God Thinking LXIX - The Dichotomy 7

"There is no way to go further with God until you have died with Him - and here is why:

 1.  What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?

 2.  God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?

 3.  Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?

 4.  Therefore we are buried with Him by baptism into death; that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

 5.  For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:

 6.  Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.

 7.  For he that is dead is freed from sin:

11.  Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

There are those who want to circumvent God’s plan for their purification.  I hope you and I aren’t one of them. 

Every time you by-pass one of God’s great tenets of faith, you relinquish - you waive - you abdicate a portion of the power of God in your life." 

Excerpt from God Thinking LXIX - The Dichotomy by Keith C. Powell                                                    Copyright 2014