Owned!

Owned!

And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. Galatians 5:24 KJV

As I read today's extract, I am reminded of the fruit of the Spirit mentioned just in the verses before. I am made aware that if my life is to bear the right kind of fruit, it must have the right kind of soil that will provide the right ground and nutrients that will make the right kind of tree grow. The fruit of the Spirit in a man's life means that the man has given the Spirit the free rein over his life. The Spirit is in total control and he can direct the life into relevance and impact. That is what the Spirit can do. Is that true of my own life at the moment or am I still struggling for clarity as to my ownership and identity?

The issue of ownership and identity is fundamental to the entirety of a man's life. If I know who I am and whose I am, it will save me from unhealthy competition, rivalry or envy. That is why today's extract starts with the words: 'they that are Christ's'. Have I defined my ownership so clearly that all who come in contact with me know who I am? You see, these requirements are not for everyone on earth; they are only for those who know very clearly that they are only on earth for a short time, and the day of reckoning is coming. That clarity helps define my daily pursuits and priorities. That clarity makes clear what I must do and what I cannot do. I do not have license to eat or live or speak or relate or conduct myself as I please, but as the One who I belong to commands.

So, what does this new master that I have now want from me? One of the chief requirements is to 'crucify the flesh, with the affections and lusts.' The issue of crucifixion is key to this whole discussion. When Christ died on the cross, it was a final and fatal blow to the sin and its consequences, which is death. The cross was the place where weak, mortal and helpless man receives help from the powerful, immortal and amazing Father. It is the cross that seals man's redemption and makes it possible for him to approach the glorious God. It is in the cross that God's mind is made clear: the cross is the bridge into eternity, either with or away from God. Whenever the owner of life returns for an account, what I get is a result of what I did with the cross. 

Being a morally upright person is not enough. Being good to people on its own is not enough. Cornelius prayed regularly and even gave alms to the poor, yet God had to send Peter to show him the way of salvation. You can't get by just on what is popular with man. Man's applause and approval are not the most important considerations right now; the cross is. Have sin and self being crucified, just as Jesus crucified sin to the cross? Am I still struggling with self-control, wanting to have my way every time, lashing out at people and losing my temper frequently, or am I really under the control and influence of the Holy Spirit? 

Putting to death the works of the flesh is a mix of both God and man. There is a role that God must play but there is a role I must also play. I cannot continue in sin and expect grace to abound. I must ensure that whatever is put to death in me by Christ's death and resurrection has no room to thrive anymore. This is important: you don't go raising that which was crucified by your own power. Just as Jesus was raised back to life by the power of God, so also is the life that relies on God sustained by the life of God. 

That which made God allow Jesus to go to the cross must make me very careful about sin. If God could pay such a high price for sin, I must not take it lightly too. Jesus would not go to the cross ever again, and I must not go back ever again into sin. All who remain in and die in sin are at risk of God's judgment for sin. All who remain in and die in Christ, who paid the price for their sin, are the ones who inherit eternal life. As always, life is a mix of choices at different times. God lays the options open before me, charging me to pick that which is life indeed. I cannot turn around and blame him for whatever choice I made. Eternity will happen but if it will be with God, the cross is the place I must start from, and keep as a constant reminder of all I have been saved from and all that is ahead for me. His time of favour is here.