In the recent political debates the Republican candidates agreed that the economic and social problems in America have a root that goes far deeper than politics or economics. They recognized that these problems are rooted in the breakdown of the moral underpinnings of society. They acknowledged in secular language that our social problems are really moral problems.

Too often Christians rely on the political and economic arena to solve the spiritual problems of society. But it is beyond the ability of politicians, economists, businessmen or social engineers to solve these problems. There is only one force on earth that can touch the root of sin. It is the power of the Gospel of the Kingdom of God – God’s rescue plan for mankind. Yet even among believers this force has not been fully tapped. A new society-altering awakening is upon us when we fully rediscover the transforming power of the gospel.

Many today believe that Jesus simply died for the penalty of our sins so that we can be forgiven. Putting their faith in this they receive assurance of salvation and of entry into heaven when they die.

However this kind of teaching has left us with a church populated with forgiven sinners, not walking in the freedom from sin that is potentially ours. It has left us with a society with a high percentage of Christians but also with a high percentage of people bound to sin and all the misery it causes.

Within much of the church believers have the same instances of addictions, fornication, divorce, anger etc. as the general population. Is it because the gospel has no power to deliver us from sin and dysfunctional habits? Is it because it only deals with forgiveness of sin and cannot deal with the power of sin? This kind of powerless Christianity (that exists both in traditional and so- called evangelical churches) cannot transform our society. The fresh awakening that we all yearn for will happen only as we rediscover the power of the gospel to bring not only forgiveness but also deliverance from sin’s power.

Paul writes, “Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.” (Rom 6:2- 4)

The full gospel – when believed and acted upon – has the power to release anyone, anywhere not only from the guilt of His sin but from the power of sin. When we believe in the Cross of Jesus the victory of His death is applied to us; His judgment for sin is applied to us; His ascension is applied to us, and His Resurrection Life and Power are infused into us.

The message of death-to-self has become associated with legalistic, sterile, defeatist, self- righteous, priggish, holiness. It remains for us to consciously, deliberately draw from His victory and His power, and recognize the bankruptcy and inadequacy of self. I CANNOT BUT HE CAN! The true message of death-to-self is that our co- death with Him is the gateway to resurrection life and glorious liberty here on earth and on into eternity.

When Jesus calls us to lay down our lives, He is not calling us to annihilation but to come to the FULLNESS OF LIFE. Being “crucified with Christ” does not mean that we cease to exist or that we are dead like corpses but that we have ceased to live an independent life. It means we cease to have an independent agenda and we cease to have an independent righteousness. Instead we are hooked up to the resurrection, turbo-charged life of Jesus and His dynamic Spirit of Resurrection.