Put On The New Self, continued

"For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.  When Christ who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory" (Col. 3:3-4).

Hey Gang:  When I finally stopped running from God, (how many know, if you have two grandmothers, a mother, a mother-in-law and a wife praying for your salvation and Spiritual well-being, you might as well throw in the towel and get with God's program.  I labored under the false assumption that with the washing away of my sin burden at baptism and my becoming a new creature in Christ Jesus, all my previous vices would also be washed away.  Oh, how wrong I was.

Did you know that Satan is a poor loser and never, never, never gives up trying to re-gather you into his fold?  Remember when he tempted Jesus in the wilderness and Jesus cleaned his clock with Scripture? Luke tells us Satan left, awaiting a more opportune time to return and pick up the gauntlet again.  We see his pattern throughout Jesus’ earthly existence.  I soon learned that was to be the same modus operandi he would use on me. 

Paul was well aware of Satan's MO and said, "You have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God" (Col 3).  I learned early in my walk with the Lord that nothing had really changed.  I still had the same evil desires and thoughts, but now I had the weapons to deal with those actions and thoughts.  But it took an act of my will to put those actions and thoughts on the run!

Paul went on to warn us that we must “Consider the members of our earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desires, and greed, which amounts to idolatry.  For it is because of these things that the wrath of God will come upon the sons of disobedience" (vs. 5-6).  Paul now moves on to step two of the change process, we must "put aside those things that grieved the Holy spirit and replace them with the third step "put on those things that bring honor and glory to God.   (vs 8-11).

Paul now introduces us to the most difficult part of the change process, we must totally surrender ourselves into His hands.  "Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful, Let the word of Christ richly dwell with you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your heats to God"  (vs. 15-16)

Soooo, my friends, notice Paul caps off this teaching with these words, "Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father" (vs. 17).  Hard, yes!  Impossible, no!  In our own power, No.  But with the Holy Spirit as our driving force, yes it is possible.  Remember the four sets of words: die, put off, put on and let God.

Blessings,

Gramps