Here's the answer..yesterday in our kids Precept class, we were studying through Romans 6:4.
Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, in order that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.
I borrowed from an illustration that Kay Arthur gave in one of her studies, and I drew a cross, a tomb, and a representation of raising from the dead on the board.
The children have already learned that the Word teaches us that our old man (old nature, old sin nature) was crucifed with Christ, and buried with Him.
Yesterday we explored why and how Jesus was raised from the dead..and for what purpose. ( Why don't you observe the verse above, too, and comment on what your answer is.)
Anyway..I asked the kids at one point, "Now, who was crucifed on the cross?".
And one child said, "Jesus".
And another child said, "our old man".
Both correct answers. Yeah team!
But then, one child threw me a curve ball...he said, "Jesus' old man".
WOW!
Well, my answer at the time was to tell the kids that Jesus didn't have an old man. That He was sinless.
Yes, He was sinless. I don't have any question about that.
BUT...the question came later, as I believe the LORD was tugging on my heart to dig deeper...to make sure that I hadn't just given the kids a pat answer because that's what I had been taught.
The whole premise of a Precept Bible study is to learn to "Discover Truth for Yourself" and God showed me that I was just answering out of rote teaching. That I didn't truly KNOW.
Here is the thought line...if Jesus came to earth and took on the form of man, became fully man, and became flesh for us...and then crucified the flesh (ours included) on our behalf...then would he have had an "old man" an "old sin nature" an "old nature?
I thought about the times that He was tempted by Satan.
Scripture makes it clear that He had a choice....and that He chose to walk in obedience to God.
If that is true, and I believe from Scripture that it is, then wouldn't it mean that He had an "old nature" available to Him, but that through the power of the Father and the Holy Spirit, He didn't surrender to it at any point?
That He truly lived by the Spirit and not by the flesh?
Do you see where I'm going with this?
It's one thing to say that Yeshua lived by the Spirit and not by the flesh, but wouldn't realizing that show us that He could have chosen to do otherwise, in His humanity?
Hmmm..lots of good questions for us here.
I'm off to the hospital right now to visit our Grandma Nell...but I'll be digging into this later. I'd love to hear your thoughts..but please, base them in Scripture..for all else is sinking sand.
Would you please pray for our Grandma Nell? She is a precious friend, and after "losing" my parents year before last, she and her husband have filled the painful gap in the hearts of my children, (and ours too!) by allowing us to "adopt" them as their Grandparents.
They have loved our children as though they were their own, and we love them so much!
2 days ago, Jenel fell off of a ladder and landed on the patio of her home. Her husband found her when he came home from work, and at first she was totally non-responsive. He shook her several times, and she came to. At that point, she told him that she couldn't feel her legs.
They took her by ambulance to the hospital, and BLESS GOD, there is no head trauma or back injury!
However, she had to have massive surgery on her foot. She is now fully equipped with lots of pins and plates.
Her recovery will be long. But, we just Praise the Name of the LORD that she wasn't killed or crippled for life.
Thank you, Lord!
She may, however, have to wear orthopedic shoes for the rest of her life, and that might just be the worst part for her. She is a sandal wearing, flip-flop loving lady!
We'll have to figure out how to put rhinestones on orthopedic shoes. :)
Please pray for her, won't you?
And pray for her roommate at the hospital too, please...she's in a lot of hurt, both physically and emotionally. I hope to have an opportunity to share Jesus with her today.
Bye now!
Me
1 comment:
Great insights, as always.
We'll continue to pray for Jenel - for a quick recovery!
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