Freeing Ourselves From the Chains of the Flesh

Romans 12:2

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

Every born again believer stands in the same place.  We are not what we ought to be, but we are not what we use to be either.  This is the awesome convergence of salvation and sanctification.  We are at once saved when when we accept Jesus Christ as Our Savior.  From that moment on, we enter into the process of letting go of who we used to be in order to become who we will be in Christ.

Jesus loves us just as we are, but He loves us so much that He cannot allow us to stay where we are.  With His indwelling, we find ourselves in the constant battle of our flesh and our new spirit in Christ.  We must let go of everything old - guilt, anger, bitterness, unforgiveness, addiction, depression, despair, fear.  These are the things of the flesh.  These are the things that hinder us in our process of sanctification.  These are the things that Jesus Christ freed us from when He died on the Cross.

The progress of sanctification, dying to sin more and more, and living to righteousness more and more, is the work of the renewal of our minds.  This work will continue until the day we stand before Almighty God as He sees us in the image of His Son.

Let us discern the will of God in our lives and learn to live the good and acceptable and perfect lifestyles that Jesus Christ won for us on the Cross.  Let us renew our minds and free ourselves from the chains of the flesh.  Let us claim the victorious spirit-filled lives that Jesus has secured for us.   

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we thank You for providing Your Son to die for our sins so that we may be free from the corruption of our flesh.  We praise You for giving us the Holy Spirit to help us live as new men in Christ instead of men and women of the world.  Help us, Lord, to let go of everything in the old man that is hindering our relationship with You.  We pray that You strengthen us so that we may cling to Your grace as we continue in our journey of sanctification.  We ask all these things in the name of Our Refiner and Our Purifier, Jesus Christ.