Dying to Self

(Read Galatians 5:24-26)

This morning we continue our series “Grace that is Simply Amazing” by continuing to look at The Law given under Moses vs. the Grace provided by Jesus.  In our last message we looked at the fruit the Holy Spirit is able to produce in our lives when we submit to His leading.  Another way to characterize this submission is by saying that we must die to self.  Let’s continue to walk through Paul’s letter to the church in Galatia.

After teaching about being internally led by God’s Spirit vs. being externally governed by the Law of Moses, Paul makes a statement that assumes we will heed his instruction.  Paul says, “Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there.”  Notice the words “have nailed.”  Paul writes this in the past tense, projecting an image that we have done our part and have entered into God’s will by allowing our old sinful desires to be nailed to the cross with Christ Jesus Himself.  While Paul did not have the privilege of walking with Jesus during His earthly ministry, Paul is definitely flowing in the vein of Jesus’ teaching.  For Jesus said, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.  For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it” (Mark 8:34,35).  After making this connection to what Jesus said, Paul circles right back and says, “Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives.  Let us not become conceited, or provoke one another, or be jealous of one another.”  Paul takes us back to being led of the Holy Spirit and walking in God’s love.

So what does this mean to you today?  A few things:

1.  The cross is a symbol of death.  It symbolizes Jesus’ physical death for our sin and our death to self and sin.

2.  The Bible teaches us to nail our sinful desires to the cross, and to leave them there.

3.  Jesus taught that those of us who want to be His disciples must deny ourselves and willingly pick up our own personal crosses — dying to self — in order to follow Him!

4.  Grace is not a license to live in sin or to be self-centered, self-absorbed, self-obsessed, self-seeking or self-serving.  Quite the contrary, by God’s grace we can supernaturally die to self and live for Christ!

5.  If you hold on to your old life you will never fully embrace the life Jesus died to give you and you will wind up missing God’s best altogether.  However, if you willingly die to self, and give up your entire being to God, you will find yourself and your divine purpose, and you will experience God’s best for your life.  God’s best is far better than anything you could ever come up with.

6.  Paul teaches us to leave the external Law of Moses behind, to embrace God’s Grace, to be led of the Holy Spirit, and to walk in God’s unconditional love.  This is the way we are supposed to live today!

Closing Confession:  Father, I thank You for teaching me Your Word.  In Your Word I see how You have transitioned us from a Law that was written on tablets of stone to a Law that is written on our hearts and minds.  In the Old Testament believers had to serve an external and distant God, with a set of rules that told them what not to do.  In the New Testament I get to serve an internal and intimate God, who leads me from the inside-out, concerning both what to do and what not to do.  Now that the Holy Spirit lives in me, He empowers me supernaturally, by Your Grace, to die to my old ways.  I willingly die to self in order to live for You.  I pick up my personal cross daily, denying self and sin, and walking in love towards You and others.  As Your Spirit leads me, and as I get Your Word down in my heart, I am being changed day-by-day into the very image and likeness of Your dear Son.  As Jesus is, so am I, in this world!  I declare this by faith.  In Jesus’ name.  Amen.

This is Today’s Word!  Apply it and Prosper.