Dead Men Walking

By Pastor Mike

I have been challenged by God recently to die daily to myself! During the month of March the focus on the Cross of Jesus Christ has me thinking how I have been too self absorbed. Part of a recent message had me looking at 2 Corinthians 5:14 & 15.

‘For the love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died; and He died for all, so that they who live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf.”

I am encouraged and stretched by the fact that since I trusted Jesus as my personal Lord and Savior, God looks at me as having died in Jesus Christ, yet God also looks at me as alive in Jesus Christ’s resurrection. See Romans 6:1-11 for a Biblical description of this. This dual spiritual reality makes me a “dead man walking.” In that death in Christ I have died to myself. I am to no longer live for myself BUT for Jesus who died on the cross and rose again for me.

Part of the ministry of the cross and Christ’s death on the cross is to release you and me from self-centered living to others-centered living! This means that I am:

• To step out of “my world” and into other people’s lives to show Jesus love.
• To step out of “focusing on my needs” toward touching other people’s needs with the love of Jesus.
• To step out of “my comfort zone” and to sacrifice for others and for Jesus’ sake.

So I am a “dead man walking” in order to honor and to bring glory to Jesus Christ. The Apostle Paul said, “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me…” See Galatians 2:20.

The Song says “my chains fell off, I’ve been set free (from myself and from sin); my God, my Savior has rescued me (from selfish living)…amazing love, amazing grace!”