The Mystery of Godliness apart XXI

By Major W. Ian Thomas

…For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil. (1 John 3:8 Emphasis added)

For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old man {the flesh-life} was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with {destroyed}, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. For he who has died {to the flesh-life} has been freed from sin {the old life of self-sufficiency and self-will}. (Rom. 6:5-7)

Once Paul had finally come to the end of himself and had died to the ways of human effort {the old Adam-life, dealing with the external}, the risen Lord was able to manifest Himself through his mortal body. Paul was enabled to experience a complete victory over the old Adam-life by entering into an experiential relationship with Christ in His crucified life. It was by passing through this real death to the old self-life that he was able to begin sharing with Christ in His risen Life. It was then that he could honestly say, “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me.” (Gal. 2:20) And it was then that he could become “more than conquerors through Him who Loves us.” (Rom. 8:37)

Paul received what he referred to as “the abundance of Grace and of the Gift of Righteousness.” This abundant measure of Grace enabled him to “reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.” He discovered that Christ’s risen Life was “much more” powerful than the flesh-life he had originally inherited from Adam.

For if by the one man’s offense death reigned through the one {Adam}, MUCH MORE those who receive abundance of Grace and of the Gift of Righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ. (Rom. 5:17 Emphasis added)

How Much Are You Worth

We must never permit anyone to deceive us into believing that God has placed some set limitation on what Jesus Christ can do through us in this world. Through our dependent faith in God, we can put His Divine power and authority to work within our inner being to conquer everything that prevents the Son from displaying His Kingdom-Life of Love through our mortal bodies. He “is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power, authority that is at work within us.” (Eph. 3:20 Emphasis added)

Since God can do more than we can imagine, let us not let carnal minds – minds that are still under the sway of the devil’s lies – limit our understanding of what He can do. “What is impossible with men is possible with God.” (Luke 18:27)

Yes, there will be a physical resurrection of the body “when the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality.” (1 Cor. 15:53) And this resurrected body will completely free us from the sufferings we have experienced in this cursed world. But we can still enter into a real participation with Christ in His Divine nature while we remain in this world. And even if it is only a dim likeness when contrasted to His Glorified Life, God does have the power to manifest the same victorious life, through us, that Jesus displayed by the power of the Holy Spirit through His mortal body. We are therefore expected to buy the heavenly Pearl – His Kingdom-Life – by following Him through the cross. (Matt. 16:24-25)

There are two ways for someone to live. The first is to live “to and for self,” and thereby “walk after the flesh.” The second is to live “to and for Christ,” and thereby “walk after the Spirit.” It is not just a matter of degree, it is a matter of kind. Your life will either have self at the center {even when serving Christ} or God at the center.

There are some who think they can serve both self and God. But Jesus Himself said, “No one can serve two masters.” (Matt. 6:24) You will either live by human effort according to “the desires of the flesh and of the mind” (Eph. 2:2-3), or you will live by faith under the control and power of the Holy Spirit. The choice, according to the Scriptures, is yours! And you will need to be very careful about your decision "if" you are to avoid being deceived like Adam and Eve.

If you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live {in the Kingdom-Life}. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. (Rom. 8:13-14 Emphasis added)

Which of these principles governs your behavior? Remember, there is a “form of godliness” that does not come from the “power” or authority of God. (2 Tim. 3:5) Therefore, we are not asking you about the degree of righteousness you have developed. The principle from which your behavior springs is what matters. Are you living by human effort, or are you living by the Spirit?

To help you answer this question, you should remember that the essence of sin is independence and self-sufficiency: “Everything that does not come from faith is sin.”
(Rom. 14:23) Are you totally surrendered to the Will of God and are you continually depending on Him to manifest His Life and works through you? Or, in your service to God, are you still independently directing your activities and living by your own human wisdom and efforts?

Every area of your life in which you have not learned to be wholly dependent on God is an area that still requires repentance. Are you still trying to become righteous through your own concerted efforts? You need to repent. Are there people you are still trying to change by ruling over them as the Gentiles do? You need to repent? As long as you are depending on human methods, human efforts and human wisdom to correct the world, you are not living by faith in God’s power or authority.