CRUCIFIED WITH CHRIST – Pastor Chris
Saturday, April 18, 2020
Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God (Colossians 3:2-3).
While growing up as a young Christian, I had studied different materials from several Bible scholars who emphasized the
concept of “dying to self” as the true essence of the Christian life. They thought that to do anything that pleases God, or to develop a liking for the things of God, you must go through this process of “dying to self.”
However, as I studied the Scriptures, I came across Paul’s inspired writing in Colossians 3 that we are dead and our lives are hid with Christ in God. That changed everything for me; there was no need to “die to self”; we were already dead. Therefore, we didn’t have to “die” again to be able to serve God and set our minds or affections on spiritual things. We can do this naturally, as new creations of righteousness, by directing our desires.
Some people find it a drag to engage in spiritual activities, but not you. You love to pray; you love to go to Church, study and meditate on the Word, because your affection is set on Him. You’re dead to the world and the world is dead to you (Galatians 6:14). This is your new life in Christ. Live it now.
Notice that Colossians 3:3 doesn’t say you should try to die to the world or to self; rather, it says, “For ye are dead….” This means you’re a brand-new person—a new species of being that never existed before (2 Corinthians 5:17)—dead with Christ to the rudiments of the world (Colossians 2:20).
You’re dead to sin and its effects. So, it’ll be wrong to take days off, fasting “to die to the flesh,” or spending long hours in prayers, griping about how you seek to die to self in order to please God. What you should do is to set your affection on Him; on His heavenly Kingdom. Love Him with all your heart and let the things of the Spirit be more important to you than anything in the world.
CONFESSION
The Lord is gracious and kind, and He’s the personality of my deepest affection. Wholeheartedly, and with great enthusiasm, I serve the Lord with my spirit, living in His Word, above sin and its destructive effects. I walk in the glory and righteousness of Christ, in life and immortality, joy, health, peace, prosperity, and abundance, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.
FURTHER STUDY:
Colossians 2:20; Colossians 3:1-4
1-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: Luke 17:1-19 ; 1 Samuel 3-7
2-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: Romans 12:1-8 ; Psalm 119:145-160
