Integrity- People of God

The living dead are those who are alive in Christ and dead to this world. Every true follower of Christ, who is part of His kingdom, must enter into this kingdom through death. This is a death to self but a new life in Christ. We are water baptized, this represents a watery grave, but many refuse to die to self, they love themselves more than Christ.
Romans 13:12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light
When we submit our will to God’s ways, the Holy Spirit comes in to transform our dead life into the image of Jesus, and we become children of God. Prior to the Spirit of God coming to live in us, we had no power over sin. Now the same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead lives in us to transform our lives into the love of God. A true follower of Christ manifests changes that reflect this new life. If there is no transformation there is no newness of life and the power of the Holy Spirit is not at work.
Romans 8:11 But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.
In the Old Testament the Spirit of God would come upon men for a time and would then leave. The Spirit of God did not dwell in people then. But now the Holy Spirit is given to believers of Christ. He dwells in us and will never leave us nor forsake us. The blood of Jesus was shed so that we could live this new life.
Romans 8: 29 For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.
We are alive in Christ; living to display the love of God on the earth, though we are dead to our flesh and self-interests, we live so others may see and experience the love of God. We also live so that we too may be among the firstborn of many brothers in Christ, so our family members and friends will see the truth and the love of God in us.
Luke 9:23-24 Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. 24 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it.
God wants a relationship not a religion and empty rituals. God’s purpose is to transform us into the image of His Son, Jesus and He is our example. What we see in the life of Jesus, the world should see in us and move toward that end. The cross of Jesus was no pretty sight nor was it easy, but it was necessary to bring life to those who would believe in Him. This is how our lives must be to those around us, to die to self so others may live.
John 12:24-25 Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain. 25 He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.
Jesus tells us it is definite, if we refuse to die to self, we will remain alone. If we choose to die to our selfishness and our self-focus, the love of Christ in us will produce a more godly life for others to see. If people love the life of this world more than the kingdom life of Christ, then they will eventually lose all. Those who are willing to die to the things of this world will gain not only peace in this world but eternal life.
2 Corinthians 5: 17, 20 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. 20 Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. NKJV
Mankind lost its identity in God and being the love of God’s in the fall. Mankind became like God’s enemy- Satan, selfish and self-seeking. Jesus came to bring us back to our created purpose, to be the love of God and to look like Him, Who is love. We are born again as a new creation so the old things that we were born into and taught by this world would die. We are now ambassadors and representatives of God’s kingdom on earth reconciling people to God through love.
Remember, the true followers of Christ are dead to egotistical things of this world but live as the love of Jesus. In Jesus we are dead to self-gratification but alive to the life and the love of Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit.
If anyone is a follower of Christ they will deny themselves and follow the example of Christ, who died that others may live and see the Hope of His glory. .