Romans 8: 1 - 4, There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. NKJV
Paul was having a great day in the Holy Spirit when he wrote these passages on freedom in Christ. When Jesus came to earth, it was to save us from our sin, not to condemn us. If we have accepted Christ as Savior, we have been born again. However, we were born the first time as sinners, and as a result, we still have some residue from our old flesh nature that spills over into our new lives. When we have a sin conscious, it makes us feel guilty; and when our flesh nature gets into the mix, it makes us feel unworthy or less-than.
If we struggle with FEELINGS of unworthiness, and we're in need of a touch from God, the unworthiness can be a stumbling block to us receiving our answer. Therefore, we must overcome any feelings of guilt and/or unworthiness so that we can freely receive what Jesus has already paid in full for us to have. It's just a matter of us being able to receive the love of God into our hearts.
It's time we get past the old mindsets of the sin and flesh nature and begin to walk in, and declare our new identity in Christ. If we are in Christ, then we are a brand-new creature in Him; old things must now pass away, and this includes feelings of inadequacy. We all have weaknesses and blind spots that the enemy of our soul will try to hold over us. Nonetheless, if we look to Jesus and realize that it's not Him condemning us, it is our old man who is accusing us; we can overcome and receive spiritual freedom.
The best and quickest way to grow past any negative feelings or weaknesses of the flesh nature is to be certain that we are living according to the Spirit and not according to the dictates and desires of our flesh nature. We can overcome the flesh nature daily through our obedience to the Holy Spirit. Once our obedience is matured, we will have confidence over the voices of the flesh nature and begin to enjoy our new-found freedom in Christ. (The key is being persistent and consistent until we get the breakthrough that we need to silence the lies of the enemy.)
If this word describes you, and you have struggled to walk in the freedom of Christ as a child of God, then start practicing your liberty in Christ today. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you any areas in your life where your flesh has control instead of God. When you have identified these areas, then you can begin the process of crucifying the flesh through obedience... until condemnation is no more. You can do this! Christ will give you the strength to face any fear, guilt, or shame that may stand in the way of you walking in total freedom.
Walking It Out,
Pastor Asa Dockery
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