The born again Christian needs to know the identity they have in Christ. 2 Corinthians 5:17 says that we are new creatures in Christ, that the old has gone and the new has come.
Since we are new creatures, we have new appetites and desires. In our old life we had no desire for spiritual things (Eph 2:1-3) but now that we are alive in Christ our DNA is different (Eph 2:4-10).
If you are struggling to read your Bible, to pray, to fast or even to bear the fruit of rightoeusness the problem is not that you are not in Christ, rather it is that you have not put on your new identity (Rom 13:14; Eph 4:23-24; Col 3:9-10). You are still identifying with the old man that was crucified 2000 years ago (Rom 6:2-11; Gal 2:20-21; 5:23-24).
And since you are saved, your spiritual weakness or strength is not something that you are ignorant of. When you fail you know it. Deep down inside you do. But you feel stuck, maybe. And the more you make resolutions to be better the more you fail. Why?
Because the strength of sin is the Law (Rom 7:7-9; 1 Cor 15:56). We are not under the Law but under Grace (Rom 6:14). What does this mean? Law means that I work for God. Grace means that God works for me. Hebrews 4:3, 9-10 tells us that there is a rest for the people of God and few have entered it. To rest means that I give up completely on my abilities and I look to Christ to work in me that which is good (John 14:10; Eph 2:10; Phil 2:13).
It’s not a 50/50, 60/40 or 80/20 kind of a situation where you share responsibilities with the Holy Spirit, no. It’s all or nothing. Christ must have full control. And this is where trust comes in.
Believe what God’s Word says about you. Instead of calling yourself a sinner (I don’t care what it is, how many times you have succumbed to it or even if you are doing it right now!) identity yourself as the rightoeusness of God in Christ Jesus (2 Cor 5:21). Life and death is in the power of the tongue (Prov 18:21) and the Bible says that with the heart we believe and we are made rightoeus but with the mouth confession is made unto salvation (Rom 10:9-10). This applies to every area of our lives.
So, instead of making new resolutions to be a better Christian, look to Jesus to make you better. No where in the New Testament are we told to improve ourselves, rather we are told to believe and therefore change will come.
For example. Start confessing that because God has poured on you, the inhabitant of Jerusalem (spiritually speaking – Zech 12:10; Heb 12:22-24) the Spirit of grace and supplication that you pray without ceasing (1 Thess 5:17). Say it audibly, even where there is no evidence because the pressure to perform or act is on Christ. If you feel the press then you are law conscious (looking to self) and what you need to do is recalibrate your mind by the Word of God.
Then, practically start talking to God. Be realistic with yourself. Donโt make a resolution to pray everyday for 3 hours. If you pray for 5 minutes, God understands and He loves that. His love and affection for you is not performance based because it’s unconditional (Jer 31:3; Rom 5:8). It’s based entirely on Christ’s finsihed work for you. Pray consistently for 5 minutes and after 2 weeks you will see a definite change. And the same principle can be applied in your Bible study. Read a verse a day if that’s where you are but be consistent and you will see growth and change. The same is with fasting. Don’t say you’ll fast for 40 days and night (loool), rather begin by skipping a meal and praying during that period and you will eventually grow in that spiritual discipline too.
Whenever you fail to do these things, don’t condemn yourself because God doesn’t condemn you (Rom 8:1-2). Condemnation kills (2 Cor 3:3-17) but the Spirit gives (imparts) life. When you miss it, you have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory but REMEBER that Christ is in you, the hope of glory!
When you became born againย you looked to Christ on the Cross to save you from sin. Don’t stop there. Now that you are saved look to Christ within to make you more and more like Him (1 Cor 3:16; 6:19; 2 Cor 6:16 Eph 3:17).
Do this practically by saying (especially when you sense and see sin, defeat, failure etc) that “Because Christ is in me I am so and so.” Get a Bible verse that confirms your confession and openly speak it instead of calling yourself a failure. Be patient with yourself. God has been with you and will continue to do so. Sooner or later, change will come.
I must be honest with you and say that this may take a while to come into effect. So don’t rush things. Be consistent with the little (the emphasis being on Christ to do it) and you will eventually get to where you desire to be spiritually.
God bless you ๐
Ben-David Ministries 