Albert
Einstein once said, “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over
and over again while expecting a different outcome.”
In
regards, to discipleship, I like to rephrase this quote. “The
definition of Christian insanity is a born-again believer who identifies
himself as a sinner while expecting to be a holy disciple.”
I’ve
been there. My Christian friends have been there. But how
long will it take others to wake up and realize they are there too?
For a period-of-time,
I had a multiple personality disorder. It was called thinking as a
sinner while trying to be
Christian. Yes, I believed in Jesus as my
savior but if the police arrested me for being a Christian there wouldn’t be
any evidence to convict me. Since my dominant thoughts drove my heart, I was still led by all the nasty business of the secular
world. Sure, I knew scripture, but it never lived in my heart. Let’s
be honest, Satan knows scripture better than anyone else and look what happen
to him.
Then
one day the Holy Spirit drove an arrow into my heart. It came from
the Passion translation where Jesus said, “But if you live in
life-union with me and if my words live powerfully within you—then you can ask
whatever you desire, and it will be done.” John 15:7
There
is was. I was called to live in life union with
Jesus. More still, his words must live powerfully in my
heart. The message came clear, it was time to burn the ships.
To succeed we must burn the ships of our past. |
It
brought-to-mind Romans 12:2;
Stop imitating
the ideals and opinions of the culture around you but be inwardly transformed
by the Holy Spirit through a total reformation of how you think. This will
empower you to discern God’s will as you live a beautiful life, satisfying and
perfect in his eyes. Romans 12:2 (TPT)
As an ineffective Christian I identified myself as a past
sinner and used this dead identity to shape my Christian present
life. I needed to burn the ships of my destructive thinking. No
longer did I identify myself as a sinner. I was a friend of Jesus set apart from the world; a saint. I saw my
future identity as a child of God and with the help of the Holy Spirit my
future vision shaped into my present reality. I saw myself as a friend of Jesus who delighted in obeying His Word because it was rooted in love and mercy. So I thought like a saint. I behaved like a saint. At the moment, I may not be a perfect saint, but the train has left the station.
So, I
burned the ships from my past and embraced the future of my beloved savior. I
was driven by his love and love poured through me. No longer will I accept the the fear mongering lies of this world. Rather I will dwell in His Word so His living streams of water can fill my
mind, shape my thoughts, and transform my heart.
We must
all burn the ships of our past thinking, and fully embrace the truth that our
future with Jesus is within us today. Be His friend now. Be a saint!
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