The Body of Christ, if we are truly the chosen of God, have experiencially and truly chosen to lose our lives in exchange to serve a Risen Savior, Jesus Christ, It as if we are the glove and Christ is the hand inside the glove.If we choose this life, it is the most glorious life you will every experience. However, choosing to live with one foot in the world and one foot in the bible is where most of those who call themselves believers live, so we are caught in the quagmire of the old man and the new, caught in a myriad of worldly thoughts, which causes worldly behaviors, as we read in Romans 6-10 Paul's own struggles. Paul's struggles were before he realized that it was Christ who would deliver him from "this body of death." I've been crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live, yet not I but Christ who lives in me, and the life I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the son of God who loved me and gave Himself for me." We are truly His, paid for with the blood of Christ and his completed sacrifice of Himself. Yes, we ARE! Yet, we lie, we cheat, we find things coming out of our mouth that grieve Holy Spirit. So how do we overcome?
This is a "how to" book of my own failures, many sleepless nights with success of my discovery through the leading of the Holy Spirit over the years to pull myself up out of the quicksand of defeat and live a victorious life. I hope it may help some person that is about to give up on Christianity (as we are taught it in the conservative and even Charismatic circles) and the Body of Christ. I too was once in that state, but I have found life through Jesus Christ in letting go of "self" which adds up to all my fears, failures, even successes, depression, anger, bitterness, disobedience and just plain rebellion by clinging, Christ was heard because of His piety, the scripture says, ...to.the one who is able to save me from death. Jesus was in like manner tempted, as we all are, but he humbled himself, took on human form, took the form of a servant and was heard because of His understanding that without communication and leaning on His Father, He too, could fail. It was in this way, He was tempted in like manner, just as we are and continue to be.....until we come to the place where we recognize that we are completely and wholly needing the Savior to rescue us from the self life. This is the point where true victory can begin....otherwise, we find ourselves walking in our own understanding and analyzing things, instead of becoming as a little child, as we read. "Unless you become as a little child, you shall not enter the Kingdom of Heaven. So, we must understand that truly, "The old man is dead." We then can be reborn.....and began to start anew....as a little child, learning a whole new way of relating to life and others......from a position of giving and of unconditional love, having no agenda.