We are still learning how to get out of a spiritual rut by studying the owner’s manual (word of God) and accessing power through the blood of Christ, resurrection of Christ and the Spirit of Christ. The last blog was on the powerful cable of the blood of Christ that we have been given. I know it was a little long, but I encourage you to take some time and meditate on those wonderful truths about the power of the blood of Christ. The blood of Christ is truly incomparable and indestructible!
This next part has been a little more challenging for me, but I’m very excited to share with you the amazing cable of RESURRECTION power. Please don't let the familiarity of the first two points keep you from enjoying the power of them. These are truths in which we desperately need to be refreshed in order to get and stay out of spiritual rut's. And point #3 will be well worth it!! (Don't skip to #3, as my grandmother always said, "Jesus is watching you!" )
HOW do you get out of a spiritual “rut?”:
The word resurrection literally means a raising up. How many of you want a raising up of out your spiritual rut?
Let’s take a look at HOW and WHY this resurrection power that links us to Christ is so powerful it can raise us up out of a spiritual rut.
1. Resurrection power raised us up from our sin
HOW does resurrection power raise us up from our sin?
Colossians 2:13 “And you, who were dead in your trespasses (sin) and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross.” (ESV)
What does this mean for us? When Jesus was raised up from the dead, He satisfied the payment for our sin. This means that he removed the debt of our past, present and future sins. (Romans 6:10) This is huge for us!! Very often, we stay way too long in the rut because we think our sin is too great. When you receive the free gift of Christ dying on the cross for your sins, you are also given the resurrection power that completely releases (forgives) you from the debt of your sin.
WHY will resurrection power raise us up from our struggle with sin?
Romans 8:34 “He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?”
Read Romans 8:34 over and over. Memorize it! It is one of the most power packed scriptures in the entire bible. If God did not spare doing the most difficult thing, putting his beloved Son to death on a cross and putting the punishment of the sins of the world on him, he will do the gracious work of strengthening, sustaining and pulling us out of each rut of sin.
2. Resurrection power raised us up to walk in newness of life
HOW does resurrection power raise us up to walk in newness of life?
Romans 6:4 “We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.”
We had the curse of death on us because of our sin which originated in the garden with Adam (Genesis 3). We needed to be raised from the dead, but we could not raise ourselves. God sent his Son, Jesus, in the form of man, to die for us so that we could have life and have a restored relationship with God.
Christ died our death for us on the cross. Romans 6:4 teaches us that because we get to share in the benefit of Christ’ death for us, we also get to share in the power of his resurrection. AWESOME!
WHY will resurrection power raise us up to walk in newness of life?
"we too might walk in newness of life.”
We learned in #1 that when we receive Christ, God forever cancels (forgives) our debt of sin. Does this mean that we will never struggle with sin again? Unfortunately, the answer is NO; that is not until we are at home with him in heaven. As long as we are in these earthly bodies, we have a flesh that wants to exalt its own appetites, passions and desires. Basically, we want what we want, how we want it and when we want it. This old flesh is waging war against the Spirit of God who indwells us (Romans 7:23) as children of God. Yet, we are not defenseless in this war that wages within us. We have been given resurrection power to walk in a new way, a new life. Resurrection power enables, encourages and empowers us to turn (repent) from our sinful, self-seeking appetites, passions and desires
If you have felt the defeat of sin in your life, which we all have, I encourage you to put Romans 6:4 in your memory. You need to know that you are not defenseless against sin. God has provided resurrection power for you to walk in newness of life. “You must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.” Romans 6:11
What does it mean to walk in newness of life? The word newness means renewal. This means you have been given a desire and power to live a completely different life than you did when you were dead in your sins. Resurrection power changes your life. It changes the way you think, feel, speak and act. God renews our thoughts through his word. (Romans 12:1-2) He will show you new ways to think, feel, speak and act based on who He is for you.
You don’t have to stay in the rut of sin that has kept you feeling defeated, turn from your sin and walk in the newness of life!
3. Resurrection power raises up every sin, every conflict, every circumstance to VICTORY in Christ
HOW does resurrection power raise up every sin, abuse, conflict, circumstance to VICTORY in Christ?
1 Corinthians 15:55-57 “O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR VICTORY? O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR STING?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law; but thanks be to God, who gives us victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Everything in your life, including your own sin, has been purchased with the blood of Christ and has been given the resurrection power to raise up to something that has VICTORY written all over it. One of the greatest misconceptions and reasons why we stay in the spiritual rut is because we think that our sin, abuse, conflict, and circumstances are what they are. You’ve probably heard the saying, “it is what it is.” The world may tell you that your sin has forever condemned you, abuse has marked and scarred you for life, the conflict can’t be resolved and that the circumstance is impossible.
But God tells us: “But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us.”
Why will resurrection power raise up every sin, abuse, conflict, circumstance to VICTORY in Christ?
Romans 8:37 “But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us.”
With resurrection power that which is, is raised up to something new.
Paul acknowledged in Romans 8:35 that we may endure tribulation, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness, peril or even the sword which represents death. But then he answered his own question as to why these things don’t mean defeat or a spiritual rut for the child of God. He said, “but in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Jesus Christ.”
Because Christ conquered death for us on the cross, every sin, pain, heartache, abuse, difficulty, stress, and the list goes on, is raised up to VICTORY for the exaltation of Christ. Even death will be turned into victory for the child of God, because physical death on this earth is our passage into eternal glory with God. Isn’t resurrection power beautiful!
So…what if we start calling our stress, difficulties, sufferings and past sin by a different name? What if we labeled them VICTORIES for the exaltation of Christ. Everything that we endure this side of heaven has been raised up by resurrection power so that Christ can be exalted in and through everything! One of the greatest treasures of resurrection power, is when Christ is exalted in all things we have the most joy and satisfaction.
Have any of these truths about resurrection power helped raise you up out of a spiritual rut today? If so, I would love to hear from you. I would especially love to hear from you if you realized for the first time today that you need to receive the free gift of salvation that Jesus purchased for you when he died on the cross for your sins. Please use the comment section of the blog or you can email me at tfletcher0707@yahoo.com.
Thank you again for joining me on the journey of Getting Unstuck from a Spiritual Rut!
Love you,
Tammy
