Friday, April 10, 2020

I Am Crucified With Christ, Yet I Live; Yet Not I

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.”

We are saved by TRUSTING Jesus, by receiving His sacrifice on the cross as payment for our sins, believing that He was buried and then bodily resurrected from the dead three days later. This is “THE GOSPEL.” That's all that God requires to be saved. Then, the first thing God wants us to do as a new believer is to be CRUCIFIED with Christ, by presenting our body as a living sacrifice to live for the Lord (Romans 12:1). The latter is DISCIPLESHIP, the former is SALVATION. Dr. Jack Hyles teaches this wonderful truth in his timeless MP3 sermon titled, “Steps To Sanctification; Or, The Root Of All Heresy!” I hope you'll listen to it, as I know it will bless your soul. This is a truth that needs to be laid up in your heart, as it has been in mind for many years now. Praise God for THE TRUTH!!!

I love the following passage of Holy Scripture...
Colossians 3:1-3, “If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. 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.”
Let's break down Colossians 3:1-3 to see what we can learn here shall we...
  1. JESUS CHRIST IS RISEN; THEREFORE,
  2. WE ARE TO SEEK HEAVENLY THINGS, WHERE CHRIST SITS ON THE FATHER'S RIGHT HAND.
  3. WE ARE TO SET OUR AFFECTION (THINK ABOUT) HEAVENLY THINGS, NOT EARTHLY THINGS.
  4. WE ARE DEAD IN CHRIST, AND JESUS IS OUR NEW LIFE.
Very few Christians live this Scripture. This is the key to the believer's happiness. No Christian who walks in the flesh can ever truly be happy. What type of heavenly things should we think about?
  1. SOUL-WINNING (Luke 15:10; 1st Peter 1:12)
  2. SECOND COMING OF JESUS CHRIST (Philippians 3:20; Titus 2:13)
  3. LAY ASIDE DISTRACTIONS AND SIN, AND RUN THE RACE THAT IS SET BEFORE US (Hebrews 12:1)
  4. LAY UP TREASURES IN HEAVEN BY LABOURING FOR CHRIST (Matthew 6:19-20; 1st Corinthians 3:7-15)
  5. CARING FOR AND PREACHING THE GOSPEL TO THE POOR (Matthew 5:3)
  6. THE KING JAMES BIBLE (Psalm 119:89)
  7. LOVING AND FORGIVING EVERYONE WITH GOD'S UNCONDITIONAL LOVE (Matthew 6:14-15)
I've just listed but a few, but the entire Holy Bible ought to be our thoughts. I don't know about you, but I want to saturate my thinking and life with the things of God. The only way for a Christian to be happy in Jesus is to TRUST AND OBEY.

A Christian loves righteousness. Even though we are sinners who struggle with the desires of the flesh, we desire in our spirit to do right (Romans 7:14-25). I love God's promise of a new Heaven and earth, where righteousness will abound...
2nd Peter 3:13, “Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.”
Wicked men refuse to listen to the preacher of righteousness, but they cannot escape their Creator in Heaven...
Hebrews 12:25-26, “See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven: Whose voice then shook the earth: but now he hath promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven.”
We all make our choices in life. Some men fear and obey God, who will enter into everlasting peace and blessing. But most men do not fear nor obey God, and will be cast into the Lake of Fire for their unbelief. We do not go to Heaven because of what we do, but because of where we are looking... LOOK TO JESUS! Isaiah 45:22, “Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else.” Men have always been saved by trusting upon the Lord. Acts 10:43, “To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins.” As you just read, this was the witness of ALL THE PROPHETS!!! People in the Old Testament were saved the SAME WAY we are today, which is by faith. We read in Genesis 15:6, “And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness” (See also Romans 4:3-6).
“I know people use me, but that is what God put me here to do, to be used.” —Pastor Jack Hyles

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