Elevate and Subdue Isn’t About You

Recently Trying to Walk has presented two articles concerned with a proper approach to living the Christian life. "It's Not About You," (2/26,) addressed the need for removing ourselves from primary consideration and replacing concern for ourselves with concern for God and others. "Elevate and Subdue'" (3/11,) addressed the need to elevate the spiritual side of our nature and subdue the desires of our physical nature. This article will consider a practical approach to these concepts (which are hardly two different concepts, anyway.) So here are some "nuts and bolts" thoughts on how the framework of a Christian life is built.

The main point of "It's Not About You," is that if you have committed to Christ then you have accepted a whole different basis for even making your decisions/choices than those who live their lives without, or nominally for, Christ. In Galatians 2:20, when Paul says, "I have been crucified with Christ," he is talking about the commitment that he made at baptism.

Being crucified with Christ is exactly what baptism is all about. Remember, or re-read, the comments made in "1+1+1=1" regarding baptism. Briefly, baptism is a reenactment of the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. Romans 6 is an excellent study on this, but particularly related to this point is verse 5 in which Paul says, "if we have been united in the likeness of His death, we shall be united in the likeness of His resurrection."

Since he has been crucified with Christ, Paul goes on to say in Galatians 2:20, "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me." Paul is talking in spiritual terms. We understand that when one is crucified, one no longer lives. In Romans 6:4 Paul indicates that we are raised from baptism to "walk in newness of life." That newness is because it is now Christ who lives in us. This has a practical application in our life. It is not just a collection of words.

It means that our decision making on behalf of ourselves has been replaced by Christ's decision making on behalf of God and His kingdom. "Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness," Matthew 6:33. It means that on Sunday morning when it's time to get up and gather to worship God, that's not even a decision we make at that time. That decision was made when we were baptized and raised to walk a new life.

It means that when the opportunity presents itself for us to show our righteousness for the praise of men we will carefully avoid the temptation because we know everything we are and have is a gift from God and it is not of ourselves, Gal.2:20 (and read Matt 6:1-18.) It means that given a decision to expand our earthly possessions for our own enjoyment versus charitably assisting others in need we will cheerfully help those in need because our treasure is in Heaven, Matthew 6:18-21. (Now I've gone to meddlin', haven't I?)

Elevating the spiritual and subduing the physical is a different premise with identical results. The preceding paragraphs were centered on our lives not being about us, but being about God and His kingdom. Yet, in every example presented we elevated the spiritual and subdued the physical because that's what happens naturally when our lives are not about us.

Let's look briefly at the examples presented in Ephesians 4:25-32. "Having put away falsehood . . . Speak truth . . ." Lying is generally done as a form of self promotion. We lie about others to bring them down. We lie about ourselves to raise ourselves in the esteem of others. Lying results from a choice that was made in our favor, and it's physical in that what it accomplishes is only for the here and now. Truth is a spiritual quality and will exist eternally. Choosing it subdues the physical and elevates the spiritual, and is done for God and His kingdom and not for ourselves.

"Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him [do] honest work . . . So that he may have something to share with anyone in need." Stealing is dishonest, or lying, so it fits in the last paragraph as well. It is also all about self in that it benefits only the thief and is destructive to everyone else. Its benefit is also temporal, thus physical, and it's not something that will be in Heaven. It should be subdued. Notice the contrast - instead work honestly so that you can provide for those in need! This is centered on others, not self. It is not about you. Providing for the needy is a spiritual quality and it is elevated here.

"Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to the hearer." The contrast here is between that which corrupts, or breaks down, and that which builds up. Breaking things down is very much a part of this physical world in a very physical sense, but here we find it is more than that. Have you ever "smarted off" to someone? Do you find pleasure in making snide remarks that hurt and leave scars? Stop. You are elevating the physical and thinking only of yourself.

Instead you should be saying things appropriate to whatever the occasion might be that will improve the situation, make it better. This is done for the other people, it's not about you. It also elevates the spiritual because notice, you are to say things that give grace, or a blessing to the one who hears you. And here is where the nitty meets the gritty. Everytime a person has a verbal interaction with you, they should be blessed by the encounter. They should feel the grace. That's your job as a follower of Christ.

This is specifically speaking of times when you might like to tear them apart. Did you think it was going to be easy? It wasn't easy for Jesus to go to the cross, as I read the gospels. There may be some people who are so negative, bitter, whatever that they refuse to see good where good is imparted. That's on them. You know what your job is and if 'it's not about you' and you're 'elevating the spiritual and subduing the physical,' you won't let others keep you from doing your job.

There are thousands of other examples that could be dissected and would provide more insight and interesting thoughts. But this format doesn't lend itself well to covering very many at one time. In fact, it was necessary to do this add-on to the former articles to even get this much discussion in.

Think seriously on these things, and other related issues and examples. How can we best be pleasing to God in living our Christians lives? Understanding it's not about us, it's about Him, and elevating the spiritual and subduing the physical are foundational concepts. They provide a framework that we all need to incorporate into our lives as we are 'Trying to Walk.'