There are two different deaths predominantly talked about in Scripture. There's the physical death that needs no explanation. And there's the spiritual death that the Apostle Paul talks about in Galatians 2:20 TPT:
“My old identity has been co-crucified with Messiah and no longer lives; for the nails of His cross crucified me with Him. And now the essence of this new life is no longer mine, for the Anointed One lives His life through me—we live in union as one! My new life is empowered by the faith of the Son of God who loves me so much that He gave himself for me, and dispenses His life into mine!
Last week I went to my friend Tiffany Jones' shop Beautiful You Boutique in Scottsville to work on some business/marketing work with her one afternoon I was off from my day job. We ended up just talking about Jesus, which was great and helped us both I think. She said something that I'm still meditating on. Tiffany said: "If you're constantly in the grave, what is death going to bring back to life?" Isn't that good. She helped me realize that there is a third kind of dying. The kind of dying that our flesh wants to wallow around in. What I'm talking about is sin and junk that we hang on so tightly to and continue to battle over. My major problem areas are grief, rejection, loneliness, codependency, and depression/anxiety. I'm sure you have major problem areas of your own, even if they are not the same as mine. It does not remember what it looks like, the point is that we've all got junk.
Really, the majority of our junk is not our fault. Some things attached themselves to us through circumstances, heredity, environment, etc. Some of our junk is things that were done to us that developed in us negative habits and actions. Some of our junk is just stuff that our parents passed down to us that we do not even realize we are carrying. Ephesians 2:1-6 TPT talks about the junk as a past thing:
"And His fullness fills you, even though you were once like corpses, dead in your sins and offenses. It wasn’t that long ago that you lived in the religion, customs, and values of this world, obeying the dark ruler of the earthly realm who fills the atmosphere with his authority, and works diligently in the hearts of those who are disobedient to the truth of God. The corruption that was in us from birth was expressed through the deeds and desires of our self - life. We lived by whatever natural cravings and thoughts our minds dictated, living as rebellious children subject to God’s wrath like everyone else. But God still loved us with such great love. He is so rich in compassion and mercy. Even when we were dead and doomed in our many sins, He united us into the very life of Christ and saved us by His wonderful grace! He raised us up with Christ the exalted One, and we ascended with Him into the glorious perfection and authority of the heavenly realm, for we are now co-seated as one with Christ!"
There comes a point in all of our lives where dying is a choice. Dying to our sins, our flesh, and all the things that weigh us down and trip us up is a choice. That is a reality many people choose not to recognize. The victim/orphan mentality is a huge problem in the world today, and in the church today - in my opinion. Myself included. God has shown me things in myself where I have allowed an orphan spirit or a victim mentality to have control in some areas of my life and He continually has to keep correcting me and keeping me straight. He corrects those He loves.
When God in His perfect grace chooses us and saves us and re-births us, the old creation is gone. It's forgotten as the East is from the West. That's what the Word says. The me that was in the past is not the me that sits at this computer at the Hope Center for Women and writes this blog today?
So why are we living lives content to still live in graves? Remember what Tiffany said, "If you're constantly in the grave, what is death going to bring back to life?"
Jesus died for you. He died for me. Every negative thing - sin, sickness, disease, condemnation, guilt, grief, depression, pain, anxiety, etc - is a defeated force. The things are a part of the finished work of Jesus on the cross.
So why are we content to keep dwelling in the graves of our lives?
Why do we continue to live in things that Jesus died to set us free from? Why do I continue to battle the same things I have battled for years?
Jesus, help us to better live lives that walk in the fullness of the freedom you have called us to. Help us to have eyes to see the areas in our lives where we are still dwelling in graves that your Spirit does not live in. Give us Your power to fully strip away those things that hinder us so we can dance with you like You want us to do. Even when we do not feel it, show us that we begin to walk this out in faith and trust You that our emotions will catch up to us. He is so faithful.
Death and resurrection cannot exist within the same vessel. One of the other will always be a dominating force.
