Dying Daily...

{{... transferred from previous blog}}
{{Originally written for our homeschool group newsletter}}



Are we dying daily?

To have victory in our homeschool endeavors,
we must be having victory in our daily lives.
There are many areas we need daily victory:
Perhaps we suffer from discouragement, an angry spirit,
laziness, worry, depression, lack of patience,
or lack of enthusiasm.
Whatever it be, God never intends for us to
'just get by' or 'just go through the motions'.

John 10:10 says
"...I am come that they might have life,
and that they might have it more abundantly."
John 15:11 ~ "...that my joy might remain in you,
and that your joy might be full."

Not only does He want us to have victory
in all areas of our lives,
He wants our joy to be full and to live life richly.
How do we do this?
Not in our own vain efforts and strength.
We must identify with Christ and follow His example.
Luke 9:23 says
"...let him deny himself,
and take up his cross daily, and follow me."
(also see Matt. 16:24; Mark 8:34, 10:21)


~ Through Death ~
Romans 6:6 ~ "...that our old man is crucified with Him..."
Galatians 2:20 says, "... I am crucified with Christ:
nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me:
and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith
of the Son of God, who loved me,
and gave himself for me."
When we become born again,
our old man (our corrupt human nature) is put to death,
yet we still live in our mortal body.
But Christ lives in us
and now we need to live by faith
(confidence in Him).
Daily we need to die to self and crucify the flesh.
We need to die to our own selfish wants, desires,
rights, impulses, and expectations.


~ Through Life ~
Just as we identify with Christ and die to self,
"we shall be also in the likeness
of His resurrection." (Rom.6:5)
When we die to self and to sin,
we are "alive unto God through
Jesus Christ our Lord." (Romans 6:11)
He has to be our Master.
We cannot serve self and Christ.
We cannot serve two masters
(Matt.6:24; Luke 16:13)
We must die to self and confess quickly,
not letting sin and love of self
make a home in our body
(Rom.6:12 ~ "Let not sin therefore
reign in your mortal body..."),
so we can be freed from defeat and the bondage of sin.
Then we are able to live victoriously in Christ
and He is able to live through us.


~ Through Power ~
When we are not yielded and surrendered to Christ daily,
we quench the Holy Spirit's power in us.
In contrast,
when we are yielded and surrendered,
we allow the Holy Spirit to enable us with
love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness,
goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance.
(Galatians 5:22-23)
That honors God much more than
anger, depression, hostility, impatience, harshness,
sinfulness, hopelessness, irritation, and rashness.

We need to look to Him
for strength...
"The LORD is my strength and my shield;
my heart trusted in him, and I am helped:
therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth;
and with my song will I praise him" ~ Psalm 28:7

"Trust ye in the LORD for ever:
for in the LORD JEHOVAH is everlasting strength"
~ Isaiah 26:4

and trust in His promises...
"But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice:
let them ever shout for joy..." ~ Psalm 5:11

"Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him;
and he shall bring it to pass." ~ Psalm 37:5

and in His grace...
"...My grace is sufficient for thee:
for my strength is made perfect in weakness.
Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities,
that the power of Christ may rest upon me".
~ 1 Corinthians 12:9

"But the God of all grace,
who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus,
after that ye have suffered a while,
make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you."
~ 1 Peter 5:10

"But by the grace of God I am what I am:
and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain;
but I laboured more abundantly than they all:
yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me."
~ 1 Corinthians 15:10

We must have faith,
which enables us to live the victorious life.
"But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory
through our Lord Jesus Christ." ~ 1 Corninthians 15:57

"Whereby are given unto us
exceeding great and precious promises:
that by these ye might be partakers
of the divine nature,
having escaped the corruption
that is in the world through lust.
And beside this, giving all diligence,
add to your faith virtue;
and to virtue knowledge;
And to knowledge temperance;
and to temperance patience;
and to patience godliness;
And to godliness brotherly kindness;
and to brotherly kindness charity.
For if these things be in you, and abound,
they make you that ye shall neither
be barren nor unfruitful
in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ."
~ 2 Peter 1:4-8

Do we really want victory in homeschool?
It starts with having victories in our daily lives.
Dying to self is not a one time thing.
We must die to self daily and all day long
in order to live victoriously.

"But now being made free from sin,
and become servants to God,
ye have your fruit unto holiness,
and the end everlasting life." ~ Romans 6:22

"But if the Spirit of him that raised up
Jesus from the dead dwell in you,
he that raised up Christ from the dead
shall also quicken your mortal bodies
by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.
Therefore, brethren, we are debtors,
not to the flesh, to live after the flesh.
For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die:
but if ye through the Spirit do mortify
the deeds of the body,
ye shall live." ~ Romans 8:11-13

"...I die daily." ~ 1 Corinthians 15:31

Are we dying daily?

~ Christina K © March 2005

graphic by Snapshots of Joy