+DEV+ Discipline The King Gives

Date: February 12, 2013 10:55 PM
Topic: +DEV+  Discipline The King Gives

Discipline The King Gives

"But the fruit of the Spirit is... self-control... Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires." (Galatians 5:22-24)
Scripture Focus: Romans 6:1-14

This verse used to puzzle me. How could I have crucified my sinful nature when it still seemed to be alive and kicking? Had I missed out on some crucial experience? Why was self-control so elusive for me?

Then I noticed Romans 6:8. "We died with Christ." Jesus took my sinful nature up to the cross and crucified it for me. We cannot exercise self-control over our "sinful nature." What I was unable to do, He did. The Galatians verse is not highlighting something we haven't done; it is reminding us of what Jesus has already done for us. Because of Him, we count that nature as dead.

In a recent TV program, some older people who had lost some of their previous abilities were challenged to think that they were 45 years old again. They did seem to act younger for a while and to recapture some youth. But our "counting ourselves dead to sin" is different than just determined thinking. This is no self-help philosophy. It is based on an objective reality: that Christ, our Maker and Friend, died for us.

Insight: Are you unable to exercise self-control? It is a gift of the Holy Spirit. Ask, and He will make it a reality in your life.




Please feel free to use this devotional to send on to your friends or share with your church fellowship and Bible study groups.