Living-Dead – an oxymoron to the world, but a way of life for the Christian.

Are you a member of the living dead?

The best thing that can happen to a Christian is for them to die – to self, so that Christ can live His life through them. As Christians, we are called to “live as Christ,” not as Christ … and self.

The Apostle Paul said, “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” (Galatians 2:20)

In other words, his old self, his old life of sin, was dead and nailed to the cross of Christ with Him, even though Paul still lived and walked around in his same body.

Paul, who was called Saul before he was converted, started using his Roman name, Paul, sometime after his conversion. Some believe it is because “Paul” means “little” or “small” and he wanted to become small so that Jesus would be magnified!

Paul could say this, “My old self, Saul, is dead, and I, Paul, now live by faith in the Son of God …”

Paul was a charter member of the living-dead club.

As real followers of Christ, we must be willing to die to self – our will, our plans, our goals, our preferences, our desires, our “rights,” our everything, in exchange for God’s will over all those things.

Dying to self is part of being born again. When we come to salvation through faith in Jesus Christ, our sins, past, present and future, are nailed to the cross of Christ and covered, atoned for, by His precious, redeeming, life-giving blood and the new resurrected life of Christ, through His Holy Spirit is “born” in us. 

The Bible says we are a “new creation” in Christ, and He begins living His life through us. We are “born again” and “saved” from eternal damnation – (separation from God.) That is a done deal! Jesus said just before He died on the cross – “It is Finished!” (John 19:30)

Christ dying for our sins is a one-time thing! “It is finished!” If we believe in Him by faith, our sins are covered, and we are saved and made new in Christ!

But “dying to self” is not a one-time thing. It is a life-long process of continually putting to death the things of the flesh through the Holy Spirit’s power in us, until the day we die physically here on earth and rise spiritually to live forever in heaven with the Lord. “Absent from the body, present with the Lord.” (2 Corinthians 5:8)

Have you been crucified with Christ? Has your old life of sin been nailed to the cross, and Christ is now living His life in and through you? Do you deny yourself of individual “rights,” indulgences, or experiences in exchange for whatever would bring Christ the most pleasure and glory? 

Are you daily crucifying your old behaviors, desires, attitudes, habits and ambitions in exchange for Christ’s? If not, are you willing to begin doing so today and say, “Not my life or my will Lord, but Yours?”

Many people are afraid that if they “die to self,” if they put it all on the altar before God, that they will be “missing out” in life, but nothing could be further from the truth. Christ gave His all for us, and when we give our all to Him, that is when we truly discover the abundant life of Christ! And nothing this world has to offer can compare!

Are you a member of the living-dead club, my friend? I hope so.

If not, just know – membership sign-ups are open 365 – 24/7. There is no initiation fee –it has already been paid in full and your membership will never expire.

To learn more about this “membership” go to this site: www.peachwithgod.net.

Lisa Hannan lives in Valdosta with her husband, attorney Miles Hannan, who has been practicing law in Valdosta for more than 30 years. She has a B.S. in psychology from Valdosta State University.