I do, but I also think it describes most of us Christians. There in lies America's problem. We don't want the demands of a holy lifestyle placed upon us. We want the freedom to enjoy that part of the world which we happen to like. Truly Christians have become lazy in their spiritual lives. Christians are constantly tempted to diminish and limit the influence of God in their lives because His demands are strident. God wants us to live holy lives. He has set the standard and He doesn't waver.
The Christian, it seems, doesn't want to stand for God's standards outside the crowd anymore. They want to be included with the world. Christians don't want to be known for their principles of morality when everyone else has none. It is a fact that when people, even Christian people, stop living holy lives for God, there is enormous public consequences. If we can throw God's standards away, and it seems we have, then we don't have to live by those standards and everything is permissible. That just isn't the way it is suppose to be for the Christian.
We have become a nation of people who refuse to deny ourselves anything. And we Christians, don't take seriously the matters of self-denial in our lives. Ours is not an age of unbelief. No, it is the age of arrogant gullibility. We are skeptical about many of the things we should believe, while we blindly accept many of the things we should question. This is especially true when it comes to spiritual matters. Christians won't deny themselves for the greater glory of God's Kingdom.
It seems that Christians are afraid to stand for Godly truth and refuse to live self-denying lives. Rather than upset someone else, we have accepted the lie that truth depends on our point of view. In other words, one person's truth is just as reliable as another's. But it just isn't so. There are absolutes that do not change, even if we don't like them.
It seems that Christians are afraid to stand for holiness. Integrity, honor, virtue, and self-denial are becoming increasingly rare, while cheating, lying, and self-satisfaction are becoming acceptable standards even within the Christian community.
We are a Christian nation that has lapsed from God's standards. We have disconnected from the Creator. And it started in His churches. Until His churches are willing to demand holy living by lives that are crucified to self, this nation will never return to God.
The greatest need in America is for Christians to start living crucified lives. Many have gone to the cross for salvation from the penalty of sin, but few stick around for deliverance from the domination of their old carnal nature. God promises not only deliverance from the penalty of sin but deliverance from the power of sin also. Too many Christians are not living on resurrected ground.
THE DOCTRINE OF SELF-CRUCIFIXION:
Christ taught a truth that many Christians have forgotten, or didn't know, or neglected to apply. Reading Romans 6:1-18 we see there must be death to one's self-life. We must be dead to sin! The old man (nature) is to have been put off. We are no longer to be a slave to sin. Sin is no longer to reign in us. We are to have no desire to sin, but a new desire to serve God. We have been released from sin's power.
To be dead to sin means that sin has no influence over us. Sin has lost its power over us. We are not subject to sin any more. We do not live in sin. It is absurd to suppose that Christians should desire to live in sin. It is impossible for those who are dead to act as if they were alive, but too many Christians do.
The Christian has been set free from the power of sin. "But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were entrusted. You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness."
(Romans 6:17-18 NIV).
You see until we Christians begin truly living this crucified life for God there isn't much hope. Until we start putting God first in our lives and self last then America is doomed and so is God's church.
And I mean more than just talking about putting God first. But actually putting God first. Taking time to meet together to worship, not when we want, but regularly and often. Taking time to talk with God, not quickly, but sincerely. Taking time to hear God in His Word, not once in a while but daily. Taking time to consider God's desire before we act, not only in crisis, but in all the things we do. Taking time to make sure that what we do and say are honoring to the kingdom of God and manifesting the name of Jesus. If we neglect any of these we are neglecting our spiritual life.
I mean cutting the flesh, disturbing the self-life, plucking out the carnal eye, and cutting off the offending hand (Matthew 18:8-9). If we refuse to do these things then sin will continue to reign in our lives.
I mean Christians denying themselves for the greater glory of God. When was the last time you refused to watch a TV show because it was immoral, even though no one would know but you? When was the last time you refused to tell a little lie of convenience because Christians don't lie? When was the last time you refused to laugh at a dirty joke when everyone else was laughing because God wouldn't approve? When was the last time you denied yourself some much needed pleasure and get away to attend worship service, because it is what God has asked us to do? When was the last time you stood for God's truths when everyone else wasn't, even though it cost you some popularity? If we don't make these kind of stands then we will compromise with the world and be easy prey for temptation.
I mean making a sacrifice for God's cause. When was the last time you denied self or sacrificed for God's kingdom? The only thing you and I take to heaven is what we have done for God's Kingdom. How much will you be taking with you to heaven? If we aren't willing to sacrifice for God's cause then we don't have a right to receive the ultimate sacrifice of Christ to cleanse us from our awful sins.
THIS ISN'T SINLESS PERFECTION:
Please don't misunderstand, I'm not talking about sinless perfection, for none of us can be perfect. But, I am talking about a moral destruction of the power of sin in our lives, not to a perfect state of living.
The Scriptures are clear in anticipating the committing of sin by all Christians in the unguarded moment. Everyone is tempted to sin, even the Christian. "When tempted, no one should say, 'God is tempting me.' For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He tempt anyone; but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death." (James 1:13-15 NIV).
On those occasions when we do fall we have this promise. "My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense -- Jesus Christ, the Righteous One" (I John 2:1 NIV).
Paul assures us he is not perfect, "not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me" (Philippians 3:12 NIV). But notice that he is trying, making the effort to press on toward the goal of honoring God with his life. Are we?
Since sin interrupts our walk with God, it is the exclusive duty of the Christian to confess the sins in order to maintain fellowship with the Lord. "But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, purifies us from all sin. If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we (Christians) confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make Him out to be a liar and His word has no place in our lives" (I John 1:7-10).
DENOUNCING SIN:
We are to live lives that sternly denounces the continued practice of sin as being inconsistent with the lifestyle of reborn believers in Christ. Do we? How can we who have been saved from sin, continue to practice sin? Sin should be abhorrent to the very nature of the Christian. Is it in your life? As Christians, we have renounced sin and pledged ourselves to live for God.
"But you know that He appeared so that He might take away our sins. And in Him is no sin. No one who lives in Him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen Him or known Him. Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. He who does what is right is righteous, just as He is righteous. He who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil's work. No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God's seed remains in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God" (I John 3:4-9).
These scriptures speak of crucifying the flesh. Putting self to death. The reason why Christians do not grow in grace, or become more effective witnesses for Christ is that we haven't put self to death. We are too busy enjoying the pleasures of self to spend time serving God.
"You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires;" (Ephesians 4:22 NIV).
"Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices" (Colossians 3:9 NIV).
God's Words says that God lives in the Christian. "For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that One died for all, and therefore all died. And He died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for Him who died for them and was raised again" (II Corinthians 5:14-15 NIV).
"I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me" (Galatians 2:20 NIV).
Because God lives in us, we are to renounce self, which is the seat of sin. If we don't deny self, then sin will continue to reign. It is the old "I" that "has been crucified with Christ". The old nature will rule if not continually put down.
God alone gives us the strength to act morally in an immoral world. God alone gives us the wisdom to act justly in an unjust world. God alone gives us the understanding to extend forgiveness in an unforgiving world. We won't do these things unless we deny self.
God cannot be separated from His followers. We who claim the name of Christ, must live lives that honor His name. What arrogance to believe that we can claim to be His and do as we please in the world. Do we really believe that God is going to shut His eyes and turn His back to our spiritual slothfulness?
We want God to say to us, "Well done, good and faithful servant" (Matthew 25:21). But how can He say that if we haven't been faithful? When we crucify our self, we will forsake indifference and "count (ourselves) to be dead to sin and alive to God". And we will "yield (our) members (both mentally and bodily: eyes, tongue, hands, feet, and all the parts of our human nature) as instruments of righteousness".
When we try to deal with sin we lose, every time. This is how most Christians are trying to live. But when we crucify self, we deal with Christ and He will deal with our sin and we will win, every time.
Isn't it time to deal with self? Isn't it time to live on resurrected ground? Isn't it time to be free from the power of sin? Isn't it time to live holy lives?
Deny self and glorify God! Not only today but everyday. Allow the Holy Spirit full control. Surrender every part of yourself to Jesus Christ. Is there hope for America? Yes. Is there hope for God's churches? Yes. But only if we Christians, will begin denying self for the greater glory of God!
(Preached by Pastor Glenn A. Hamer to the Woodville Baptist Church on July 30, 1996)
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