WE DIE - HE LIVES
23rd Mar 2016
Paul was on his way to kill those he considered to be heretics. He was obsessed with obliterating any who followed Jesus. On the way to Damascus, in the middle of the day he met the Risen Jesus in all His glory and majesty. He describes this encounter to King Agrippa in Acts chapter 26, how he hears and sees the resurrected, majestic Son of God and is changed forever.
Nothing matters now except the desire to tell everyone that would listen that Jesus is alive. Paul had sought to find favour with God through His learning, his upholding of the Jewish law, through self-discipline and hard work. But now he realises that self effort is over, and as he yields the control of his life to Jesus, invites Him to inhabit his body and live in him and through him, peace comes, striving ceases and He begins to be led by the Spirit of Jesus, and now begins to really live!
In Galatians 2:20 Paul writes, “What actually took place is this: I tried keeping rules and working my head off to please God, and it didn’t work. So I quit being a “law man” so that I could be God’s man. Christ’s life showed me how, and enabled me to do it. I identified myself completely with him. Indeed, I have been crucified with Christ. My ego is no longer central. It is no longer important that I appear righteous before you or have your good opinion, and I am no longer driven to impress God. Christ lives in me. The life you see me living is not “mine,” but it is lived by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I am not going to go back on that.”
I struggled for years with the issue of self-control, recognising my volatility was ungodly. I tried so hard to come to terms with this negative behaviour and always failed to eradicate it until I realised it was not more self control I needed, but more of the Risen Jesus and more Holy Spirit, who as He lived in me would bear the fruit of self control.
Less trying harder and more putting to death the old Joyce and allowing the life of Jesus to break through. It seemed too easy, and yet it worked - little by little His life took over and the failure, shame and disappointment with myself became a thing of the past.
It’s new life Jesus offers, not an improvement of the old, but an exchange. We die, He lives - He died so we can live; and live as He intended with the life of God restored in us.
by Joyce Sibthorpe
