“Well then, should we keep on sinning so that God can show us more and more of His wonderful grace? Of course not! Since we have died to sin, how can we continue to live in it? Or have you forgotten that when we were joined with Christ Jesus in baptism, we joined Him in His death? For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives” (Romans 6: 1-4).

Do you remember the day that you received Jesus as your personal Savior? If you haven’t yet received salvation, then I pray that you will so today. For Paul tells us in Romans 3:23 that all have sinned and fallen short God’s glorious standard. Jesus came to earth as the Lamb of God to take away our sins, out of His love for the Father and obedience to Him and His love for us. Yet, when we come to Jesus—even as someone that is broken and contrite—we come filled with “self.”

All Christians who strive to live a godly life in Jesus must go through the process of dying to self. Let me explain what I mean. The other night I was preaching on the subject of abiding in the vine (who is Jesus) and of how we are the branches. Using a cantaloupe as an illustration, I attempted to show how Jesus’ life can flow through us. Jesus tells us in John 15 that we must abide in Him, and He in us, or else we will wither and be burned. A cantaloupe can’t say to the vine, “I don’t like the requirements being placed on me (that I must be connected to you) so I will disconnect myself and grow beside you.” What would happen? The cantaloupe would not only not ripen, it would rot on the ground!

Once we are born again, there’s a process that every true believer must go through in order to be transformed from the “self” nature into a believer who is being filled and motivated by God’s love. Until we choose to deny self, take up our cross, and follow in Jesus’ footsteps, we can’t have any part in Him or experience the blessed life. In Ephesians 5:22-33, Paul uses the marriage relationship as a natural demonstration of a spiritual relationship between Christ and the Church. We must leave all others and cleave only to Him and be faithful to Him. This principle is especially important in the initial stages of becoming a disciple of Jesus.

We must cling to His life in order that it might empower us to die to our individuality (or self nature). Remember, it was “self” that caused Lucifer to sin against God. It was “self” that reared its ugly head in the Garden of Eden and separated mankind from our Creator, God. Paul teaches on this principle even greater in Colossians 3:1-4, “Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God. And when Christ, who is your life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all His glory.”

As we seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, we will be transformed by the Word of God and the Holy Spirit—who resides within us—into children of God. As we continue in His Word, whether we feel like it or not, the Word will begin to transform our hearts. This will in turn change what we desire or seek after. Once this begins to emerge in your life, you will begin to experience the blessed life. But that’s not all. For once you begin to experience the liberation and the freedom of living the blessed life, don’t stop there, because it’s only the beginning! When we grow beyond the point in our walk where we pursue God just to be blessed and we continue on to pursue Him for “more of Him,” then He will begin to reward us for being diligent seekers of Himself.

It’s amazing how we can begin our faith walk being so filled with self, but, as we continue to abide in Jesus and His Word, we become filled with His love. He then compels us to live a holy and joyful life—all while we live in a fallen world. You will know the love of God is replacing self when you love obeying the Word of God instead of “having to keep the Word.”  —submission by Asa Dockery, US