Owned!

Owned!

Galatians 5:24 AMP

[24] And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature together with its passions and appetites.

The issue of identity has been central to our discussions over the past few days. Who I am underlines what I do. Who I am defines daily pursuits and priorities. The reason why there is so much confusion in the world today is because the people of the world listen to divergent and sometimes opposing views on what is acceptable. The world has its own standards, but the biggest challenge with the world is that you can never fully decode the standards, as they are constantly changing to fit whatever narrative is popular at the time. Men will do 'anything' to make money, and when they get hold of some riches, they never seem to have enough and will keep moving the goal posts on limits, until sometimes, the ultimate price is paid. It is clear that the world is not the right place to look for inspiration or direction on what God accepts, but its huge attraction is also a distraction. 

How do I know what is right and acceptable before God, if I do not have a relationship with Him? How does He guide a heart that its reins are not in His possession or under His control? How does He lead and direct a life that has not been submitted to Him? As we have said several times, God does not force Himself on anyone, and He will not go against the exercise of my freewill. He gives me all opportunities to approach Him; He makes very clear what I stand to gain by surrender, but He also tells me what I stand to lose if I do not. That is complete information. His love is not partial to truth; His desire for me is to come to Him, and take on all that His life has made available, but on His own terms, not my own. After all, the One who asked me to come to Him secured this access by means of total surrender to God's will, which was death like a criminal on a cross. 

If I will then take hold of that which He has promised, I have to come through the cross. I am NOT going to be crucified; He has done that for me, but going forward, I must live in the daily consciousness of what I have received, and ensure that my life is a reflection of the sacrifice that has given me this new life. One key word in the verse above is BELONG. It shows ownership, not rental. Does God fully own me? If I am truly His, there is an acceptable code of behaviour. Whatever belonged to the old nature must now give way to the dictates of the new nature. Whatever  belongs to the old nature stays on the cross, because Jesus dealt a final blow on that nature. If it is still threatening, then I need to ask God for help to really live the life that His death and resurrection have secured for me. There is no middle ground for a little bit of compromise; it is an absolute truth that the old must give way to the new. Has that happened to you? God's time of favour is here.