5 Reasons you are living the defeated Christian life!

Col 3:1 If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.Col 3:2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.Col 3:3 For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.

Scripture states a very clear and undeniable fact…you have died. Who has died? All have died because Jesus Christ died for the world.

2Co 5:14 For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died;

Joh 3:16 "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

Salvation has come to those who receive His life and His payment for their sins, it is a gift of God for all who will come. When we are born again, born from the Spirit, we have the ability to partake in this divine life, but the sad thing is many born again will never take their position, their inheritance of this divine life (2Pet 1:4) for a myriad of reasons:

1. They simply will not come to Him for divine life. They know that living the Christian life requires His divine life but they are not willing to come to Him to receive it…instead they try the old Pharisee route (John 5:39-40)
2. They are still trying to live the Christian life by their own power. Many think that fighting sin is the main thing in the Christian life yet the new covenant doesn’t even speak of sin but life (Eze 36:26-27). The more the Christian focuses on sin the more sin is aroused in them because they are putting themselves back under law and cheating on Jesus (Rom 7:4-6)
3. They don’t believe the Bible. Many will pick and choose what verses to believe and what verses not to believe. Or worse they filter the Bible through a set of beliefs that looks lofty and even pious yet has no power over the flesh (Col 2:23)
4. They love Jesus and they love their sin. Jesus made it very clear that you cannot serve two masters (Mat 6:24). Many want to live just for Jesus but their love and lie of sin, usually just one or two specific sins makes them unwilling. God will not be mocked (Gal 6:7) and as such will allow greater and greater consequences as you sow to your flesh.
5. They simply do not know the truth. Although they have been set free and have divine life in Christ they are still bound by the lies of the devil, many perpetuated within the church walls. Although they know that something is wrong with their walk with Christ they are under the assumption that more work is needed, more effort on their behalf to have victory in this divine life yet many, many scriptures have to be twisted and skewed to render that false belief (Joh 8:33)

In the third chapter of “The Pursuit of God” by AW Tozer he offers a prayer at the end. As I end this short message I think it is best to cut to the chase and offer you this powerful prayer…it is one that each of us can pray, if we are willing.

“Lord, how excellent are Thy ways, and how devious and dark are the ways of man. Show us how to die, that we may rise again to newness of life. Rend the veil of our self-life from the top down as Thou didst rend the veil of the Temple. We would draw near in full assurance of faith. We would dwell with Thee in daily experience here on this earth so that we may be accustomed to the glory when we enter Thy heaven to dwell with Thee there. In Jesus' name, Amen.”