If you were visiting a place for the very first time, won't it appear strange to you? I believe it will. Let's say as well that you're getting to understand the way a certain culture behaves, and does things, the whole thing will not be clear at first, right? But what happens when you finally get to understand the new place or this particular culture? You'll begin to act, and live just the way the people in the new place or this particular culture act, and live as well, provided you will be staying there or forever embracing that culture.
This therefore implies that you no longer will live the way you once lived or act the way you once did. The belief you came with may have to change, and you may have to adapt to the style of living of the place you now find yourself in, and sometimes, it's a whole new beginning, and experience for the one who finds himself in such situation.
This explains the new birth experience as well. There was a certain way we lived before we believed, but immediately we did, the whole thing changed, and as a result, we needed to live the life that we now have in Christ. Today, we shall be considering the verse of scripture below, and I trust that through it, the Lord would speak to our very hearts.
"And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts".(Galatians 5:24).
The scripture above in its simplicity talks about the new birth experience, and living in that experience as well. Like it was said in the illustration above, when you find yourself in a new place or getting to understand a new culture, it is expected that in no time, your life be patterned according to things that exist therein (in the place or the culture).
Having this in mind, we can understand now the verse of scripture above, that they that are Christ's (that is, they that have come to experience the new birth, and as a result were passed from death to life, and at the same time transformed from darkness to light), have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts ( as a result of this experience with Christ, have become new beings who no longer respond to the desires of their flesh, but as it is, are only sensitive to the things of the Spirit). This became possible as a result of the fact that they had to embrace the attributes of the new life they now had in Christ.
The new life experience therefore is that which gives no room for the desire of the flesh to be fulfilled, and those who have this life in them do not give room for fleshly desires, and affections because they have crucified the flesh as a result of the new life experience. This is an exhortation to you dear believer, that the flesh has, and should have no dominion over you, because you have the life of Christ, and as a result have crucified the flesh with the affections, and lusts. May these words dwell in your heart today. Amen.
Thought for the day:
At salvation, you received the life of Christ, and as a result the flesh with its affection, and lust was crucified. You're no longer a slave to the flesh. Live in the reality of this truth.
Gospel Today is a comforting, exhorting, edifying and inspiring devotional published by the Delightsome Land Christian Ministry. For questions, enquiries/testimonies, please call/WhatsApp: 08174915361, 08161655758 or Email: [email protected].
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