Live as if you were dead.

I am not good at winging it with measurements, and I'm not sure any of us should be. If I am baking cookies, and I've used the same recipe I should be able to eye it close enough, but if I am installing parts on a military helicopter, where lives depend on it, eyeing it is not an option, literally. At Ft Eustis Virginia I was training to be a Scout Helicopter Repairman. It was not only by the book, but no no matter how many times I repaired a part, I had to go step by step in the manuel, period. I, nor any other mechanic, was allowed to just install something. It had to be by the book, every time. This is how I was trained, because lives literally depended on it. How much more so with God's word. Saving souls is maybe a catch phrase we've heard so much, we get lost in it's translation, but we literally are in the business of saving lives. Jesus Christ bled, died was tortured, and rose from the grave to save our soul. Now it's our turn, and we must not eye ball it. If I wing it on spiritual things I will be in serious trouble when it comes to taking this bird off the ground. I can't walk on the water, I can't heal the sick or raise the dead, open blind eyes, I can't wing that, it just aint' happening! It is Christ in me at work, willing and doing of His good pleasure and it IS His good pleasure to do these wonderful things, but it is not within our capabilities. I would also go on to say it is not within our capabilities to live one day on our own merits or strengths. Wether it's a ministry of healing, or one of just living life for Christ, it can't, and should never be tried, on our own. We must live as if we were dead. Romans 6 says we are either slaves of sin, or slaves of Christ, we are not our own anymore. We want to be raised with Christ, but we are not always willing to be crucified with Him, and yet we must me, if we are to live at all. We are not to go on sinning, this old man, this body of sin, of death, is no longer here, with us, but was left up on that cross when we came to it, and submitted to it's crucifixion process! Verse 4, we should walk in the newness of life. We have been united together in His resurrection! I reckon! Romans 6:11 Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Yes, we are alive if we have died! 12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. 13 And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. 14 For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace. Sin leads to death, and obedience leads to life. (Verse 16) We were slaves of sin, though we'd be hesitant to admit that, but now we are slaves of righteousness! We used to use our body's, minds for sin,now present your members as slaves of righteousness for holiness.(Verse 20) Sin has but one end, death. (Verse 21) But now that we've been set free from sin and death, we are slaves to God, and now our lives can have the fruit of holiness and everlasting life, for; " 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." Yes!