Walking with God - 3/12
A New Name
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In order to be a true follower of Jesus, one must die (be crucified) to whom he/she is, and live a new life by faith in Jesus where He has total control of the life. Unless you enter into this experience, you will find yourself in a double experience - fighting Jesus, while on the other hand you want to serve Him. A Christian is not someone who is a double person, but someone who belongs fully to Jesus Christ.
SUMMARY
Those who will overcome will be given a new name (Revelation 2:17). The only way for us to become and remain Christians is to die to the old man/woman (2 Corinthians 5:14, 15). Dieing to self is the very heart of the Christian experience. In order for a man to enter into an experience with Jesus, the old man should die, be crucified, and live a new life by faith in Jesus Christ (Galatians 2:19, 20; 5:24; 6:14, 15). Why? Because the old man is not and cannot be faithful to God. Why is there so much struggle, defeat, unnecessary sufferings (divorce, etc) in the Christian experience? This is because we try to be Christians while holding to the old man. For example, it took 25 years for Abraham to die to self (and his name was changed). Before that, Abraham is someone that does things in the flesh. He is afraid twice and lies concerning his wife. Unless you enter into this experience, you will find yourself in a double experience, like Abraham - fighting Jesus, while on the other hand you want to serve Him. A Christian is not someone who is a double person, but someone who belongs fully to Jesus Christ.
The crucifixion of self is a subject not only taught by the apostles, but by Jesus Himself (Matthew 10:37, 38). What did the cross mean to Jesus? It meant shame, suffering and finally death. Did He complain that it was too painful? The cross is a willingness to enter into an experience with the Lord where you allow God to choose whatever He wishes, be it pain, shame, death, because you have died. When you look at the life of Abraham, Isaac, Paul, you see that that is exactly what happened.
Unless we die to self, we will not have peace, and will continue to live in sin and think we are fine. If anyone desires to be a Christian (disciple/follower of Jesus), he should deny himself and carry his cross (Luke 9:23). Denying self is a conscious decision to surrender the life to Christ, and have nothing to do with the old life anymore. The cross is the willingness to take shame, persecution, even death for Christ without saying anything. Did Abraham complain when God asked him to take and sacrifice Isaac? No, because he was dead to the old man.
SUMMARY
Those who will overcome will be given a new name (Revelation 2:17). The only way for us to become and remain Christians is to die to the old man/woman (2 Corinthians 5:14, 15). Dieing to self is the very heart of the Christian experience. In order for a man to enter into an experience with Jesus, the old man should die, be crucified, and live a new life by faith in Jesus Christ (Galatians 2:19, 20; 5:24; 6:14, 15). Why? Because the old man is not and cannot be faithful to God. Why is there so much struggle, defeat, unnecessary sufferings (divorce, etc) in the Christian experience? This is because we try to be Christians while holding to the old man. For example, it took 25 years for Abraham to die to self (and his name was changed). Before that, Abraham is someone that does things in the flesh. He is afraid twice and lies concerning his wife. Unless you enter into this experience, you will find yourself in a double experience, like Abraham - fighting Jesus, while on the other hand you want to serve Him. A Christian is not someone who is a double person, but someone who belongs fully to Jesus Christ.
The crucifixion of self is a subject not only taught by the apostles, but by Jesus Himself (Matthew 10:37, 38). What did the cross mean to Jesus? It meant shame, suffering and finally death. Did He complain that it was too painful? The cross is a willingness to enter into an experience with the Lord where you allow God to choose whatever He wishes, be it pain, shame, death, because you have died. When you look at the life of Abraham, Isaac, Paul, you see that that is exactly what happened.
Unless we die to self, we will not have peace, and will continue to live in sin and think we are fine. If anyone desires to be a Christian (disciple/follower of Jesus), he should deny himself and carry his cross (Luke 9:23). Denying self is a conscious decision to surrender the life to Christ, and have nothing to do with the old life anymore. The cross is the willingness to take shame, persecution, even death for Christ without saying anything. Did Abraham complain when God asked him to take and sacrifice Isaac? No, because he was dead to the old man.
