Father's Love: Old Self Crucified

As I worked with a ministry in the past for 7 1/2 years there would be much talk of your Old Self being dead and others who were learing their identity would talk about "dying to self".  I have to be perfectly honest all this talk about "dying to self" was not really inviting or encouraging because it seemed contrary to a God who is love and life.  In this ministry they would even talk about how God killed you (Old Self) to free you.  Again from a place in my heart and spirit this did not sit right, another part of me was offended and I know I missed some of the truth that would have helped me in my journey.

Then as I talked with someone who was stuck in the cycles of the flesh with anger, animosity, unbelief, and control I realized that the most loving thing Father could do was crucify this Old Self hiddeously married to sin.  Father was not after killing our True Selves (our identity made in His image and then united to Christ) but ridding us of the slavery of sin.  Romans 6:6-7 says, "knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; for he who has died is freed from sin."  I believe our issues, struggles, and difficulties come from the memory of our old self and then all our attempts to fix, change, or improve what is dead.

Freedom is not to work on the Old or even listening to the Old Self it is dead but to listen to the Spirit of Christ in us who is united to our New Self.  I woke up this morning realizing that I still often feel obligation to figure out my days and orchestrate everything.  Holy Spirit said to me, "whatever you (flesh) intiate you will likely feel responsible to keep going."  Father is inviting me into a place of upgrade to be led by His Spirit and the New Man at a whole new level, yet there is a tendency to feel bad about all the distrust, disobedience, and rebellion toward Him I have walked in.  Praise God the Old Man is dead, this Old Man was crucified and done away with.  I am a New Creation, a son of God, and a New Man who is learning to trust the Holy Spirit's leading in every area of life.

What if we were to begin every day with the truth of being New Creations, beloved sons and daughters of God, seated "in Christ" in heavenly places, royalty, and righteous?  Simply leaving all the Old behind and allowing it to stay dead.  Father's love freed us from the tyranny of being obligated to the flesh, we are now obligated to the New Creation we are "in Christ" daily seeing more of who we really are in Him.

Living out my true identity as a Beloved Son,
Bret