Summary:

When you accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you receive zoë life. If you are willing to die to your selfish desires, that eternal life inside of

you will destroy your old sin nature. When you refuse to die to self,
you limit the power of zoë and demonstrate that you love yourself and
your interests more than you love God.

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1. Adam had zoë, or the very nature of God in him, but through his disobedience the curse of selfishness entered the Earth.
   1. God breathed His very essence, or zoë, into Adam and made him another living spirit (Genesis 2:7).
      1. The zoë life in Adam affected every area of His life.
         1. Zoë affected Adam's intelligence, and as a result, he was able to name the animals.
         2. Zoë affected Adam's body to such a point that he did not need artificial clothing.
            1. was clothed with the glory of God.
      2. The zoë life in Adam made him God-conscious.
   2. When Satan entered the Garden, he convinced Adam to disobey God's Word.
      1. Adam's disobedience gave birth to the curse of self-consciousness born out of selfishness.
         1. God consciousness was limited as self-consciousness grew.
            
            
2. God wants to restore man to his original state.
   1. The Father has zoë in Himself, and He gave Jesus zoë to give to us (John 5:26).
   2. Jesus came to restore man with zoë, or the very essence of God (John 10:10).
      1. You receive zoë when you accept Jesus into your life.
      2. God and the Word both have zoë (John 1:1-4).
         1. They both have creative power.
      3. When you die to self, zoë will develop you and destroy your old sin nature.
         1. However, self is the enemy that blocks the impartation of zo? life.
         2. The zo? life of God cannot be manifested until you die to self.
            1. Our soul is affected by zoë.
            2. Without zoë, you will live a spiritually undeveloped life.
            3. You will never know the liberty of being delivered from sin, until you understand the necessity for being saved.
               
               
3. God wants you to die to self, or deny self, and resist anything that is contrary to His Word, as an act of your love for Him.
   1. Deny yourself, and follow Christ (Luke 9:23-25).
      1. To deny yourself means to lose your thoughts, emotions and feelings that are contrary to the Word of God. It also means dying to those plans,
         purposes and pursuits for your life that are not God's will.
   2. Great love is demonstrated by laying your life down for God (1 John 3:16).
      1. Dying to your selfish desires is an act of love for the Father.
   3. Your love for God is not demonstrated with a human, emotional love.
      1. God is only interested in you loving Him by keeping His commandments.
      2. The apostle Paul demonstrated his love for Christ by dying to self and being willing to let God be glorified in his body through life or death
         (Philippians 1:12-24).
      3. God and the Holy Spirit will help you resist anything that goes against His Word and His will.
         
         
4. When you refuse to die to self, in essence, through your willful sin, you are rejecting God and demonstrating that you love self more than you
   love Him.
   1. Even though you are the righteousness of God, don't use your liberty as an occasion to sin.
   2. When you allow selfish desires to rule you, you are demonstrating that you love self more than God.
      1. When you sin, you are not expressing love for God; you are expressing love of self.
         1. Learn how to love God, until your love for Him begins to restrain you.

Scripture References:

• Genesis 2:7
• John 5:26
• John 10:10
• Luke 9:23-25
• 1 John 3:16
• Philippians 1:12-2

Pastor Robert Bagonza
Redeemed Church
www.mrolec.org