(Galatians 2:20) "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."
I. This truth is the foundation of all spiritual growth.
A. Crucifixion -
1. the method is humbling.
2. It is permanent.
3. It defeats sin forever.
B. I live.
1. If I died, then I'm also raised with Him.
2. I have obtained victory of death, hell, and the grave spiritually.
C. Not I, but Christ.
1. Keep the main thing, the main thing (like Christ in Christmas)
2. Lord of Lords
(Isaiah 45:23-25) "I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, That unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear. Surely, shall one say, in the LORD have I righteousness and strength: even to him shall men come; and all that are incensed against him shall be ashamed. In the LORD shall all the seed of Israel be justified, and shall glory."
(Philippians 2:10-11) "That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."
3. All else is dung (like raw sewage)
(Philippians 3:8) "Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,"
D. By faith
1. The just shall live by faith
(Galatians 3:11) "But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith."
(Galatians 3:24-27) "Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster. For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ."
2. No bragging rights in self
(Ephesians 2:8-10) "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: {9} Not of works, lest any man should boast. {10} For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them."
(1 Corinthians 1:27-31) "But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; {28} And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: {29} That no flesh should glory in his presence. {30} But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: {31} That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord."
3. When I am weak.
(2 Corinthians 12:7-10) "And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. {8} For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. {9} And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. {10} Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong."
II. This truth is the prerequisite to spiritual power.
A. As with Christ, death precedes resurrection. Like steps on a ladder, we must
1. Know Him
2. Suffer (the loss of all things)
3. Die (to self)
4. Resurrection (freedom from sin's power)
5. Power (over Satan, sin, self) (Philippians 3:10-11) "That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; {11} If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead."
B. "Reckon" or count our death.
(Romans 6:11-14) "Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. {12} Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. {13} Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. {14} For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace."
1. In salvation we reckon we are lost. (For all have sinned...)
2. In the Christ-Life, we must recon we are helplessly dead, needing Christ to live thru us.
3. Our death is a matter of fact. It has occurred whether we understand it or not.
4. It is past perfect tense. To "Reckon," we agree with what has already occurred.
C. The Spirit's power cannot exist with our "self" power.
1. Self-righteousness excludes Christ's righteousness.
2. Self-esteem excludes Christ's esteem, etc...
III. Salvation occurs in three stages of life.
A. PAST in our SPIRIT
1. Conscience
a. our dead conscience is awakened, revealing we are sinners.
b. and renewed to experience perfection in the Holy Spirit.
c. A clean concience sets us "free indeed!" (John 8:36) "If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed."
(1 Corinthians 10:28-29) "But if any man say unto you, This is offered in sacrifice unto idols, eat not for his sake that showed it, and for conscience sake: for the earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof: {29} Conscience, I say, not thine own, but of the other: for why is my liberty judged of another man's conscience?"
2. Communion
a. We are able to approach God thru Christ, by faith!
b. Never ashamed!
(Hebrews 4:16) "Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need."
c. Able to present our requests like a child to a father.
(John 14:13-14) "And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. {14} If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it."
3. Intuition
a. Able to hear the leadership of the Spirit.
b. God's still small voice is loud and clear.
c. Able to discern evil spirits to avoid evil.
B. FUTURE in our BODY (totally by faith)
1. Flesh
a. The body will defy the laws of nature.
b. We will walk thru locked doors, walls, etc.
c. We can fly! Defy gravity!
2. Blood
a. No more with high blood pressure.
b. No more heart attacks.
c. No more Leukemia or other cancers.
3. Bones
a. No osteoporosis
b. No bone marrow transplants.
c. No arthritis in the joints.
C. PRESENT in our SOUL
1. "Present Progressive" means a continuing process denoted by the "I-N-G" on the end of words.
2. The Christ-Life is mirrored in the other two stages of life. It occurs by grace thru faith, by God's Power, not ours.
a. Mind
(1 Corinthians 2:11-16) "For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. {12} Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. {13} Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. {14} But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. {15} But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. {16} For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ."
A. One fruit of the Spirit is faith, which means "not depending on logic." Our logic must account for God, which is illogical.
(Ephesians 3:19) "And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God."
B. We can have peace of mind, not confusion. God may not calm the storm on the outside.
(2 Timothy 1:7) "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind."
C. We have the power to defy sin nature in our thought processes, like defying gravity. We can overcome Satan in his battle for controlling our mind.
(2 Corinthians 10:4-5) "For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds; {5} Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;"
D. The Holy Spirit teaches us knowledge of Christ.
(John 14:26) "But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you."
b. Emotions
A. First three fruits of the Spirit are emotions. Compare the world's emotions with the Spirit's emotions.
(Galatians 5:22) "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace..."
B. To escape the pains of the old life (like in our body) we must reckon our "selfish" emotions as dead, to experience true life.
C. The "pursuit of happiness" can only be fulfilled in Jesus. Joy is permanent happiness w/contentment.
c. Will (a.k.a. Volition, Decision Maker)
(Romans 6:16) "Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?"
A. Temperance is "self-control," but when we are lead by the Spirit, it becomes "Spirit-control." Loosing control is most difficult for the Choleric temperament.
B. Just like in salvation, our volition is never overrun, but "surrendered" to the Spirit. We still have the ability to grab the reigns. This is "free-will." The Christ-Life means letting go, and letting God.
C. Understanding the will of God becomes easy when you are in tune with the Holy Spirit.
1. This is what Adam experience walking with God in the cool of the day.
2. This is what happened with Enoch who walked with God, "and was not, for God took him."
3. This happened with Elijah, who never saw death because his soul was in perfect unity with God's Spirit.
IV. Christ is at the center stage. For me to live is "Christ." Study the phrase "In Christ."
A. Because Christ is our Victor.
(1 John 5:4-5) "For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. {5} Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?"
B. We must first die to self before we can live in Christ.
(John 3:30) "He must increase, but I must decrease."
C. Christ gives both eternal life and spiritual maturity (abundant life). He is the center of both.
(John 10:10) "The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly."
