“So, today I say to you, turn your life inside out and, in faith, live by the Spirit within and not the flesh without.”
Galatians 5:22-21
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
I once stood up to preach wearing my jacket inside out. I made no comment of the fact of the seeming lack of decorum in my attire and began ministering from 2 Corinthians chapter 5. My key verse was verse 17.
“If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come,” I said. “You see, when you heard the gospel and accepted Jesus as Lord of your life, something profound and supernatural occurred. When you confessed your sins to God, he, by his grace, forgave and cleansed you. When you asked Christ into your life, you were born again. Your spirit man became a new man. Your old natural man died. Yes, you became a new creature in Christ.”
I went on to describe how the inner man is renewed and made righteous by God’s righteousness. I quoted verse 21 adding that God imputes us with his righteousness in our inner man at the point of rebirth. “Our insides are made new; forgiven of sin and imputed with God’s righteousness,” I preached.
At this point, I took off my inside-out jacket and turned it the right way round and put it on again. “Therefore,” I said with a preacher’s gusto, “Live your life inside out!”
Dear GodTracker, if you have surrendered your life to Jesus and acknowledged God in all your ways; if you are born again by the Holy Spirit and have died to the old nature, why then do you still allow the old crucified man/woman to live on your outside? The old man is a man of depravity and sin. The old man is a man of despair and anguish. The old man is a man of disease and sickness. The old man is a man of poverty and deprivation. The old man is a man of loss, depression, anxiety and fear. The new man is none of these. The new man is victorious, healthy, loving, joyous, peaceful, patient, kind, good, faithful, gentle and self-controlled. The new man lives by the fruit of the Spirit.
So, I say to you today, turn your life inside out and, in faith, live by the new Spirit within and not the old flesh without.
God-tracking is turning your life inside out
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2 Corinthians 5:16-21
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PRAY
May the beauty and the majesty of your pure life shine out of me everywhere I go
“Father God, I praise you that you caused Jesus to become sin for me, though he was guiltless, that I might become your righteousness. I confess Christ as my Lord and saviour and believe he died and rose again to set me free from sin. Praise you that YOUR righteousness now lives within my spirit man. Thank you, Father. Therefore, I choose today to turn my life inside out that your goodness, victory and love may be seen on my outside. Forgive me for concealing the good nature you recreated in my heart. May the beauty and the majesty of your pure life shine out of me everywhere I go. May the fruit of your Spirit be evident in my daily life. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.”
If you prayed that prayer today, please email me – dudley@godtracker.co.uk
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Dudley Anderson
Originally from South Africa, Dudley Andersen now lives in the UK where he heads up Sure Reality Media and pastors Cornerstone Family Church in Worcestershire. He is married to Karen-Leigh and has two children, Kerryn and Ryan. Dudley has a background in radio and has worked for Radio Pulpit, Impact Radio and Christian Vision. Since 2005 he has produced diverse content for various Christian stations. He is the author of God-Tracking Through the Year and Overflowing Hope and writes a weekly e-mail devotional called, GodTracker. Dudley is also a worship leader.
