Friday, October 22, 2010

Buy me a Graduation Cap for Rs. 1



We can not chose, where and which family i want to be born. God decides for all of us. Some are privileged, they born with silver spoon on there mouth. Some born to break the rock to live. .


I am born to break the Rock and bring forth Living water. I am a hard working farmer who works hard, finish his plugging, then he saws the seeds, slowly Wishels then lift up his eye towards sky and whisper in Lord's ear, Lord please send the rain, that I can have harvest though I may live.



I was 14 years old when I came to India for studies. When I renounce my faith, I was abundant by my family. But God has been faithful to me through these 12 years. I have deep desire and passion for studies. I carry dreams within my heart which reflects through my eye. I scare sometimes and ponder in my mind…. Will it come true or not?


On graduation day after everyone from the graduating class of 2010 gets there diplomas and tosses their cap in the air, I started to dream “Am I born for that? What kind of day will be that? And suddenly I remember the song "I Made It". I believe, I will sing this song and thank GOD.



Lyrics to the song:

[Chorus - Kevin Rudolf]
I look up to the sky
And now the World is mine
Ive known it all my life
I made it, I made it!
I used to dream about, the life I'm living now
I know that there's no doubt.
I made it, I made it!



                                     This is Me, This Is Me

I dream for this day every single night……..
When I am weak and tired but I still strive
Oh boy, one more steps to go.
Go go go go just one step more to go.

What will stop me to go,
if you drop just a coin in to my Bowl
It will delight God’s soul
When he hear the sound’s of the Bowl



Bowl : manoj.mussoorie@gmail.com



Monday, October 18, 2010

I PROUD OF MY PARENTS

These are my parents, I think i love them most on this face of this earth. In fact if i want to serve the Lord or want to pour out my life for mission just because of there life's, Rather then my studies in Seminary or the knowledge which i am getting from the 40 thousands of books from the Library.
They are in there old age, i strongly believe they suppose to retire but no retirement in  ministry but always excitement Like our Professor A.C George.



Family Update from My DAD.

Mom and I had the privilage to go with Edwin Singh, our pastor of Garhwal Friends Church, where I am an elder.  We were out for four days to villages above and around Uttarkashi where much damage had been done by the terrible rains.  We took a truck load of food and supplies.  We could meet about 100 families and give them each a sack of rice, a sack of atta (for making chapatis), 2 1/2 kg of sugar, a bag of tea leaves, a packet of cooking oil and two blankets.  Mom had gone thru all our barrels and closets and collected many clothes which were gladly accepted.  We gave each family a packet of Gospel literature and a Hindi NT.  All along the way we distributed literature and to everyone we met, be it the police, government officials, priests, sadhus, farmers, students, etc.  Everyone received the Word gladly except one lady who was a Bhramin from a temple.  Boy, was she mad that we had come to her village!  We blessed her and are praying for her.
We were able to visit our Vickey's wife, Sunita's home and have some time with her Mom and Dad.  They had lost part of their house and we were able to leave a good supply of items with them.  They were VERY happy that we can come by. 
The roads were in terrible shape. We had to cross at least 100 landslides.  Two photos below will show how we crept along with 1,000 feet of sliding rock and mud hanging over us and another 1,000 feet of sliding rock and mud below us.  It will take years and years to repair all the main roads and if there is another year or rain next year.......FINISHED !




I want to serve the Lord to whom my Parents Serve




 They Served the Lord together. I found they are the most happy couple, They have been married from last almost 50 years (Going to be Now).


When you lift up Lord together God, Unites. When we met together we feel we are part of them though most of us are brought in to there home or in family.
Most of us are settled down and glorying God.
We are all over the world. 


 Leading OM Indai for 30 years, they been through thick and thin but there testimony was always we never lack anything. God has been faithful. Hundreds of stories has been carved in my heart through his stories how God has been taking care of all there needs and how he provided manna. 

Gives me strength to move foreword when i do not have anything.those stories inspires me to move foreword,  Oh man of faith rise up.....
 Today, I want to serve my Lord to whom my parents served and proved who is faithful. Who never lives or forsakes to those who love him. 

He will never let them down who trust him.

Monday, October 4, 2010

Church Polity


              
          Church Polity
  
Introduction : One of the longest standing debates within the realm of Christian thought is that of Church government and systems of polity. Roman Catholics and Presbyterians and Baptists and virtually every other denomination included in the Christian sect has held that their system of church polity is the "true" and "biblical" form. All quote the Bible for support, but all do not look closely at what the Bible has to say.
Let the Bible speak for itself, than determine how the Church should be governed. It will be the function of this paper to examine exhaustively the biblical texts which relate to church polity and allow them to build whatever polity structure they purport.

1. THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE CHURCH
For any examination on the church it is necessary to look to its beginnings, its foundation. In Matthew 16:18 Jesus declares, "Thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." Jesus appears to be making a strong statement about the role Peter will have in the establishment of Christ's church.
But not only does Peter have an important role, but also the other disciples, for Jesus at his ascension says that "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples...." (Matthew 28:18-19). Jesus is giving to his disciples his authority and power to continue his ministry on earth. The awesome task of spreading the message of the Gospel and building a church is now the responsibility of the disciples. Jesus had appointed the 11 disciples as his overseers of his church.
Peter's leadership and organization began very early as he pointed out to the other believers (about 120) that it was important to choose another witness to fulfill the vacancy left by Judas. Two men were proposed, Justus and Matthias. The first decision made by the church was handled in the following manner:
"Then they prayed, 'Lord, you know everyone's heart. Show us which of these two you have chosen to take over this apostolic ministry, which Judas left to go where he belongs.' Then they drew lots, and the lot fell to Matthias; so he was added to the eleven apostles." [1]
Peter and the other apostles asked the Lord to appoint a new apostle through the casting of lots. Peter saw the need for more help, and they went to the Lord to ask for his decision in the matter. As seen through this event, God was now allowing his apostles to do the business of spreading the Gospel as best as they saw fit.

2. THE DEVELOPMENT OF CHURCH OFFICES
Because the task of spreading the Gospel was a great one, the apostles, as they began to establish churches, found it necessary to also develop some local leaders amongst the congregations of those churches.
In Acts 11:29 the disciples wanted to help their brothers living in Judea so they sent gifts, via Barnabas and Saul, to the elders. From Acts 14:23 we find that these elders were usually appointed. Paul and Barnabas "appointed elders for them in each church and, with prayer and fasting, committed them to the Lord in whom they had put their trust." The Greek word used here to describe those who were appointed is presbuterous, which is translated "elder." These elders were perhaps in age older or more knowledgeable than the others within the church, however their is no job description given in this account. The apostles apparently appointed some people to oversee the business of the church in their place, because they could not, of course, oversee all the new church plants.
This appointment process did not necessarily have to come directly from Paul. In his letter to Titus, Paul gives the job of appointing elders in the churches to Titus (Titus 1:5). Moreover, Paul states that it is the Holy Spirit who has made the elders the overseers (Acts 20:28). The appointment process seems to be guided by the Holy Spirit through Paul and others.
The position of elder was not a single office in a particular church. In Acts 20:17, Paul "sent to Ephesus for the elders of the church." And in 1 Timothy 4:14 Paul refers to a "body of elders" signifying a group. In each church, probably according to size and need, there were a number of elders. How many, we ar not told specifically, but one could assume a group of three or more in most instances.
As far as the responsibilities of this elder position, there are some specifics given throughout Acts and the Pauline epistles. In Acts 20:28, Paul warns the elders at Ephesus to "Guard yourselves and all the flock," and exhorts them to "Be shepherds of the church of God." Paul's exhortation declares that the elders are to be not only leaders but caring shepherds who see to the needs and "pastor" those within the church. Paul also states that it is the elders who "direct the affairs of the church" (1 Timothy 5:17). Peter likewise encourages the elders to be "shepherds of God's flock, serving as overseers" (1 Peter 5:2).
Preaching and teaching (1 Timothy 5:17) and praying for the sick and anointing them with oil (James 5:14) are also seen as being among the duties of the elders.
Paul also charges the elders with some more specific duties which centered around the spiritual well-being of the church. In Titus 1:9, Paul states that elders should "encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it." They are responsible for the stability and soundness of the Gospel message.
There are also qualifications given for those who might be appointed to the position. Paul, in his first letter to Timothy, declares that the position is one of honor, and in his letter to Titus he states that:
"An elder must be blameless, the husband of but one wife, a man whose children believe and are not open to the charge of being wild and disobedient...not overbearing, not quick tempered, not given to much wine, not violent, not pursuing dishonest gain. Rather he must be hospitable, one who loves what is good, who is self controlled, upright, holy and disciplined. He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught..."[2]
It appears from this list, that the apostle was not looking for anything especially exceptional, but rather God wanted men who were respected, well rounded, and sound in judgement to oversee his flock.
Peter, the rock, himself was not only an apostle but also an elder (1 Peter 5:1) who had responsibilities of oversight like his fellow elders within the Jerusalem church.
Another term used interchangeably with that of elder (presbuteros) was "overseer." The word translated often in the New International Version as "overseer" is translated in the King James Version as "bishop." The term itself is the Greek word episkopos, which means one who oversees. Roman Catholic tradition has held that the overseer or bishop was a sperate office from that of the elder. However, the terms presbuteros and episkopos are often used in an interchangeable fashion, merely fleshing out the identity of the office (Acts 20:17 with 28, and Titus 1:6-7 are examples). In 1 Timothy 3, Paul uses the word episkopos to refer to the elders. This passage is very similar with Paul's charge to Titus concerning the elders, where he uses presbuteros.
Another office which appears to be present within the New Testament is that of the deacon. In Philippians 1:1, Paul seems to triliniate the identity of "saints" (hagiois), "overseers" (episkopos), and "deacons" (diakonois). The Greek term diakonos, is related to the word "servant" and is also sometimes translated as "minister."
Paul identifies himself and Apollos as deacons, or ministers, or servants, in 1 Corinthians 3:5. Paul claims that he attained this "by the gift of God's grace given me through the working of his power" (Ephesians 3:7)
Paul's stated requirements or qualifications for the position of deacon are stated in 1 Timothy 3:8-12);
"Deacons, likewise, are to be men worthy of respect, sincere, not indulging in much wine, and not pursuing dishonest gain. They must keep hold of deep truths of the faith with a clear conscience. They must first be tested; and then if there is nothing against them, let them serve as deacons. In the same way, their wives are to be women worthy of respect, not malicious talkers but temperate and trustworthy in everything. A deacon must be the husband of one wife and must manage his children and his household well." [3]
This list of qualifications is very similar to those of the elder.
There is also some possible evidence for the existence of deaconesses, female deacons. The separate phrase in the 1 Timothy 3 passage "In the same way, their wives..." may indicate that the wives of deacons served the church in something of an official way. Paul refers to Phoebe in Romans 16:1 as a diakonon, servant or minister, of the church of Cenchreae.
Other possible roles within the church may be referred to by Paul in 1 Corinthians 12:27-31. Included here in the list of gifts within the church members are prophets, teachers, workers of miracles, administrative assistants, healers, and those who speak in tongues. These are not however, given any more real attention.

3. THE FORM OF CHURCH GOVERNMENT
We now turn the discussion in the direction of what the Bible says about how the early church was actually governed--how were decisions made.
It would appear that Jesus had given the ultimate authority on earth to his disciples, and especially to Peter. However, Paul does not view himself as being under their authority. In fact, at times he was in opposition to Peter's authority (Galatians 2:11). Paul states that he did not consult with any man. "I did not go up to Jerusalem to see those who were apostles before I was. Instead, I went out immediately..." (Galatians 1:17).
Paul, as we have discussed earlier, delegated responsibility as he saw fit to others to oversee the welfare of the churches that had been founded. To some degree then it would appear that Paul had a great deal of authority within the early church. But, Paul's authority was not by any means ultimate. He was more of an encourager than a ruler. The mere fact that the Bible contains 13 of his letters attests to his importance to the early church. His word was authoritative, however, he was not the grand decision maker, rather he was a developer and encourager to those within the churches, saints and elders alike.
One method of decision making is discussed briefly within the New Testament. Acts 6:3-6 describes the selection of the seven. The disciples gathered together and selected seven men to serve the widows, and "This proposal pleased the whole group" (v. 5). And, in Acts 15:22ff "the apostles and elders, with the whole church, decided to choose some of their own men and send them to Antioch..."
There appears to be from these texts a gathering together of the people within the church and a coming to a consensus on various issues.
Other texts seem to stress the role of the leaders. 1 Thessalonians 5:12 encourages the brethren to "respect..those who are over you in the Lord and who admonish you." Paul may not be referring to elders or anyone of position within the church here, he may just be alluding to those who are more mature in Christ. Hebrews 13:17 calls for the people to "obey your leaders and submit to their authority." Most likely the author of Hebrews is exhorting those within the church to respect and listen to the leaders of the church, probably for the sake of order. In 1 Corinthians 14:40 Paul reminds all that "everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way." Respecting each other and the leaders of the church was important.
4. The Results or Effect of the Church Polity through out history till now.[4]
Church polity is the system of government used by a given church. Among most types of churches, we find three types of polity: episcopal, presbyterian or congregational. These can be made almost perfectly analogous to “perfect forms” of government: the absolute monarchy, democratic republic and pure democracy, respectively. Of course, it is rare that any of these “out in the wild” in pure form, but likewise, it is rare that church polity is existent in a pure form.
By episcopal, I do not mean the Episcopal Church (Anglicanism in America), although the Episcopal Church is, logically enough, episcopal in government. Simply put, episcopal polity is the polity in which bishops (Greek: episkopos) rule. Other denominations with bishops include, obviously, the Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox churches, among others. I suspect I don't need to mention this, but technically a bishop is generally considered to be someone consecrated by another bishop in a line that should go back to the apostles. Because of this system of spiritual inheritance, churches such as the Anglican Church and the Old Catholics can claim apostolic authority that must be recognized by the Church of Rome. Some protestant groups use the term more loosely; I'm not sure if the looser usage can be completely traced back to John Wesley, but he did encourage it in the Methodist Episcopal Church in the fledgling U.S. (the ancestor to modern U.S. Methodism), since he allowed the group to ordain a bishop by itself (he had no apostolic authority to do so, nor did anyone else involved).
Presbyterian polity, like episcopal polity, shares its name with its most enthusiastic American adopter, the Presbyterian Church (be it PC (USA) or PCA or something else). By presbyterian, I mean a church governed by a “session” (council) made up of the minister(s) and lay elders. The session is under the presbytery, which is a body made up of representatives from member churches. Likewise the synod is over the presbytery and the General Assembly is over the synods. This is a very representative form of government, but also proportions a nice amount of control over the churches to the ministers and other congregations, keeping some accountability between denominations. This was the polity of the ruling English Puritans when Cromwell came to power.
Congregational polity technically is a polity in which the individual congregation is completely autonomous in rule. Most congregationalists do cede some authority to higher level groups. For example, in the Evangelical Free Church of America, we have districts and so forth that fit fairly analogous to the presbyterian hierarchy. The key thing with congregationalists, however, is that we can cede at any time from the denomination, have complete control of our property and the selection of pastors. The denomination cannot seize a church for bad doctrine, although it can disfellowship with it.

5. CONCLUSIONS
What can be concluded then with regards to what the Bible says about church offices and church government. Perhaps as important as what it does say is what it doesn't say. Dogmatic attitudes regarding church polity are unfounded. Scripture is virtually silent on the specifics of church government. If God had wanted the church to have a blueprint of the perfect church polity structure, if it would have been necessary for the survival of the church and the Gospel message itself, it certainly would have been part of the Canon. However it is not.
This leads to the conclusion that God understands that different situations and different churches will require different forms of rule. What works in some communities may not work in others. The size and spiritual maturity of the congregation will effect how it might be best governed. Church government is a means and not an end. The form is not prescribed therefore it is not essential to have one or the other. However, as Paul states it is necessary that all are respected and everything is done in an orderly fashion.




[1] New International Version, (Acts 1:24-26)
[2] New International Version, (Titus 1:6-9)
[3] New International Version, (1 Timothy 3:8-12)
[4] “This section has been copied from:  http://asisaid.com/journal/article/685.html, it helps us to understand the structure of the different denomination’s “Church Polity” .

Saturday, October 2, 2010

Let Me Live “Abortion and infanticides”

“Abortion and infanticides”

What is Abortion and Infanticides?
The Deliberate termination of a human pregnancy
When does life actually begin? When, if ever, is it right to terminate a
pregnancy? These are some of the moral dilemmas that are faced when dealing with the issue of abortion. Abortion is the termination of a pregnancy. There are
many different stands held on the issue of abortion. For those holding a
conservative view on abortion, abortion is never acceptable except when
necessary to save the life of a pregnant woman. In contrast, the liberal view
believes that abortion is always ethically acceptable at any point of fetal
development, and for any reason. Finally, there are those in the middle that hold the moderate view. They believe that abortion is ethically acceptable up to
a certain point of fetal development and that some reasons are acceptable.
Already a Baby?
When you think about political issues, many things come to mind. Almost, undoubtedly, abortion is one of those things. There is no argument sufficient enough to steer my mind away from anti-abortion. Most people think of the circumstance of the woman, and what the pregnancy might cause and therefore jump to the conclusion that seems simplest: eliminate the baby; eliminate the problem. Unfortunately, it is rare for a woman to think about the physical consequences of the abortion itself.

First and foremost, a fetus is a baby. A woman usually only even begins to consider that she might be pregnant 31 days after her missed period. Abortions do not usually take place before the baby is seven weeks old. At this point the fetus is a baby. The baby's heart has already started beating, it's arms and legs are noticeable as such, and it displays measurable brainwaves. This baby is alive, human, and developing.

Abortion is murder. Murder is defined as "the malicious or predetermined killing of one human being by another." If, it is illegal to harm an animal, to treat a pet wrongly, yet we have given a mother the right to murder her own child, even without true legitimate cause. Despite any imperfections in the child, it is still a human being, therefore establishing the act as murder. If you take away the loopholes and false justifications, would taking these imperfect babies that possibly may suffer diseases or deformities, and killing them because of their infirmities be much different than Adolf Hitler destroying innocent lives because of what he saw in them as imperfections? Approximately eleven million people were killed during the holocaust(Distruction), six million because of what was seen by one human being as inadequacies. Over 3500 children are aborted every single day. This is about 1,277,500 lives a year. It would take only five...
Arguments Based on, “What If”?
Very few subjects get the blood to boil like the raging controversy about abortion. One thing for sure though, there are no neutrals when it comes to this topic. The arguments can only take one stand or another; it is a black and white subject with each having their respective camps. It is not hard to bring to mind the position taken by the vast majority of Christians around the world regardless of denominational affiliation. They are against it. That's that, the other camp, as there are only two, will bring up arguments about all the "what if's" in the world. "What if" the girl is raped? "What if" she is too young and it will "ruin" her life? "What if" the prospective mother "isn't ready”? "What if" the mother's life is in danger by giving birth? "What if" the mother can't provide a good life for the baby? "What if".......
There are as many "What if” as there are people who support the practice of abortion. Many in the medical field have embraced it. The United States government has enthusiastically supported it. Most courts in most Western countries have been persuaded to support it to varying degrees.
In the End Time prophecy that Jesus gave in the 24th chapter of Mathew He said, "And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold."(Mt 24:12)
.Affect and Result

There is a little-known battle for survival going in some parts of the world. Those at risk are baby girls, and the casualties are in the millions each year. The weapons being used against them are prenatal sex selection, abortion and female infanticide — the systematic killing of girls soon after they are born.
According to a recent United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) State of the World Population Report, these practices, combined with neglect, have resulted in at least 60 million "missing" girls in Asia, creating gender imbalances and other serious problems that experts say will have far reaching consequences for years to come.

China
"Twenty-five million men in China currently can’t find brides because there is a shortage of women," said Steven Mosher, president of the Population Research Institute in Washington, D.C. "The young men emigrate overseas to find brides."
The imbalances are also giving rise to a commercial sex trade; the 2005 report states that up to 800,000 people being trafficked across borders each year, and as many as 80 percent are women and girls, most of whom are exploited.
The policy encourages late marrying and late childbearing, and it limits the majority of urban couples to having one child and most of those living in rural areas to two. Female infanticide was the result, he said.
"Historically infanticide was something that was practiced in poor places in China," Mosher said. "But when the one-child policy came into effect we began to see in the wealthy areas of China, what had never been done before in history — the killing of little girls."

India
The bias against females in India is related to the fact that "Sons are called upon to provide the income; they are the ones who do most of the work in the fields. In this way sons are looked to as a type of insurance. With this perspective, it becomes clearer that the high value given to males decreases the value given to females.
The problem is also intimately tied to the institution of dowry, in which the family of a prospective bride must pay enormous sums of money to the family in which the woman will live after marriage. Though formally outlawed, the institution is still pervasive. "The combination of dowry and wedding expenses usually add up to more than a million rupees. In India the average civil servant earns about 100,000 rupees a year. Given these figures combined with the low status of women, it seems not so illogical that the poorer Indian families would want only male children.
So, India is also the heartland of sex-selective abortion.
Abortion: Birth Control (Western Countries) or Legal Murder?
Approximately 1.6 million murders are committed legally each year. With the exception of laws in few states, the mutilated bodies of the victims are thrown into dumpsters like pieces of rotten meat. While these victims lay waiting in the infested dumpsters to be hauled off to a landfill, the murderers are in their offices waiting for their next patient--the accomplice to the murder. This is the murder of an innocent child by a procedure known as abortion. Abortion stops the beating of an innocent child's heart. People must no longer ignore the scientific evidence that life begins at the moment of conception. People can no longer ignore the medical and emotional problems an abortion causes women. People must stop denying the facts about the procedure, and start hearing the
Silent screams of unborn children. Let me live, Let Me live, Let Me Live. LET Me Live. LET ME Live. LET ME LIVE.

Reflection: In the west, they reason and do abortion because they do not want child because of various reasons but in east we get Laitance to kill babies (girls). We all have excuses.
Is abortion biblical?
No. On the contrary, it is an abomination in the sight of the God who commands us to:
Defend the poor and fatherless: do justice to the afflicted and needy. Deliver the poor and needy: rid them out of the hand of the wicked.(Psalm 82:3-4)
Let us defend the unborn, because no matter what society might say, "Children are a gift from the Lord; they are a reward from him." (Psalm 127:3)
Every Person will be Judged According to There Acts or Bear Consequences
This topic itself is really heart touching, it brings pain. I could not continue to read in some places in the books. I had to stop and do something else because I realized I was crying. One side baby other side women, both are in a difficult situation. I do not know if my wife is giving birth to a child. Doctor comes to me and ask, we can only save one whom do you want? I know, I will choose my beloved wife. But people’s heart has been corrupted. People are selfish. Nothing is good in man. I will kill other humans to survive myself. I will push other down to lift up myself. I will suppress poor to become rich. I will dominate week to remain or become strong. That is me (Human). I do not have conclusion. I only can pray God give wisdom to the person, who takes decision to do abortion.


Bibliography:

http://www.freeessays123.com/essay23129/abortion-right-or-wrong.html
http://www.echeat.com/essay.php?t=26894
http://www.essaydepot.com/essayme/5437/index.php
http://www.solidpapers.com/collegepapers/Abortion/10853.htm
http://torturedartist.wordpress.com/2006/04/01/on-virtue-ethics-part-2-applying-virtue-ethics-abortion/
http://www.oppapers.com/essays/Abortion-Birth-Control-Legal-Murder/3698?topic
https://www.customessaymeister.com/customessays/Criminology/17297.htm
http://www.nejm.org/doi/pdf/10.1056/NEJM198205273062124
http://www.gendercide.org/g_and_g.htm

Friday, October 1, 2010

Who I am in Christ !!!!!

According to 2 Corinthians 5:17, “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” There are two Greek words which are translated “new” in the Bible. The first, neos, refers to something that has just been made, but there are already many others in existence just like it. The word translated “new” in this verse is the word kainos, which means “something just made which is unlike anything else in existence.” In Christ, we are made an entirely new creation, just as God created the heavens and the earth originally—He made them out of nothing, and so He does with us. He does not merely clean up our old selves; He makes an entirely new self. When we are in Christ, we are “partakers of the divine nature” (2 Peter 1:4 KJV). God Himself, in the person of His Holy Spirit, takes up residence in our hearts. We are in Christ and He is in us.

In Christ, we are regenerated, renewed, and born again, and this new creation is spiritually minded, whereas the old nature is carnally minded. The new nature fellowships with God, obeys His will, and is devoted to His service. These are actions the old nature is incapable of doing or even desiring to do. The old nature is dead to the things of the spirit and cannot revive itself. It is “dead in trespasses and sins” (Ephesians 2:1) and can only be made alive by a supernatural awakening, which happens when we come to Christ and are indwelt by Him. Christ gives us a completely new and holy nature and an incorruptible life. Our old life, previously dead to God because of sin, is buried, and we are raised “to walk in newness of life” with Him (Romans 6:4).

If we belong to Christ, we are united to Him and no longer slaves to sin (Romans 6:5-6); we are made alive with Him (Ephesians 2:5); we are conformed to His image (Romans 8:29); we are free from condemnation and walking not according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit (Romans 8:1); and we are part of the body of Christ with other believers (Romans 12:5). The believer now possesses a new heart (Ezekiel 11:19) and has been blessed “with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 1:3).

We might wonder why we so often do not live in the manner described, even though we have given our lives to Christ and are sure of our salvation. This is because our new natures are residing in our old fleshly bodies, and these two are at war with one another. The old nature is dead, but the new nature still has to battle the old “tent” in which it dwells. Evil and sin are still present, but the believer now sees them in a new perspective and they no longer control him as they once did. In Christ, we can now choose to resist sin, whereas the old nature could not. Now we have the choice to either feed the new nature through the Word, prayer, and obedience, or to feed the flesh by neglecting those things.

When we are in Christ, “we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us” (Romans 8:37) and can rejoice in our Savior, who makes all things possible (Philippians 4:13). In Christ we are loved, forgiven, and secure. In Christ we are adopted, justified, redeemed, reconciled, and chosen. In Christ we are victorious, filled with joy and peace, and granted true meaning in life. What a wonderful Savior is Christ!