our Lord. It's interesting and here it does not say that therefore crucify your flesh it says
consider somebody say consider so that means you have to consider yourself
reckon yourself think yourself this is not about what I do this is how I think
now why do I consider myself dead to the flesh first of all let's just start with this in our
culture today it's very popular to think of yourself in a way that's factually not true.
A dutchman in Netherlands actually went to court to change his birthday,
change his age from 69 to 49. You know his argument was I feel 49.
I identify as a 49 he actually brought a note from a doctor that says yes he feels 49.
So the judge declines the offer and he says well I appreciate that you identify yourself
49 but the problem is there are facts we can't shift and change because of how you identify
or feel. People do the same thing today with their gender you know they're born for example a male and they say well I identify as a female well the problem is that no matter how much you identify
consider and think of yourself, there are facts you're feeling identifying cannot alter but the
opposite is also true. It's possible to have facts that do not influence and update your thinking.
It's possible to think one way when the facts are completely opposite. For example the Bible
says when Jesus died in Romans, that our flesh the one we're battling with died with Him. So why am I
still battling with it well we don't start with the battle first we start first with the victory.
You don't overcome your flesh by fighting your flesh first
you overcome your flesh by considering this is what I call the clutch pedal.
You gotta press this all the way to the end and you have to come in agreement in your mind and
heart with what God says about you not with the struggle you're currently going through.
By birth you identified with Adam but by baptism you identified with Christ. Come on somebody.
When you were born, you identified with Adam but when you got into water, you symbolized your life
and said I identify with Jesus that's why Christians called are members of Christ, that's why
we identify with Jesus, we're called branches and He's the vine. Why? because He's not just our Lord
He is our head. We identify with Jesus Christ so if I'm battling with some craving if I am battling
with some demonic passion if I am battling with some kind of a inward battle I don't start with
that battle I start with His victory and I see I identify with Jesus I reckon myself dead to this
sin it still might have a hold over my life but because of baptism because of my belief
I identify with Jesus and from the point of victory I will fight from the point of triumph
I will fight and from the point of His death I will put to death the lust of the flesh
amen this is so freeing because it's not about what I'm doing it's about how I'm believing
and sometimes the struggle is so strong we think the flesh is the one that's supreme in
my life even if it acts supreme it's already been crucified on the cross
now this on the other hand does not mean that the flesh is gone just because you
press the clutch pedal it doesn't mean you're gonna drive now you will roll just not drive
in order to drive you're gonna have to use other pedals point number two is not only we consider
ourselves dead already because we identify with Jesus point number two is we crucify
the cravings the scripture says clearly those who are Christ's meaning we identify with Jesus
have crucified so it's not talking about Jesus crucifying now it's us crucifying
all right so we know that the flesh is already dead you may say but I don't get it if it's
dead why is I have to crucify it because on the cross Jesus crucified destroyed the flesh's power
not its presence and not it not its influence and now you and I have also a work to do and
that is to crucify its desires as the Bible says and passions galatians chapter 5 verse 24. i call
this using the brake pedal now for those of you who drive manual your heroes in my eyes you know
one thing is that not only do you have to know how clutch works and the accelerate pedal or the gas
pedal works you have to learn and you have to use the brake now you don't use brakes to get forward
you get brake you use brakes so you don't end up in a hospital we use brakes so that when it's a
red light we stop we use brakes in case somebody in front of us decides to either slow down faster
brakes are very important we don't drive on brakes but if you drive without having them you will not
drive very long Christian life is not about don'ts but if we don't have don'ts we won't have any do's
so many Christians limit to their life I can't do this I can't oh we as Christians we can't
get that we can't get that that's not what christian life is about but if you don't have
a break pedal in your car okay because you're so free-spirited and because you're just so
focused on just adventure just me and just God it's all about love it's all about
self expression and liberty i'm a friend that self expression and liberty can end you in er
as Christian life we know that Jesus gives us all things to enjoy even in the paradise he
gave Adam every tree to eat from but he still put a brake pedal there don't touch that one we still
have don'ts and we have to have seasons moments in our life where our flesh has to get a break
a good time to use a break pedal is on monday tuesday wednesday when it comes to fasting
you can when you're fasting when you're abstaining from something that's not of god
when maybe you're drawn to a conversation or to a meeting that you know if you go there
it's gonna pull you away from Christ this is a good moment do not be a Christian who constantly
only uses the gas and simply say well i'm just moving forward moving forward you can't always
move forward without ever having moments that you crucify put to death the bible says deny
yourself but our Christian life is not about that but without that there's also no Christian life