Your Flesh's Funeral

Introduction

Brad Cavanagh adn Deborak Kiley were the only two survivors of a five passenger sunken yacht in 1982. Intending to arrive in Florida, Brad Cavanagh, Deborah Kiley, John Lippoth, Meg Mooney, and mark Adams all boarded a yacht in Maine for a routine trip.

When they left that morning, the weather reports indicated that the seas were safe for sailing. However, by the second night, the waves were cresting over forty feet and winds were as strong as 90 knots.

Cavanagh and Kiley both attentively watched the storms, while in the mean time, the other three began to drink. For eleven hours, Cavanagh and Kiley watched the destructive, turbulent conditions. Finally, the other three said they were sober enough to keep watch so that Cavanagh and Kiley could get some rest.

Their rest soon ceased as they were awakened by rising water in the ship. Adams and Lippoth had fallen asleep on duty and had lashed the steering wheel. As the ship had drifted aimlessly further into the sea, the ship began sinking into the shark infested ocean.

For the next few days, the crew lived on an inflatable raft, suffering through a plethora of adverse conditions. They drifted further into the sea while desperately hoping for a ship to find them. Within a few days, Lippoth, Mooney, and Adams were dead.

After four miserable days on the inflatable raft, the two remaining survivors were finally rescued by a Russian ship that took them to the coast guard. They lived to tell their haunting story of a drifting ship.

For each God-given spiritual victory we experience in our lives, the devil will try to cause us to drift from our spiritual commitments and decisions. Whether the struggle is physical, emotional, or spiritual in nature, the devil will tempt us to get off course, to stray from our original position of victorious Christian living.

The story of Kiley and Cavanagh and their crew is a sad reminder that drifitng is a dangerous pattern, at sea as well as in our spiritual lives. Notice these two facts about drifting:

It is often gradual

it is often not noticeable to the person drifting

When we make decisions for Christ, surely none of us plan for failure. But, it is in our human nature to gradually allow decisions to become less important to us. If we are not careful, we wont even notice the subtle change or drifting that takes place in our hearts as time goes by.

To help us not drift in our Christian life, we must learn to crucify the flesh.

One of the most transforming verses in the Bible is also one that is easy to drift from.

Galatians 2:20 KJV 1900

I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

The transforming truths found in this verse offer the key to victory over sin. That key is to be crucified with Christ, to be “dead” to your sinful flesh.

To be crucified with Christ means that our old, sin nature is crucified. It no longer has the power over us that it once had. Because of Christ’s death and resurrection, we are free from giving in to and serving this old sinful nature.

Romans 6:6 KJV 1900

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.

Today, I would like to invite you to a life changing event: your own funeral. Your flesh’s funeral. Funerals are heavy things. They are serious matters. I don’t say this title jokingly. I mean it seriously. Let’s look at five facts about your flesh’s funeral.

1. It is a Personal Funeral

There are eight personal pronouns included in Galatians 2:20 alone. As Paul wrote this passage under the inspiration of the holy Spirit, he made it clear that dying to self is a personal decision. It is a decision that we must cling to, refusing to drift from it.

A) Christ’s death for you is your salvation

What Christ did for me on the cross is what allows me to be saved. Before we can be crucified with Christ, we must believe in what he did for us at his crucifixion and resurrection. We must put our faith and trust in Him for salvation.

1 Peter 3:18 KJV 1900

For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:

APP: You must personally decide to crucify the flesh

B) Your death with Christ is your sanctification

Christ’s death for me is my salvation- it was a wonderful undeserving act that provided to me a relationship with Christ and a home in heaven. But my death with Christ is my sanctification- it is a continual process that provides victory in my Christian life. If I strive to be more like Christ, I must be crucified with Him. Yet, what exactly did Paul mean when he said he was crucified with Christ? We will dive into it deeper but being crucified with Christ basically starving your flesh and feeding your spirit. It is identifying with Him. We identify with Him through daily dying to our old man and choosing to allow Christ to live through us instead.

Luke 9:23 KJV 1900

And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.

2. It is a Painful Funeral

It’s interesting to note that in our text, Paul doesn’t simply say that he died with Christ. Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, he wrote that he was crucified with Christ. To be crucified involves much pain and agony, and this verb offers an entirely different perspective on the process of dying to self.

Many of us are more afraid of how we will die rather than of death itself. For many, death is not what is scary, it’s the process of dying. Obviously, a crucifixion was never a peaceful death. So, by identifying with Christ’s crucifixion, Paul was identifying with Christ’s pain and suffering.

Philippians 3:10 KJV 1900

That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;

Just as Christ suffered dying on the cross, so will we suffer in dying to self. Being crucified with Christ involves surrendering our flesh’s desires, sinful tendencies, and our old nature. This is not an easy process! Our flesh will want to convince us that we need to allow fear, anger, lust, envy, or pride to live in our hearts and minds. Our flesh loves our sinful desires and will fight to keep us from surrendering them. We all face an inward battle between our flesh and Spirit. Even Paul struggled with this. Listen to Romans 7:14-20

14 For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh, sold under sin. 15 For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. 16 Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good. 17 So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. 18 For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. 19 For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. 20 Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.

Paul the apostle, the great missionary of the New Testament, admitted that his flesh fought against him. It doesn’t matter how spiritually mature we may be- funerals are always painful, and our flesh’s funeral is no exception. But, through identifying with Christ’s sufferings, we will ultimately find true joy that this world can never give us.

APP: Decide to crucify the flesh, no matter how painful of difficult.

Romans 8:18 KJV 1900

For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

Inevitably, we will face hardships and trials from the outside world in addition to our inward struggles. Some may even suffer from the pain of criticism from others simply because of their faith. Many Christians from around the world have identified with Christ’s suffering, some even in physical death. While we may not experience suffering to this extent, we may be treated unfairly because of our faith.

But when we suffer or are treated wrongfully for our faith, don’t be discouraged. Rejoice! We are privileged to identify with Christ and his sufferings, and because of that we can enjoy closer fellowship with Him.

1 Peter 4:12–14 KJV 1900

Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified.

3. It is a Powerful Funeral

While funerals are very hard services to attend, because of the sorrow that accompanies them, the funeral for your flesh will be one of the most powerful and life changing funerals you will experience.

A) You are alive

… nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me…

This section of the verse seems to have a paradox in it: “I am crucified, nevertheless I live”. Because of your funeral, you have life! By dying to yourself and your old nature, you have new life in Christ.

Romans 6:8–11 KJV 1900

Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him: Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him. For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

How comforting is it to know that your life is not defined by the “old man”- your life and sinful nature before you met Christ- but rather, your identity is in your new life in Christ! You are alive in Him.

B) You are free

Before you were saved, you were a slave to sin. When you experienced the transforming work of Christ, you were not only saved from the punishment of sin (Hell) but also from the power of sin.

APP: Recognize that Christ’s power allows you to crucify the flesh.

Romans 6:16–18 KJV 1900

Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.

We mentioned earlier that when we die to ourselves, our flesh will try to convince us that we can’t function without our old nature. But through this powerful funeral, we can become victorious over that nature. We are no longer the servants of sin. We have been freed from that bondage, and we are now free to follow Christ.

4. It is a Practical Funeral

Perhaps as we’ve studied this topic together, you are struggling to grasp the concept of “dying to self”. You may feel that while this topic is theological, it’s not very practical. But, this is one of the most practical passages in the Bible! There are many applications from this verse but here are a few:

A) You die to your old lust

The word lust could be defined as any sinful longing, any inward sin in our hearts or minds that causes us to drift away from God. In our society, we consider lust to be a physical desire, but this is not exculsively what we are talking about. The things that the old man want to see, the places he wants to go, the things he wants to say, the things that he wants to experience are all apart of his old lusts.

1 John 2:16 KJV 1900

For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.

Every wicked thought that holds us, every bitter attitude that eats at us, every worry that overwhelms us- we die to. We surrender. Those sinful strongholds that our flesh thinks we want- that our flesh thinks that we need, we die to. We refuse to indulge. Every besetting sin that has for so long entangled us has no power over the crucifixion of Christ. Refuse to live in old lusts. Surrender them, kill them, and claim Christ’s power to live victoriously over them.

B) You die to your old logic

Not only does the old man have wrong desires, but he also has a wrong way of thinking. Just as we must die to the lustful desires of our hearts, we must also die to the flawed thinking of the old man.

This is the whole point of the school here. We are trying to instill in you a biblical worldview. We want you to have a renewed mind of Christ rather than the worldly fleshly mind of the old man.

The will of God is a good example. Sometimes, Christians decline offers or opportunities that are what the world would deem as successful. This may mean rejecting a great job offer that would take us out of church or leaving our comfort zone to serve the Lord on the mission field. These are decisions that someone of a worldly mindset would consider to be foolish. Yet, we must determine to surrender our old way of thinking and instead make decisions based on what pleases Christ.

Sometimes the commands of God do not seem logical to the world. But when we die to self, we put our logic aside and trust the leading hand of God.

**William Carey story - poor - shoe cobbler - marriage - poor - children death - mission meeting - go to india - children die - he gets sick - wife goes insane tries to kill him - baptize first convert after 7 years

By the time Carey died, he had spent 41 years in India without a furlough. His mission could count only some 700 converts in a nation of millions, but he had laid an impressive foundation of Bible translations, education, and social reform. He translated the entire Bible into India's major languages: Bengali, Oriya, Marathi, Hindi, Assamese, and Sanskrit and parts of 209 other languages and dialects.

His greatest legacy was in the worldwide missionary movement of the nineteenth century that he inspired. Missionaries like Adoniram Judson, Hudson Taylor, and David Livingstone, among thousands of others, were impressed not only by Carey's example, but by his words "Expect great things; attempt great things." The history of nineteenth-century Protestant missions is in many ways an extended commentary on the phrase.

William Carey is considered the father of modern missions and many people became missionaries because of him. His old man, his flesh, would have thought this is not logical. This makes no sense. You had an okay life in England and now you are torturing yourself in India. However, it was not God’s will for William Carey to remain a shoe cobbler. It was God’s will for Carey to be a missionary, and Carey obeyed.

Isaiah 55:8–9 KJV 1900

For my thoughts are not your thoughts, Neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are my ways higher than your ways, And my thoughts than your thoughts.

So you die to your old lusts, you die to your old logic, and then

C) You die to your old labor

Many people believe that the way to Heaven involves good works. Most religions teach this and a lot of people tend to believe it. One of the defining characteristics of biblical Christianity, however, is the belief that works do no merit eternal life.

Ephesians 2:8–9 KJV 1900

For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.

Those who know Christ don’t have to live in fear of worry that their good works outweigh their bad. They have the security of knowing that their sins are under the blood of Jesus Christ, and nothing can snatch them out of their Father’s hands.

John 10:27–29 KJV 1900

My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand.

Those of us who are saved understand that good works don’t give us entrance to Heaven. However, our flesh still loves to do things to gain approval from others. It is important to remember that performing good works in our flesh does not guarantee satisfaction or approval from God. When we are crucified with Christ, we no longer have the burden of laboring for approval. Our sole motivation for doing good works should be the love of Christ.

2 Corinthians 5:14–15 KJV 1900

For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.

A Christian who is daily dying to self is a Christian who labors for God our of a heart of love, not out of a heart of fear or obligation.

5. It is a permanent Funeral

Christ died once and rose once. When Paul said “I am crucified” in Galatians 2:20, the verb tense he chose indicates a one-time event that occurred in the past and is currently affecting the present. The same is true in your own life. The moment you were saved, your Spirit was regenerated and now has power over your flesh. That past decision of salvation currently affects your present spiritual life. You simply and continually choose to identify with Christ, fellowship with Him and claim the promise that you can have victory over sin through the power of Christ.

APP: Constantly remind yourself of how Christ saved you.

While you may drift from your victory in Christ, you can always go back to the moment when you first claimed Christ’s power over your sin. By going back to that moment, you can be reminded and assured of the victory that He provides.

Romans 6:1–4 KJV 1900

What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

Ultimately, when we die to our flesh and identify with Christ’s suffering, we have a greater appreciation for what He did for us. Our Saviour loved us so much that He did the most grueling, agonizing possible way. He died to give us life, and we live His life by losing our own.

Turn with me a couple of pages to one more passage of Scripture and then we’re done:

Galatians 5:16–24 KJV 1900

This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.

Don’t allow yourself to slowly drift from God, like the sailors who gradually drifted off their course and suffered for it. Decide to crucify your flesh