Killing Sin Means Living In Christ

Col 3:1-2  If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.  

(2)  Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.

As I study through the book of Colossians I can't help but think of my early Christian life. Back when I believed that my efforts would get me in right standing with God and if I just tried harder to look like my life was in order I would be a good Christian. Coming to these verses in Chapter three I think about how easy it is to think it is all about trying harder. And nothing could be further from the truth. 

As one reads down through the chapter, there are a lot of don'ts. Or as the Apostle Paul states, "put to death." Being a Christian and killing sin is serious business. In our culture today the talk of the blood of the cross, killing sin, or putting ones self to death is offensive and often not discussed. Not only does Paul use such harsh language toward sin, but Jesus does as well. In Matthew he tells us to poke out our eye or cut off our arm if they cause us to sin. He warns people that they will be accursed and spend eternity in hell if they live as if they are Christians but are only doing it for any other reason than to bring glory to Christ.

Killing sin in our life is one of the central themes in the Bible. It is what separates us from the Father and thankfully Jesus gave us way to be forgiven by being killed for our sin. And not only did he take the punishment of death on our behalf, he was raised again on the third day. And that's where we see Paul taking us in the start of this chapter.

If you have been raised with Christ, seek the things of Christ. Set your mind on the pursuit of godly things not carnal things. As you read through this chapter and see all the sins we are to put to death it can be overwhelming. "How am I supposed to do all that?" you may ask as I have many times in my life. Put to death all that is earthly, sexual immorality, passions, evil desires, slander, anger, malice and on and on. And then to top it off Paul lets us know what to do instead. We are to have compassion, kindness, patience, meekness, love for one another and so on. As I walked as a new believer I was exhausted trying to keep this list of do's and don'ts. Until I discovered a true understanding of this chapter.

The first part of verse 16 is like the key to the kingdom here. "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly." Putting to death sin in our life is not about trying harder to kill it, it is about spending time with the One who already conquered sin at the cross. Paul instructs us that the key to Col 3:1-15 is to abide in the word of Christ. Then he tells us that whatever we do in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.

As I meditate on these verses I can't help but realize that it is about being in Christ and not about doing for Christ. The killing of sin and the putting on of righteousness comes from abidance, not from obedience. Yes, we are to obey the Word, but that comes through our abiding in Christ. Jesus tells us that apart from Him we can do nothing. That includes putting to death the sin in our life. God provided the law to the Jews for 1500 years to show them that putting to death the sin in their life was not possible simply by the act of their own will, rather, they needed a Messiah. 

Are you struggling with putting to death sin in your life today? Is it a challenge to live righteous before God? I encourage you to stop trying so hard and start abiding in the Word of Christ. As you abide in Him the things of your life that hinder your walk will be replaced by the fruit the Spirit came to bring. Of course we need to repent and turn from our sin, but the power to do that does not come from willpower, but Holy Spirit power! I trust today that He will do a great thing in you as you turn to Him for all things. Set your heart and your mind on the things of Christ and you will see His power take hold of your life.

Blessings,

Keith

Set Free in Christ

Romans 8:1-2 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.

Condemnation and Christian are not synonymous. Christ came to set men free from the law of sin and death. As we see in the previous verses (Rom 7:23-25), we have victory through Jesus Christ our Lord.

God condemned sin in the flesh by sending His Son to pay the penalty for sin through death. It was a once for all event that set men and women free from the need to be righteous by upholding the law. The law was never meant for us to use as a way to be righteous, rather, it shows us our unrighteousness and inability to be holy before the Father.

Many will try to keep the law and earn their way to heaven. But that becomes bondage to works and self righteousness. Paul teaches us that our performance is rubbish. (Phil 3:8-9) All of our accomplishments, all of our worldly desires, everything we do apart from Christ is simply garbage to God. Our righteousness can only be through faith in Christ Jesus.

Today I am reminded of the verse, "apart from Christ I can do nothing." (John 15:5) When I begin to think that I am accepted because of what I can do for God I fall back into the condemnation that holds me in bondage. Today I will strive to live in Christ and remember it is His work on the cross that set me free sin and death.

Praise be to God for providing a way to freedom and eternal life for all who believe.

Blessings....

Who Am I? Finding Identity In A Mixed Up World.

1 John 3:1-3 ESV  See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him.  (2)  Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.  (3)  And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.

There are so many things for us to identify with. Our identity is central to the things we pursue and what we believe to be true about ourselves. Many of us identify ourselves with our job. I am a...doctor, school teacher, contractor, stay at home mom, etc... Often we identify who we are with our athletic capabilities. And on the darker side of things, many of us identify ourselves with the negative beliefs we carry from our past. Most core beliefs we have about our identity were formed when we were a small child and changing them on our own is not easy. You have probably heard the phrase quoted many years back by Henry Ford, the creator of the Ford automobile.

"Whether you think you can, or you think you can't -- you're right."

What we believe about ourselves, whether it stems from childhood or has been developed over the years, will shape who we are and who we become.

John shares with us in the book of 1John that we are called "Children of God." When we lay down our past hurts, our accomplishments, and our challenges at the foot of the cross we are then able to begin the process of building our new identity in Jesus. Paul tells us that when we give our heart to the Lord we are a new creation. The old self has passed away. The things we struggle with, the accomplishments we think prove our worth, and the insecurity of future events no longer have to be our identity. We are now a child of the King. Our identity can now be based on something unchangeable, unshakeable, immoveable.

As children of God all things are possible. We no longer have to be burdened by our past failures because we have the Creator of the universe as our Heavenly Father. With Christ as our identity we no longer have to strive for the things of the world to bring us fulfillment. Our purpose and pleasure is to please Him.

Gal 1:10 - For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.

If you identify in you job, you will need to always perform in a way that you wont let yourself down. If you identify yourself as an athlete you must be the best athlete or you will begin to feel like a failure. And if you are seeking the approval of men and try to identify yourself with whether or not you are accepted, you will always be let down. But when you seek your identity in Christ and pursue Him you will never need to perform. You will never feel like a failure. And you will never be let down.

Where is you identity placed? Do you see yourself as a Child of God. One who has an eternal inheritance that will never be lost, stolen, or replaced. Or do you identify with the things of the world that are shaky at best?

Prayer: Lord, I want to find my identity in you and you alone. Help me to release the negative beliefs I have carried for so long and see myself the way you created me to be. I want to find all of my joy, hope, and fulfillment in you Lord and not the things of this world. You are my Rock and I am so thankful that you call me your child. Amen...

Freedom In Christ: Prayer

1Th 5:16-17 Rejoice always, pray without ceasing,

Today I find it necessary to make my post a bit more brief than usual. I have been on the go for days and have had very little time to write. However, I do have something the Lord has laid on my heart and I want to share it.

As Christians we are blessed in so many ways. One of those blessings is the ability to come to God in prayer. No matter what time of day or night He is always there to hear from His children.

Daily In Christ - Freedom In Christ

Today I encourage you to exercise you Spiritual Freedom and pray. Pray to God about your family, your job, your church and community. Pray about the government, the world, the universe... Whatever you have on your heart... Pray.

Blessings to you as you draw near to Him,
Keith

Freedom In Christ: Grace vs Law

Gal 2:16 yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.

Please understand as you read today's post... in just a couple short minutes I can only scratch the surface of this topic on law and grace and it is not intended to be an all inclusive answer to what the Bible teaches on the subject.

We hear a lot of talk in Christian circles regarding the topic of law and grace. Often times I find it confusing. Today I want to look closely at this topic and try to understand for myself what the differences are and how law and grace might correlate to one another.

Paul instructs us in the letter to the Galatians that we are saved only by faith in Jesus and not by any works of the law. Our salvation is a gift of His grace and is not accomplished by anything we can do. Since we can not earn favor with God, then no man can boast over his own ability to keep the law. Since we are unable keep the law, we need someone who did to be reconciled to God. The law is a pointer to our need for a Savior. The law came for us to see our need for Jesus.

Since we are not justified by the law, do we still need to obey the commands of God? I think many Bible believing Christians mistakenly interpret grace as not needing to obey the commands of God. I have heard it said many times, "I live under grace, not under law!" However, the Bible instructs us otherwise. We may not be saved by the law, but we are commanded to live a certain way. Keeping the commands of God is pleasing to Him.

In John 15:10, Jesus tells us that if we keep His commandments then we will abide in His love. Paul tells us in Romans that we who are in Christ are dead to sin. We no longer want to live sinfully in order to receive more grace.

Rom 6:1-2 What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it?

So here is my perspective on law and grace... It is obvious from scripture that we are not saved by works of the law. The law points to our inability to work our way into the favor of God. We are saved by grace alone through faith in Jesus Christ. And, we are to keep from breaking the law in the way we live our life once we have come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. Not to gain favor with God, not to remain saved, but because we have a new heart and we desire the things of God and not the flesh.

When we break the law of God, a mature Christian will run to God for forgiveness, not hide from Him. God knows our heart and will seek us out and find us no matter how hard we try to hide.

Eph 2:8-9 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

So here is my take in a nutshell... We are saved by grace alone and we are to keep from sin as an expression of our faith in Him.

Daily In Christ - Freedom In Christ

We understand that the grace of God covers us. We are free from the bondage and yoke of slavery because of it. Today I encourage you to embrace your freedom in the Grace of God, find all your affection in Jesus, and turn from your sin toward pleasure in Him.

Blessings to you as you find your freedom in Him.
Keith

Freedom In Christ: Joy in Suffering - Part 2

Col 1:11-12 May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy, giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light.

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In this weeks Freedom in Christ, I want to dispel the myth that suffering in the life of a believer is the punishment or wrath of God. Whenever a person goes through a difficult time there is always someone sitting along the roadside to point out that the cause of this difficulty must be sin. "God is punishing you for something," they will say. When a small child gets cancer, another earthquake occurs around the world, or one of us simply loses a job or finds themselves in financial hard times, it is not the wrath of God in our lives.

Absolutely nothing could be further from the truth that suffering is punishment, and here is why. Jesus came into the world to take the punishment from sin and death for us. God's wrath was poured out on Him on the cross for all of mankind. He is our propitiation.

The first three chapters of Romans spell out quite clearly that we are all deserving of the wrath of God. Jew and gentile alike are condemned due to our corruption, our sin, and our disobedience. But there is good news... in spite of us falling short of the glory of God, Jesus became the recipient of our punishment (Rom 3:23-25). We will all struggle, we will all have hard times, and we will all die. It is just the facts!

Suffering doesn't serve the wrath of God, but it does serve a purpose of God.

Rom 5:3 tells us that we rejoice in our sufferings and our sufferings produce endurance, our endurance produces character, and our character produces hope. What good is it in our life if we are immune to difficulties? If we are a witness to God almighty and His glorious work, and we live like our neighbor who has rejected God and lives for himself, then where is the hope. If God only gives us nice things, and our neighbor has nice things already, then he can take the credit as we give the credit to God.

But what happens when we rejoice in our sufferings? What happens when an ungodly world sees Christians having hope in the midst of difficulty and trials. What happens when we are giving praise to God when our teenager dies 70 years early, or our house gets foreclosed on, or we are diagnosed with a brain tumor? What happens is that those people around us who have never understood the grace of God begin to see it. They see our hope. They see our character. They see Jesus.

Daily In Christ - Freedom In Christ

Today I encourage you to mentally and spiritually prepare for trials and suffering. If you have not seen much difficulty in your life then praise God. There is a season for everything in this life and one day we will all experience difficulties. If we prepare our hearts and get the right perspective then the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will be able to dwell in our hearts.

If you are experiencing difficulties, in addition to turning your pain over to Jesus, I encourage you to join the World Wide Prayer Network. (If you are a facebook user) This is a place to share your prayer requests and pray for others.

Blessings to you as you give Him praise in all circumstances.

Keith

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Freedom In Christ: Joy In The Midst Of Suffering

The title of today's post may seem like an oxymoron to many people. How is one to experience joy in the midst of suffering? It almost seems like an insult to suggest to someone to find joy in their trials and suffering... and to one who hasn't experienced the transforming power of Christ, it very well may be. In this post today I can hardly expect to tackle all of the challenges that come from suffering and how we will find the Joy of the Lord in them. So, I will continue on pursuing this topic again in future posts as the Lord leads.

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Pure Joy is exactly what Jesus offers us when we find our freedom in Him (John 15:10-11; John 17:13; 1Pet 1:8; ). We are free to experience the joy of the Lord in the midst of suffering because we understand, as followers of Christ, we are to share in his sufferings (2Cor 1:5; Phil 3:10). Now this Biblical truth may be absolutely foreign to many Christians, because most American churches don't often teach about finding our joy in Christ in the midst of trials and suffering. We live in a culture that does everything in its power to avoid suffering and pain, therefore, as Christians we often believe God is there to assist in that goal. But joy in our trials is not a new truth by any means. We are told in the book of Acts that through many trials we must enter the kingdom of God (Acts 14:22).

So how do we find joy in the midst of suffering? I believe first and foremost we need to understand that God has a plan and purpose in all of our lives (Jer 29:11; Zech 8:15; ). Whether in success or failure, good times or bad, God is doing a work that will ultimately bring glory to Him and good for us. Secondly we are not always able to understand His ways of working (Job 42:1-3; Isa 55:8-9; Ecc 7:14). And third, we must come to the understand that God is good (Psa 100:5; Psa 118:1) and He works all things together for our good (Rom 8:28-29).

When we begin to understand that different forms of suffering in our life is inevitable, then we are able to draw near to God rather that blame Him. God does allow us to go through pain and suffering for our good and here are some reasons why. (I will use the word trials for simplicity sake)

• Trials strengthen our faith (1Pet 1:6-7)
• Trials are predetermined by God (1Thes 3:3; 1Pet 4:19)
  
• Trials bring about perseverance (Rom 5:3)
  
• Trials build endurance (Jam 1:3-4)
• Trials defeat arrogance and bring humility (2Cor 12:7-10)
  
• Trials cause us to rely on God (Psa 118:5)
  
• Trials allow us to receive the crown of life (James 1:12)

When suffering and trials become a way for us to build us up in our relationship with Christ we are able to look at them differently. "So where is the joy?" you ask.

Rom 15:13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.

When we believe the Word of God to be true, when we understand that God is working for our good, when we rely on Him for our source of strength, then we are confident that God will fill us with all joy and peace through the power of the Holy Spirit.. Rom 15:13

Joy in the midst of suffering is not an immediate response in our life. It comes by being grounded in the Word and rooted in Jesus Christ. As you ponder and pray over today's post I encourage you to seek the Lord in your trials and ask Him to fill your heart with joy.

Until next week, I pray that you seek joy in Him as you face trials of many kinds.

Blessings,
Keith

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Freedom In Christ: Fear Not...

Over the past week there has been a lot of media coverage surrounding the senseless killing of innocent people in front of a neighborhood grocery store in Tucson, Arizona. As I have intermittently watched the coverage and listened to the people I work with discuss this event, I see a theme throughout many of the conversations. Fear...

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During this same time period I have been reading from a book that was published back in 1885. The title of the book is "DIVINE SOVEREIGNTY AND OTHER SERMONS, BY REUEN THOMAS, MINISTER OF HARVARD CHURCH, BROOKLINE"

The chapter I was reading in at the time of the shooting was:

"THE LIMITATIONS OF EVIL"

Here is a quote from that chapter:

But there is a limit even to the worst things that a man can do. When he murders me he comes to the limit of his ability. He releases my soul from its fetters, he unbinds me from this earth, he hurries me into the spiritual world. It is an immense thing to do for me ; it may be, as far as I am personally concerned, a great blessing conferred ; as far as the doer of the deed is concerned it must be the weightiest curse, for he has done his worst on me.

The Christian view of death does not make murder any the less of a crime, it does nothing to justify war, but it does a great deal to relieve our minds when we think upon Divine Providence. What meditative mind is there that has not been on the edge of disbelief in a Divine Providence in times of dire calamity, when human life seemed so cheap as almost to be worthless, blood poured out like water, and for what?

One of the reoccurring themes in this chapter comes from the book of Matthew. (Matt 10:28)

"Fear not them which kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do."

One of the primary functions of a person with this kind of killing capacity is to invoke fear in people. In addition to threats of terror, we are constantly bombarded with threats of economic downturns, never ending wars, and an ever present evil that is among us. All of which can cause us to respond with fear. I admit, I have times when things around me cause fear and anxiety in my life. Jesus tells us to not fear those who can kill the body...

Daily In Christ - Freedom In Christ Challenge

Jesus wants us to live free from anxiety and fear and the Bible tells us when we cast our cares on Him we are truly free. Fear can overtake us in many areas of our life and today I encourage you to cast your fears on Jesus. Leave them at the foot of the cross and trust in His Divine Providence.

I pray today that you can experience His peace in times of trouble.

Blessings,
Keith

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Freedom In Christ: Alive In Christ

Rom 6:11 So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. (esv)

Today is another Freedom In Christ Friday. God is doing amazing things in the lives of believer's all around the world and your life is no exception. This verse from the book of Romans is a clear message to all of us that we are unified with Christ. Being one with Christ is a pretty amazing thing considering the contrast between the heart of sinful man and the love of a perfect God.

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Paul tells us in the verses that precede verse 11 that we have been united in Christ's death, therefore we are also united in His life. Just as Jesus was raised from the dead, we too are raised with Him. This doesn't only refer to our eternal life after we pass on the earth. It refers to us being alive in Christ today and no longer under the bondage and wreckage of sin and death. (Rom 6:5-8)

Being alive in Christ means that we have put away the desires of our old self. The love for sin and the fulfillment of our flesh are in opposition to the new life we now possess. We are a new man. (Col 3:9-10)

Daily In Christ - Freedom In Christ Challenge

Paul tells us in verse 6 that our old self was crucified. Today's Freedom in Christ Challenge is do an assessment of your life. Has your old self truly been crucified and put to death or are you holding onto things that you just can't let go of? Old habits, unforgiveness, lust and fleshly desires can create strongholds in our life and keep us from living the fulfilling life in Christ that awaits us. Pray, seek the Holy Spirit's guidance, and work toward eliminating those things that keep you from looking more and more like Jesus.

May you look more like Jesus today than you did yesterday.

Blessings,
Keith

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Freedom In Christ: Walk In His Word

Today is my first Daily In Christ video... New thing :)
Just a way to try to mix it up a bit.
Let me know what you think...

Today I am inspired to think not only about my own freedom as an American, but my freedom in Christ as well.

Joh 8:31-36 So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, "If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free." They answered Him, "We are Abraham's descendants and have never yet been enslaved to anyone; how is it that You say, 'You will become free'?" Jesus answered them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin. "The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son does remain forever. "So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.
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Often times we hear a word or phrase in Christian circles and wonder what it means. "Freedom in Christ" can be one of those kind of phrases. What does it mean to be free in Christ? Paul tells us in Romans chapter 6 that it doesn't mean we should be free to sin more, rather just the opposite. (Rom 6:1-2) Christ has set us free from the yoke of slavery and the bondage of sin. But still the question remains, "What is this freedom Jesus is talking about in John 8?"

Christian freedom is rooted in the truth of who Jesus is and what He has done for us. John 8:31-32 tells us that if we continue to abide in His word we will know the truth, and the truth will set us free. True freedom isn't about what country you live in or what activities you can participate in. True freedom comes from knowing the truth about our sin and believing that Jesus paid the ransom for that sin on the cross.

The Jewish leaders said to Jesus, "We are descendants of Abraham and have never been enslaved to anyone." Oh, how we forget our past. They must have forgotten about their time in Egypt when they were slaves to Pharaoh, or when they were slaves to the Babylonians, or the Greeks, or currently the Romans. They have been enslaved for hundreds of years, but Jesus was trying to point something out that wasn't related to their physical slavery, rather their slavery to sin and legalism. Joh 8:34 Jesus answered them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin.

The freedom we receive isn't a freedom from human bondage, it is freedom from the power and dominion of sin.

Daily In Christ - Freedom In Christ Challenge

Are you walking in the freedom from sin Christ has laid out for you? Jesus says that if you continue in His Word you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.
Today's Daily In Christ Challenge is to begin a daily habit of walking in His word and literally fall in love with Jesus once again... (or maybe even for the first time.)

May you gain freedom and wisdom as you choose to walk in His word.

Blessings,
Keith