Spirit,Soul And Body Seeing Ourselves As God Sees Us Part Three

 

 

 

 Now That We Are A New Creation Why Do We Still Sin?

We still have a threefold enemy.

Our spirit has been made new ,and sin no longer indwells or affects our spirit (1 John 3:9). However, indwelling sin still resides in our body and affects our soul (Romans 7:17,20-21). Indwelling sin is like a melody that lingers after the song is over. It is the memory of the old way of life, with its beliefs,thoughts,feelings, and habits. But this is not who we are.

But if I am doing the very thing I do not wish, I am no longer the one doing it., but sin which dwells in me, I find then the principle that evil is present in me, the one who wishes to do good.

Romans 7:20-21

Satan tempts us by appealing to the memory of the old nature to entice us to walk in our old ways rather than by the Spirit. His strategy is to deceive us into believing that we have not really been changed.

Satan uses the world system to deceive us into believing lies as truth. The world tries to conform us into its way of thinking ( Roman 12:2) and to appeal to our old desires (1 John 2:16).

We Are Still Prone To Walking According To The Flesh.

We base most of our beliefs about ourselves on the world system,not on God’s word. Our habit has been to rely on our soul and body controlled by indwelling sin is called the flesh. Our soul continually needs to be renewed with truth and filled with God’s Spirit ( Romans 12:1-2,Ephesians 5:18).

Why We Still Sin

 

 

Our soul and body controlled by the outward expression or indwelling sin called flesh.

 

 

But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit,and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please.

Galatians 5:16-17

We Can Experience Our New Identity!

We can progressively come outwardly (in our soul and body)who  God has made us in our spirit.

The Goal of experiencing your new identity is to become like Christ (Romans 8:29. This is not accomplished by our own activities and works  but by God who works in us ( Philippians 2:13) This is 100% God’s part (1 Thessalonians  5:24)

The Means of becoming like Christ has already been given to us by God. The Holy Spirit is a person, not just a divine power

(  John 14:16-17). The Holy Spirit is the one who enables us to understand and experience who we are in Christ ( John 16:12-13). This is also 100% God’s part.

The Method of experiencing our new identity in Christ is to respond to God by faith (Hebrews 11:1-6; Colossians 2:6,John 5:4-5. We must accept by faith the power of the cross (that are old sinful nature was permanently crucified with Christ) and embrace the  reality of our new resurrection life (having been raised up with Christ (Romans 5:10;6:5-6). This is100% our part. We are to recognize and receive the free gift of salvation and live in the conscious reality of that gift ( Colossians 2:6; Ephesians 2:8-10).

• Our part is to accept by faith what God says is true about himself and who we are in our new nature ( 1 John 4:17; Romans 8:11-16).

I have been crucified with Christ;and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives within me; and the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and delivered Himself up for me.

Galatians 2:20

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This involves a conscious choice to reject the lies we have believed about ourselves and to  replace them with the truth of what God says in the bible. We must make this choice each time we realize we are believing a lie.

The Truest Thing About Us Is what God says!

We must learn to act upon the truth regardless of our feelings,experiences or present circumstances, or others’  opinions

( Philippians 3:12-14).

This is not passivity or inactivity. True faith is participating in a relationship with Christ , surrendering to the Holy Spirit,and trusting Him to live through us. Experiencing our new identity in Christ involves living by the truth of the spirit rather the memory of the old nature.

 

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**The truest thing about me is what God says. Not what I think or feel and not what others say or think or do. The truth about me is always what God says!**

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Summary

1. We have a three-part nature consisting of our body,soul and spirit.
2. We were created in the image of God, to display the character of God. The fall affected all three parts of our nature, and our spirit died to God
3. Christ’s death on the cross is what restores God’s image in us and gives us a new spirit and a new identity.
4. We still sin because we have a threefold enemy: indwelling sin; Satan; and the world system.
5. To become more like Christ, we must accept by faith the fact of our new identity and depend upon the person of the HOLY SPIRIT TO TRANSFORM OUR LIFE.

A life transformed continued from Part 1

When I began to learn who I am in Christ, I know longer needed to perform to gain acceptance of God and others. He says I am complete in Christ, that I am adequate,righteous,holy, that I am a joint heir with Christ, and that I share equally in His inheritance. I am a saint and I never even taught Sunday School! Wow!

My life is different because my beliefs are different.

As a young adult, I was reserved and shy and had a hard time introducing myself to people, individually or in a group. If people didn’t introduce themselves to me , I felt as if nobody liked me and they had rejected me wasn’t acceptable  as Rob. I had to earn their acceptance. Now i know I can go into a group of people and be confident of myself because I am confident  about my position in Christ and my attributes in Christ.

When I saw a person who had an asset or strength I wanted, my standard was to be like that person. Because I was not that person, I never could reach that standard and I felt unacceptable. Now I don’t compare myself with others. For example I love to listen to the radio commentator Paul Harvey. He’s a very eloquent communicator and an excellent storyteller. I would love to be like him., but the truth is that I am not Paul Harvey. I am just an ol’ country redneck from Oklahoma, but I don’t feel unacceptable any more. I understand my strengths and I no longer have to be like somebody else.

If I am not in church every time the door is open, I don’t feel guilty. My motivation to have quite time and memorize scripture is not to gain approval by God. Now I do these things because he first loved me,and I want to know him more.

I now know I don’t have to work to be accepted by anybody, including God. (John 8:32 )says, ” You shall know the truth and the truth will set you free.” He has set me free.

Much Love Tom