17 But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. - Romans 6:17.
There is another word that comes from knowing who you are; Kenosis! Did you know there is a great number of people who had rather be stereotypes in religion.. than know who they are. They had rather be labeled whatever affiliation they take up with - instead of come to understand what it is that makes them a Christian. Now label's are simply that - just label's because God does not save label's. When he saves, it is based on scripture; whosoever believeth. Not what and who you choose to affiliate with. That has to do with preference, who we get along with and not anything to do with salvation.
So the word kenosis; which means 'self emptying,' is seen as an important part of growth. What is self emptying? It is a mind thing .. you give up your life for His life. The life is already in you - you come to see that life as your only life, Gal. 1:15-16. You see His life in you as life - having no life of your own. You see Christ doing the living. The life of Christ is in us the moment we believe but it may take sometime to see it. Because of the mind - we feel we still have a life.
That is a strange thought to say..no life of my own. I have always had a life I feel, and Jesus has made my life better. At least that's the way we think. Think about it.. don't you feel better off since you became a Christian. We feel blessed, as we should. We feel like alot of things (mind), as we should. So why would we not feel what scripture says about who we are. Why doesn't the feeling of true life grip us like our feelings grip us about other things! After all it is the only life available to believers in scripture.
Try living a day without saying "my life," unless you connect it with the cross. You can't.. it's impossible because, it is the only way we know how to live.
But scripture says my life as a creation of God..born into this world in sin..has been completely annihilated. Dead as Jesus when he hung on that cursed tree and died. Dead in Christ - crucified with him scripture says. The life you had the moment you took on a life (Adamic nature), in the womb or whenever it was we took on that sin life-nature. That life is what is crucified in Christ. So how can I claim any kind of life but what scripture says is the only life available for the believer!
13 Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. - Romans 6:13.
We think sin separates us from God-and it does. We think me living a certain way and being a certain way makes me a Christian - and it doesn't! What separates Christian's from Christ in them is; their mind - the mind is where separation happens. We feel we are separated, why would I feel separated from God.. because of my actions. I still have a life of my own - I see me taking my life and doing the sinning or separating. That is in mind - the mind will separate you from who you are when you do not know who we are. It is called "a mind of your own or life of your own," we are still a self for self soulish individual..who lives from self.
Why do we need Paul's gospel? it separates you from self - it tells you who it is that does the living - it tells you who you are by that one life in you. The two are one - Christ in you the hope of glory!
There is only one spiritual life in scripture.. Christ..and that life is the only life you have. Now you cannot confuse your heart beating in your chest as spiritual life - that is physical life. Eating drinking breathing all the outer things that happen to keep you alive. Spiritual life is a life that has nothing to do with the world, and everything to do with who you are!
There is another word that comes from knowing who you are; Kenosis! Did you know there is a great number of people who had rather be stereotypes in religion.. than know who they are. They had rather be labeled whatever affiliation they take up with - instead of come to understand what it is that makes them a Christian. Now label's are simply that - just label's because God does not save label's. When he saves, it is based on scripture; whosoever believeth. Not what and who you choose to affiliate with. That has to do with preference, who we get along with and not anything to do with salvation.
So the word kenosis; which means 'self emptying,' is seen as an important part of growth. What is self emptying? It is a mind thing .. you give up your life for His life. The life is already in you - you come to see that life as your only life, Gal. 1:15-16. You see His life in you as life - having no life of your own. You see Christ doing the living. The life of Christ is in us the moment we believe but it may take sometime to see it. Because of the mind - we feel we still have a life.
That is a strange thought to say..no life of my own. I have always had a life I feel, and Jesus has made my life better. At least that's the way we think. Think about it.. don't you feel better off since you became a Christian. We feel blessed, as we should. We feel like alot of things (mind), as we should. So why would we not feel what scripture says about who we are. Why doesn't the feeling of true life grip us like our feelings grip us about other things! After all it is the only life available to believers in scripture.
Try living a day without saying "my life," unless you connect it with the cross. You can't.. it's impossible because, it is the only way we know how to live.
But scripture says my life as a creation of God..born into this world in sin..has been completely annihilated. Dead as Jesus when he hung on that cursed tree and died. Dead in Christ - crucified with him scripture says. The life you had the moment you took on a life (Adamic nature), in the womb or whenever it was we took on that sin life-nature. That life is what is crucified in Christ. So how can I claim any kind of life but what scripture says is the only life available for the believer!
13 Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. - Romans 6:13.
We think sin separates us from God-and it does. We think me living a certain way and being a certain way makes me a Christian - and it doesn't! What separates Christian's from Christ in them is; their mind - the mind is where separation happens. We feel we are separated, why would I feel separated from God.. because of my actions. I still have a life of my own - I see me taking my life and doing the sinning or separating. That is in mind - the mind will separate you from who you are when you do not know who we are. It is called "a mind of your own or life of your own," we are still a self for self soulish individual..who lives from self.
Why do we need Paul's gospel? it separates you from self - it tells you who it is that does the living - it tells you who you are by that one life in you. The two are one - Christ in you the hope of glory!
There is only one spiritual life in scripture.. Christ..and that life is the only life you have. Now you cannot confuse your heart beating in your chest as spiritual life - that is physical life. Eating drinking breathing all the outer things that happen to keep you alive. Spiritual life is a life that has nothing to do with the world, and everything to do with who you are!
