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Crucify the Flesh

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Why does it seem that some believers suddenly turn away from God? I believe one of the biggest reasons Christians fall away from Jesus is because of un-confessed sin.

Without keeping a clear conscience before the Lord, its easy to drift away from the faith. You become hardened to the Spirit of God, and eventually you stop listening to His voice altogether. Sin blinds you and enslaves you. Its a horrible place to be!

Perhaps this describes your situation. Are you struggling with a sin thats keeping you from a right relationship with God? If so, Galatians 5 gives a very clear remedy. Verse 26 says, “Those who belong to Christ have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires.”

If you belong to Jesus, then theres only one thing to do with the flesh: Crucify it. Get rid of it. Be ruthless. Dont play games. Deal with your sins once and for all by crucifying them on the cross.

That means you admit your sin to God, repent, ask forgiveness, and turn the other way. Ask the Holy Spirit for strength and He will help you! By crucifying the flesh, you will be empowered to live what Jesus calls the abundant life. Your life will be a powerful witness to your world of Gods forgiveness and grace.

Your Heart – A Crusty Sponge?

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Have ever considered the difference between a wet sponge and a dry sponge? A wet sponge can be used – its flexible and malleable. But a dry sponge is dull, hard, and crusty. Its useless.

My friend, when we refuse to forgive someone, our hearts becomes like that dried up sponge! Bitter and ugly. Many people spoil their lives by refusing to forgive. They limit how God can use them because they arent free from the burden of resentment.

Some even have physical or emotional breakdowns because bitterness consumes them. No matter how great is the trespass against us, we cannot afford to harbor resentment in our soul.

The Bible says, “Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.”

If you know Jesus Christ today, you do not have to “muster up” the strength to forgive. You just need to pray and ask Gods Spirit to enable you to forgive. The Holy Spirit living in you is what makes forgiveness possible. By His power, forgive those who have wronged you and point them to Jesus Christ.

The Indwelling Christ

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I was born and raised in Argentina. And as a boy I went to an excellent church. The Bible was taught fantastically well – but, there were a few things missing.

We all worked very hard at being good Christians. All-night prayer meetings every Friday night, for one. We loved them – but after six or ten months, we began to feel, wow, this is such an effort to keep up! A lot of my friends began dropping out of church altogether.

Then, when I was 25, I finally realized that it wasnt about what I was going to do for God. Its what He will do in me, and through me. I finally understood that its all about me relying on Him and His power. Its not about me — its Christ living in me, and working through me with His strength! That was the beginning of a great liberation and success in leading others to Jesus.

What about you? Are you slugging it out for the Lord, but lacking joy and freedom? Thats not the way God intended for us to live.

Galatians 2:20 tells us, “I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.” As you submit to God, and rest in His supernatural power, He will work through you to influence your world for Jesus Christ!

Reaching Widows

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My wife and I know a woman in England, named Emma. She felt God asking her to befriend an elderly neighbor, who was a widower. It wasnt easy, because this old man was pretty arrogant and rude. Apparently, no one liked him. But at one point he became sick, so Emma visited him in the hospital. Over time, this belligerent man was softened by Emmas kindness.

One day, Emma shared with him about her relationship with Jesus Christ. Then she asked if he would like to receive Jesus, by faith, into his life. Without hesitation he said, “Yes!” That 84-year-old man died shortly after his conversion, but now hes in heaven!

It certainly wasnt comfortable for Emma to reach out to that elderly man. But God called her out of her comfort zone, and she obeyed. Imagine what would have happened if Emma hadnt followed Gods leading. That man probably would have died without knowing Jesus Christ.

In Luke Chapter 10, Jesus told His followers to first, love God “with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength,” and then, “love your neighbor as yourself.”

Is there a widow in your neighborhood, or community, whom you could befriend? It often takes so little to show them Christs love. And yet, as Emma can testify, your simple act of kindness can have eternal results!

Returning to Jesus

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Pete was a 25-year-old man who told me he had a problem. He had become a follower of Jesus a few years ago, but then, “all of a sudden,” he said, “my faith just died out.” He told me, “Ive stopped reading the Word, and Ive stopped going to church. It all seemed to happen one day. What should I do?”

I told Pete to look at the book of Acts, where we see how the new believers sustained their faith. Its a great model to follow. Acts 2:42 says, “They devoted themselves to the apostles teaching, and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to prayer.”

The first thing Pete needed to do was to pray, asking the Lord for forgiveness and for the strength to follow Him.

Second, he needed to have a daily walk with God, reading the Bible and spending time in prayer.

I also encouraged Pete to find a group of men to meet with for fellowship and accountability, in addition to attending a Bible-believing church.

I tell you, I meet many people like Pete who have similar stories of falling away from the faith. Many wonder if God would ever take them back, and they feel so guilty. You and I need to be the voice of truth, reminding them that Jesus has already paid the price on the cross.

So lets be prepared to gently encourage them back into a relationship with Jesus Christ.