Callistus Ike
Understanding Your Spirit Life!
Part 2
The Body.
As touching our bodies, the word encourages us to submit it to God as a living sacrifice.
Romans 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
Please note that it’s referred to as’ a living sacrifice not a dead sacrifice. That calls for perpertual vigilance in our everyday living. We mustn’t come to the point where we surrenders our life to sensualities.
Romans 6:5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: 6:6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.
Again, note that you are the one to submit your body which expresses its natural inclinations through our five senses. We can’t afford to allow our bodies run amok! You and I have got the responsibility to present it as a living sacrifice unto God knowing fully well that left unchecked, our bodies has the tendencies to spiral out of control.
That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour.
1 Thess.4:4.
This is how the Amplified renders it: AMP:That each one of you should know how to possess (control, manage) his own body in consecration (purity, separated from things profane) and honor.
Since Paul understood the erratic nature of our flesh he declared thus: But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway. 1 Cor. 9:27.
Romans 6:11 Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. 6:12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. 6:13 Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. 6:14 For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.
Until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory. Eph.1:14, we all need to be on guard as to the activities of our flesh. No one is an expert on this hence the scriptures admonishes us:
LotWherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall. 1 Cor. 10:12.
The more we develop and live in the consciousness of who we are in Christ, the more we lose taste for worldliness and it’s attendant vices. Light and darkness has no meeting point! We are the light of the world. Without you, this world will grope in darkness. Light your world today!
It’s important to note that no believer has a sin problem if they will realize the dept and privileges of Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection!
We don’t struggle to live for Christ, that is who we are. Christ is our life. Col.3:4. We’ve been crucified with Christ and the life we live now, we live by the faith of Christ.
Galatians 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I nwrnq,ow live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
We don’t have a separate life but His.
Colossians 1:20 Not only that, but all the broken and dislocated pieces of the universe – people and things, animals and atoms – get properly fixed and fit together in vibrant harmonies, all because of his death, his blood that poured down from the Cross.
Colossians 1:21 You yourselves are a case study of what he does. At one time you all had your backs turned to God, thinking rebellious thoughts of him, giving him trouble every chance you got.
Colossians 1:22 But now, by giving himself completely at the Cross, actually dying for you, Christ brought you over to God’s side and put your lives together, whole and holy in his presence.
Colossians 1:23 You don’t walk away from a gift like that! You stay grounded and steady in that bond of trust, constantly tuned in to the Message, careful not to be distracted or diverted. There is no other Message – just this one. Every creature under heaven gets this same Message. I, Paul, am a messenger of this Message.(MSG)
But I say, walk and live [habitually] in the [Holy] Spirit [responsive to and controlled and guided by the Spirit]; then you will certainly not gratify the cravings and desires of the flesh (of human nature without God). Gal.5:16 AMP
