Old Girl Gone

By Susan Sampson

I am reminded of the lecture. Paul writes in 1 Cor. 6:19-20, “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price.” The price was the royal blood of the Son of God. We have been justified by His blood. The penalty for our crimes was taken by another. Crimes?!?? We really don’t see our sin as God does, do we? I know deep in my heart I still think there is some good in me. Murderers deserve the death penalty, not cute little suburban housewives. Woe is me, I am a woman of unclean lips and I live among a people of unclean lips. Lord, please have mercy on us. Give us eyes to see and hearts to understand the glorious truths of the gospel of Jesus Christ — that we as sinners deserving of eternal damnation in hell have been freely justified by the Lord as a free gift of mercy and love. The debt we all owe is in the trillions of dollars and Jesus Christ has paid it in full. We have been set free. He took the blame for our heinous crimes. Is there a greater love? The innocent for the guilty? Is this not enough reason to be on our knees everyday in humble gratitude? Lord, please forgive my pride and arrogance! Have mercy on us and give us grace to live each day in view of the mercy you have freely bestowed offering our bodies as living sacrifices holy and pleasing to you.

I absolutely loved the picture Laurie gave us of our “old girl” knocking at the back door. Our flesh will always be with us until the day we die. It cannot be redeemed. It cannot be fixed. It cannot be made pretty with makeup. We have no choice other than to put our flesh to death. We don’t have to answer the back door! We must deadbolt the back door and open the front door! “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me” (Rev. 3:20). Jesus Christ lives in us! This is a fact. God’s words are true. Another crime is not believing this truth. I confess my unbelief. It doesn’t feel like Christ lives in me, so I don’t really believe it’s actually true. If we don’t let Christ live in us and through us by putting our flesh to death then are we not crucifying Him all over again?! If we allow our “old girl” to reign then isn’t Christ’s death and torture wasted? Oh my goodness, what powerful words. Father, give us ears to hear your words. Give us grace to know your great love for us that you demonstrated at the cross. May we have faith by grace for grace to truly believe and live what the Bible says and not what we see or feel or think.