GRACE AND TRUTH (2)
Breaking Away From A Sinner’s Identity
“Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwells in me.’’ [ Romans 7:20 ] I would like for us now to consider Romans 7:20, in relation to our personal experience. If you can separate yourself at least for a moment, from a sinner’s identity, that is, the way you think of yourself as a sinner, it is here, that you will see by the light of the new man which is, Christ in you. ‘’ Now if I do that I would not,..’’ Where did I get the ‘’I would not’’? The ‘’I would not‘’ came from a new birth in Christ. He gave me the ‘’ I would not ‘’! Whereas, the law gave me, ‘’ thou shalt not, ’’ Christ gave me, ‘’I would not.‘’ This, ‘’I would not‘’ is, Christ in you, the hope of glory. Yes, Christ in you, is the very seed life of God. Herein, John has said, ‘’ Whosoever is born of God does not commit sin; for His seed remains in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.’’ [ 1John 3:9 ]
….’’it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwells in me. ‘’
Such a bold declaration that Paul would make here! With a strong word of his sure and true identity, Paul driving a state down, in laying claim to this new man in Christ, sets before us a challenge, who do you think you are? With these words which Paul has given us, ‘’ it is no longer I,’’ it becomes very clear that there is a separation between your ‘’person‘’ and sin. Moreover, your person now being that which is in Christ. As for Paul’s person, Christ had come in and made his abode. The person of Paul was no longer a sinner. Paul himself, was now a new creation in Christ. Sin was still there, working in his members, but Paul’s identity was now a new man in Christ. Wherefore, it is by faith we embrace who we are in Christ, and walk after Him. The years which follow conversion, are marked by our taking up our cross daily, and denying ourselves, and following Christ. Denying ourselves, renouncing the old and confessing the new. Herein, our minds are being renewed to who we are in Him.
We do experience much weakness in the beginning stages of our walk in Christ. Sin working in our members, causing us to think that we are still in the flesh. The enemy of our soul taking every advantage that he can, by deceiving us with his ‘’first person‘’ role. Through his deception, he holds men in the flesh, while binding their souls with the chain of sin-consciousness. He will employ the law to accuse us, which accusations become as bars of iron to imprison men’s soul. Basically, he deceives us to think that we are still sinners. In so doing, we live a life of defeat. The enemies’ work is to hold men to an old identity.
David says, The righteous are as bold as a lion! You can rise above these deceptions brethren! Christ has come to make you free! You can simply begin by saying,‘’ that’s not me Father, that is not who I am.’’ Even in the very face of a ‘’ first person ‘’ accuser, you can say, devil, you are a liar, and I do not receive your thoughts any longer! I have been created in Christ Jesus! I am a new person in Him! Even in the face of additions, you can be set free.You dear brother, and You dear sister, are no longer an alcoholic since your coming to Christ. The world may tell you, that you are an alcoholic, and that you will always be an alcoholic. Your physical flesh and blood body may also give the same answer. But, Who do you say you are? May you began by saying, I am a Christian, I believe on the Lord Jesus Christ as my personal Saviour. May you now agree with scripture which says, ‘’ ..if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.’’ [ 2 Corinthians 5:17 ] That is not who I am! ‘’ I am a new creation in Christ! The Lord Jesus Christ makes you free from that old identity, and delivers you from the body of sin!
‘’So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. But you are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.’’ [ Romans 8:8&9 ] Through Christ’s death on the cross He has crucified the flesh nature. In our Lord’s redeeming sacrifice He has made the way for us to be completely, and totally free! God wants you to be free! ‘’ You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.’’ With many of God’s children, we are brought to a ’’ crisis ‘’ before our surrender to Christ. The prodigal son while experiencing an identity crises, was brought to his lowest point, before ‘’ coming to himself.’’ His coming to himself was the mark of a spiritual awakening, while remembering his father’s house.
The one thing which fights the hardest for our identity, and is most reluctant on letting us go, is, the flesh. Since we began our walk of faith in Christ, our minds must now be renewed to who we are in Him. While writing to the Galatians, {which were believers who were wavering between the flesh and the Spirit,} Paul writes, ‘’ For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that you cannot do the things that you would.’’ [ 5 :17 ] After our coming to Christ, we are made aware of a certain restraint which we have been given by the Spirit. We no longer have the liberty to walk after the flesh. Before salvation, my spirit was dead, and my identity was completely related to the flesh. [ Ephesians 2: 1 to 3 —Genesis 6:3 ] My soul had also taken on carnality from the fall. But now, after salvation is come, ‘’ I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ lives in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.’’ [ Galatians 2:20 ] The cross of our Lord Jesus Christ enables us to break away from a ‘’sinner’s identity.’’ The cross breaks us free from the flesh! How? By crucifying it!
“Of His own will begat He us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of first fruits of His creatures.” [ James 1:18 ]
You are a new creation in Christ! The Lord Jesus is the lifter of your head. May He prevail within all your thoughts today!
-Adapted from Richard Manus
“Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwells in me.’’ [ Romans 7:20 ] I would like for us now to consider Romans 7:20, in relation to our personal experience. If you can separate yourself at least for a moment, from a sinner’s identity, that is, the way you think of yourself as a sinner, it is here, that you will see by the light of the new man which is, Christ in you. ‘’ Now if I do that I would not,..’’ Where did I get the ‘’I would not’’? The ‘’I would not‘’ came from a new birth in Christ. He gave me the ‘’ I would not ‘’! Whereas, the law gave me, ‘’ thou shalt not, ’’ Christ gave me, ‘’I would not.‘’ This, ‘’I would not‘’ is, Christ in you, the hope of glory. Yes, Christ in you, is the very seed life of God. Herein, John has said, ‘’ Whosoever is born of God does not commit sin; for His seed remains in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.’’ [ 1John 3:9 ]
….’’it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwells in me. ‘’
Such a bold declaration that Paul would make here! With a strong word of his sure and true identity, Paul driving a state down, in laying claim to this new man in Christ, sets before us a challenge, who do you think you are? With these words which Paul has given us, ‘’ it is no longer I,’’ it becomes very clear that there is a separation between your ‘’person‘’ and sin. Moreover, your person now being that which is in Christ. As for Paul’s person, Christ had come in and made his abode. The person of Paul was no longer a sinner. Paul himself, was now a new creation in Christ. Sin was still there, working in his members, but Paul’s identity was now a new man in Christ. Wherefore, it is by faith we embrace who we are in Christ, and walk after Him. The years which follow conversion, are marked by our taking up our cross daily, and denying ourselves, and following Christ. Denying ourselves, renouncing the old and confessing the new. Herein, our minds are being renewed to who we are in Him.
We do experience much weakness in the beginning stages of our walk in Christ. Sin working in our members, causing us to think that we are still in the flesh. The enemy of our soul taking every advantage that he can, by deceiving us with his ‘’first person‘’ role. Through his deception, he holds men in the flesh, while binding their souls with the chain of sin-consciousness. He will employ the law to accuse us, which accusations become as bars of iron to imprison men’s soul. Basically, he deceives us to think that we are still sinners. In so doing, we live a life of defeat. The enemies’ work is to hold men to an old identity.
David says, The righteous are as bold as a lion! You can rise above these deceptions brethren! Christ has come to make you free! You can simply begin by saying,‘’ that’s not me Father, that is not who I am.’’ Even in the very face of a ‘’ first person ‘’ accuser, you can say, devil, you are a liar, and I do not receive your thoughts any longer! I have been created in Christ Jesus! I am a new person in Him! Even in the face of additions, you can be set free.You dear brother, and You dear sister, are no longer an alcoholic since your coming to Christ. The world may tell you, that you are an alcoholic, and that you will always be an alcoholic. Your physical flesh and blood body may also give the same answer. But, Who do you say you are? May you began by saying, I am a Christian, I believe on the Lord Jesus Christ as my personal Saviour. May you now agree with scripture which says, ‘’ ..if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.’’ [ 2 Corinthians 5:17 ] That is not who I am! ‘’ I am a new creation in Christ! The Lord Jesus Christ makes you free from that old identity, and delivers you from the body of sin!
‘’So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. But you are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.’’ [ Romans 8:8&9 ] Through Christ’s death on the cross He has crucified the flesh nature. In our Lord’s redeeming sacrifice He has made the way for us to be completely, and totally free! God wants you to be free! ‘’ You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.’’ With many of God’s children, we are brought to a ’’ crisis ‘’ before our surrender to Christ. The prodigal son while experiencing an identity crises, was brought to his lowest point, before ‘’ coming to himself.’’ His coming to himself was the mark of a spiritual awakening, while remembering his father’s house.
The one thing which fights the hardest for our identity, and is most reluctant on letting us go, is, the flesh. Since we began our walk of faith in Christ, our minds must now be renewed to who we are in Him. While writing to the Galatians, {which were believers who were wavering between the flesh and the Spirit,} Paul writes, ‘’ For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that you cannot do the things that you would.’’ [ 5 :17 ] After our coming to Christ, we are made aware of a certain restraint which we have been given by the Spirit. We no longer have the liberty to walk after the flesh. Before salvation, my spirit was dead, and my identity was completely related to the flesh. [ Ephesians 2: 1 to 3 —Genesis 6:3 ] My soul had also taken on carnality from the fall. But now, after salvation is come, ‘’ I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ lives in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.’’ [ Galatians 2:20 ] The cross of our Lord Jesus Christ enables us to break away from a ‘’sinner’s identity.’’ The cross breaks us free from the flesh! How? By crucifying it!
“Of His own will begat He us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of first fruits of His creatures.” [ James 1:18 ]
You are a new creation in Christ! The Lord Jesus is the lifter of your head. May He prevail within all your thoughts today!
-Adapted from Richard Manus
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