I was baptized in water when I was 15–years-old.
I was born again by the Spirit of God when I was 37-years-old.
After I was born again, I was on buying trip to restock my shop in Dallas with merchandise.
As the plane was starting to land in Albuquerque, NM (USA), I heard these words from the Spirit of God:
“Be Baptized”
My cousin, a Church of Christ member, was picking me up at airport.
I said to her, “Jeanne, if you can set it up, I will be baptized here this afternoon before I return to Dallas.”
She replied, “But you’ve already been baptized.”
I said, “Yes, I know … but I wasn’t born again until now.”
Later that afternoon, we gathered at the Church of Christ building. At that time, I had about 15-20 relatives living in Albuquerque and they came to the church building to witness my being baptized.
The minister said to me, “Would you like to say anything?”
I was very surprised for they do not allow women to speak at the Church of Christ.
But I just began speaking as led by the Spirit of God.
My uncle who was seated in the audience began weeping.
Later he came to me and said, “I’ve never heard anything before like that which you said. Could you write that out for me?” I replied, “I guess so.” I wrote it out and sent it to him. I believe my uncle was born again at that time.
One cousin was strongly acknowledging what I was saying by moving her head up and down, “YES, YES”!
*****
At the moment the minister lowered me down into the water to be baptized, the Holy Spirit spoke these words to me:
“This is like being buried with Christ.”
As I came up out of the water, the Holy Spirit said to me:
“This is like being raised with Christ.”
This is exactly what Romans 6 tells us, but I didn’t know Romans 6 at that time …
Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into HIS death?
Therefore we are buried with HIM by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
For if we have been planted together in the likeness of HIS death, we shall be also in the likeness of HIS resurrection:
Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with HIM, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.
For he that is dead is freed from sin.
Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with HIM: Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him. For in that HE died, HE died unto sin once: but in that HE liveth, HE liveth unto God.
Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.
Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.
*****
Before God revealed Jesus to us, we served our own desires. We served our own emotions.
But now that we belong to God, we are “new creations” in Christ, in the Word.
Paul explains:
II Corinthians 5:17 … Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
*****
We are changed immediately, but we grow into the image of Christ day by day for the remainder of our lives on this earth.
We are continually changed as we encounter various problems and turn to God in prayer and go in the way instructed by God in the matter at hand.
Every time we follow God in dealing with an earthly matter, we are recreated again into the image of Christ, the Word. So we grow in HIM daily as we follow the Word.
*****
A large portion of dealing with destructive thoughts has to do with being recreated into the image of Christ, taking on another portion of the Word of God and acting according to the Word of God.
“I die daily”, says the apostle Paul. (I Cor. 15:31)
And we die every time we refuse to let our own flesh have it’s way in the issue.
Thus Paul says, But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: I Cor. 9
For example: Your flesh will want to speak up and be heard in fleshly wisdom. You refuse to allow that to happen and your flesh suffers because it wants to speak and isn’t getting to do what it wants to do.
This is what is meant by “suffering in the flesh” … the flesh no longer gets to rule over our body as it once did.
I Peter 4 … Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin; That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God. For the time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles, when we walked in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, revellings, banquetings, and abominable idolatries: Wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them to the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you:
*****
As Christians, we are “buried” with Christ now. We are raised also with Christ now. We are new creations in Christ. We are no longer as we once were, though our flesh wants to act as it once acted, ruling over everyone and everything.
But we keep our flesh under submission to God and the Word of God through prayer and by focusing on that which God shows us concerning the issues of life.
And God’s yoke is easy and HIS burden is light. (Mt. 11:30)
It is hard to please our flesh. If you want to see a hard way, just try to make yourself happy and satisfied by acquiring things and through seeking the praise of men. All of a sudden you will know what it is to be a slave.
So Jesus explains:
Mt. 11 Come unto ME, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Take MY yoke upon you, and learn of ME; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
For MY yoke is easy, and MY burden is light.
*****
We learn to go to God in prayer, talking things over with God. We learn to listen to that which the Holy Spirit brings us for it is the way of God in the specific matter at hand. We then choose to go in the way shown us by God.
Often the way of God is so simple.
A man in our little church group was struggling with his “stuff” and was considering building another building where he could store “his extra stuff”.
All of a sudden the Holy Spirit said to him,
“Why don’t you just get rid of the stuff?”
*****
I live in a house that belongs to our ministry. Some vandals threw eggs at the plaster and damaged the back of the house. As I considered having the house painted, God brought me another plan.
When this happened, I was 78-years-old. When I die, the ministry leaders will put the house up for sale. When the house is put up for sale, the realtor can arrange for painting and damage repair and I will not be burdened with such.
*****
Our plans are often trying.
God’s plans simplify things and make it easy for us.
James tells us ways to recognize the wisdom that is from above …
James 3:17-18 … But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.