) Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds;
