Have We Crucified Our Flesh?

And there were four leprous men at the entering in of the gate: and they said one to another, Why sit we here until we die?
2 Kings 7:3

Israel was surrounded. People were starving. These four lepers were in an equally dire situation but decided to do something. They had nothing to lose.

Have you ever heard people say, “I can’t do what God has called me to because I’ve just got too many responsibilities?”

We say things like this because we value our lives more than we value the plan of God. In my experience it seems the reason for this is our thinking is too small.

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.
Galatians 2:20

Paul was able to accomplish great things for the Kingdom. He was able to crucify his flesh. This is a concept that seems to be lost in the modern church. People desire non confrontational Christianity which is not true Christianity.

And there came thither certain Jews from Antioch and Iconium, who persuaded the people, and having stoned Paul, drew him out of the city, supposing he had been dead. Howbeit, as the disciples stood round about him, he rose up, and came into the city: and the next day he departed with Barnabas to Derbe.
Acts 14:19-20

Paul had completely surrendered his life to Christ. He was stoned and left for dead but this did not stop him. He rose up and went right back into the city to continue preaching. How many of us would have done something similar?

For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
Philippians 1:21

Paul lived a surrendered life. The Church used to talk a lot about dying to self. It seems that this concept has been lost today.

Paul said, “To die is gain.”

He was not afraid of death. The fear of death holds people in bondage. A person who has crucified their flesh will not be afraid of death. They will know if whom they have believed and put all of their trust in.

If we say, We will enter into the city, then the famine is in the city, and we shall die there: and if we sit still here, we die also. Now therefore come, and let us fall unto the host of the Syrians: if they save us alive, we shall live; and if they kill us, we shall but die. And they rose up in the twilight, to go unto the camp of the Syrians: and when they were come to the uttermost part of the camp of Syria, behold, there was no man there. For the Lord had made the host of the Syrians to hear a noise of chariots, and a noise of horses, even the noise of a great host: and they said one to another, Lo, the king of Israel hath hired against us the kings of the Hittites, and the kings of the Egyptians, to come upon us. Wherefore they arose and fled in the twilight, and left their tents, and their horses, and their asses, even the camp as it was, and fled for their life. And when these lepers came to the uttermost part of the camp, they went into one tent, and did eat and drink, and carried thence silver, and gold, and raiment, and went and hid it; and came again, and entered into another tent, and carried thence also, and went and hid it. Then they said one to another, We do not well: this day is a day of good tidings, and we hold our peace: if we tarry till the morning light, some mischief will come upon us: now therefore come, that we may go and tell the king’s household.
2 Kings 7:4-9

The lepers decided they had nothing to lose. They were dying at the gate and so the worst would the Syrians could do was quicken their death.

When the arrived at the Syrian camp it was empty! God had made a “noise of chariots, and a noise of horses, and even the noise of a great host”. The enemy heard it and fled in terror leaving all of their goods behind.

The lepers gathered what they could and then went and told the king what happened. They had been outcasts but God made them heroes! If the lepers had stayed at the gate their account would most likely not be included in God’s Word.

So how long are we going to sit and protect the little we’ve been able to accumulate? Far too many Christians have come to the end of their lives only to find that they never entered into God’s plan.

Do you want to accomplish the plan of God for your life? Doing so will require you to step out of the proverbial boat and walk on the water.

It is risky to grab a person and command them to walk. Peter did that and the lame man at the Gate Beautiful leapt and walked. The man asked for a handout but got a miracle! What would you have done if you had been in Peter’s shoes?

It is our small thinking that keeps us from stepping out. We have a small vision and can only see a small God and so accomplish small things. God has ordained us for so much more!

Fear is the limiting force in our lives that keeps the power of God from manifesting. It is the fear that opens the door for Satan to work freely in our lives.

I believed that one of the greatest hinderances to walking in the plan of God is fear of change. We get comfortable and do not step out of the boat. If you don’t step out like Peter did you will not see the power of God manifest in your life.

There are people who will read this post that have gotten glimpses of God’s plan. You may have seen the first couple of steps but have allowed fear to keep you from stepping out.

What is holding us back from stepping out? The answer will be different for each of us. We will not see the power of God in greater manifestation until we overcome fear. I guarantee that Peter was not wondering what people would think of him when he grabbed the lame man’s hand at the Beautiful Gate. A miracle occurred because he did not allow fear of man to stop him from yielding to the anointing!

The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the LORD shall be safe.
Proverbs 29:25

I believe that fear is the number one thing in our lives which is limiting God from bringing His will to come to pass. When God put it on my heart to write this blog I almost did not do it because of a fear that no one would read these posts. It required me to come to the point that I valued the plan of God much more than what any reader would think of me. The blog has had more than one thousand visitors from more than twenty countries. My only regret at this point is not stepping out sooner!

God called me to write this blog. What has He called you to do? Don’t let fear stop you from stepping out because the world is waiting for you!

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