Scripture: Romans 6 v 11: "Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him. For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God."
Colossians 2 v 20: "Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances."
Being dead to the world is a common saying that means being in a deep sleep. But in the Biblical sense it means something altogether different.
We are united with Christ in His death, and in His resurrection, which gives us eternal life now. When we die we will pass immediately into the presence of God and our Heavenly existence will be all we ever hoped for.
To be sure we can achieve this blissful state, we need to realise and accept that the world must lose its attraction as we turn our eyes upon Jesus and follow Him on a spiritual path. The world system must become alien to us, and no longer applicable to our new life in Christ.
Let's look at human rights which people fight over incessantly. We are a new creation in Christ, we are no longer only human, but are part of the divine Body of Jesus. When we are filled with the Holy Spirit it is impossible to break any laws. We are, or should be, subject to the will of God in everything.
God's ways and thoughts are higher than ours. We still think on the finite level while He is on the infinite. He has no boundaries and can magnificently interact with every human, or new creation, at once and constantly. His love promises us: "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose." Romans 8 v 28.
Everything works together for good when we are fulfilling His purpose! That is the secret of being a new creation. We must be dead to the demands, hungers, attractions and principles of this world, and conform to the higher order of His will and purpose for our lives.
It may not be comfortable or convenient or even sensible to blindly obey His commands but He knows what happens next and has the wisdom we lack. I was once driving my car on the multi-lane highway, when I came behind a slow, heavy truck. It was safe for me to overtake but I heard Jesus command, Stay where you are!
I was late for an appointment but I stayed behind this behemoth as it ground its way up a rise. As we went over the rise my eye caught a strange sight. A motor car on the other side of the highway going in the opposite direction, was on fire! What I did not see was that its back tyre had detached and was coming towards us at high speed. It passed in front of the truck, and missed all traffic! There is no doubt that if I had overtaken that truck, the tyre would have struck my car and possibly killed me. I could only praise and thank Jesus for His faithful protection.
My human rights were that that vehicle should not have been in that lane on the highway and I should vigorously complain about it, but it saved my life, and I praised God for that. So rather be in line with your divine rights so that all things work for good.
My human rights give me plenty to demand and complain about, but my divine rights leave everything in the Lord's hands. I trust Him with everything and He has never let me down. I may not see the sense of some actions or decisions, but there is always an unseen higher purpose.
So let's start this year with a deeper understanding of being dead to the world. The world is sinful, unruly, corrupt, greedy, sexually explicit, addicted, warlike, slanderous, and full of disease. There is no such thing as world peace. That's an oxymoron. Peace comes from Jesus, who is the Prince of Peace, it is fruit of the Holy Spirit. The world's peace is a tranquilizer or a bottle of whisky. That wears off and becomes addictive, but the peace of Jesus remains forever.
Seek the Lord to find your true purpose. As you come in line with His will and purpose, He will reveal it to you. He does not withhold anything, but rather waits until the world has lost its grip and you become dead to its lure. Only then will He be able to control the circumstances around you, and let you flow into them, to achieve what He created you to be and do.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, open our eyes to the dangers of living in two kingdoms, where we still cling to the world while being a citizen of Heaven. Let us choose to die to the tempting pleasures of this world so we can find the narrow path that leads to Life. Teach us to love, give and pray till it hurts. We are Your children and part of each other. We want to live the life and purpose You have chosen for us. In Jesus' name. Amen.
