That Old Self

That Old Self
Words of Faith 8-26-2021
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy © 2021
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
Faith Fellowship Church - Melbourne, FL
www.faithfellowshipweb.com
<>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <><<><

Romans 6
    [5] If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection. [6] For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin‑‑ [7] because anyone who has died has been freed from sin.

    If my old self was crucified, why does he keep bothering me?
    Ever feel that way? We can come to the place where we say-- I know the theological truth that I have been united with Jesus in His death and will certainly be united with Him in the resurrection. I know that if I die tonight, I will live for eternity with Him. But that old self can be quite bothersome! The old self doesn't seem to be aware of his demise! Could someone please tell him?
     Actually, it may almost be that simple. Paul writes that we know that our old self was crucified with Him so that the body of sin MIGHT be done away with, that we SHOULD no longer be slaves to sin. That is quite different from saying the body of sin HAS BEEN done away with, that we WOULD no longer be slaves to sin. The work of Christ makes freedom possible, but we must receive that freedom, declare that freedom, and choose to walk in that freedom.

     Freedom from sin comes from the power of grace and an act of faith. Just as we are saved by faith, trusting wholly in the truth of His justifying work on the cross, so also, we must exercise faith to be free from the power of sin in our lives. By faith, we must trust wholly that our old self was crucified with Him and has no power in our lives. By faith, we must trust that the old self has died and we are indeed free from sin.
    The more we confess with our mouth something else, the more enslaved we are likely to become. If we say we "can't help ourselves" or that "we cannot resist the temptation," we are confessing a lie. The only power the old self has over us is the power we give it.  
    So here is the truth. It is worth saying out loud:  
    By faith, I receive this truth. I have been united with Christ, and I am like Him in his death. I will certainly be united with him in his resurrection. I know that my old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that I should no longer be a slave to sin.  My old self died, and I am freed from sin.  My old self has no power over me.  I am free.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

<>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <><
© Jeffrey D. Hoy 2021
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy - Faith Fellowship Church (EFCA)        
2820 Business Center Blvd.
Melbourne, Florida 32940 (321)-259-7200
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
SUBSCRIPTIONS - To receive the Words of Faith devotion five days a week, send an e-mail message addressed to join-words-of-faith@hub.xc.org. To stop receiving Words of Faith, send an e-mail message addressed to unsubscribe-words-of-faith@hub.xc.org. The daily devotion and archive are posted at http://www.faithfellowshipweb.com/cgi-bin/devotions/displayMonths.cgi
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -      
The Words of Faith devotion is published five days a week by E-mail, excluding Federal holidays. Please feel free to forward this devotion to a friend who might be blessed by this devotion. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is quoted from the New International Version (R) of The Holy Bible. Copyright (c) 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. Words of Faith (c) 1997, 2021 Jeffrey D. Hoy. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to forward this copyrighted material or use portions of it with appropriate notation of the source for non-profit purposes.