It Ain't Me
For many, it’s hard to receive that God indeed has an amazing life prepared for them. Most base their skepticism upon other people’s experiences or past failures. But, without a doubt, God has beautiful and exciting things planned for you!
Stepping into the life of God is complicated for some because it is only accessed by believing in what is unseen. Just as becoming a Christian requires a person to believe in what is unseen, so believing in what cannot be physically seen is how a person steps into the glorious life God has planned for them! Living in God requires accepting this unseen fact – you and I died with Jesus Christ and were crucified with him on the cross!
Galatians 2:20, “I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”
Romans 6:3-5 3Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.
For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his.
The Bible speaks about losing our life, which means no longer trusting in ourselves but in the truth that God has declared about us! Self and self-righteousness are our greatest enemies!
Matthew 16:24-26 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?
The most destructive effort embarked upon by Christian is trying to be good enough to deserve God! Don’t be mistaken, though; great effort is required! The great effort needed is the effort of setting our minds on our right standing with God through the sacrifice of Jesus! Succeeding in this effort will require dying to anything that is about self!
Isn’t it interesting how muscle mass increases when it is broken down? Yes…no pain, no gain! Likewise, a seed dies before it brings forth life. Similarly, there is never a resurrection until there is death! Successful Christianity is not about us living for God, but rather God living through us! True life begins when we relinquish our life and fully accept resting in God’s new life!
My dearest friend, may your life be characterized as a life through whom Christ lives! Regarding your life as a Christian, I trust you will be able to say with confidence along with the apostle Paul…
It Ain’t Me