Back 2 Basics

We’ve now officially completed our Perspective series. Today we will be starting our new series, “Back to basics”. We will be looking at a few truths that we are aware of but sometimes so easily forget or we find ourselves living outside of these Christian realities and they become more like ideals or something afar of. 

How familiar are you with the fact that you were co-crucified with Jesus Christ and you died with Him on the cross? Galatians 2:20 says, “My old identity has been co-crucified with Christ and no longer lives. And now the essence of this new life is no longer mine, for the Anointed One lives his life through me—we live in union as one! My new life is empowered by the faith of the Son of God who loves me so much that he gave himself for me, dispensing his life into mine!” What a power verse!!

I realised that I know this scripture in my head but most days its not a reality that I live in. If my old identity was co-crucified with Christ, why do I find myself doing stuff that the old me used to do? To get to the answer, I need to back track a little bit. We are made in the image of God so like God is 3 in 1, we too are 3 in 1. We have a spirit, which once we are saved is fused with the Holy Spirit so that we are in union as one with Jesus. We have a soul, which generally is our mind, will and emotions but if you listen to Maxi series, “The Very Same” you will learn heaps more. #justsaying #gowatchtheseries! And we have a body, which we can all see. 

The day I gave my life to Jesus, my spirit was 100% saved and fused with Christ. However, my soul and my body didn’t change. I still thought the same. I still liked the same stuff. My body looked the same. Yet I was 100% a new creation. A never before seen version of myself because my spirit, which was once dead, came alive in Christ! Resurrection power was infused on the inside of me. 

When we find ourselves walking in our old identity which is supposed to be dead, the issue is not our salvation. We are 100% saved and on our way to heaven if we believe in our hearts that Jesus is Lord and confess with our mouths that God raised Him from the dead, Romans 10:9. So what is the problem, you ask. It is your soul. We need to allow God to help us change the way we think. We live our whole lives up to the point of salvation doing things the world’s way, the soul’s way. Then we get saved and God is like right, you know everything you learnt about life? Scratch that, I do things a little differently so I am going to teach you some new stuff. Your spirit is in charge now, your soul needs to serve your spirit. My pastor Esther says it this way, “My spirit is king (because that’s where God lives and He is King), my soul is a servant and my body is a slave.”

Some people are comfortable with that and they go on the journey with God and learn quick and that’s great. Others, like myself, find that you are slow learners. Mostly because the way God does things seems to be in reverse of what we know, so it don’t make no sense. Also, the soul likes to be in charge so it doesn’t like knowing there is a new sheriff in town. That means when God asks us to do something, we are inclined to revert to our default because we don’t understand what God is asking us to do. I have three wise words for you today, “Don’t do it.” Listen to God and follow Him. Do what He is asking you to do even if it does not make sense to your soul.  

Romans 12:2 says, “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.” God will always challenge the way we think but when we listen to Him and do things His way, bit by bit our lives are transformed and our co-crucifixion with Jesus becomes more and more of a reality as we become more like Him and less like our old selves. 

Not only have we died to our old selves, we are made alive in Christ and He dispenses His life into us. So, whenever you find yourself feeling weak or defeated, remind yourself that you have Christ living inside of you and He is dispensing His life into you. Since we have been doing “The Very Same” series at church, I have been praying, “Lord, release resurrection power into my soul and into my body.” Because I know it’s already in my spirit, I just need it to flow in my whole being. It is the Holy Spirit living in me Who empowers me to obey God and be transformed into the image of Christ. I cannot do it on my own and neither can you. God lives in us and He empowers us to live our lives in Christ and in a manner that pleases Him. 

Love and blessings, 

Melissa Tsingano