Walking in the sun
Faith for the Harvest
MOMENTS OF MEDITATION
 
A weekly newsletter of Faith Harvest Ministries               February 16, 2015 Issue 7     
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     The power of a crucified life is the key to living by faith. Paul said, "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me" (Gal. 2:20). There is a life in God that must become the sole aim as to how we live here below. By crucifying the tendencies of the flesh and by putting on the life of this new man in Christ, we then release our faith from all restraints so that we can step over into a liberty that lifts us up to unlimited possibilities. It's not a very popular message, but it is certainly a necessary one, especially if we want to walk upon the high places of our salvation. 
 

 

 
THE POWER OF A CRUCIFIED LIFE
Lifting Life's Restraints

"For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved, it is the power of God." 

                                                                              - 1 Corinthians 1:18

 

            The entire message of living a crucified life is all about bringing us into a life that is spiritual. Peter declares that we are to be "a spiritual house...that we might offer up spiritual sacrifices" (1 Peter 2:5). Everything about our Christian experience is formed on the basis that we are to find our strength, our capabilities, and our enablement from a force within called the life of God. We can choose to live out of our spirit and draw from this heavenly life or we can live by the flesh and lock ourselves out of the spiritual empowerment that this life is intended to provide.

God created us in his image so that our spirit would be the essential part to how we live our lives. In John's gospel, Jesus said: "God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth" (John 4:24). Man's spiritual capabilities were shut down when sin entered into this world. It was like a huge power plant with extraordinary functionality just waiting to operate the interests of heaven when suddenly sin flipped the breaker and all the lights were turned off. Ephesians chapter four says, "Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God..." (Eph 4:18). Not only did sin cause man to live in the dark, it caused him to became an alien to the life force of heaven. Everything that he had within his spirit to live as God intended for him to live was lifted beyond his reach. The only solution was for God to send Jesus, who is the light of the world to enlighten man's darkness. In John chapter eight, Jesus says, "...he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life" (John 8:12). It is the light of life that lifts us up out of this darkened world.

            But here is where we have to make the connection. Paul writes to the churches of Galatia and says, "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me, and the live I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me" (Gal. 2:20). If you study this verse very carefully, you will find that what Paul is telling us is that he had a life that he put to death the moment he received the life of Christ. Christ did his part when he died in our place. That was a judicial enactment of substitution where the old man was put to death. But there is an application of crucifixion that we are required to follow through with by putting off the deeds of the flesh and by putting on the new man--that part of our spiritual makeup that has been recreated in Christ Jesus unto good works.

            Over in chapter five Paul again emphasizes this truth: "And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts" (Gal. 5:26). Everything we have in Christ functions within the borders of a crucified life. That is where the light shines through to get this heavenly power plant back into operation. Every step we take at turning back to things of the flesh, such as: trusting the arm of flesh, being governed by the desires of the flesh, even letting our fleshly senses dictate our actions is designed to shut down the activities of our spirit. But if we will determine to put the flesh under and start relying upon that spiritual life within, then and only then, can we tap into things that were once beyond our reach and start to see the power of God activated in our lives.

            When Paul said, "And the live I now live (this new life) in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God," he was describing to us how we tap into the life of faith. You have to understand that faith is spiritual. Your natural mind can never work faith. Your feelings cannot work faith. Only your spirit can work faith. How to get our faith to function in its full capacity is when we live out of this new life instead of trusting in our natural life. You talk about turning up the power? Just make that determination within your own heart that you are going to live out of your spirit and watch and see how quickly the force of life will elevate your faith to new levels!*

 

 

PRAYER

Father, I just want to thank you for giving me a new life. I purpose in my heart today to draw from what now lives in me, in my spirit, and not look to my senses or my flesh to determine how I am to live. I trust the Holy Spirit to guide me and to quicken me to walk upon the high places of my salvation. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.

 

 

CONFESSION

I determined to live a crucified life. I set my interests on heavenly things. I turn my full attention on this new life that resides within me, and I choose to stir it up. I will live by faith. I will walk by faith. I will let faith take me into the full scope of my redemptive rights.

 

 

DEFINING MOMENTS...

Paul told us, "Where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty..." (2 Cor. 3:17). The Greek word for liberty is ELEUTHERIA, which means: freedom from the restrains and misery of earthly frailty. That is so powerful. God has provided a way where we can be free from a life of restraint, a life of misery, brought on by our human weaknesses, or should I say, because of the deadness and inability of our flesh. Jesus himself said, "The flesh profiteth nothing!" (John 6:63). If we want to remain bankrupt of the power of God then all we have to do is stay tied to the flesh. But if we want to erupt into a force that carries power and victory then we must put off the weights and the sins that so easily beset us and turn our attention to the spiritual life we possess in Christ. We must tap into a crucified life so that the power of God can fully function, and where all that we possess in Christ can be drawn up out of our spirit with unquenchable faith.

 

       

In His Grace,

 

Pastor David

Faith Harvest Church