Galatians 5:24 And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
Salvation and Sanctification were both made possible by Jesus on the Cross of Calvary. Most people understand Salvation but have a shallow understanding of Sanctification.
Sanctification is fully accomplished in a person the moment they are saved. The shed Blood of Jesus defeated all power of the enemy in the lives of believers. However, it takes time to appropriate it in our lives.
Immediately upon Salvation, the Holy Spirit begins to do His transforming Work within us but we want to hold on to certain things. The Holy Spirit will never force us to give up something. He will convict us that this thing is not pleasing to God and encourage us to give it up, but He will not forcefully take it away. He waits for us to willingly give it up. At that point, He just takes it from us and in regard to that particular thing, we are delivered and transformed.
It’s all a matter of faith in the Finished Work of Christ on the Cross. For my whole life, I was afraid of snakes. I had no reason to be afraid of them, but I was horrified by them. I couldn’t go to the snake exhibit at the zoo or even look at a picture of a snake in a magazine. Fear gripped me to the point of becoming physically sick.
The Holy Spirit began to guide me to Scriptures about fear. Day after day I read Do not fear. Be not afraid. Fear not! I heard sermon after sermon on the subject of fear and I came to the conclusion that fear is a sin because it is the opposite of faith.
Well, with that understanding, I realized that I should have a healthy respect for snakes, but I really have no reason to fear them. One morning in my quiet time with the Lord I simply replaced my fear of snakes with faith in the fact that Jesus defeated fear on the Cross of Calvary.
I rebuked the spirit of fear from my life and loosed the spirit of faith. I declared that I was free from this bondage of fear of snakes. About three days later, I encountered a snake in my yard. I had a square shovel nearby, so I just killed it. My reaction to that snake was completely opposite to what it had been just days before. The fear was gone because I had engaged my faith in the fact that Jesus defeated the power of fear in my life. It was amazing!
Faith in Christ Crucified will overcome all sin. Yes, fear is a sin. Worry is a sin. Anxiety is a sin. Anything that is not of faith is a sin. Whatever is not of faith is sin. (Romans 14:23)
Faith in the Cross of Christ will……….turn the tide
Faith in Christ alone. Doreen
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