How are you saved? Did you do it for yourself? Did you find some way to extract your sin nature and now you are free to live God's law? Of course not. You have no such power over yourself. You are saved by the act of Jesus Christ and your faith to believe. In fact, the faith isn't even yours. We are too spiritually impoverished to possess such faith so even that had to be lent to us. But we have to believe. Belief is not something you talk about but something you act upon. You live by your beliefs.
Yet, belief by itself is useless when placed in false thinking. Belief has to be based on truth. You can believe you can fly but when you jump off the top of a building to live your belief you will soon discover that the law of gravity is greater than your belief. So belief by itself will not save you. Belief comes alive when met by truth and the truth is that Jesus saved you on the cross. Not only did he save you but he let loose the power of transformation. Your salvation sparked the transformation that became possible through the single act of death on the cross.
Belief must be more than just the fact you are saved because salvation came in a big package with many other things, your freedom being one of them. You believe you are saved? Great! Now start acting like the free person you are. Stop submitting yourself to sin. Stop making excuses that you are only human because you aren't. You are a new creation and as a new creation you have been given freedom from what once held you in bondage. This is what was meant when this was written:
Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. (Colossians 3:5-6)
People fall for the lie: "We have no power over these things". You were given power. You were given the power to say no. You were given freedom. But it takes as much belief to walk in that freedom as it does to accept the gift of salvation.
There is no doubt that the enemy does not like the fact he has lost control over us and will use every opportunity he has to get the old nature back in control. When we are tired, lazy, bored, unfocused, forgetful, weak, he will present us with all kinds of opportunities. Many of us fail because we do not believe we have power over these things so we do not act upon that power.
Put it to death, not in your own power. You cannot save yourself. You cannot stop yourself from sinning. You are not more powerful than the enemy. However, you have been given the power. You have been set free. You are now greater than the enemy because of who you live in. Because you died and were raised to life in Jesus, you are not what once you were and now you have been given the power to say no; the power to put the enemy under your feet.
We are without excuse. The power of the resurrection courses through our veins. We are possessed by the Spirit of God. We are more than conquerors. We are an overcomer because Jesus has overcome. Your greatness is not measured in the values of this world but according to God's love. You are a giant in this world, mighty warrior, and it is time to live this victorious life according to our beliefs.
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