In the above two verses (John 3:30-31) John the Baptist is talking to his followers and is telling them that he is not the Messiah he is only the messenger, the one who was sent ahead to prepare the way for the Messiah. He goes on to say that now that the Messiah has appeared his God given job is done.
He goes on to tell them that that Jesus is greater than everyone and everything and that he (John) is nothing compared to the Messiah! Jesus is from heaven and John is from the earth – the one who comes from heaven is above all!
John has recognised that what he does and what he has done is nothing in comparison with what the coming Messiah will do, and he testifies to his followers that he was merely God’s messenger and a servant to Jesus Christ the Messiah!
In other words, because he had accepted that Jesus is the Messiah and his function was to prepare the way for Him, he lived his life on for Jesus and not for himself – this is the first prime example in the New Testament of a follower of Jesus dying to self to serve his Saviour!
The Apostle Paul is another prime example of a born again Christian (a true follower of Jesus) dying to himself and his own earthy aspirations in order to serve his Saviour and fulfil his God given purpose in life once he was born again!
Paul states quite clearly in the below scripture that he dies to self, daily, which tells us that dying to self should be an integral part of a born again Christians daily walk in Christ Jesus!
1 Corinthians 15:31 (AMP)
I assure you, believers, by the pride which I have in you in [your union with] Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily [I face death and die to self].
1 Corinthians 15:31 (KJV)
I protest by your rejoicing which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.
We are to follow Paul’s example as he followed Christ’s.
1 Corinthians 11:1 (NIV)
Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.
And again, in Galatians 2, Paul elaborates on his confession of dying to self and how he now lives for Christ alone and states quite emphatically that he considers himself to be crucified with Christ and no longer lives for his own earthly desires.
Galatians 2:19-21 (NIV)
19 “For through the law I died to the law so that I might live for God. 20 I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. 21 I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!”
The above verses clearly tell us as born again believers in Christ Jesus that our old selves were crucified with Christ and that we are no longer to live in those sinful ways. We were saved by grace, and we now live by faith in Christ Jesus who died for us on the cross! We belong to Jesus!
And in the below verses from 5 Galatians, we are told that when we belong to Jesus, we have nailed our sinful passions and desires to His cross and have crucified them there with Him. And most importantly we are told that when we belong to Jesus we are to live by the leading of the Holy Spirit in every part of our lives!
Galatians 5:23-26 (AMP)
24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature together with its passions and appetites.
25 If we [claim to] live by the [Holy] Spirit, we must also walk by the Spirit [with personal integrity, godly character, and moral courage—our conduct empowered by the Holy Spirit]. 26 We must not become conceited, challenging or provoking one another, envying one another.
In Christ Jesus the born again Christian is a New Creation
The Bible clearly states that when we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour we become born again and are new creations. Our old sinful selves have gone, and we are renewed by the Holy Spirit. We are no longer to live in sin as we did before as we have been cleansed of sin by the blood of Jesus and we have received a spiritual awakening from the Holy Spirit that brings us new life in Christ Jesus.
2 Corinthians 5:17 (AMP)
Therefore if anyone is in Christ [that is, grafted in, joined to Him by faith in Him as Savior], he is a new creature [reborn and renewed by the Holy Spirit]; the old things [the previous moral and spiritual condition] have passed away. Behold, new things have come [because spiritual awakening brings a new life].
When we become born again, we are to die to our old corrupt and sinful selves and live our lives following the example of Jesus in obedience to God’s Word – the Bible. The Bible teaches us how to live our lives and renew our minds and attitudes in order for us to become more Christlike.
Ephesians 4:22-24 (NIV)
22 You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; 23 to be made new in the attitude of your minds; 24 and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.
In Christ Jesus we are new men and women! And by following Jesus and reading and studying the Word and applying it to our lives, we become more and more conformed to Christ’s image. This is the sanctification process in which the Holy Spirit leads and guides us.
Colossians 3:9-10 (AMP)
9 Do not lie to one another, for you have stripped off the old self with its evil practices, 10 and have put on the new [spiritual] self who is being continually renewed in true knowledge in the image of Him who created the new self.
We are no longer slaves to sin and we should not live in a continuous lifestyle of sin.
When Jesus went to the cross and died for us, He took our sins upon himself in order for us to die to sin and live a life of righteousness (right standing with God) in Him!
1 Peter 2:24-25 (NIV)
24 “He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.” 25 For “you were like sheep going astray,” but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.
The Shepherd and Overseer of our souls is of course Jesus. We need always remember that we are not our own we belong to Him and always strive to become more and more like Him by following His ways, by being obedient to the teachings of the Bible, by being doers of the Word and not Just readers and by being continually filled with the Holy Spirit and being led and guided by him in ALL things!
In Christ Jesus we, as born again Christians, have died to sin and we are no longer to keep on sinning because we are now united with Jesus!
Romans 9:1-7 (NIV)
What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? 2 By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? 3 Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.
5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his. 6 For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin— 7 because anyone who has died has been set free from sin.
Count the cost of following Christ.
If we do not die to self, we cannot call ourselves Christians and followers of Christ.
Luke 9:23-27 (NIV)
23 Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. 24 For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it. 25 What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self? 26 Whoever is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.
27 “Truly I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God.”
As born again Christians we are set apart from the world – our sinful selves!
We are no longer to live according to our old sinful nature because in Christ Jesus we have been set apart from our old, sinful ways. We belong to Jesus, body, soul and spirit! We are in the world but not of the world.
John 17:15-16 (NIV)
15 My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. 16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of it.
Romans 12:1-2 (AMP)
Therefore I urge you, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies [dedicating all of yourselves, set apart] as a living sacrifice, holy and well-pleasing to God, which is your rational (logical, intelligent) act of worship. 2 And do not be conformed to this world [any longer with its superficial values and customs], but be transformed and progressively changed [as you mature spiritually] by the renewing of your mind [focusing on godly values and ethical attitudes], so that you may prove [for yourselves] what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect [in His plan and purpose for you].
My dear Reader, we can no longer live according to our old selves and according to the standards of the world, we cannot have any harmony with the world as friendship with the world means enmity with God! We must be fully submissive to God and resist the devil at ALL times.
James 4:4-7 (NIV)
4 You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. 5 Or do you think Scripture says without reason that he jealously longs for the spirit he has caused to dwell in us? 6 But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says:
“God opposes the proud
but shows favor to the humble.”
7 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
We are to honour God with everything we are in Christ Jesus because we belong to Him!
1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (NIV)
19 Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20 you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.
Philippians 2:12-13 (AMP)
12 So then, my dear ones, just as you have always obeyed [my instructions with enthusiasm], not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence, continue to work out your salvation [that is, cultivate it, bring it to full effect, actively pursue spiritual maturity] with awe-inspired fear and trembling [using serious caution and critical self-evaluation to avoid anything that might offend God or discredit the name of Christ]. 13 For it is [not your strength, but it is] God who is effectively at work in you, both to will and to work [that is, strengthening, energizing, and creating in you the longing and the ability to fulfill your purpose] for His good pleasure.
Further scriptures on dying to self for your personal meditation and study.
These scriptures along with the ones in the main text are for life application. Be doers of the Word and not just readers. Reading and studying the Bible will benefit you nothing if you do not consciously and deliberately apply them to your life!
Matthew 16:24
Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.
Romans 6:3
Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?
Romans 6:11-14
In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. 12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. 13 Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness. 14 For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace.
1 Peter 4:1-2
Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because whoever suffers in the body is done with sin. 2 As a result, they do not live the rest of their earthly lives for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God.
Philippians 2:3-4
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, 4 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.
Matthew 20:25-28
Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. 26 Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 27 and whoever wants to be first must be your slave— 28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
You are not your own – You belong to Jesus!
Prayer:
Dear Heavenly Father
I pray that you would help me to live my life according to your will and not mine. I ask that you would help me not to live according to my old self but according to my renewed self in Christ Jesus. I pray that you would continually fill me with your Holy Spirit and keep be fully submissive to you and your Word. I ask that you protect me from the evil one and help me to live my life led by your Holy Spirit so that it will bring glory to Jesus. Amen.
To Jesus belongs all glory, honour and praise!
Jesus the Name above all names!
Remember: Reading this article is no substitute for you reading and studying the Bible for yourself. I am flawed – the Bible is not!
No comments:
Post a Comment