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            Choosing spiritual life means we choose to live the life of Christ—as the Holy Spirit of God enables us to believe in the Atonement Blood of the Cross and then to obey the instructions in the Bible.  We choose to be spiritually alive, because we are to Romans 6:11 “Reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.”  Alive unto God means we are willing to obey His Word. 

            We choose to think of ourselves as a slave to the ways of the world, or as a servant of the attitudes of the Lord.  Every human life begins without spiritual life.  From the day of birth, we are spiritually dead, but Ephesians 2:1 “You He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins.”

            The lethal spiritual condition of being dead and unresponsive to the Gospel, had to be corrected, and only God is able to do that spiritual work.  When we truly believe that Jesus is God in person Who paid for our sins on the Cross, the Holy Spirit will open our spiritual vision to see the value of living the life of Christ.

            When we choose spiritual life, the Holy Spirit enables us to understand the dreadful spiritual condition of the world—a world of unbelievers that will not trust an unseen God in faith for anything.  Spiritual life enables us to recognize the many false places of trust of those who do not believe.  Satan tries to have us depend on anything, or any plan, but not trust God.

            When the choice is made to accept Christ as Lord of our life, that choice includes asking God to cleanse our heart from the rebellious sin nature that had controlled us to follow the ways of the world.  Romans 6:6 “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 [should no longer be slaves of sin]. 7 For he that is dead is freed from sin.”  We are free from addictions; habits; and resentful attitudes.

            Our life now belongs to God by creation and purchase, so we should return to God what rightfully belongs to Him.  We now have no desire to go back to the ways and attitudes of the past, because we have been “freed from” them.  We can think of ourselves as dead to sin or alive to sin—that is the choice.

            The nature we feed will be the nature that grows.  We can choose to forgive or to resent—but only one includes forgiveness.  God’s Word makes the choice clear Colossians 3:12 “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13 bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do.”  It is a constant struggle between the world’s way and the Lord’s way.

            We are still in the world, so we deal with temptations of the world.  Once we are born again to this new life, we are spiritually alive to a new attitude—toward everything and everyone.  The new way is opposite to the way of the world, because now we want to trust God for everything.

            Desires of the flesh wage war for the soul.  It is the on-going choice to resist by the Spirit, or give in to the devil.  Romans 6:12 “Do not let sin control the way you live; do not give in to its lustful desires. 13 Do not let any part of your body become a tool of wickedness, to be used for sinning. Instead, give yourselves completely to God since you have been given new life.”

            We may be tempted to sin, but we are not obligated to give in.  The moment of temptation gives a choice to resist or yield.  The results—of feeding one nature or the other is clear Galatians 6:8 “He who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.”

            Every situation every day gives a choice—Romans 6:16 “Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness?”  It is a choice to follow the world and resent, or to obey the Lord and forgive.

            When we choose spiritual life, the wrong attitudes of the past are over with, because Romans 6:17 “God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered. 18 And having been set [made] free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.”  We have been freed from sinful ways, but we still have the choice to remain free with believers, or go back to sin with the world.

            We are united with Christ by His death, and raised with Him by His life.  He will never die again for sin, so we do not have to give in again to sin.  We are not the same person we used to be, so we choose the new way that we should be. 

            We are made-over to a new person willing to trust God for everything.  We choose to be alive to God’s ways; or to remain dead in rebellious ways.  We Colossians 3:10 “have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him.”

            It is our responsibility to retain spiritual life—that is the choice.  2 John 1:9 “If you continue in the teaching of Christ, you will have fellowship with both the Father and the Son.”  Romans 8:12-13 “You have no obligation whatsoever to do what your sinful nature urges you to do.  For if you keep on following it, you will perish.  But if through the power of the Holy Spirit you turn from it and its evil deeds, you will live.” 

            If we “persist in following Christ” Romans 2:7 and trusting God for things in this life, He promises eternal life.  This is not earning a right to the kingdom, but following the Savior by faith into the kingdom.  If we choose to keep trusting God, through faith in the Atonement sacrifice of Christ, we will inherit the promised salvation.  Romans 2:7 “To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life.”

            Two natures are fighting for control—one runs to God, and the other runs from God.  The sin-nature competes for our attention, but the “sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature.  They are in conflict with each other Galatians 5:17.”

            It is a choice to satisfy the flesh, or to trust God in faith to fulfill every need in a scriptural way.  Temptation is still possible—and they come from James 4:1 “your lusts [desires] that war [battle] in your members.”  We must James 4:7 “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”

            The sin nature entices us to depend on, and trust in, seen things or plans of the world.  Satan is more active today than ever, and he presents all kinds of substitutes to replace trust and faith in God.  There are a multitude of financial plans; medical help; insurance coverage; safety devices; and legal ways to avenge injustices.

            The devil has professed believers doing more outward religious things that have no spiritual merit than ever before.  Millions say they believe in Christ, but the majority are not trusting Him in faith for anything—certainly not for divine healing or day-by-day financial needs.  Matthew 15:8 “These people draw near to Me with their mouth, And honor Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me.”

            The devil has devised financial and insurance plans to deceive proclaimed believers, because he knows it will keep them from trusting God in faith, which will hinder spiritual growth—causing the withering process and leading to destruction.  As a believer in Christ, we must not allow any false place of trust to slip in, and dissolve our faith, because it is only by faith we enter the kingdom.

            Spiritual life means we recognize the devil’s lies when he tries to get us away from trusting God on some faith issue.  We must communicate with God through prayer, and be sure we are trusting Him in faith for every life issue.  Matthew 18:3 “Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.”

            When we truly repent of wrong ways and unscriptural attitudes, a new nature is given, but the old one still wants our attention—thus the battle continues between two natures.  Satan wants us to doubt that we are free from his control, and to put our faith in the wrong things.  Matthew 3:8 “Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance.”

            Even though we have been reborn to a new life of faith, we can still be tempted to return to a life of sin.  “He died once to defeat sin, and now he lives for the glory of God.  So you should consider yourselves dead to sin and able to live for the glory of God through Christ Jesus” Romans 6:10-11.  If we sin or give in, we are to repent and be changed.  Choosing spiritual life enables us to know that temptation is from the devil.

            To claim spiritual life in Christ—that will trust God for everything—is a very exclusive statement.  No other religion makes that claim.  The Muslim does not claim to be in Mohammed or in Allah.  A Buddhist does not claim to be in Buddha, and a Hindu does not claim to be in any of their many gods, but a Christian knows they are in Christ when controlled by His Spirit.

            1 Corinthians 1:30 “It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption.”  We choose spiritual life through faith in Christ, so we trust God to heal us; supply our needs; avenge injustices; and protect us.  We are Romans 6:11 “dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.”

            No other religion can make that claim, but every person on earth must claim to be in Christ through an enduring faith in Him, or they will forfeit their soul to the enemy forever.  The Truth declared by the apostles, is the Truth that every person must accept, believe, and live, because it is the key to a spiritual life of faith in God.  Acts 4:12 “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.”