Two Ways
Every day we are confronted with decisions. One of the major decisions we have to make moment by moment is am I going to go God’s way or am I going to go my way.
God’s way is narrow and often difficult for us. Our way is broad and self-satisfying.
The baptism of water, as I understand it, is a decision to follow Jesus and become united with Him in His death and resurrection. Through that simple little act of faith, we join Jesus on the cross where the old man (the sin nature) is put to death. We are buried with Jesus and we rise with Him in newness of life.
A friend of mine that has now gone on to be with the lord often spoke about us spending our time in the graveyard digging up the old man and trying to straighten him out. We would put a new suit on him and send him to church and try to make him act like a holy man. He made the comment that we should just leave that old man buried in the graveyard and go on living a spiritual life in the kingdom of God as a new man in Christ.
I use this little teaching from my friend because this is the important decision we must make moment by moment, following Jesus into newness of life or spend our time in the graveyard. If we follow Jesus, we are living in the kingdom of God that is in us. If we are going our way, we are in the graveyard with all the other dead people.
Another comment this friend often made, “We minister what we are!”
If indeed we are in the kingdom of God, life is coming forth from us moment by moment. If we are in the graveyard, we are constantly ministering death to those around us. If we are filled with life, we minister life. If we are filled with death, we minister death!