For all we read and hear about this idea of ‘putting to death the deeds of the flesh’ and ‘dying to self’ or ‘laying down one’s life’...is this just poetic language and figurative speech that everyone knows is impossible to do and not to be taken literally? 

 Or just the opposite? And if it really is to be taken seriously, and what Paul wrote in Gal. 5:24 really means what it says...( “those who belong to Christ have put to death the flesh with its passions and desires”) ...then ‘how...’ does one actually do that? 

 I’m sure that you, like so many of us...go through seasons where we ‘do better’ than we have in the past; maybe dialing down certain ‘bad habits’ we are prone to ‘stumbling’ in but never completely die to it. And no doubt, there are other areas that are no longer a problem or temptation for you and you praise God for that victory. But completely dying to it all as Paul mentions there in Rom. 6:2,6-7? I would think you hear that little voice in your head whisper:  “Ain’t gonna happen...ain’t nobody perfect...which is why I lean on the grace and mercy of God.”. 

 Yet....it was Jesus who said: “Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your father in heaven is perfect.” (Matt. 5:48). And did James not say that these trials we face lead to our being made 'perfect and complete'? (1:4) Please remember here - we need not be offended or afraid of the Word. Let’s just see if we might better understand what it is saying to us. 

 Have you ever been asked to do something which you agreed to do...had good intentions of doing it, but for whatever reason, you never followed through?  Then, when asked...you were pretty sure you did it, or thought you did it, only to discover later you did not actually do what you were instructed to do or said you would do. 

 It happens. 

 Parable of the two sons...asked to go work in vineyard, First son said he would not, but later changed his mind and went. Second son said he would, but then did not go. Jesus asked the question, which son did the will of the father? I love how Jesus began this story asking: “What do you think?” (Matt. 21:28-31) 

 Before we explore some helpful verses that might better explain ‘how’ we ‘put to death the deeds of this body/sinful nature (Col. 3:5), I want to revisit an OT story that shares about another person who was instructed to do something by God...and in his mind, did. The only problem was, he did not. And it was his downfall that led to falling out of God’s grace and blessings. We can still do that as well, you know.

 It’s the story of King Saul who was commanded by God, through the prophet Samuel, to go...and ‘put to death’ the Amalekites...’utterly destroying all they had...and do not spare them.” (1 Samuel 15:3). I know that passage truly sounds harsh when you read it...and you can be sure God had His reasons. He even included for all the livestock like oxen and sheep and camels and donkeys to be put to death as well. 

 So King Saul set out to do this. And it is verse 9 that you need to pause at and mark or highlight.- “But Saul and the people spared (King) Agag and the best of the sheep, the oxen, the fatlings, the lambs, and all that was good, and were unwilling to utterly destroy them. But everything despised and worthless, that they utterly destroyed.” 

 What do you think? Did Saul fully obey God’s command here? It’s a simple ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ answer. 

 As you read on, the word of the Lord comes to Samuel, and God expresses regret that He set Saul up as king given he has ‘turned back from following Him’ and not performed His commandments.” (10). That’s another verse you might underline as well. 

 Do you know how ...we ‘turn away’ or ‘fall away’ from God? We stop following His word and doing His commandments. 

 What did Paul say would happen in the last days...there in 2 Thess. 2:3? Do you think it is possible for sincere believers to ‘fall away’ from the faith? Would you mind looking up Heb. 3:12, Matt. 24:10, 1 Tim. 4:1 & John 6:66. 

 I know many folks love to quote John 10:28 that promises that we ‘cannot be snatched’ from the Father’s hand. But you do know that Jesus is talking specifically there about His sheep with this qualifier: “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.” (27). His sheep don’t turn...and walk away...and stop doing what God asks of them...because...those who really love Jesus...will do what He says. (John 14:15; Luke 6:46). And Jesus asks us to take up our cross and follow Him and to ‘lay down our life’ as He laid down His life for us. 

 You should also know by now, that the ‘life’ He asks...and demands that we ‘lay down’, is our old sinful man and nature. It must be put to death. That is the only way His nature can be produced in us (John 12:24). How else do we expect to love others as Christ loved us and in the process, fulfill the law of God unless we become full partakers of His divine nature? (2 Pet. 1:3) That is what He came to do in us, you know. (Rom. 8:29) 

 Back to our story with King Saul. 

 Samuel goes down to see the king. Seems that Saul has already set up a monument for himself ...celebrating of sorts his ‘victory’. (Look what I did!). When the king sees Samuel approaching, he goes out to meet him, blessing him and then boldly declares: “I performed the commandment of the Lord.” 

 To which Samuel responds...Really Saul? Did you really do what God asked? Because if you did fully obey God, then “what is the bleating of the sheep in my ears and the lowing of the oxen which I hear?” (14) 

 Saul backpedals begins to offer his ‘spin’ on what went down and the reason they spared the livestock. He wanted to put on a great ‘sacrifice to the Lord’. You know, let’s show God how much we love Him and have a great service of worship. (There is much I want to write about here but will save most for another day). But please make no mistake about this....a ‘great worship service’ is never a substitute for doing what God ask of us. Never. That might be the reason God spoke through Amos and told the people...”Enough with the music and songs and worship and playing of instruments!” (Amos 5:21-24)

 Let me just say this for now, and then you can read the rest of 1 Sam. 15 to see how that conversation goes with Samuel and king Saul. -

 When we think we don’t really need to fully obey God and can come to Him on ‘our terms’, we are guilty of establishing our own standard of righteousness. (Rom. 10:3). We remain hostile to God (Rom. 8:6-8). Yet when we all file in to our ‘houses of worship’ and crank up the music and sing and ‘worship’ in order to ‘bring down the presence of God’...we are not involved in true worship, no matter how ‘real and sincere’ it may seem to you. On the contrary, what is really happening is we are bringing down ‘strange fire’ and dabbling in a form of witchcraft’. (Lev. 10:1-2; and 1 Sam. 15:22-23). 

 Yeah...I know...that one is a punch to the gut/heart...as well it should be. And there is no way I could type those words out and post publicly if I was not absolutely convinced this is what God is wanting us to hear and give thought to. (Hag. 1:5- “consider your ways....). Don’t forget, Paul did warn we could end up with ‘another Jesus’ and ‘receive another spirit’. (2 Cor. 11:4) 

 As you do read through the rest of that story with Saul and Samuel, you learn quickly that Saul may have ‘feared God’ but he obviously ‘feared the people’ more. (24) [Are you familiar with John 12:42-43?]. And so begins the eminent  and tragic downfall of King Saul, Israel’s first king. The irony here should not be lost on us either: God’s plan was never to set an earthly king over His people. HE...wanted to be their king. But they insisted...wanting to be like ‘all the other nations who had kings’. (1 Sam. 8) 

 The rest of this book continues on with David being selected and anointed to succeed Saul who by now, has grown bitter and angry...opening the door to ‘bad spirits’ to come in and torment him. Want to take a guess who sent these spirits? God did. (16:14; Matt. 18:34-35) 

 And don’t tell me God doesn’t know how to tie in irony and conflict in the sharing of a dramatic story filled with truth that should make an impact on us. The tragic drama concludes in chapter 31 with Saul’s eventual death on the battlefield where his head is chopped off. You are left thinking...that Saul takes an arrow from a Philistine and wanting to avoid capture, he falls on his own sword and dies. 

 But wait. There’s more. Just turn the page and read the opening chapter of 2 Samuel 1. We learn there how Saul really died. He was killed by...and Amalekite, of all people. (1-16). The very thing God commanded Saul to eradicate completely...ends up killing him in the end. 

 What does Paul write about regarding of a ‘little leaven’ in 1 Cor. 5:6 & Gal. 5:9 ? If God commands we ‘put to death....all...the deeds of the flesh nature’, (Rom. 8:13; Gal. 5:24), then He may have a pretty good reason for requiring this. Tomorrow...a lesson on how we do that.