Cracks in our Spiritual Foundations - Part 2
Alice Smith
“If the foundations are destroyed, what can the
righteous do?” (Ps. 11)
There is plenty the righteous can do. We believers have the capacity to deal with unresolved past issues. The apostle Paul says, "if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new." (2 Corinthians 5:17). The moment we are born again, we are vindicated, and our eternal destiny is fixed. Spiritually, old things have "passed away," because Jesus paid the price of sin on the cross. But does this mean everything in our lives is fixed? We wish! What about experientially—are all things forgotten, cleaned up, and removed?
Every person has three components: spirit, soul (mind, will, emotions), and body. The human spirit inside us is unregenerate, dead. When the Holy Spirit quickens our dead spirit, we repent, believe and receive the gospel. This transformation includes a revelation of our sin-guilt sin and our hopelessness apart from Christ’s saving grace. In that moment we are transferred from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of light. However, our height, skin color, clothes, house address, bank account, or marital status has not changed. The spiritual changed, the physical didn’t. It’s our responsibility to discipline our bodies, and transform our living.
"I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service" (Rom. 12:1).
"Do not let sin reign in your mortal body that you should obey its lusts" (6:12).
"I discipline my body and bring it into subjection" (1 Cor. 9:27).
Our soul, affected by our fallen nature, is subject to sin and to the world’s temptations. Because of this, "let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God" (2 Cor. 7:1). For the Christian, as a new creature, this isn’t about whether or not eternal life with God is a certainty. (It is.) It's about our duty to deal with our "old man," our sin nature, and cancel the spiritual liens against us. Sadly, this doesn’t happen overnight, but incrementally, as we daily die to self, and receive revelation from the Father regarding "stuff" we need to break free from. In time we begin to gradually see our foundation reflect the likeness of Christ.
The ongoing call to "work out our salvation with fear and trembling" is the challenge (Phil. 2:12). The Greek word translated as "work out" means “to work fully until finished,” and the term translated as "salvation" can also be translated "deliverance." Paul exhorts us to pursue and look for areas of defilement in our spiritual growth that might hinder us from the full revelation of knowing Jesus as our Lord. Daily we are getting delivered from self, the past, and the present.
If you had unpaid bills before you were saved, your bills still need to be paid. If you had property liens before you were converted to Christ, you still need to clear them. When a person is born again, he/she receives everlasting life. But if we are to live a life of freedom to the glory of God, we have to “work out” our salvation, that is, sanctify (purify) our body and soul.
Although it happens for some, the experience of the new birth doesn't automatically change external issues, like economic conditions, family curses, generational iniquity, and unholy soul attachments from relationships, covenants and partnerships. With the proper knowledge and revelation from God we can clean the slate of our spiritual foundation to make a way for a life of victory. "But through knowledge shall the righteous be delivered" (Pro. 11:9b).
You might wonder why so much talk about foundations? Because structural integrity is critical to the stability of any building, just as spiritual integrity is vital for a victorious life. Satan will take advantage of a believer who leaves doors open through sins, traumas or generational strongholds (Eccl. 10:8; Rom. 6:15-16; Gal. 5:1).
So does this mean the scriptural promises are false, that we are a “new creation in Christ,” we are “seated together in heavenly places with Christ?” Absolutely not! It means that we haven't understood and applied key scriptural issues for our freedom. Scriptural promises are built on scriptural premises. We must learn the premise (truth in the matter) as well as the promise (scripture). We have to consider the context as well as the text.
“Working out" our salvation is progressive. Sanctification means to be ‘set apart’ from dead works and ‘set apart’ unto God for godly living. Spiritual warfare is when we war against self and submit to God. At salvation, our sin account is settled and our sin guilt is eradicated. A fresh revelation of this truth helps us identify our faulty foundations. Don’t leave any opening to evil, as we ask God to reveal and heal the desolate areas of our cracked foundations. God reveals to heal and not to harm, so reclaim what you’ve lost.
One Haitian pastor tells this parable that shows our need for total commitment to Christ:
"A certain man wanted to sell his house for $2,000. A poor man wanted very badly to buy it, but couldn't afford the full price. After much bargaining, the owner agreed to sell the house for half the original price with one stipulation: he would retain ownership of one small peg protruding from over the front door and anything hanging on it.
"After several years, the original owner wanted the house back, but the new owner refused to sell. So the first owner, found the carcass of a dead dog, and hung it from the nail he still owned. Soon the house became unlivable, and the family was forced to sell the house to the owner of the peg."
The Haitian pastor's conclusion: "If we give the devil one small peg in our life, he'll return to hang his rotting garbage on it, making it unfit for Christ's habitation.”
None of us wants rotting garbage in our lives. Does the devil own of even one small peg in you? Evaluate your foundation by answering these questions.
(1) As a child through high school, think back on any door you opened to the devil; i.e. bully in school, cheating in school, drugs, sex, stealing, or rebellion. Repent right now.
(2) As a young adult, where were the cracks in your life that Satan was able to slap a lien on your life? Drunkenness, drugs, lying, dishonest work habits, stealing from the company, fornication, rape, anti-God activity, cults, and perversions.
(3) What are the sins with which you repeatedly struggle, the ones that seem to be uncontrollable? Repent to the Lord now.
(4) In what areas do you feel cursed; areas that hold you back? Repent.
(5) What old bills, contracts, leases, or liens have you left unpaid? No matter what anyone tells you, you are legally responsible for your debts (Matt. 22:21). List them.
(6) Are you drawn to the wrong kind of people through dealings, contracts, jobs, associations, and commitments? If so, name the people and situations.
(7) With which of these have you or your family ever signed contracts, made ungodly covenants, or signed a membership: Mormonism, martial arts, Islam, voodoo, heathen tribal beliefs, low-down, Hinduism, yoga, Buddhism, Freemasonry, anti-Semitism, sexual perversion, Black Brotherhood, KKK, satanic cults (New Age, Wicca, Satanism), Scientology, Unitarianism, speaking to the dead, mind-control methods, Egyptology? Repent of them now.
In closing, out loud, and with your eyes open, make a proclamation to the powers of darkness breaking all associations with evil. Command demons to leave you and continue until you sense a release from the oppression. Maintain your new territory by celebration and praise to God anytime the devil comes to tempt you to fall into the cracks of your yesterdays.
