Crucify Your Old Man 1 of 2
When talking about the old man, I am referring to our old selfish ways and desires. The old self, which was once practiced by believers before they became converted. A life subject to urges and actions from a worldly lifestyle, selfish desires, and our unrenewed nature. 1 John 2:16 tells us that these fleshly desires are not from God but from the world. Although a new believer may have been saved and forgiven of past sins and the Holy Spirit has come to dwell within them, we are at the beginning of our sanctification process. Salvation is a free gift; however, staying in the right relationship with God is a battlefield because we still live in the world. Welcome to spiritual warfare!
The battle comes in various forms of temptations that the enemy will place on our path so that we break that agreement we have with God. Satan is a legalist, and he knows the scriptures better than any of us, so he will endeavour to usurp that agreement by tempting us to sin and separating us from having a right relationship with God. He cannot make us sin; he can only tempt us. Praise Jesus; he made provision for those who do sin, found in
1 John 2:1.
My dear children, I am writing this to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate who pleads our case before the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the one who is truly righteous.
Some Christians believe that Jesus did it all for them on the cross. He paid the penalty for sin, which is correct. For past sin, which all the children of Adam came under, see Romans 3:23, Romans 5:12. He also paid the penalty for our sins when we became new believers; this is when our old man was crucified. However, temptation can lead us back into sin again and break that relationship, separating us from having that communion (right relationship) with God. If a believer sins and is seeking forgiveness, they need to:
1. Confess their sins before God. The Bible tells us that “if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9
2. Repent: Luke 15:7 says that "there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance". Confess, Repent and renounce sins before God with a sincere heart. Acts 2:38 says; Peter said to them, ‘Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
3. Renounce: Renouncing sin is an exercise in faith where God's word is applied as the enemy withdraws from having any hold over us, since that relationship is now restored. Command the enemy to flee in Jesus name, quoting scripture.
I call them power scriptures and there are many power scriptures that can be applied here; however, the most powerful scripture applied in renouncing sin, is found in James 4:7 "Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you". Speak this out loud and command it (specific sin) to flee in Jesus name.
If sin is left unconfessed for a long period of time, Satan, the accuser, has a legal right to send a demon to torment you; he can also use it as a weapon against you and bring it up before God on the day of judgement. A believer cannot be possessed by a demon but an area of a believers life can be demonized (have a demon)
Thanks be to God, who has made provision for us in the form of an advocate, our Lord Jesus Christ, who speaks to the Father on our behalf.
1 John 2:1:
"My little children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One".
So keep sort accounts with God on a daily basis, confessing and repenting of sin from a genuine heart so that you stay in right relationship with him.
Salvation; A Covenant Relationship:
We indeed came into a covenant relationship with God when we first became saved. A covenant is an agreement made between God and his people or an individual, where he makes certain promises that require the individual to reciprocate by holding up their part of the agreement. So let’s look through scripture to verify this.
An example can be found in John 3:16, which says, "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life." This is a message of hope, held out to all mankind prior to salvation. On the part of the world, they are to (believe in Jesus), and on God’s part, those who believe (will not perish) but have (eternal life). This is a message of hope given to all people in the world, spanning all generations.
1 John 1:9 ESV says: If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Our part is confessing our sins; his part is to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Our part: (confess our sins). Gods part: (forgive us our sins), (cleanse us from all unrighteousness).
Romans 10:9-10 ESV tells us: if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved,
Our Part: confess with our mouth Jesus is Lord; believe in our heart, God raised him from the dead). Gods part: (you will be saved).
The Bible tells us that "it is by grace we have been saved through faith. And this is not our own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast." Ephesians 2:8-9
A symbol Of Our Death And Resurrection In Christ: Water Baptism
When a believer is water baptized, they are publicly declaring their dedication and commitment as a follower of Christ. Usually inviting family and friends for this very special occasion. The spiritual aspect of water baptism symbolizes their death and resurrection into a new life with Christ as they are fully immersed in water and then raised up. Our old man (old self) is crucified with him so that sin's dominion over our body is abolished and we are no longer slaves to sin.
Romans 6:6-14
6 For we know that our old self was crucified with Him in order that sin’s dominion over the body may be abolished, so that we may no longer be enslaved to sin, 7. since a person who has died is freed from sin’s claims. 8 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with Him, 9 because we know that Christ, having been raised from the dead, will not die again. Death no longer rules over him. 10 For in light of the fact that He died, He died to sin once for all; but in light of the fact that He lives, He lives to God. 11 So, you too consider yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.
12 Therefore, do not let sin reign in your mortal body, so that you obey its desires. 13 And do not offer any parts of it to sin as weapons for unrighteousness. But as those who are alive from the dead, offer yourselves to God, and all the parts of yourselves to God as weapons for righteousness. 14 For sin will not rule over you because you are not under law but under grace. Glory!
Angelina 18/12.2024
Once Your Flesh Is Crucified: Close The Gates: 2.
Gateways The Enemy Uses To Get You To Sin:
If you are in a position where you've made short accounts with God, you have confessed and repented of sin (genuinely) from your heart. You need to ensure that areas of temptation are closed. These are called entrance ways, gateways or "gates"
The battle is in the mind, so we have to ensure it goes only so far before we take any ungodly thoughts captive and bring them down into the obedience of Christ.
2 Corinthians 10:5
Once those thoughts, imaginations or desires get from your mind into your heart, it becomes a real battlefield. Particularly when we are stressed or have been attacked through family circumstances or a unforeseen situations that are beyond our control. This is when we may feel the need to comfort ourselves and release that pressure through avenues we can control, which unfortunately, it can lead to sin. Particularly if we choose to release our stress by gravitifying the flesh (our old man) in some way.
Temptation is not sin unless it's acted upon. 1 corinthians 10:13. Once we have sinned, we need to bring it before God and go back through the process of confession, asking for forgiveness, repenting and renouncing sin in our life. 1 John 1:9 Jesus our advocate, then intercedes on to the Father, we are forgiven and are back in right relatonship with God. 1.John 2:1.
The only way to overcome sin is to starve every temptation and shut the gates that feed those temptations in every area of your life.. Keep them closed. Here are some avenues which temptation may come:
Eye Gates: Anything you watch: porn, something on TV, movies, on the internet, in a magazine, in the news or things that your eyes take in. Matt 18:9, 2 Peter 2:14, 1 John 2:16
Ear Gates: Something you hear: listening to specific type of music, heavy rock, antichrist or music where the musician has sold their souls to satan, movies, listening to antichrist or ungodly content on the internet, listening to and believing doctrine that contradicst Gods word or Jesus. 2 Timothy 4: 3-4
Mind Gates: Anything you may remember, perhaps through porn, or other situations, or looking upon a woman to lust after her, or anything that your mind wanders to that is not Godly. (they need to be taken captive and brought down into the obedience of Christ. 2 Corinthians 10:5
Tongue Gates: Anything we speak over ourselves or others that has a negative affect. I am not good enough, I am never going to succeed, I am unworthy.
Cursing, cussing, speaking evil or being verbally abousive. James 3:6 or you are hopeless, you are not going to get anywhere in life, you're a loser, I wishh you were never born.
Emotional Gates: Getting emotionally involved or opening yourself up emotionally with someone when they are not your spouse nor are they there to counsel you in a professional capacity. listening to another persons emotional situation about their partner or similar. This brings emotional soul ties, which you should only have with your husband or wife. Proverbs 29:11
Heart Gates: This is where everything tends to end up, ( the garbage can) and our hearts can be defiled from all those other gates that are open. The Bible tells us in Proverbs 4:22 "Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it." Jeremiah 17:9-10 says “The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is? 10 But I, the Lord, search all hearts and examine secret motives. I give all people their due rewards, according to what their actions deserve.”
We can tell when our heart is not right. Especially when we speak negative, resentful, unforgiving words against others, when we gossip or judge, when we deliberately hurt others in some way. We must guard our hearts against everything that filters in from our minds and also every gate that is left open to tempt and defile us and our relationship with God.
It's a battle, but it's one we can win, on a daily basis, and with the help of the Holy Spirit. Glory!
Angelina 18/12/2024
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2 Corinthians 10:5
5 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.
1. Corinthians 10:13
13 No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.
1 John 1:9
9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
1 John 2:1
1. My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.
Matthew 18:9
9 And if your eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell.
2 Peter 2:14
14 With eyes full of adultery, they never stop sinning; they seduce the unstable; they are experts in greed—an accursed brood!
1 John 2:16
16 For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world.
2 Timothy 4:3-4
3 For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. 4 They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.
2 Corinthians 10:5
5 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.
James 3:6
6 The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.
Proverbs 29:11 AMP
A [shortsighted] fool always loses his temper and displays his anger, But a wise man [uses self-control and] holds it back.
