Chico Alliance Church
“CPR for a Healthy Walk" Part 2
INTRODUCTION
Paul identifies an internal war between the flesh and the spirit for control of the soul.
Are we living on a spiritual plane or a fleshly plane? Is God our primary focus or our fleshly appetites? Is our mind set on the things above or the things on the earth? We are spiritual beings. God created us to function from a spiritual base not a fleshly base. He in-tended the spirit to be the motivational base from which we see and live life. For the most part, most people live life from a flesh base. Most people are motivated and driven by the flesh. The flesh has become so intensified in a sensual world that it does not even seem like a fight anymore. How do we restore a spiritual focus? How doe we establish the spirit as the primary motivational force in our life? It is not all that complicated. Galatians is quite clear and simple on this matter.
Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh shall from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit shall from the Spirit reap eternal life. Galatians 6:7-8
The messages over the next several weeks are of utmost importance. They address the core of the Christ life. They are not intended to just be heard but lived. You are responsible to respond to the truth God gives you.
Can we honestly say that the very focus of our life is on the eternal?
Can we honestly say that we are following the admonition of Colossians 3?
Keep seeking the things above where Christ is seated at the right hand of God . Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on the earth. for you have died and you life is hidden with Christ in God.
We must first recognize our vast need for renewal.
We must come to the place where we cry to God in our desperate need for his life.
We must come to the end of our search for life anywhere else but Him.
We must cry out for a revived heart that beats for and with His life.
If we are to lay hold of the eternal life and work out the salvation God has already worked into our life, we must fervently know and do these things.
Continually cleave to and cultivate a dynamic relationship with Christ.
Persistently pursue meaningful connection with the community of saints.
Resolutely resist the world, the flesh and the devil.
I. Continually cleave to Christ and cultivate Dynamic Relationship
A. Humbly Submit and cling to Christ
Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety upon Him, because He cares for you. 1 Peter 5:6-7
So often relationship with God is something we see as merely a part of our life.
Like belonging to a club or organization or the Rock Club.
We perceive Christianity as a special added feature for our enjoyment and peace of mind. Club meetings are on Sunday where we meet with other club members and pay our dues. Further involvement is not required but optional. If the program is good we may even in-vite others to join the club. Any other expectations is viewed as intrusive and oppressive. Although we would not care to admit a Christianity like that, our very lifestyle demon-strates that to sometimes be the case. We make decisions on the basis of how it affects us not the kingdom. We avoid the denial of self part and the taking up the cross part and the adopting His agenda part. We prefer to see Jesus, or even the Holy Spirit as OUR helper and comforter in time of need. As long as things are going fine, He is just on call to bail us out of trouble. If things don’t go our way, our devotion to Him becomes strained. As long as we see Christianity as any other religion or club rather than an absolute necessity and all-encompassing commitment, we will forever struggle to keep the flesh subdued. We will not lay hold, in this life, the eternal life so abundantly offered through relationship with the Eternal One. Christ cannot be considered part of our life, He is our life. He alone is the way the truth AND the life! You may have made such a commitment but slowly wrestled the reigns of your life back from Him.
Paul demonstrate such a commitment. Paul was confident that God would reveal any deviation from such a commitment.
Humbly submit and cling to Christ
Israel failed to see that in Jeremiah’s day.
My people have committed two evils. They have forsaken Me the fountain of living water and dug our for themselves broken cisterns that cannot even hold water.
Step one under cleaving and cultivating involves a recognition of the source of life.
It involves a decision to connect to that source. I encourage you to memorize some key verses.
"I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me, and I in him, he bears much fruit; for apart from Me you can do nothing. "If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it shall be done for you. "By this is My Father glorified, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples. Joh15
A second step involved in cleaving and cultivating involves dedication of our members to him.
B. Present your members to His service.
I urge you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacri-fice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. Romans 12:1
Here we have a continuous action on Paul’s part. The word used here has a broad range of meaning. “para(along side) kaleo (to call)” to call along side.
It is translated to encourage, call, urge, exhort, comfort, call on for help, Paul continually reminds believers to do something based on God’s mercy. The word used here is the word “sympathy.” It is parallel to the word for God’s mercy used in Rom 9:17 where God de-clares “I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy and compassion on who I will have compassion.”
In Greek (mercy) is a emotion roused by unde-served affliction in others and containing an element of fear as well as mercy.
Upon the realization of God’s merciful and sympathetic response to undeserving creatures we, out of gratitude and humility, in turn respond with devoted service to Him. Paul calls every believer, on the basis of God’s mercy, to “present” our bodies as a living sacrifice.
From the NT standpoint the following are the most important secular senses of these words: “to present,” “to place,” “to bring,” “to offer,” “to demonstrate,” “to set up,” “to make ready,” “to make,” “to approach,” “to assist,” “to wait on,” “to help,” “to stand by,” “to be on hand” (cf. also “to hap-pen”).
The imagery used here, in a society in which sacrifices were a daily part, is clear. They were used to offering sacrifices to the gods. Jews were familiar with sacrifices offered to Yahweh. As a demonstration of our inward commitment to Him, God asks us to dedicate for His use our most important possession, our bodies or members as a living sacrifice. The body is the instrument or vehicle by which the spirit and soul reflect their nature. Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. They also are the vehicle by which we experience the world around us. These are our most prized possessions. When they do not function as designed, it affects every other part of our being. God wants us to not only of-fer ourselves but our bodies as well. When an offering was given, it was given wholly to God. When you brought an offering to the temple for sacrifice, you gave up all claims and rights to that offering. In most cases the sacrifice was completely consumed in the fire as an offering to the gods. Out of a sense of honor and gratitude and obedience you offered the best of your flock.
We are not used to giving God the best. We give him worn out furniture. We give him left over income. We give him token time. Malachi spoke for God to the Israelites about robbing God by giving him the sick and the lamb as a sacrifice. This serves a great picture for us. How much of our bodies are we offering to God. Tired bodies after a long Saturday night. A few minutes of time after a long day of play or self serving pursuits.
Why is it harder for a rich person to maintain dynamic relationship with God?
Because they are self-focused and self-sufficient.
Sacrificial giving of our time and resources is the ONLY thing that can break that obses-sion.
God’s order for marriage is a decision to leave and then cleave and then follows a giving of one’s very body in surrender to the spouse.
Romans 6 call for the same sacrifice of our bodies.
Therefore do not let sin reign (be king) in your mortal body that you should obey its lusts, and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present your-selves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. Romans 6:12-13
Paul urges them to stop making a habit (stop a continuous action) of presenting their mem-bers to sin as instruments of unrighteousness BUT Paul continuously reminds believers to first present (point time command to do it now and completely) ourselves to God and then present (same action) our members to God as weapons of righteousness.
What are these members?
Physical body – eyes, ears, hands, head, voice, looks, legs, strength, brain, appetites
Members – talents, abilities, our capacity to learn, emotional capacity, sexual capacity.
We are first to present our very core to God as those made alive for the first time. Then, as the body is the vehicle that houses and manifests the spirit and soul of man, it is to be pre-sented wholly to God. We abandon all rights to our entire being to God.
It is a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.
The literal translation of this part of the verse might be, “which is the reasonable (logical) service (latreia) of you.” The Word “latreia” was use widely for sacrificial service to the gods. God made these bodies and we are urged here to present them back to Him without any strings or reservations. This presentation of ourselves and our members as instruments of righteousness to God is considered a logical act of worship or response in light of the sacrifice made on our behalf.
• How much control of our members does God have?
• How much or your body have you dedicated to God’s use?
• Honestly, how much of your body and members are used for kingdom purposes as op-posed to other things?
Not until God has the deed to the property of our life and all its contents will we experi-ence the freedom from control by the flesh. We cannot control the flesh. Only God can control the flesh. It can only be controlled if we surrender control of the bodies that house the flesh to God. If we offer our members to the flesh and Satan, there will be corruption.
There is a war ragging in this body.
What is the source of quarrels and conflicts among you? Is not the source your pleasures that wage war in your members? James 4:1
The only hope we have of winning the daily battles is to surrender the battleground to the one who always leads us in triumph. We must consciously offer our very selves and bod-ies to God. Later in Rom 6 Paul continues to exhort us concerning our members and bod-ies.
Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness? But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed, and having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness. I am speaking in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness, resulting in further lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness, resulting in sanctification. For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. Therefore what benefit were you then deriving from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the outcome of those things is death. But now having been freed from sin and enslaved to God, you derive your benefit, resulting in sanctification, and the outcome, eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:16-23
Paul uses the same word for presenting an offering here. Also the same do it now and completely as a serious commitment. We are strongly urged to present our members as slaves to righteousness. Not because God needs us but because we need to let him control our life. We need to make such a decision for our own good. If we sow to anything else but the spirit we will discover destruction.
Paul maintained a deep desire to glorify God even in his body.
For I know that this shall turn out for my deliverance through your prayers and the provision of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, according to my earnest expectation and hope, that I shall not be put to shame in anything, but that with all boldness, Christ shall even now, as always, be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain. Philip. 1:19-21
But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the surpassing greatness of the power may be of God and not from ourselves; we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. For we who live are constantly being delivered over to death for Jesus' sake, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. 2 Cor. 4:7-11
He kept his body in subjection.
Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win. And everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. They then do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. Therefore I run in such a way, as not without aim; I box in such a way, as not beating the air; but I buffet my body and make it my slave, lest possibly, after I have preached to others, I myself should be disqualified. 1 Cor. 9:24-27
Paul realized that we will be rewarded or lose reward according to what we did in these bodies and He does not want to lose any reward.
Therefore, being always of good courage, and knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord-- for we walk by faith, not by sight-- we are of good courage, I say, and prefer ra-ther to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord. Therefore also we have as our ambi-tion, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. 2 Cor. 5:6-10
Paul warned the Corinthians about improper use of the body.
All things are lawful for me, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be mastered by anything. Food is for the stomach, and the stomach is for food; but God will do away with both of them. Yet the body is not for immorality, but for the Lord; and the Lord is for the body. Now God has not only raised the Lord, but will also raise us up through His power. Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take away the members of Christ and make them members of a harlot? May it never be! Or do you not know that the one who joins himself to a harlot is one body with her? For He says, "THE TWO WILL BECOME ONE FLESH." But the one who joins himself to the Lord is one spirit with Him. Flee immorality. Every other sin that a man commits is outside the body, but the immoral man sins against his own body. Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body. 1 Cor. 6:12-20
James warned about one powerful member of the body that effects the whole.
For we all stumble in many ways. If anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body as well. Now if we put the bits into the horses' mouths so that they may obey us, we direct their entire body as well. Behold, the ships also, though they are so great and are driven by strong winds, are still directed by a very small rudder, wherever the inclination of the pilot desires. So also the tongue is a small part of the body, and yet it boasts of great things. Behold, how great a forest is set aflame by such a small fire! And the tongue is a fire, the very world of iniquity; the tongue is set among our members as that which defiles the entire body, and sets on fire the course of our life, and is set on fire by hell. James 3:2-6
• What if we dedicated that tongue to God?
• What if every Christian was aware that the tongue was now God’s tool?
• What if every Christian checked in with God before they spoke?
The answer to this war infernal internal war is surrender to the one who gives us the victo-ry.
Who will deliver us from the body of this death? Thanks be to God who gives us the victo-ry!
And if Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who indwells you.
So then, brethren, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh-- for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. Romans 8:10-14
God made provision for the cleansing of our soul and body that we may become useful instruments for righteousness.
Since therefore, brethren, we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, hav-ing our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; Hebrews 10:19
Conclusion
As a first step in CPR for a hardened heart, we talked about humbly submitting and cleaving, presenting ourselves to God as those alive from the dead.
Today we face a new challenge.
As a demonstration of our commitment to God, we dedicate our very bodies and members as instruments of God’s kingdom. We submit to new management. We give away the “store” to someone else’s control.
It is not something to be done lightly. It means that every action and use of this body must be viewed in light of the fact that we are no longer owners and managers of our own bodies. It is like giving away a car to someone else. You no longer have a say in how it is used or cared for. You no longer have independent access to its use. You signed away all ownership rights. Are we willing to do that with our bodies?
Are you willing to present your bodies a living sacrifice as a logical response to the mercies of God?
The problem with a living sacrifice is that it keeps crawling off the altar.
Unless a grain of wheat falls and dies there is not fruit.
Jim Elliot wrote: “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep in order to gain what he cannot lose.”
Jesus told his disciples, Mark 10:28-30
Peter began to say to Him, “Behold, we have left everything and followed You.” Jesus said, “Truly I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or farms, for My sake and for the gospel’s sake, but that he will receive a hundred times as much now in the present age, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and farms, along with per-secutions; and in the age to come, eternal life.
We think it is such a sacrifice to give up ourselves and our bodies to God. It is like giving up a refrigerator full of sewage so that He might fill it up with fabulous fresh fruit.
Prayer of Commitment
Father,
In recognition of your abundant tender mercies clearly demonstrated by the sacrifice of Your dearly loved Son on my behalf, I do now present myself AND my body to You as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to you. I am no longer my own, I have been bought with the very blood of Christ the spotless Lamb. I do now relinquish all rights to inde-pendent use of this body that it and all its capacity may be unreservedly used by you as an instrument of righteousness. Just as I fully yielded my members to sin as an instrument of unrighteousness, I now present myself and my body completely to You today as an in-strument for the kingdom. I give you the right to regulate what affects these members and what these members affect. May you be glorified in my body. May you give me the strength to follow through on this commitment.
What did God say today?
What stirred in my heart as a result of hearing the Word?
How might I apply the truths heart today beyond today? What stops me from making such a commitment?
Later this week
What changes have come about this week as a result of my commitment?
