The Seed Blog: Cut the Cord Already!

A few Wednesday's ago... With a strong notion from God...We changed from the Wednesday Night Bible Study...To bring the first part of what was to be...One of the most powerful mini-series I've ever studied personally...Bringing us back to the very roots...Of what it means to Accept... And Live for... Jesus Christ! A Study that kind of made me "Wipe the board clean"...From all that we usually think about Living for Christ...And with a fresh... Biblical... Tradition-challenging Foundat [...]

A few Wednesday's ago... With a strong notion from God...We changed from the Wednesday Night Bible Study...To bring the first part of what was to be...One of the most powerful mini-series I've ever studied personally...Bringing us back to the very roots...Of what it means to Accept... And Live for... Jesus Christ!
 
A Study that kind of made me "Wipe the board clean"...From all that we usually think about Living for Christ...And with a fresh... Biblical... Tradition-challenging Foundation!
 
We cannot retrace all of the incredible Truths...We have covered thus far... So PLEASE... Go back to Wednesday before last... October 26, 2022...And to last Sunday... October 30, 2022...And get this Study in it's entirety!
We have learned that "Accepting Christ as Our Lord"...Is NOT simply asking Him to save your soul...Then going about life, "Business as usual"...With a new addition to your life!
 
It is truly seeing WHY…Your heart, your ways, and your life...Are so destructive to God, others and yourself...And trusting and wanting HIS WAYS of Love so much...
That you TOTALLY CHANGE your mind and heart about LIFE! Because you Love, Trust and Want HIM... His Ways... More!
 
That means...
 
YOU REPENT OF YOUR OLD WAYS THAT WERE SO TERRIBLE...
IT COST THE LIFE OF JESUS CHRIST TO TAKE THEM AWAY!
 
And DIE TO THOSE WAYS AND WANTS OF THIS WORLD...
 
Not just clean them up a bit... And hold onto them!
You decide you don't want them anymore...
 
You don’t just add Jesus to your plans...
- You decide... His are BETTER...
- So you do away with your plans...
- And embrace His!
 
Reborn... Raised In His Likeness! 
THIS… Is where MOST Christians stumble and stop! Because they DIDN’T have a real desire for Christ and His Love...Over this world...  They just wanted security and blessings!
 
Those who DO TRULY WANT CHRIST... And NOT just a ticket or a blessing!
If we do DIE to SELF...
 
The next step... COMPLETELY CHANGES EVERYTHING! (TITLE)
 
Romans 6:3-4 (HCSB)
3  Or are you unaware that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? 4  Therefore we were buried with Him by baptism into death, IN ORDER THAT, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too may walk in a new way of life.
 
Colossians 2:12-13 (HCSB)
12  Having been buried with Him in baptism, you were also raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead. 13  And when you were dead in trespasses and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive with Him and forgave us all our trespasses.
 
John 3:3-6 (HCSB)
3  Jesus replied, “I assure you: Unless someone is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” 4  “But how can anyone be born when he is old?” Nicodemus asked Him. “Can he enter his mother’s womb a second time and be born?” 5  Jesus answered, “I assure you: Unless someone is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6  Whatever is born of the flesh is flesh, and whatever is born of the Spirit is spirit.
 
Ephesians 4:22-24 (HCSB)
22  You took off your former way of life, the old self that is corrupted by deceitful desires; 23  you are being renewed in the spirit of your minds; 24  you put on the new self, the one created according to God’s likeness in righteousness and purity of the truth. (GET THAT?!)
 
These Scriptures... And many, many others...Say that we Spiritually, mentally, emotionally...LEAVE EVERYTHING BEHIND...AND ARE MADE NEW THROUGH CHRIST IN EVERY WAY...IN HIS SPIRIT AND WORD! 
 
IN “HIS” LIKENESS!! THAT… IS NOT A SMALL CHANGE! THAT IS NOT AN INSTANT, UNINTENTIONAL CHANGE! THAT... IS A CHOICE… OF WILL, WORK AND WAY! IN COMPLETE LOVE AND ACCEPTANCE OF HIM!
 
The New You! 
Many of the character & personality traits that you and I have today...That make up who we are... How we react... How we think...Many "not so good" ones...
Many hurtful and self-destructive ones...Have come from our natural, worldly way...Of dealing with... And defending ourselves against...Pain... Abuse... Wrongs suffered... Worry... Pressure... Lack of self-worth... Lack of self-identity... Need for acceptance...Sometimes through natural, fleshly instincts...Sometimes through the examples we see and live with...Sometimes through the worldly ways we are taught...By expectation and cultural influence!
 
These Scriptures tell us that...RISING AGAIN with Christ... As a New Creature...
Means we... "
 
Walk in a new way of life!"
We are, "Made alive in Him!"
We are "born again" as new creatures!
We "took off our former ways"...
And "put on a new self"...
 
HOW? Through the "renewing of our spirits in our minds!" We are new people… “CREATED ACCORDING TO HIS LIKENESS!”
 
That represents a lot of change!!! Have YOU changed?! These Scriptures talk of our self-identity, our reactions, our motives...All changing completely... Based upon who we are in Christ now! Let's get very real and practical...And start with THIS...How many here have chosen to die to self...And be risen again as a "New Creature" in Christ?
 
New Birth... Dying to this life...And being born new in Christ...

MEANS:
 
ONE: You are NOT a sinner anymore!
You will fall to sin... In moments of weakness...
You will not want or pursue sin over God anymore!
Because you see the effects... Because you trust God more!
STOP crying victim… Stop saying you can’t help it…
START loving and believing in HIM enough to change!!
 
Romans 6:11-13 (HCSB)
11  So, you too consider yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. 12  Therefore do not LET sin reign in your mortal body, so that you obey its desires. 13  And do not OFFER any parts of it to sin as weapons for unrighteousness. But as those who are alive from the dead, OFFER yourselves to God, and all the parts of yourselves to God as weapons for righteousness.
 
TWO: You are NOT an American first anymore!
 
So forfeit and forget about...
Your rights, privileges, comforts, freedoms, and image!
It's no longer about what you are allowed to do...
It's no longer about what you legally can do...
It’s no longer about your RIGHTS!
You are bound... By choice and trust...
To serving others over your rights!
 
1 Peter 2:16 (HCSB)
As God’s slaves, live as free people, but don’t use your freedom as a way to conceal evil.
 
Mark 9:35 (HCSB)
35  Sitting down, He called the Twelve and said to them, “If anyone wants to be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.”
 
Luke 22:27 (HCSB)
27  For who is greater, the one at the table or the one serving? Isn’t it the one at the table? But I am among you as the One who serves.
 
THREE: You do not have the same GOALS YOU had before...

There is a new prime directive in life...
A new main focus... A new goal...
Yes... You still pursue your job... Enjoy life, etc.
You NOW understand the TRUE PURPOSE of this life...
Is in knowing and loving God...
You now understand that this world as we know it...
Is not a pointless mistake... Making it's own purpose as we go...
But a world God Created...
Which has fallen so far away from Him...
That we don't know our own purpose...
And wandering, broken, and condemned...
And you see the people around you…
As loved, lost, damaged people whom God Adores...
That are worth loving... And saving...
Even in their hate and ignorance! AS YOU WERE!
People who need to discover the Truth...
Discover their Worth!
You see them as people…
To be served and loved into God's Kingdom!
 
FOUR: You are dead to the old person...

You are a NEW person in Christ! (Not Movable/Influenced)
LISTEN… You are no longer worried or OFFENDED...
By how you've been done...  Who did you wrong...
Who doesn't like you... What was said...
Not worried about what you might lose...
 
Galatians 1:10 (HCSB)
For am I now trying to win the favor of people, or God? Or am I striving to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a slave of Christ.
 
You are not the product…Of what has been done to you in the past...You are not the person…Who was abused, cheated, ridiculed, or ignored...Because you have understanding of who you are IN God...And you know they were broken and hurting when they did it...That does not mean by any stretch... That these things do not affect you... Hurt you... Haunt you...But it DOES MEAN... They cannot control or dictate...Who you know you are NOW...Or how you will react to others in love...You are no longer held back by...Your own failures, sins, reputation or mistakes...They were literally another person... Who has been punished and is gone!
 
Who you are now... Is a completely different person! With the love and power to do anything... In Christ! Forgiven... Even if no one else understands or sees!
 
LISTEN WITH YOUR HEART... THIS IS WHERE WE ARE!!! WE SPEND OUR ENTIRE CHRISTIAN LIFE... TREATING SYMPTOMS...We see ourselves, God and the world...Just like everyone else...We simply TRY to act nicer... Sin less... Love more...In our own strength...BUT WE WILL NEVER BE SUCCESSFUL... JUST MISERABLE!...BECAUSE WE ARE STILL JUST GIVING MEDICINE…TO A SICK, DYING MINDSET!  A DEAD BODY! WE ARE TREATING SYMPTOMS… AND NOT CURING THE DISEASE!...BECAUSE WE ARE STILL GETTING OUR SELF-IDENTITY...EVEN OUR FAITH... AND SPIRITUAL FOOD...FROM OTHERS...WHEN THEY FAIL US... WE GET SICK AGAIN!!  SOMETIMES DIE!
 
When they fail us... We cannot show love in return...Cannot help them out of their mistakes...Because we are getting our medicine from them!
 
If every pastor... And Christian you know falls today...It should NOT affect your walk with Christ! IF it does...If all you can do is leave church...If all you can do is focus on the wrongs done to you...The REAL PROBLEM was NEVER really…How wrong you were done...Or how THEY let you down...The REAL PROBLEM IS...You never truly FOUND and TRUSTED CHRIST YOURSELF!
 
You were not loving the person who let you down...You were using them as your sustenance!
 
LISTEN… GOING TO HURT… BUT TRUE…We as Christians… Coddle, console and empathize people...Into feeling even MORE LIKE VICTIMS DONE UNJUSTLY!! Into making others seem unlovable and unworthy! We give them MEDICINE to cope with symptoms!!! RATHER THAN THE VACCINE TO CURE THEM! TO RAISE THEM TO NEW HEALTHY LIFE!
 
Ephesians 3:17-19 (ESV)
17  so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18  may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19  and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
 
Yes... Understand and help them in their pain! Then... Show them the way out of it!! Which ONLY COMES…By helping them realize it was not done to them...But to their old selves...And THAT PERSON is DEAD! NOW... They have the power to love through it...Show them they can be...Not only the one who overcome... Not only forgive...But care about and help the one offending!
 
THAT... IS WHO THEY ARE IN CHRIST! Or you are not helping them stand in Newness...You are helping them cope AS the world!
 
Colossians 2:6-8 (HCSB)
6  Therefore, as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, walk in Him, 7  rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, overflowing with gratitude. 8  Be careful that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deceit based on human tradition, based on the elemental forces of the world, and not based on Christ.
 
When a spouse has failed... Betrayed... Acted selfishly...They are NOT someone…
Who didn't hold up their end of the bargain...They are someone in need of help, restoration and love...Someone who needs to be understood... Even corrected...But NEVER forsaken or loved less!
 
They are not someone you meet 50/50 with...Not someone you just look to fulfill your love language...But someone who you CHOSE to love as Christ... In Christ...As a new, selfless creature...With bigger goals than your comfort!
 
THAT... Is the new you!
 
When you work in ministry...It is NOT to get one ounce of recognition, praise or position!!! But to serve God humbly... To help and heal others...With PASSION to change people for Christ!
 
If you are thinking about position... Rather than people... STOP! If you want to quit when you aren't recognized... STOP! Because you aren't serving Christ as a New Creature anyway! You aren’t One with HIM!
 
When you deal with strangers... In good and bad situations...Being done right...
Getting what you deserve... Having your feelings or ego stroked... Do not matter!
 
YOU DON'T NEED THEIR MEDICINE TO SURVIVE!  You are here to show them something different!  THEY MATTER TO YOU... Even if you don't matter to them! What is more important? Coming out on top?  Getting what you wanted at any cost? Or leaving that person valued... Changed... Touched?
 
THE FOCUS OF YOUR CHRISTIAN LIFE NEEDS TO LEAVE..."PERFORMING BETTER!" It needs to be about so desperately wanting Him...So closely walking with Him as a totally NEW PERSON...BEING ONE WITH HIM IN SUCH A DIFFERENT WAY...That our view of others...Our reaction to them in life...Is simply NATURAL to our new mind and heart!
 
We are not getting our medicine from them anymore...WE ARE CURED... WE ARE NEW IN CHRIST! THE WORLD NO LONGER LIVES…TO PLEASE AND PROP US UP! WE LIVE… TO LOVE AND HEAL THE WORLD... AT ANY COST TO SELF!
 
THAT... IS THE NEW LIFE IN CHRIST!
CUT THE CORD ALREADY...
AND BE BORN AGAIN!
 
2 Corinthians 5:17 (HCSB)
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away, and look, new things have come.