New Life

Philippians 3:10-14 (NLT)

¹⁰ I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death, ¹¹ so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead!

Pressing toward the Goal

¹² I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. ¹³^a]">[a] but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, ¹⁴ I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us. No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it,


The Exchanged Life Conference I attended last week brought things into a new light for me. When I read these verses this morning in my devotion it was just another example of how we 'die' with Christ. Our 'old self or flesh' died with Christ on the cross, so when we accept him into our lives we gain a new past. His past. Everyday we are to deny self and follow Christ. Sometimes it's even an every minute thing.

Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me. Matthew 16:24

Then he said to the crowd, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross daily, and follow me. Luke 9:23

My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
Galatians 2:20

To deny yourself means that, through an act of love, you sacrifice what you want for what Christ wants. You do this in obedience to Him.

Have you given up the right to run your own life?

Are you being obedient to His will for your life?