On What We Do

I noticed a sad thing recently over a number of weeks, as summer approached. My mind kept going to the carnal. Be it fast cars, fast computers or you guessed it "fast" women. Normally my response to such a thing would be to fast. (That whole statement kinda worked didn't it? hehe)

Actually, while I tried to make the above clever it's true. When I get all wrapped up in myself I like to fast and deny myself before God. To let Him speak. This in no way makes me "holy". Fasting is not a public action. It is a private thing that you do before God not men. For men may be impressed by your "holiness" but God will not be.

Still, with all this recent learning of evangelism I'm struck by how my first response to sin is to fight it. Instead of fleeing it. There is no room for sin in my life. I'm not to struggle with it, I'm to flee from it. Sometimes I think I use "fasting" as some kind of atonement for sin..(which is so wrong it's almost blasphemous) sometimes I think I use it as a way of overcoming sin (which is also wrong as I'm to flee it, not overcome it) I'm considering 2 Cor 10 today. I am taken by verses 3-6.

3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh.

4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)

5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

6 And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is
fulfilled.

The rest of the chapter shows how the above is about how Paul and the other Apostles were (and are still) witnessing to the Church. However, I believe we can apply this to our own "struggle" with our old self. That which was crucified on the Cross with Christ. It was not annihilated (as some suggest) but it was judged and sentenced to death. In effect it is dead now. We must live in it with knowledge that it is dead, and all it's works are death.

If we live as from our Heavenly position in Christ then we are not living from our worldly position in death.

I guess the point of this whole post is, it's a heart issue. It's not about fighting the action it's about submitting to God. Understanding that, and living from the fact that we are IN Him. We are free from the bondage of Sin and it has no dominion over us. We are no longer slaves to it.

In this whole post, "we" indicates believers in Christ, not the general population of the planet. Those who wish to be freed from slavery to sin and the coming judgment must believe in and confess Christ Jesus.