Dead!

I’m reading through the book of Romans, which is probably the most popular book used when evangelizing lost people. You know that cute little book, the Four Spiritual Laws, based on Romans? It needs to go out of print. Stop using it! What God wants is for us to die to self. He wants us crucified with Christ!

We’re no good to God’s kingdom work if we are not crucified with Christ. We have to die to self in order to live by the Spirit. This is where a lot of people get tripped up. They asked Jesus into her heart and then they try to live a Christian life and they fail miserably.

• “Asking Jesus into your heart” isn’t biblical. No where in the Bible does it say to do that. Paul never said that, Moses never said that, and you certainly didn’t say that.
• God wants us to be restored to Him, but a lot of puppets preach only part of the picture. They’ll tell you to ask God to forgive your sins, but they’re telling you the wrong way. Reciting a prayer after somebody doesn’t cut it. That produces head knowledge Christians or false converts.
• What does the Bible say? John 3:16 does not say believe in your head and with your mind and you will be saved. Asking people to recite a prayer that you’ve made up is asking people to believe in the head with their mind. This is not a true conversion.
• What is a true conversion? It is a sorrow and recognition that you are wretched before a holy God and deserve wrath. Are you at that point, head knowledge Christian? No? Still think you’re a good person? You’re not. The Bible says we all sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Romans 3:23 Either in thought or deed, you have many times broken all of the Ten Commandments. You say you’ve never murdered anyone, but Jesus said to have hate in your heart for someone is the same as murder. We are all in danger on judgment day but God has done something wonderful in Christ Jesus. He gave His son as a payment for our sin.
• We are all in danger if asking for forgiveness doesn’t come from a place deep in our heart and soul. God knows the heart. Many (this Includes people who think they are Christians!) will say on that day, “Lord, we did all this in your name,” and He will say, “Depart from me. I never knew you.”
• How can we be saved and be sure? Read Romans chapter 6, the whole thing, a couple of times. You gotta die Christian, but that’s a good thing. If you don’t die, you’re a slave to sin, and you can’t live in sin if you want to be a Christian. It’s too uncomfortable. The Holy Spirit nagging you will change you into something new. If you are living in sin (whatever it is pride, gluttony, whatever!) and there is zero nagging to repent, this is a concern and a call to examine yourself to see if you are truly in the faith.

Die to self and you will find joy peace and power to stay away from sin. In Romans chapter 8, it talks about the Holy Spirit’s power to keep us from sin. I love the Holy Spirit. A Christian who doesn’t love the Holy Spirit probably is a head knowledge Christian and that’s not a saving knowledge.

I’m a big-time hypocrite. I sat in church 30 years as a head knowledge Christian. It didn’t stop there, though. I was a Christian school teacher and I went on mission trips. I delivered the word but I didn’t believe from my heart.

It took a combination of circumstances including the COVID-19 lockdown to crucify me. I died (spiritually) and was a new creature in Christ. The old desires are history. I’m not even interested in all things anymore. Oh, I’m still interested in cats and crocheting, but the sin things – no thanks. I prefer the Holy Spirit over all that garbage.

Beloved, ready to be crucified yet? Let me know in the comments!