Time to kill the horse

Some of you are probably looking at the title and are wondering "what horse?"...."Why kill it?" "What is this about?" Well, let me explain.

To some of you, this title might sound a little familiar...because I am borrowing a concept from Eric Ludy's book, Bravehearted Gospel...sort of. In Eric's book, he refers to the phrase of "killing the horse" as a part of mindset we need in the church; namely that we need to take care of things for the best of everyone. In other words, being "man" enough to stand up for the Gospel.

I would like to suggest another connotation for that phrase, in addition to Eric's. Namely, it is time to kill the horse of our Sin nature, our flesh.

In Romans 8:13, we are told "For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live." (NIV) Over and over we are told in Romans that if we were raised with Christ, and alive in the spirit, we should be dead to our sin nature. Our sin nature needs to be put down. Instead of killing the horse, putting it out of its misery, I think it more akin to killing a snake to keep it from harming or killing.

"What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?" (Romans 6:1-2, NIV) When I read Romans, particularly 6-8, I am deeply moved and challenged. Since we are saved, we should not be slaves to our sin nature. It is time to kill the horse/ snake of our sin nature.

In Romans 8:37, it says "Nay,in all these things, we are more than conquerors through him that loved us." (KJV) In Philippians 4:13, it says that "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." (KJV) It is through Christ and his power, which makes us dead in our sin, that we can put to death our sin nature. "In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus." (Romans 6:11, NIV)

How many of us struggle with sin, and we don't really fight it. We think that we can get free from our sin, that we must try to avoid our sin nature, but it will trap us time and time again all the same. We forget that "...sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace." (Romans 6:14, NIV)

Is God's Word not True? Does Christ not have power over sin? Did He not conquer sin, and beckons us to "come and follow"? We need to throw off our doubt and put our full faith in God, and put to death our sin nature. We have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? It is time to kill the horse, put down our sin nature....through Christ's power, and His alone!

For Christ's Glory!