IT WAS NEVER OUR PART TO FIGHT OUR FLESH SINCE OUR FLESH CAN NEVER DESTROY ITSELF, OUR OWN SINFUL NATURE CAN NEVER DENY AND CRUCIFY ITSELF! It has always been God’s part to do, but always with our cooperation – our confession, repentance and consent to turn away from it and destroy it. That is why God first destroyed our flesh on the Cross of Our Lord, so that, before Satan, our old man, which is Satan’s territory and “victory”, was legally, morally and righteously destroyed! Satan can’t say a word against it or accuse God of any unrighteousness, unholiness or of any “illegal act” against His Own Principles. God can now do all the necessary works in us based on HIS WILL AND THE PRICE WHICH HIS SON HAD PAID IN FULL. ALL GOD NEEDS, AND IS MISSING, IS OUR CONSENT FOR HIS NECESSARY WORKS.
Our first part is to see and believe “that our old man is crucified with Him (Christ)”. (Rom. 6:6)
Our second part is to see and believe that God crucified our old man before we existed.
This, His act in Christ, was done without our true and conscious consent, which Satan requires from God!
GOD NEEDS OUR CONTINUOUS CONSENT. How are we to die daily? (1Cor. 15: 31b// Lk. 9:23) By saying to our Father: “NOT MY WILL, BUT THINE BE DONE”. (Lk. 22:42b) Do we see this? Not really. But it is OUR PART TO DO in the Salvation of our soul.
OUR OLD MAN –SINFUL NATURE– REMAINS SATAN’S LEGAL POSSESSION AND TERRITORY IN OUR SOUL EVEN AFTER OUR REDEMPTION. HIS CONTINUED PRESENCE IN US THROUGH OUR OLD MAN IS NOT SUBJECTED TO GOD’S DECISIONS, BUT TO OUR DECISIONS. YET WE RESIST GOD IN HIS EFFORTS TO DESTROY SATAN’S RULE IN OUR SOUL THROUGH OUR OLD MAN!
GOD DOES NOT QUESTION THIS SATAN’S LEGAL TERRITORY IN OUR OLD SOUL EVEN THOUGH OUR SOUL IS REDEEMED AND IS NOT HIS LEGAL POSSESSION. IT IS THE SAME WITH HIS KINGDOMS IN THIS WORLD. WHEN SATAN OFFERED THEM TO JESUS, IF HE WOULD FALL DOWN AND WORSHIP HIM, (MT. 4:8,9) THE LORD DID NOT DISPUTE WITH SATAN HIS POSSESSIONS IN THIS WORLD EVEN THOUGH “the earth is the Lord’s, and the fulness thereof; the world and they that dwell therein.” (PS. 24:1) HE ALLOWS SATAN TO RULE THE WORLD EVEN TODAY AFTER THE LORD HAD REDEEMED NOT ONLY MEN, BUT THE EARTH ALSO AND ALL THAT WAS LOST. (MT. 18:11) DO WE SEE THIS ISSUE? WE SHOULD.
OUR OLD MAN WAS DESTROYED IN CHRIST BY THE WILL OF THE FATHER BEFORE WE EXISTED. BUT NOW THAT WE LIVE AND OUR OLD MAN LIVES IN US, HE MUST BE DESTROYED IN US BY OUR WILL! WE MUST CONFESS THIS FAITH AND GIVE OUR FATHER OUR CONSENT. WE, REDEEMED SOULS, MUST “SAY SO” WITH OUR MOUTH! (PS. 107:2// ROM. 10:9A)
THEREFORE, WE HAVE TO WILL WHAT GOD HAD ALREADY WILLED AND DONE FOR US BEFORE WE EXISTED! HIS WILL AND OUR WILL MUST BECOME ONE. GOD CAN DO NOTHING WITH OUR OLD MAN UNLESS HE HAS A CONTINUOUS CONSENT OF OUR WILL WITH CONFESSIONS AND REPENTANCES WHICH ARE ALL NECESSARY FOR THE PROCESS OF OUR OLD MAN‘S DESTRUCTION TO CONTINUE BY THE POWER OF GOD‘S SPIRIT.
Let us remember what was happening in the Garden of Eden in the spiritual world and that Satan, being allowed by God to tempt Adam and Eve, gained a very important legal victory and God had not disputed Satan‘s method!
SATAN GAINED MAN‘S SOUL BY MAN’S BELIEF AND THE WORK OF THAT BELIEF – EATING THE FRUIT. (GEN. 3:6) AS A RESULT, MAN WAS “BORN-AGAIN“ BY THE SPIRIT OF SIN, WHICH BEGAN TO DWELL IN HIM AND HE BECAME A “TEMPLE OF SATAN“ (DOES IT SOUND FAMILIAR?). AFTER CHRIST’S DEATH AND OUR REDEMPTION, MAN WAS “BORN-AGAIN-AGAIN“ BY THE SPIRIT OF GOD AND HE BECAME THE “TEMPLE OF GOD“ AGAIN. (1COR. 3:16) SATAN HAD LEGALLY LOST THE POSSESSION OF OUR SOUL BUT NOT OF ITS SPIRIT OF SIN, OF ITS “OLD MAN“ WHICH IS SATAN’S GOVERNOR IN MAN’S SOUL AND HIS TERRITORY IN OUR SOUL! HE MAY ONLY LOSE IT BY MAN’S DECISIONS, WHICH MAY AT TIMES BE VERY PAINFUL!
GOD WILL NEVER ACT WITHOUT OR AGAINST OUR FREE WILL, WITHOUT OUR DECISIONS, WITHOUT OUR CONSENT AND A CONSCIOUS COOPERATION WITH HIM TO DESTROY (PUT OFF – EPH. 4:22) OUR “OLD MAN“ WHICH REMAINS SATAN’S LEGAL POSSESSION IN EVERY REDEEMED MAN!
THIS IS PRECISELY WHERE SATAN’S HOPES ARE TO DECEIVE US AND GET US BACK WHEN WE REFUSE OUR CROSS! THAT IS WHY THE GREATEST DECEPTION OF SATAN IN BELIEVERS IS THAT AFTER OUR REDEMPTION WE DO NOT HAVE TO “MOVE OUR FINGER” OR DECIDE ON ANYTHING BECAUSE “EVERYTHING HAS ALREADY BEEN DONE IN CHRIST”. IF YOU WILL CLING TO THIS DOCTRINE AND REFUSE TO SEE AND FOLLOW THE ABOVE TRUTH, IT MAY COST YOU YOUR LIFE!
Paul was sent by the Lord unto Gentiles “to open their eyes and to turn them from darkness to light, AND from the POWER OF SATAN unto (the POWER of) GOD”. (Acts 26:18)
But this same principle applies to carnal and blind believers. When their eyes are not open, they are not turned from darkness to light and from the POWER OF SATAN to the POWER OF GOD!
It is like we would be living in a castle owned by a cruel landlord and that castle was one day purchased by a good and merciful Landlord. But the armed sentry of the castle did not leave! Their departure depends solely on our decision, not the new Landlord’s decision. We seemingly do not mind keeping them and remaining in “their care” though the castle is not theirs any more!
Let us now consider three important facts which underline and prove the above truth of both the “willed-desired death” and the “actual death” of our “old man”. His “willed-desired death” was done by the Will-Desire of Our Father. (2Pet. 3:9) His “actual death” is done by our will-decision. There are three points to consider here:
(1) In Rom. 10:10 it is NOT written: “For with the heart man believes unto SALVATION”, but it is written:
“For with the HEART man believes unto RIGHTEOUSNESS; and with the MOUTH CONFESSION is made unto SALVATION.”
Our faith is not enough! Even though our heart may believe unto righteousness, God needs the work of this faith – the confession of our mouth unto Salvation. When man confesses his faith and thus the desire of his heart to be saved, God receives this man’s consent and He can then redeem him based on the full payment provided by the Blood of the Lamb AND man’s faith AND his work of that faith which then produced its fruit – his Redemption! And Satan must shut-up! If man confesses nothing, makes no clear decision, GOD CAN DO NOTHING though the full payment for the Redemption of that man was paid and though that man believed! All pagans belong here. Satan would object and accuse God of unrighteousness should any pagan be saved believing but without confessing (work of) his belief with his mouth… and Satan would have the right!
(2) The same principle applies for the continued process of the Salvation of our soul. The Word clearly says: “IF WE CONFESS our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins…” (1Jn. 1:9a). First, we must SEE our sins, obtain light-faith about our sins, then we must do the work of that faith in CONFESSING THEM WITH OUR MOUTH. That moves the hand of God to forgive and, again, Satan cannot say one word of opposition or accusation.
(3) The same principle applied also to Our Saviour, Who was slain before the foundations of the world, that is, BEFORE HE WAS BORN in Bethlehem. (1Pet. 1:18-20) He also had to give to His Father His “legal” CONSENT WITH HIS OWN MOUTH: “NEVERTHELESS, NOT MY WILL BUT THINE BE DONE”! (Lk. 22:42)
THE FATHER REQUIRED HIS SON’S DECISION AND HIS CONSENT CONCERNING DRINKING THE CUP AND DEATH ON THE CROSS FROM HIS OWN MOUTH AFTER HE WAS BORN THOUGH HE WAS SLAIN BEFORE HE EXISTED AS MAN! (REV. 13:8) DO YOU SEE THIS? AND JESUS THE MAN HAD THE POWER OF HIS WILL TO REFUSE TO DRINK THE CUP AND DIE ON THE CROSS! DO WE REALIZE THIS TRUTH? NO, WE DON’T! We do not want to even think about this alternative!
We may conclude this truth as follows.
WE HAVE TO DECIDE TO DIE TO OUR “OLD MAN” IN US WHICH DEATH WAS ALREADY EXECUTED FOR US BY GOD BEFORE WE WERE BORN. WE HAVE TO DECIDE TO GROW UP INTO CHRIST WHERE GOD HAD ALREADY PUT US BEFORE WE WERE BORN, AND WE HAVE TO DECIDE TO CLIMB UP TO HEAVENLY PLACES WHERE GOD HAD ALREADY PLACED US BEFORE WE WERE BORN! (EPH. 2:6) DO WE SEE THESE FACTS? WE MUST!
It may take quite a long time before the Lord finally obtains from our heart, mind and will what He desires from us and needs for His work in us. He supplies to us ALL that we need for such a continual consent, the necessary faith (vision, evidence, spiritual comprehension, spiritual power) and all the necessary circumstances which are designed by Him to show us our true state and true need. Our initial consent may take but a few seconds after years of blindness, deafness and resistance. And the Lord has been working in us to obtain our willingness and the decisions of our whole soul. But those few seconds will save the life and redirect the destiny of many believers, who still live in darkness!
And, please, do not tell me that it is impossible for you to decide to be fully saved and prepared by the Lord for His Coming; that your mouth cannot confess such a decision to the Lord. THAT is all that the Lord might need from you at this very hour as you read these lines – your decision and the confession of your mouth! Will you do it? Will you move your mouth? You do not have to understand how the Lord will do it! You have to believe that He knows what to do and how to do it and will start doing it immediately based on your decision and confession of your mouth.
May the Lord help us all to consider the above diligently in our heart and mind and conscience. May we decide by our free will to do what is our part of our Salvation thus allowing the Lord to do in us His part of our Salvation.
To be continued next week in chapter 5 – part 11
brother Hanola
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