As I continue
from last week’s letter, I want to reiterate the importance of knowing the
judicial aspects of justification and redemption. Satan’s utter defeat at the death of Yeshua
and our identity with that death is the key to victory and to spiritual
maturity.
Paul, using
himself as an example of the conflict which rages with Satan and the powers of
darkness, writes: “For the good that I will to do, I do not do;
but the evil I will not to do, that I practice. Now if I do what I will not to do, it is
no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me” (Romans 7:19-20 emphasis
added). How could the apostle state so
categorically, that “it is no longer I”?
Was this some kind of an excuse, so as to avoid taking responsibility for
dealing with his problems? Certainly not!
Paul believed beyond a shadow of doubt in what happened to his “old self” just
as he taught in the following: "I
have been crucified with Messiah; it is no longer I who live, but Messiah lives
in me…” (Galatians 2:20), and “For I/you died, and my/your
life is hidden with Messiah in Elohim…” (Colossians 3:3). How shall we who died to sin live any
longer in it? Or do you not know that as
many of us as were immersed into Messiah Yeshua were immersed into His death?
(Romans 6:2-3). “Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead
indeed to sin, but alive to Elohim in Messiah Yeshua our Lord (Romans
6:11).
Many believers
find themselves in a quandary, or worse, about the “sin that dwells within.” The key to understanding “sin” is hidden in the
word “dwells.” Inanimate objects do not inhabit a room, a house, or for that
matter a person. Thus sin must be a living entity. If that is the case, then we
can only approach sin according to YHVH’s definition. Paul’s revelation insight and approach to
dealing with sin was based upon his understanding of the Torah of Moses. Although
he had stated that we are no longer “under law” (ref. Galatians 5:18) he
did not say that we were lawless either. In view of all the above quoted scriptures,
one must read the following carefully: “I find then a law, that evil is
present with me, the one who wills to do good.
For I delight in the law of Elohim according to the inward
man. But I see another law in my
members [flesh], warring against the law [law of Elohim in my mind]
of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in
my members [flesh]. O wretched
man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? I thank Elohim -- through Messiah Yeshua our Lord!
So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of Elohim, but with the
flesh the law of sin” (Romans 7:21-25 emphases added). This demonstrates the fact that in every
believer at least two laws are at work:
The law of Elohim in the mind of the inner man, and the law of sin in
the flesh.
Let us view
the above scriptural references in a judicial light, as a permanent reality for
all those who believe, that “if One died for all, then all
died; and He died for all… Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the
flesh” (2
Corinthians 5:14, 16), especially ourselves. Only by the obedience of faith can we enter
into such certainty of total victory.
But let’s see how this is accomplished on a day to day basis. Paul declared: “I thank Elohim -- through Yeshua
our Lord! So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of Elohim…” (Romans
7:25). What is this law of Elohim
that works through Yeshua?
We hear it
expressed that we are to “die daily,” but we are unable to accomplish that
without an understanding of these judicial principles of redemption. Paul coined that little phrase (“die daily”) which
is mentioned in 1 Corinthians 15:31, but did not explain it fully until he
wrote the second letter to the believers of Corinth
The above
quote is a very radical statement. What the apostle is actually saying is that
the dying of Yeshua is a present tense reality for the believer. As we embrace this truth/law we are in
essence “dying daily” to the flesh and at the same time rendering the power of
Satan of no effect. The demonic spirits
know what the dying and death of the Messiah means judicially. Remember, the principalities and powers
represent the spirits of darkness and its nature. However, when we believe and apply the truth
of the gospel, the life and light of Yeshua will be made manifest in and
through our “mortal bodies.” So
what happens to the darkness when the lights are turned on? “For it is Elohim who commanded light to
shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the
knowledge of the glory of Elohim in the
face of Yeshua the Messiah” (2 Corinthians 4:6).
“For if
anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer (being the manifested nature of the Word),
he is like a man observing his face in a
mirror; for he observes himself, goes
away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was” (James 1:23-24
emphasis added). Since we have
died and are now looking into the mirror, who should we actually see? We should be seeing a new creation being,
a “son of Elohim” who looks just like his heavenly Father. We should be
looking into the face of Yeshua, but the problem arises when we walk away from
His image and do not remember what we look like. Yeshua is our righteousness (the fruit of the
Spirit), thus we too have the same image.
But in order to be the manifestation of Elohim’s righteousness in
Yeshua, we have to adhere to and practice obedience to the law of Elohim called
“the dying of Yeshua.” Only in this way, that is - by recognizing
and taking hold of this reality and living it out, will the life and nature of Messiah
mature in us unto victory over the forces of darkness, the flesh and the “law
of sin and death.” “So speak and so do as those who
will be judged by the law of liberty” (James 2:12).
No comments:
Post a Comment