Crucifying the Flesh

Since I talk so much about crucifying the flesh I thought I would expound upon it a bit. When we come to Christ, we are saved by His shed blood and allowed access into the family of God through His mercy and grace. It has absolutely nothing to do with how good or deserving we may be. The fact of the matter is none of us are deserving of the death of the Son of God. Once we are saved, He begins a process of transforming us into the image of Christ. 

None of us have arrived and if we are yielded to the process we all become a work in progress. He is so gracious to reveal, layer by layer, areas that are stifling our growth and He calls us to walk in freedom from the snares that have entangled us. As he reveals these weaknesses in our character, He doesn't just pull them out but requires us, with His help, to crucify our flesh. So how do we crucify it in specific areas?  If it's pride, He may allow someone else to get the recognition for something you have accomplished. The natural reaction would be to let others know that this was our accomplishment or idea not theirs but in order to die to our pride we must sacrifice our “rights” and trust God as our vindicator. As our flesh begins screaming for recognition, we get away into His presence and tell Him all the things that we are dying to tell others and if He is the only one that ever knows what we’ve done… it must become enough. 

When you are crucifying your flesh to arguing you must excuse yourself when you feel that anger rising, take your thoughts captive, enter into His presence, and pour out your heart to Him till you're calm and your peace is restored. The same process goes for anything that has control over our mind, actions, and emotions. When God is calling you up higher, he will require you to shed more baggage so He will reveal the areas He's desiring to work on. It's usually revealed through circumstances that expose flaws in our character. The only way to deliverance is to replace indulging in our weakness with the presence of God, crying out to Him to replace our character with His as we die to our passions, desires, or weaknesses. 

It really is a battle and death to our flesh but things you die to will gradually lose control over you and eventually you will become free in those areas. It’s painful but so worth it. As more of our flesh is crucified more of God's Spirit will be revealed in and through us. 

John 3:30 (KJV) He must increase, but I must decrease.

Galatians 3:20 (KJV)  I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

Galatians 5:22-24 (KJV)  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.

1 Corinthians 15:31 (KJV) I protest by your rejoicing which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.

Romans 8:29 (KJV) For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.