Jesus didn't die for you...

...he died with you.

That means, you also have to die. You have to die to sin. The lust of the eye, the lust of the flesh, and the pride of life - they have to go.

Many people are of the impression that Jesus died instead of them. But if you want salvation, you also have to die. You also need to be obedient to the death of the cross (Philippians 2:5-8).

1 Peter 2:
24. Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.

You see, when Jesus died bearing our sin, we also died to our sin.

Romans 6:
1. What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?
2. God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?
3. Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?
4. Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
5. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:
6. Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.
7. For he that is dead is freed from sin.
8. Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him:
9. Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.
10. For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.
11. Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
12. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.

When a person comes to Christ, they are born again. In verse 6 above, Paul says that our old man, our old spirit, is crucified with Jesus. He dies, and is resurrected as a new spirit with the character and nature of God. God reaches back through time, and nails our spirit to Jesus' Cross. When Jesus dies, our spirit dies. When Jesus is raised from the dead, our spirit comes back to life. All this happens in the twinkle of an eye, just like the rapture.

And when the rapture happens our body will be "born again," as well. It will be changed in the twinkling of an eye (I Corinthians 15:34-58).

In the mean time, our flesh is still hungers for sin. Now is when we must become obedient to the death of the cross, just as Jesus did.

Do we say, "Oh, thank God Jesus saved me," then go live a life enjoying the sins of the flesh? Or do we take advantage of the opportunity to put to death the misdeeds of the body? Which do you think is what God expects (Romans 12:1)?

Romans 8:
8. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.
9. But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.
10. And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.
11. But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.
12. Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh.
13. For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.
14. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
15. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
16. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:
17. And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.
18. For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

If you live after your sin dead flesh, you shall die. But if you put to death the misdeeds of the body through the Spirit, you shall live.

But how do you do that? How do you slay the lusts of the flesh? How do you use the Spirit?

It is by the hearing of faith (Galatians 3:5). It is easy to hear it: simply speak it.

Ephesians 4:
17. This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind,
18. Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart:
19. Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.
20. But ye have not so learned Christ;
21. If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus:
22. That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;
23. And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;
24. And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.
25. Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another.

You need to put away the lusts of your flesh. You need to sever them from your heart. By speaking God's truth. "The lust of my eye is dead. It died when Jesus died. He himself bore the lust of my eye in his own body on that tree, and it died when Jesus died. It is dead. It has no life in it. It has no strength in it. It has no power in it. It cannot move. Now, I see what Jesus sees."

(Do you see how to make a faith confession? The above uses 1 Peter 2:24.)

Notice in this passage in Ephesians, that those who are in the world live in an ego-driven fantasy world, because their hearts are blind? Notice that they can no longer feel after God with their heart? (Acts 17:27.) Their hearts can no longer bring them understanding?

But being blind and unfeeling in the heart is not how Jesus teaches you. If your heart sees, and your heart feels, Jesus himself will teach you to get rid of the deceitful lusts of your flesh, to mortify them, to put them to death. As Jesus said, he stands at the door of your heart knocking. If you open up to him, he will show you what you must do. He will reveal to you what it is you are doing that you need to repent of. And he will give you the power to overcome.

Revelation 3:
19. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.
20. Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.
21. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.

Jesus overcame the cross. We also need to overcome the cross. Now that we are born again, our spirit, too, is willing, but our flesh weak (Matthew 26:36-44). We must become obedient to the death of the cross. Jesus is here to help us and to teach us. He is here to die with us.

Luke 9:
23. And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.
24. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it.

We all have a daily choice to life for ourselves, to follow after our flesh, and to indulge our sinful passions, or, to live for Jesus, to follow after his heart's desire, and to use our faith to put to death the sinful lusts of our flesh. If we seek to save alive our sinful passions, we will lose our life to eternity. But if we daily present our body as a living sacrifice (Romans 12:1) and are obedient to the death of the cross, we will live for an eternity. The sun will die, the stars will cease to exist, but we shall still be.

And Jesus will live with us, not instead of us.

Copyright © 2009 Burley Ward. All rights reserved