DEATH TO SELF AND FLESH.

 Text :- Matthew 10:36-39 & John 12: 20-26.

 Happy New Year Eve to you all.  I pray that as you read may the Lord open your eyes to understand and to get the right information from this writings in Jesus Name..... Amen. 

We are going to be looking at the Word Death- Dead the past tense of the word in general , in a lay man view and understanding of the Word. 

DEAD- means - no longer alive , or rather not alive. It also means Deceased, Expired, Departed, Gone, No More. The word Self means the type of person you are, especially the way you Normally behave or a person's personality or character that makes them different from other people.

What Does It Mean To Be Dead To Self? 

Dead to self means- No longer alive in the way you normally behave or no more living in a personality or character that makes you different from other people.

In the Bible, we understand that the Word Dead means Freedom and the Word Self(Flesh) means Law. If you are living the law you are still under Sin. LAW = SIN. 

In understanding death to self we all need to understand that one who has died has been set free from sin. This simply means freedom from the law of sin. Now, the only way a creature can be separated from the Creator is through sin. Sin is what defiles a Man from the Presence of GOD. In the beginning of the creation of the World (Genesis1:26&27) when Adam was Created in the Image and After the Likeness of God, ( See Genesis 2:7-9) when God fulfill what was spoken by Him in (Genesis 1:26&27) God created a Man named Adam and Adam was kept in the Garden of Eden( Presence Of God). God gave adam everything that was in the garden, except the tree of Knowledge of good and evil (see Genesis 2:15-17).  In verse 21 of that same chapter God created a helper (wife, partner) for adam and placed her with adam. Adam told his helper all what God told him the things to eat and what not to eat. But in Chapter 3 of Genesis Adam and his helper Eve was tempted by the serpent( Satan) (See Genesis 3:1-11) and Adam and Eve sin against God by eating the tree of Knowledge of good and evil and their eyes were opened. God knew and immediately God placed the Cherubim with a flaming Sword which turned to every way, to guard the tree of Life ( Immortality).(See Genesis 3:22-24) And God drove them From the Garden of Eden because Adam and Eve was defiled by Sin. Holiness being a Virtue of GOD drove Adam and Eve from His presence and were never allowed to enter. We see that it was Sin that defiles Adam and Eve from staying in the Garden of Eden. And we descendants of Adam and Eve must be free from the Law of Sin. 

It's true that left to our own devices we are all doomed to struggle unsuccessfully against our sinful tendencies. That's because before we can ever hope to be "dead to sin" all of us are born " dead in Sin" we are conceived as a sinner born to sin right from our mother's womb( see Psalms 51:5). Paul the Apostle of Jesus writes in Ephesians 2:1 "And you [He made alive], when you were dead (slain) by [your] trespasses and sins". He made you alive even when you were in Sin". Of course Paul the Apostle doesn't mean Rather, the life of a person who hasn't experience new life in Christ is characterized by Spiritual death.

What Does It Mean Be Spiritual death? It means Not in the Spirit. It also  Spirit deceased. God is a Spirit and a true worshipers of God shall worship God in Spirit and in Truth. But when you are Spiritually dead, you cannot worship God. Romans 8:8 "Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God." Wow as simple as 123, God tell us His mind already those who re in the realm of the Flesh, Realm of Sin cannot please God. In Nigeria we normally say Church Mind meaning the real fact, being realistic, so God being realistic said, those who re in the realm of the Flesh those who are in the Law of Sin cannot please God. So we have to be in the Realm of the Spirit, Spiritually Alive in order to Please God. Those who are Spiritually dead cannot please God, that person is separated from God's Salvation. But it's also means that it's impossible for that person to produce Spiritual fruits, to show signs of Life. The scripture says that this he who doesn't bears forth fruits will be cut off on the Last day. Imagine such a person as a dead branch broken down from a tree in a storm. Where does it lies on the ground separated from its source of nourishment ( which is GOD), it will never again produce tender buds or green leaves o r sweet fruits. 

The only way such a person could be free is by Denial from the Flesh, Death to self and law of Sin. Matthew 10:38 says "And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me." The scripture is talk about taking your own cross daily not monthly but daily cross, daily repentance. The cross is the place where you can be set free from Sins. The cross is the place of repentance. Where you ask for mercies and forgiveness of Sin to gain Salvation. Put your body understand Subjection in order to be free. Romans 6:7 "For one who has died has been set free from sin." Death leads to Freedom from the Law of Sins 

How to be Free From The Law Of Sin.        

(Romans 5)talks about New life in Christ Jesus after self death from  the Flesh. To attain new life you must and need to Denial the Flesh. In that same chapter of Romans 5:8 :"But God  commended his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." God demonstrate His love for us even when we are still sinners He died for us. While we re yet Sinners. God is Good, while we are yet Sinners. The word yet means something that has not yet happened but that you expect to happen. Even when you were still sinning Christ has died for you. CHRIST has paid the Price of Death for us, He died on the Cross of Calvary for our redemption and freedom from the Law of Sin. He died for us, not for me, nor for the Christians, not only for the Church, not only for the Sinners, not only for the Nation but for us all for Everyone. Matthew 9:13 "But go ye and learn what that means, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance." Jesus came not only to eat with the Righteous but also with the Sinners. He came to call the Sinners and righteous into righteousness.  Romans 5:12 "Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:" By one Man Sin came and by one Man freedom came through Death. Now the only way we can be free and find liberation from Sin is through death. Death is the only way a man can be set Free from the Law and Sin. Death is the Cross. For anyone who has died to the cross has been set free from Sin. You have to die to the cross in order to be set free from the Law of Sin. The cross is where you are free, where you're redeemed from sin and where you are qualify to be called Sons of God ( see John 1:12) when you have received Jesus to be your saviour.  Matthew 10:38 "And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me". if you don't take up your cross and follow Jesus then you're not worthy of Jesus (Eternal life). The cross is where you say Lord have mercy, Lord be my SAVIOUR, I accept you to be my Lord and SAVIOUR. The CROSS is a place of Mercy to seek forgiveness from Sin. The Cross is where you empty up all your heart, Everything to JESUS, your heart, your Soul, Conscious and Subconscious Mind to JESUS then He take over and redeem you from Sin. 

JOHN 12:24 says "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit." Death self death leads to Victory and redemption. You have to die to the cross in order to bear much fruits in the Kingdom. Unless you pay the price, you can't win the price. As long as you don't pay the price of repentance you can't win the price of salvation in Christ Jesus. Reckon yourselves dead to the things of this world in order to be alive in Christ. When you pay the price you get the gift of the HOLY SPIRIT. The Holy Spirit bears witness with our Spirit (Romans 8:6).  Kathryn Kulman  said, God can give you everything more than what she possess if only you pay the Price. You have to pay the price in order  to be fill with the Holy Ghost. Galatians 6:5 "For each will have to bear his own load" .Each man will have to carry his own load. You have to pay the price in order to be free from the law of sin that you may win the price of eternal Life through Christ Jesus.  

 Brethren, my brother and sisters 2CORINTHIANS 13:5 "Examine yourselves,whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates? God is calling you, in order to survive to the very end until when Jesus come you have to pay the price in order to gain Salvation in Christ.  Rapture is Coming Jesus is Coming Very Soon. If you haven't pay the price and you haven't accepted Jesus As your Lord and Personal Saviour, Jesus is calling you now the honour for the Son of Man to be Glorified... If you want to accept Jesus to he your Saviour say this confession with the Whole of your Being (HEART) even for those who have given their lives to Christ but re not sure of getting Eternal life Say this Confession with your Heart " Lord Jesus I know that am a Sinner, I believe that you died on the cross of Calvary for our sins for us to be redeemed, I accept you to be my Lord and Personal Saviour wash me and accept me as your own, make me whole again write my name in the book of Life and cancel my name from the law of sin, in Jesus Name.... Amen  Father may you accept those who have sinned, forgive them their sins and their evil ways O LORD accept them to your Kingdom and now they are your own your Sons and your Daughters in Jesus Name..... Amen.. 

Jesus Loves you. God Bless You. Jesus is Coming Very Soon. Stay Safe And PREPARE... Thanks for your time....