Even a cursory look at Romans 6 tells us that our old nature is crucified with Christ and is therefore dead and buried. There is no halfway with death. If you are dead, you are completely dead. This is indisputable in the natural world, and it is also certainly the case in the realm of the Spirit. Crucifying the flesh is a consequence, not an action.
We are dead in Christ. It is our pleasure and privilege to stay dead!
When we practice being alive to God, death is made more real and more permanent in our experience. We walk in newness of life by putting off the old man (Ephesians 4:20-24; Colossians 3:9-10) and putting on the new. We do not work on our old nature; we leave it in the grave. We work on our new nature in Jesus by establishing His righteousness internally using every adverse situation available to us. As we practice being alive to God we will be inspired and stimulated by His nature—not our old habits.
We are dead in Christ. God does not see what is wrong with us because He nailed all those things to the Cross and has no desire to resurrect them.
He only sees what is currently missing from our experience of Christ and is deeply committed to that ongoing experience by the power of the indwelling Spirit. He is focused on our new nature in Jesus. That means when He puts His finger on a part of our life that is not fully functioning in relationship with Him, He is actually pointing to the site of our next upgrade in Christ.
God has no bad thought toward us, only a desire to see us conform to the image of Jesus!
Our new nature, conforming to the image of Jesus, creates a new realm within that overcomes the pressures of the external world.
Even our emotional stress is a by-product of a life not focused on Christ within. The Prince of Peace must take up residence. It is the work of the Spirit to take what belongs to Jesus and makes it real to us (John 16:15). As we partner with that process we learn to face life in all the character and attributes of Jesus.
What is missing from your current experience of Jesus? Make a list and ask the Father which one He is upgrading first. Practice what He shows you and enjoy becoming more of who He is for you!
P.S. If you’re interested in this “new man” lifestyle, I’d highly discourage missing this year’s San Diego Sessions. This is an event designed to upgrade our own relationship with the Lord by learning how to better understand His heartbeat and relate to His voice.
More specifically, there is a specific language that occurs in prophecy when we understand the context of what God is doing. Knowing and experiencing that language allows a spiritual impartation to be released that produces courage, growth and tactical awareness of the Presence of God in every eventuality.
Registration is open and the spots are limited. Join us here!