Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
Galatians 5:24 (NIV)
Crucified
Capital punishment in Canada dates back to Canada’s earliest history. From 1867 to the elimination of the death penalty for murder on July 26, 1976, 1,481 people had been sentenced to death, and 710 had been executed. Of those executed, 697 were men and 13 were women. The only method used in Canada for capital punishment of civilians after the end of the French regime was hanging. The last execution in Canada was the double hanging of Arthur Lucas and Ronald Turpin on December 11, 1962, at Toronto’s Don Jail.
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Sometimes I think, in order to make the Gospel palatable to the modern Canadian, we present the Gospel incorrectly. It is true that all that is necessary for us to come into a relationship with Jesus has been provided through Jesus’ death and resurrection. His crucifixion guarantees that anyone who repents of their sin and turns in faith to Jesus has his or her sins forgiven and becomes a son or daughter of the living God. But this is just the beginning, and this is where the challenging part begins. Listen to what Galatians 5:24 says: “Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.” Once we have become a follower of Jesus, we are called to daily die to our own selfish desires and anything that represents our life before coming to know Jesus. This gets self out of the way, and allows us to live freely for Jesus and for others. We are called to daily lay down our selfish desires in order to live for Jesus alone. What is Jesus calling you to crucify in your life in order to live for Him and others today?
These have been words from the heart.
Bob Beasley