It has been a season of self-evaluation and in my recent series of dying to self, I have shared reasons why we have to die to self if we desire more of God, benefits of dying to self, consequences of refusing to die to self and as I promised on my previous blog post, I will share the evidence of a Believer who has made a choice to die to self on a daily basis.
Let’s go……
1.They Serve with the right motive – Someone who has died to their old nature will always serve thinking of the people. They wholeheartedly want to supply the needs of others. They want what God wants and for the reason that He wants it. They seek the Kingdom of God and His righteousness in everything they do. Matthew 6:33-But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.
2.They have no personal agenda- The person who has died to self has rejected every plan that is geared from selfish ambition. They no longer care to make a name for themselves on this Earth but to be relevant for the Kingdom. Philippians 2:4-(NKJV) Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.
3.They are passionate for doing the will of the Father- they have a hunger and thirst for doing God’s will and nothing else. They are willing to suffer more deaths as long as the end result is seeing God’s will carried out. Matthew 7:21-(NKJV)- Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.
4.They do not allow negative emotions to control them- Having reached spiritual maturity produced by death to self, they acquire the use of personal dominion. Decisions made and reactions taken don’t occur because of what they feel, think, or want but because of what they know is right, which is in the will of the God. Proverbs 25:28-(TPT) If you live without restraint and are unable to control your temper, you’re as helpless as a city with broken-down defenses, open to attack.
5.They are not defensive when criticized. They don’t try defend themselves when criticized because they understand that their Defender is God and will suffer with joy whatever the price that must be paid to extend His Kingdom. Being defensive is a sign of not having died to self.
6.They are submitted and surrendered to God. The choice to submit is a clear sign of death of self in the believer. It means that the rebelliousness of the carnal nature has been uprooted and replaced with humility and spiritual maturity in Christ. Luke 9:23-(TPT)-Jesus said to all of his followers, “If you truly desire to be my disciple, you must disown your life completely, embrace my cross as your own, and surrender to my ways. Death to self represents total obedience and submission to God, beyond what your old nature tells you. God is everything to them, their beginning and end. He is Lord and Master of their lives.If you are dead to something that used to be a temptation to you, that something will never again surprise you or find a way back into your life. Rather, it will find the door closed. You will only respond to temptation when your carnal self is alive. Galatians 2:20- I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.
7.They are not easily offended. If you are easily offended, your flesh is still alive and in control. Proverbs 19:11-(NIV)- A person’s wisdom yields patience; it is to one’s glory to overlook an offense.
8. They walk the extra mile and put forth an extra effort – They are willing to make the extra effort; to sacrifice, pray, worship more and to carry the burden and give more of themselves to God and His Kingdom.
9.They have no personal will – Jesus did not have His own will. He did everything that the will of the Father demanded. John 5:19- Then Jesus answered and said to them, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner.
10.They have less bad thoughts because they no longer think of themselves but on God. Their mind has been set free from every oppression of thoughts that the enemy sends as darts to their minds since they have set their minds on things above. Colossians 3:2-3 Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. 3 For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
11.They live in a different reality- They see everything from an eternal perspective, not the natural perspective, acting by eternal principles and values which are not temporal. 2 Corinthians 4:18-(NKJV) While we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.
12. They do not hold on to anything that God gives them –They do not deny the Lord anything, they do not hold on to anything or feel accomplished in and of themselves. Their entire life is open and made available to the Father, to His plans, and to His demands. They have total confidence in Him and do not deny Him anything and they are willing to give God everything they possess and everything they have.
13. They are willing to work with God. They no longer live for self, do not impose their own will, they are not led by the heat of their emotions, and have matured spiritually and emotionally, they have died to self and are willing to work with God no matter the cost to accomplish God’s divine purpose here on Earth. Hebrews 13:21- May he work perfection into every part of you giving you all that you need to fulfill your destiny. And may he express through you all that is excellent and pleasing to him through your life-union with Jesus the Anointed One who is to receive all glory forever! Amen.
14.They remain under delegated authority- No one who has died to self is incapable of submitting to authority. In fact, this person will seek it, desire it, and move in that continuous subjection because they have received the revelation of what it means to do it. Hebrews 13:17-(TPT)-Obey your spiritual leaders and recognize their authority, for they keep watch over your soul without resting since they will have to give an account to God for their work. So, it will benefit you when you make their work a pleasure and not a heavy burden.
Romans 13:1-(TPT)–Every person must submit to and support the authorities over him. For there can be no authority in the universe except by God’s appointment, which means that every authority that exists has been instituted by God.If you continue arguing and resisting God’s authority, you have not yet reached the point of death to self where you can be raised by the authority God has appointed here on Earth. A man dead to self does not argue with authority but submits to it.
15.They practice sacrifice as a lifestyle. They have learnt to continually give sacrifices on the altar of God because they know and understand that it is a function of a Kingdom priest. Romans 12:1- Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God this is your true and proper worship.
Psalms 51:17- The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, A broken and a contrite heart. These, O God, you will not despise.
Hebrews 13:16 (TPT) We will show mercy to the poor and not miss an opportunity to do acts of kindness for others, for these are the true sacrifices that delight God’s heart.
Love ReinaBeaty.
