🔥 The Gospel of Grace — What Does It Mean to Die to Self Revealed as the Freedom from Self-Effort and the Reality That You Were Already Crucified with Christ

🔥 The Gospel of Grace: AUTHOR

By Carl Timothy Wray

Carl Timothy Wray is a teacher of the Finished Work of Christ, unveiling the Gospel of Grace through the full counsel of Scripture from Genesis to Revelation. His writings focus on removing human effort, exposing law-based thinking, and revealing Christ as the source, the life, and the fulfillment of all that God requires—bringing believers into rest, clarity, and the knowledge of what has already been accomplished.

🔥

The Gospel of Grace — What Does It Mean to Die to Self? answers one of the most misunderstood questions in Christianity by revealing that “dying to self” is not self-effort but a finished reality accomplished in Christ. Through key passages like Epistle to the Galatians 2:20 and Epistle to the Romans 6:6, this book exposes the pressure of a law-based mindset and unveils the freedom of grace—where Christ becomes your life, God works within you, and striving gives way to rest in the finished work.

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🔥 The Gospel of Grace: INTRODUCTION

There is a phrase that has quietly troubled more believers than most will admit:

👉 “You need to die to self.”

It sounds spiritual.
It sounds right.
But for many, it feels impossible.

Because if we’re honest, the question behind the question is this:

👉 “How am I supposed to do that?”
👉 “How do I kill something inside of me that keeps showing up?”

And without realizing it, that question puts you right back under the weight of self-effort…

Trying to fix yourself.
Trying to crucify yourself.
Trying to become what you think God requires.

But the Gospel of Grace brings a completely different answer.

It does not tell you to die better.

It reveals:

👉 You already died in Christ.

“I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me…” — Epistle to the Galatians 2:20

This changes everything.

“Dying to self” is not a command to struggle harder…

👉 It is a revelation that the old source of your life has already been brought to an end—and a new life has begun.

This book will take you through that truth step by step:

removing the pressure
exposing the misunderstanding
and unveiling the freedom that comes when Christ—not self—becomes your life

Because once you see it…

👉 striving ends
👉 confusion lifts
👉 and grace begins to flow the way it was always meant to

Not from you…

👉 but through you.

🔥 CHAPTER 1 — The Question Behind the Question

(Why “Dying to Self” Feels Impossible Through the Gospel of Grace)

🔥 The Phrase That Sounds Right—but Feels Impossible

There are certain phrases in the Christian life that sound spiritual…

👉 but carry a hidden weight.

“Die to self” is one of them.

It gets said in sermons…
It gets repeated in conversations…
It gets passed around like a simple instruction.

But for many people, when they hear it, something inside quietly asks:

👉 “How am I supposed to do that?”

👉 “What does that even mean?”

And even if they don’t say it out loud…

👉 they feel the pressure of it.

🔥 The Hidden Pressure Most People Don’t Say

Because if “dying to self” is something you must accomplish…

Then immediately, the mind begins to work:

“I need to try harder”
“I need to control myself more”
“I need to get this flesh under control”

And the question underneath it becomes:

👉 “How do I fix what keeps showing up in me?”

That’s not just a question…

👉 that’s the weight of self-effort beginning to rise.

🔥 Paul Describes This Exact Struggle

This tension is not new.

Paul described it perfectly:

“For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing…” — Epistle to the Romans 7:18

“For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.” — Epistle to the Romans 7:19

👉 That’s the struggle of someone trying to deal with self… by self.

And it always ends the same way:

“O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me…?” — Epistle to the Romans 7:24

🔥 The Law Creates the Struggle—But Cannot Solve It

Why does this happen?

Because the moment “dying to self” becomes something you must do…

👉 you have stepped into law thinking.

And the law always does two things:

It shows you what’s wrong
But gives you no power to fix it

“For by the law is the knowledge of sin.” — Epistle to the Romans 3:20

So now:

You see the problem
You feel the pressure
But you don’t have the power

👉 That’s why it feels impossible.

🔥 Jesus Never Told You to Crucify Yourself

Here’s where everything begins to shift.

Jesus said:

“If any man will come after me, let him deny himself…” — Gospel of Luke 9:23

But notice what He did NOT say:

👉 He did not say: “Go crucify yourself.”

Why?

Because that’s not something you can do.

The cross was never something you perform…

👉 It was something He accomplished.

🔥 The Real Problem — Misunderstanding the Source

The confusion comes from this:

👉 People think “self” means behavior.

But in Scripture, “self” is deeper than that.

It is:

The source you are living from
The identity you are trusting in
The life you are drawing from

So the real issue is not:

👉 “How do I stop doing wrong things?”

The real issue is:

👉 “What am I living from?”

🔥 Trying to Kill Self Keeps Self Alive

Here’s the paradox:

👉 The more you try to fix yourself…

👉 the more self stays at the center.

Because now everything revolves around:

your effort
your discipline
your ability

👉 Self is still the source.

That’s why it never works.

🔥 The Turning Point — The Right Question

The breakthrough doesn’t come when you try harder.

It comes when the question changes from:

❌ “How do I die to self?”

To:

👉 “What has already happened to self in Christ?”

That’s where grace begins to speak.

🔥 The Answer Is Not in Effort—It’s in Revelation

Paul doesn’t say:

👉 “Try harder to die”

He reveals something completely different:

“Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him…” — Epistle to the Romans 6:6

👉 Not trying…
👉 Knowing

This is the shift:

From effort → to revelation
From striving → to understanding
From pressure → to truth

🔥 This Is Where the Gospel of Grace Begins

The Gospel of Grace does not give you something to do…

👉 It reveals what God has already done.

And in this case:

👉 The “self” you are trying to kill…

👉 has already been crucified in Christ.

🔥 Declaration 🔥

I am not trying to die to self.

The old man has already been crucified.
The struggle is not my identity.
Self is no longer my source.

Christ is my life…
And I live from Him.

🔥 Call to Action

Stop trying to fix yourself.

Receive the truth of the Gospel of Grace:

👉 What you have been trying to do… has already been done in Christ.

Let the pressure go.
Let the striving end.
And step into the revelation that changes everything.

🔥 CHAPTER 2 — What Jesus Actually Meant

(Deny Yourself, Take Up Your Cross Through the Gospel of Grace)

🔥 The Most Misunderstood Command

Few statements from Jesus have been more misunderstood than this:

“If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.” — Gospel of Luke 9:23

For many, this sounds like:

deny your desires
suppress your personality
try harder to be disciplined
carry a daily burden

But when read through a law-based lens…

👉 it becomes heavy, confusing, and impossible.

🔥 What “Deny Yourself” Does NOT Mean

Let’s be clear first.

“Deny yourself” does NOT mean:

❌ hating who you are
❌ rejecting your personality
❌ punishing your body
❌ trying to destroy your humanity

Jesus is not calling you to self-rejection…

👉 He is calling you to source rejection.

🔥 The Real Meaning of “Deny Yourself”

The word “deny” means:

👉 to refuse reliance upon
👉 to disown as your source

So when Jesus says:

👉 “deny yourself”

He is saying:

👉 Stop relying on yourself as the source of life, righteousness, and strength.

🔥 The Context — Losing Your Life to Find It

Jesus immediately explains what He means:

“For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it.” — Gospel of Luke 9:24

This is not about behavior…

👉 It’s about where your life comes from.

Trying to “save your life” means:

relying on yourself
preserving self as the source
trying to produce life from within yourself

👉 And Jesus says that always leads to loss.

🔥 The Grain of Wheat — The Same Pattern

Jesus gives another picture:

“Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.” — Gospel of John 12:24

The seed doesn’t destroy itself…

👉 It releases its original form to produce something greater.

This is what “dying to self” is:

👉 the end of one source…
👉 and the release of another.

🔥 Taking Up Your Cross — Not What People Think

“Take up your cross” is often taught as:

enduring hardship
carrying burdens
suffering through life

But in Jesus’ day, the cross meant one thing:

👉 death.

Not gradual improvement.
Not behavior modification.

👉 The end of a life.

🔥 The Cross Was Not Your Assignment—It Was His

Here’s where grace corrects everything.

Jesus did not call you to:

👉 perform your own crucifixion

He went to the cross:

👉 on your behalf.

“Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree…” — First Epistle of Peter 2:24

So when He speaks of the cross…

👉 He is pointing to something He would accomplish.

🔥 Following Him Means Trusting His Work

“Follow me” does not mean:

👉 imitate Him through effort

It means:

👉 trust Him as your source of life

Because Jesus said:

“I am the way… the truth… and the life…” — Gospel of John 14:6

Not:

👉 “I show you how to do it yourself”

But:

👉 “I am your life.”

🔥 The Shift — From Doing to Believing

This is the turning point.

Jesus’ words are not:

👉 instructions for self-effort

They are:

👉 invitations into a different source of living

This aligns with everything Paul later reveals:

“The life which I now live… I live by the faith of the Son of God…” — Epistle to the Galatians 2:20

🔥 Why It Felt Impossible Before

If you heard:

👉 “deny yourself”
👉 “take up your cross”

As something you must accomplish…

Then of course it felt impossible.

Because:

👉 you were trying to do spiritually
👉 what only God could accomplish.

🔥 What Jesus Was Really Calling You Into

He was not calling you to:

self-destruction
self-effort
self-improvement

He was calling you into:

👉 a death already accomplished in Him
👉 and a life now found in Him

🔥 Declaration 🔥

I do not rely on myself as my source.

I do not strive to produce life.
I do not try to crucify myself.

I deny self as my source…
And I receive Christ as my life.

🔥 Call to Action

Let go of the burden of trying to fulfill these words through effort.

Receive the Gospel of Grace:

👉 Jesus did not call you to perform the cross—
👉 He brought you into what He already finished.

Rest in Him.
Follow from Him.
Live through Him.

🔥 CHAPTER 3 — The Old Man Defined

(What Actually Died? Through the Gospel of Grace)

🔥 The Real Question Behind “Dying to Self”

Once the pressure of trying to die to self is lifted…

A new question emerges:

👉 “What actually died?”

Because if something truly died in Christ…

👉 then we need to know what it was.

Not guessing.
Not assuming.

👉 Knowing.

🔥 Paul Says This Must Be Known

Paul doesn’t present this as a theory.

He says:

“Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him…” — Epistle to the Romans 6:6

👉 Not hoping
👉 Not trying

👉 Knowing

Because everything in the Christian life flows from:

👉 what you know is already true in Christ.

🔥 The Old Man Is Not Your Personality

This is where confusion begins.

Many think “self” or “old man” means:

their personality
their individuality
their humanity

So they try to:

suppress who they are
become someone else
act like a different person

👉 That’s not what died.

🔥 The Old Man Is an Identity — Not Behavior

The “old man” is:

👉 who you were in Adam

“For as in Adam all die…” — First Epistle to the Corinthians 15:22

It includes:

a fallen identity
separation in the mind
self as the source
striving to produce righteousness

👉 It is a way of being, not just a way of acting.

🔥 The Old Man Lived from the Wrong Source

At its core, the old man is:

👉 independent life

Trying to:

be righteous
be good
be acceptable

👉 without Christ as the source

That’s why Jesus said:

“Without me ye can do nothing.” — Gospel of John 15:5

The old man tries anyway.

🔥 The Old Man Was Exposed by the Law

The law didn’t fix the old man…

👉 it exposed him.

“For by the law is the knowledge of sin.” — Epistle to the Romans 3:20

The law reveals:

inability
weakness
failure

👉 It proves that self cannot produce what God requires.

🔥 The Old Man Was Not Improved — He Was Crucified

Here’s the breakthrough:

God did not:

reform the old man
train the old man
improve the old man

👉 He crucified him.

“Our old man is crucified with him…” — Epistle to the Romans 6:6

That means:

no upgrade
no repair
no second chance

👉 The end of that identity completely.

🔥 You Did Not Crucify Him — God Did

This is critical.

You were never told to:

👉 kill the old man

Because:

👉 God already did it in Christ.

“I am crucified with Christ…” — Epistle to the Galatians 2:20

This is not your effort…

👉 This is your inheritance.

🔥 The Old Man Is Put Off — Not Worked On

Paul says:

“…that ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man…” — Epistle to the Ephesians 4:22

And again:

“…ye have put off the old man with his deeds.” — Epistle to the Colossians 3:9

Notice:

👉 not “fix him”
👉 not “train him”

👉 Put him off

Why?

Because he’s already dead.

🔥 A New Man Has Been Created

God didn’t just end something…

👉 He created something new.

“Put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.” — Epistle to the Ephesians 4:24

This new man is:

born of God
created in righteousness
united with Christ

🔥 Your Life Is Now Hidden in Christ

Paul brings it to its highest point:

“For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.” — Epistle to the Colossians 3:3

👉 The old life is gone
👉 The new life is hidden in Christ

That means:

👉 your true life is no longer found in yourself.

🔥 The Real Meaning of “Dying to Self”

Now we can define it clearly:

👉 “Dying to self” is NOT:

killing your personality
suppressing your humanity
trying to fix yourself

👉 It IS:

the end of the old identity in Adam
the end of self as the source
the end of self-effort

And the beginning of:

👉 Christ as your life.

🔥 Declaration 🔥

The old man is crucified.

I am not who I was in Adam.
I do not live from self as my source.
I do not strive to become righteous.

Christ is my life…
And I live from Him.

🔥 Call to Action

Stop trying to fix what God has already ended.

Receive the truth of the Gospel of Grace:

👉 The old man is not your assignment—he is your past.

Step into the new life.
Live from Christ.
Walk in who you already are.

🔥 CHAPTER 4 — Crucified with Christ

(The Death Already Accomplished Through the Gospel of Grace)

🔥 The Turning Point — From Trying to Knowing

Up to this point, everything has been building toward one reality:

👉 You are not trying to die to self…

👉 You were crucified with Christ.

This is not a future goal.
This is not a daily achievement.

👉 This is a finished act.

🔥 Paul Declares It Without Condition

Paul doesn’t say:

“You need to be crucified”
“You should try to be crucified”

He says:

“I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me…” — Epistle to the Galatians 2:20

👉 Not “I am trying”
👉 Not “I will be”

👉 I am.

🔥 This Happened in the Cross — Not in Your Effort

The cross was not just:

Jesus dying for you

It was:

👉 you dying with Him

“If we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him.” — Epistle to the Romans 6:8

This means:

Your old life ended there
Your old identity ended there
Your self-life ended there

👉 Whether you understood it or not.

🔥 The Cross Was Substitution and Inclusion

Most people understand substitution:

👉 Christ died for you

But Paul reveals inclusion:

👉 You died with Him

“Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him…” — Epistle to the Romans 6:6

This is the difference between:

forgiveness only
and
complete transformation

🔥 The Old Man Was Put to Death Once — Not Daily

This is where confusion clears.

The cross was not:

👉 a daily repetition

It was:

👉 a one-time accomplishment

“For in that he died, he died unto sin once…” — Epistle to the Romans 6:10

So if He died once…

👉 and you were crucified with Him…

👉 then your death to self was also once accomplished.

🔥 You Don’t Re-Crucify — You Recognize

This is the shift:

You are not called to:

👉 repeat the cross

You are called to:

👉 believe what the cross accomplished

“Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God…” — Epistle to the Romans 6:11

👉 “Reckon” means:

count it true
agree with God
see it as reality

🔥 Death with Christ Leads to Life in Christ

The cross was never the end.

It was the doorway:

“For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection.” — Epistle to the Romans 6:5

So now:

Not just death
But resurrection

👉 Not just an ending
👉 But a new beginning

🔥 Your Life Is No Longer Your Own Source

Paul says it plainly:

“…yet not I, but Christ liveth in me…” — Epistle to the Galatians 2:20

That means:

You still exist
You still live

But:

👉 You are no longer the source of your life.

🔥 The Life You Now Live Is by Faith

Paul finishes the thought:

“…the life which I now live… I live by the faith of the Son of God…” — Epistle to the Galatians 2:20

So the flow becomes:

Death → accomplished
Life → given
Living → by faith

👉 Not by self-effort.

🔥 This Ends the Struggle at Its Root

The struggle exists when you believe:

👉 “I still have to deal with self”

But when you see:

👉 self has already been crucified

The struggle shifts from:

fighting yourself

to:

👉 believing Christ

🔥 The Cross Removed the Old Source Completely

God didn’t weaken the old man…

👉 He removed him as a source.

“Being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness…” — First Epistle of Peter 2:24

👉 Dead to the old
👉 Alive to the new

🔥 Declaration 🔥

I am crucified with Christ.

The old life is finished.
Self is no longer my source.
I do not strive to die—I believe that I died.

Christ lives in me…
And I live by Him.

🔥 Call to Action

Stop trying to accomplish what Christ has already finished.

Receive the Gospel of Grace:

👉 You were crucified with Him—now live from Him.

Reckon it true.
Believe it fully.
Walk in it daily.

🔥 CHAPTER 5 — Dead to the Law

(The End of Self-Effort Through the Gospel of Grace)

🔥 The Missing Link — Why Self Keeps Coming Back

By now, we’ve seen:

the old man was crucified
the cross was finished
Christ is now your life

But many still feel a struggle.

Why?

👉 Because even though the old man is dead…

👉 the law is still being used as the measuring stick.

And wherever law remains as the system…

👉 self-effort will try to rise again.

🔥 Paul Makes a Radical Statement

Paul doesn’t just say you died to sin.

He says something even deeper:

“For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God.” — Epistle to the Galatians 2:19

👉 Dead to the law.

Not improving under it.
Not trying harder through it.

👉 Dead to it.

🔥 Why the Law Had to End

The law was never given to:

produce righteousness
create holiness
make you right with God

It was given to:

👉 expose inability

“For by the law is the knowledge of sin.” — Epistle to the Romans 3:20

The law reveals:

what is required
what is missing
what you cannot produce

🔥 The Law and Self-Effort Are Connected

Here’s the truth many miss:

👉 The law creates the environment where self tries to perform.

Because once you hear:

“You must do this”
“You must be this”

👉 self immediately responds:

“I’ll try.”

And that’s where the cycle begins:

effort
failure
frustration
repeat

🔥 Paul’s Struggle Under the Law

Paul describes this perfectly:

“For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.” — Epistle to the Romans 7:19

👉 That’s not a lack of desire.

👉 That’s the failure of self-effort under law.

And it leads to:

“O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me…?” — Epistle to the Romans 7:24

🔥 Death to the Law Was Necessary for Life in God

Paul gives the answer:

“…that I might live unto God.” — Epistle to the Galatians 2:19

👉 You cannot live unto God
👉 while trying to perform under law

The law had to end…

👉 so life could begin.

🔥 You Were Married to the Law — Now You’re Joined to Christ

Paul uses a powerful picture:

“…ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another…” — Epistle to the Romans 7:4

Before:

👉 bound to the law
👉 trying to produce fruit through effort

Now:

👉 joined to Christ
👉 fruit flows from relationship

🔥 The Law Produces Effort — Grace Produces Life

The difference is clear:

Under Law:

You try
You strive
You perform

Under Grace:

God works
Christ lives
Life flows

“For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.” — Epistle to the Romans 6:14

🔥 The Law Weakens — Grace Empowers

The problem was never desire…

👉 it was ability.

“For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh…” — Epistle to the Romans 8:3

The law could demand…

👉 but it could not supply.

Grace does both.

🔥 Being Led by the Spirit Ends the Law System

“But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.” — Epistle to the Galatians 5:18

👉 Not under law
👉 not under performance
👉 not under pressure

👉 Under life.

🔥 Dead to the Law = Freedom from Self-Effort

This is the connection:

👉 If you are still under law…

👉 you will still try through self.

But when you are:

👉 dead to the law

Then:

👉 self-effort loses its place completely.

🔥 This Is Why Grace Feels Like Rest

Because the burden is gone:

“For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works…” — Epistle to the Hebrews 4:10

👉 No more striving
👉 no more proving
👉 no more self-producing

👉 Just resting in what Christ has done.

🔥 Declaration 🔥

I am dead to the law.

I do not live by performance.
I do not strive to produce righteousness.
I do not rely on self-effort.

Christ is my life…
And grace is my source.

🔥 Call to Action

Let go of every system that tells you to perform.

Receive the Gospel of Grace:

👉 You are not under law—you are under grace.

Step out of effort.
Step into rest.
And let Christ live through you.

🔥 CHAPTER 6 — You Cannot Crucify Yourself

(Why Trying Harder Fails Through the Gospel of Grace)

🔥 The Final Stronghold of Effort

Even after hearing:

you were crucified with Christ
the old man is dead
you are not under the law

There is still one thought that tries to remain:

👉 “But I still need to do something about this flesh.”

And without realizing it, the mind drifts back into:

trying harder
striving more
disciplining self as the source

👉 This is the last stronghold.

🔥 The Cross Was Never Your Assignment

Let’s say it plainly:

👉 You were never called to crucify yourself.

Why?

Because crucifixion is not:

self-improvement
self-discipline
behavior modification

👉 It is execution.

And no man executes himself on a cross.

🔥 Paul Never Tried to Crucify Himself

Paul never says:

❌ “I am trying to be crucified”
❌ “I am working on killing the flesh”

He says:

“I am crucified with Christ…” — Epistle to the Galatians 2:20

👉 Finished
👉 accomplished
👉 not in progress

🔥 Trying to Crucify Yourself Keeps You Alive

Here’s the paradox:

👉 The more you try to fix yourself…

👉 the more self stays at the center.

Because now everything revolves around:

your effort
your discipline
your strength

👉 Self is still the focus.

🔥 The Flesh Cannot Fix the Flesh

Scripture makes this clear:

“Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?” — Epistle to the Galatians 3:3

👉 You cannot start by grace
👉 and finish by effort

And again:

“For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh…” — Epistle to the Romans 8:3

👉 The problem is not effort…

👉 It’s the source of that effort.

🔥 Jesus Settled This Completely

Jesus said:

“Without me ye can do nothing.” — Gospel of John 15:5

Not:

“a little”
“some things”

👉 Nothing.

So trying harder doesn’t solve the problem…

👉 it proves the problem.

🔥 The Real Issue Is Source — Not Behavior

This is the key revelation:

👉 The issue is not what you’re doing…

👉 It’s what you’re living from.

If self is the source:

even good behavior is still self-produced

If Christ is the source:

life flows without striving

🔥 God Did What You Could Not Do

This is where grace takes over:

“God sending his own Son… condemned sin in the flesh.” — Epistle to the Romans 8:3

👉 God dealt with the flesh
👉 God executed the old man
👉 God finished what you could never do

🔥 Your Role Is Not to Do — It Is to Believe

Paul shifts it completely:

“Reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin…” — Epistle to the Romans 6:11

👉 Not perform
👉 Not achieve

👉 Reckon

Which means:

count it true
agree with God
believe what He has done

🔥 Effort Ends Where Faith Begins

This is the dividing line:

Effort says:

👉 “I need to do something about myself”

Faith says:

👉 “God has already done it in Christ”

🔥 This Is Why Grace Feels Like Rest

Because when you stop trying to crucify yourself…

👉 the burden lifts.

“Come unto me… and I will give you rest.” — Gospel of Matthew 11:28

Rest is not:

inactivity

It is:

👉 freedom from self-effort

🔥 The Life That Follows

When you stop striving:

clarity comes
peace settles
life begins to flow

Because now:

👉 Christ—not self—is the source.

🔥 Declaration 🔥

I cannot crucify myself.

The work is finished.
The old man is dead.
Self is not my source.

I do not strive…
I believe.

🔥 Call to Action

Lay down the burden of trying to fix yourself.

Receive the Gospel of Grace:

👉 What you could never do… God has already done.

Stop striving.
Start believing.
And live from Christ.

🔥 CHAPTER 7 — Christ Is Your Life

(The New Source of Living Through the Gospel of Grace)

🔥 The Gospel Does Not Leave You in Death

Up to this point, we’ve established:

the old man is crucified
you cannot crucify yourself
you are dead to the law

But the Gospel of Grace does not stop at death.

👉 It brings you into life.

Because God didn’t just remove the old…

👉 He revealed the new.

🔥 The Great Shift — From Self to Christ

The entire Christian life hinges on one truth:

“For to me to live is Christ…” — Epistle to the Philippians 1:21

Not:

living for Christ
living like Christ

👉 Christ IS your life

🔥 You Still Live — But Not as the Source

Paul says:

“…nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me…” — Epistle to the Galatians 2:20

This is the mystery:

You are still here
You still think, speak, move

But:

👉 You are no longer the source of life

🔥 Your Life Is Hidden in Christ

Paul takes it even deeper:

“For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.” — Epistle to the Colossians 3:3

👉 The old life is gone
👉 The new life is hidden

This means:

👉 Your true life is not found in yourself anymore.

🔥 Christ in You — Not You for Christ

This is the shift that breaks religion:

“…Christ in you, the hope of glory.” — Epistle to the Colossians 1:27

Not:

you trying for Him
you producing for Him

👉 Him living in you

🔥 Union — Not Imitation

The Christian life is not:

👉 imitation

It is:

👉 union

“He that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit.” — First Epistle to the Corinthians 6:17

👉 One life
👉 One source
👉 One union

🔥 The Vine and the Branches

Jesus explains it perfectly:

“I am the vine, ye are the branches…” — Gospel of John 15:5

The branch:

does not produce life
does not generate fruit

👉 It receives life from the vine.

And Jesus makes it clear:

“…without me ye can do nothing.” — Gospel of John 15:5

🔥 Life Flows — It Is Not Forced

When Christ is your life:

you don’t force change
you don’t produce fruit through effort
you don’t strive to become something

👉 Life flows naturally

🔥 The New Man Lives Differently

The new man:

doesn’t strive for righteousness
doesn’t perform for acceptance
doesn’t produce through effort

Because:

👉 he is already joined to Christ.

🔥 God Is the One Working Now

This ties it all together:

“For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do…” — Epistle to the Philippians 2:13

Now:

God produces the desire
God produces the action
God produces the result

👉 Christ is the life being lived.

🔥 This Is the End of Striving

When Christ becomes your life:

👉 striving loses its place

Because you are no longer:

trying to become
trying to achieve
trying to produce

👉 You are living from what is already given.

🔥 The Life You Now Live Is by Faith

Paul brings it full circle:

“…the life which I now live… I live by the faith of the Son of God…” — Epistle to the Galatians 2:20

👉 Not self-effort
👉 Not discipline as source

👉 Faith

🔥 Declaration 🔥

Christ is my life.

I am not my source.
I do not strive to produce.
I do not live from self.

Life flows from Him…
And I live by Him.

🔥 Call to Action

Stop trying to live for Christ…

Receive the Gospel of Grace:

👉 Christ is your life.

Abide in Him.
Trust His life in you.
And let it flow.

🔥 CHAPTER 8 — God Works in You

(The End of Self-Production Through the Gospel of Grace)

🔥 The Final Shift — From You Working to God Working

Everything we’ve seen leads to this:

you are crucified with Christ
Christ is now your life
you are not the source

So now the question becomes:

👉 Who is doing the living?

And Scripture answers clearly:

👉 God is.

🔥 Paul Declares the New Reality

“For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.” — Epistle to the Philippians 2:13

This is one of the most powerful verses in the New Testament.

Because it removes:

self-effort
self-production
self-dependence

👉 completely.

🔥 God Produces the Will

Notice the first part:

👉 “to will”

This means:

even the desire
even the hunger
even the inclination

👉 comes from God.

So now:

👉 you’re not trying to want the right things…

👉 God is producing that desire in you.

🔥 God Produces the Doing

Then:

👉 “and to do”

This means:

the action
the obedience
the fruit

👉 is also produced by Him.

So the full picture is:

God gives the desire
God gives the ability
God brings it to pass

🔥 This Ends Self-Production Completely

There is no room left for:

👉 “I need to produce this”

Because now:

👉 God is the source of everything.

🔥 The New Covenant Promise

This was always God’s plan:

“I will put my laws into their mind… and write them in their hearts…” — Epistle to the Hebrews 8:10

And even more clearly:

“I will cause you to walk in my statutes…” — Book of Ezekiel 36:27

👉 “I will cause”

Not:

👉 “you will make yourself”

🔥 God Is the One Equipping You

“…make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in his sight…” — Epistle to the Hebrews 13:21

This confirms it:

👉 God is working in you
👉 what pleases Him

🔥 Paul Removed Himself from the Credit

Paul said:

“…yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.” — First Epistle to the Corinthians 15:10

👉 Not me
👉 not my effort
👉 not my strength

👉 Grace working

🔥 This Is Why Boasting Is Excluded

If God is doing the work:

👉 what is left for you to boast in?

“Where is boasting then? It is excluded…” — Epistle to the Romans 3:27

Because:

👉 everything is flowing from Him.

🔥 This Produces Effortless Fruit

When God is the source:

👉 fruit is no longer forced.

“He that abideth in me… bringeth forth much fruit.” — Gospel of John 15:5

Not:

👉 tries to produce fruit

👉 but brings it forth naturally

🔥 You Are No Longer the Doer

This is the deepest shift:

👉 You are not the one producing the Christian life.

You are:

👉 the vessel
👉 the receiver
👉 the one through whom life flows

🔥 The End of Pressure

Once you see this:

👉 pressure disappears.

Because:

you’re not trying to fix yourself
you’re not trying to produce change
you’re not trying to become something

👉 God is doing the work.

🔥 This Is True Rest

“For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works…” — Epistle to the Hebrews 4:10

👉 Ceased from your own works
👉 Resting in His work

🔥 Declaration 🔥

God is working in me.

I am not the source.
I am not the producer.
I am not the doer.

He gives the desire…
He gives the ability…
He brings it to pass.

🔥 Call to Action

Lay down every attempt to produce the Christian life.

Receive the Gospel of Grace:

👉 God is already working in you.

Rest in Him.
Trust His work.
And let it flow.

🔥 CHAPTER 9 — Walking by Faith, Not Effort

(Living Beyond Self Through the Gospel of Grace)

🔥 The Question Now — How Do I Live This?

By now, we’ve seen:

the old man is crucified
you cannot crucify yourself
Christ is your life
God is working in you

So the question becomes:

👉 “How do I live this out every day?”

And the answer is simple—but powerful:

👉 By faith, not by effort.

🔥 Paul Defines the New Way of Living

“…the life which I now live… I live by the faith of the Son of God…” — Epistle to the Galatians 2:20

Notice the shift:

not by discipline
not by self-effort
not by trying harder

👉 by faith

🔥 What Faith Is — and What It Is Not

Faith is not:

trying to believe harder
working yourself into confidence
forcing yourself to feel something

Faith is:

👉 resting in what God has already said is true

🔥 Faith Receives — Effort Produces

Here’s the difference:

Effort says:

👉 “I need to make this happen”

Faith says:

👉 “God has already done this—I receive it”

That’s why Scripture says:

“For by grace are ye saved through faith…” — Epistle to the Ephesians 2:8

👉 Grace provides
👉 Faith receives

🔥 Walking by Sight vs Walking by Faith

Paul contrasts the two:

“For we walk by faith, not by sight.” — Second Epistle to the Corinthians 5:7

Walking by sight means:

looking at circumstances
focusing on feelings
reacting to what you see

Walking by faith means:

👉 living from what God has declared true in Christ.

🔥 Faith Anchors You in the Finished Work

Faith doesn’t look inward at self…

👉 it looks to Christ.

“Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith…” — Epistle to the Hebrews 12:2

👉 He started it
👉 He finished it

So faith rests in Him.

🔥 This Is How You “Reckon” Daily

We saw earlier:

“Reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God…” — Epistle to the Romans 6:11

Walking by faith means:

👉 agreeing with God—even when you don’t feel it.

“I am crucified with Christ”
“Christ is my life”
“God is working in me”

👉 Faith says: “That is true.”

🔥 Faith Keeps You Out of Self-Effort

The moment you leave faith…

👉 you drift back into effort.

That’s why Paul said:

“Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?” — Epistle to the Galatians 3:3

👉 Faith keeps you anchored in grace
👉 Effort pulls you back into self

🔥 Faith Produces Rest

When you live by faith:

👉 striving stops.

“For we which have believed do enter into rest…” — Epistle to the Hebrews 4:3

Faith doesn’t create pressure…

👉 it creates rest.

🔥 Life Begins to Flow Naturally

When you walk by faith:

you’re not forcing change
you’re not trying to produce fruit
you’re not striving to become

👉 Life flows.

Because now:

👉 Christ is the source
👉 God is working
👉 grace is active

🔥 Faith Is Not Passive — It Is Restful Trust

Faith is not:

👉 doing nothing

It is:

👉 trusting completely

trusting what Christ finished
trusting what God is doing
trusting the life within you

🔥 This Is the Daily Walk

Walking by faith looks like:

trusting instead of striving
receiving instead of producing
resting instead of pressing

👉 day by day
👉 moment by moment

🔥 Declaration 🔥

I walk by faith, not by effort.

I do not strive to produce life.
I do not rely on what I see or feel.
I trust what God has declared true.

Christ is my life…
And I live by Him.

🔥 Call to Action

Release every attempt to live the Christian life through effort.

Receive the Gospel of Grace:

👉 You walk by faith—not by self.

Trust Him.
Rest in Him.
Live from Him.

🔥 CHAPTER 10 — Living Free from Yourself

(Rest, Identity, and Life in Christ Through the Gospel of Grace)

🔥 The Freedom Most People Never Realize

Many believe freedom means:

freedom from sin
freedom from guilt
freedom from condemnation

And that’s true.

But there is a deeper freedom the Gospel of Grace reveals:

👉 freedom from self as the source.

Because as long as self is still the source…

👉 struggle will always remain.

🔥 The End of Self as the Center

Everything we’ve seen leads here:

the old man is crucified
you cannot crucify yourself
you are dead to the law
Christ is your life
God is working in you
you walk by faith

👉 Now the result:

👉 self is no longer the center.

🔥 No Condemnation — No Pressure

Paul declares:

“There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus…” — Epistle to the Romans 8:1

No condemnation means:

no pressure to perform
no weight to fix yourself
no burden to prove anything

👉 You are free.

🔥 Life Is No Longer About Becoming

Religion says:

👉 “You need to become something”

Grace reveals:

👉 You already are in Christ

“For by grace are ye saved… not of works…” — Epistle to the Ephesians 2:8–9

So now:

you’re not striving to become
you’re not trying to achieve

👉 You are living from what is already finished.

🔥 Christ Lives Through You

Paul brings it full circle:

“…yet not I, but Christ liveth in me…” — Epistle to the Galatians 2:20

This is the life:

not self trying
not self producing

👉 Christ living through you

🔥 You Are His Workmanship

“For we are his workmanship…” — Epistle to the Ephesians 2:10

👉 You are not your project
👉 God is not trying to fix you

👉 You are His finished work being revealed.

🔥 Freedom Feels Like Rest

When self is no longer the source:

👉 rest replaces striving.

“Come unto me… and I will give you rest.” — Gospel of Matthew 11:28

Rest is:

freedom from effort
freedom from pressure
freedom from self-production

🔥 Life Becomes Simple Again

When you are free from yourself:

you’re not analyzing everything
you’re not striving to fix everything
you’re not trying to control everything

👉 You simply live.

Because:

👉 Christ is your life
👉 God is working
👉 grace is flowing

🔥 This Is True Liberty

“Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free…” — Epistle to the Galatians 5:1

👉 Not freedom to strive
👉 Not freedom to perform

👉 Freedom from self as the source

🔥 Nothing Left to Prove

When you’re free from yourself:

you don’t need approval
you don’t need validation
you don’t need to prove anything

Because:

👉 Christ is enough.

🔥 The Life That Flows

This is what it looks like:

peace instead of pressure
rest instead of striving
trust instead of fear
life instead of effort

👉 This is the Gospel of Grace lived out.

🔥 Declaration 🔥

I am free from myself.

I am not the source of my life.
I do not strive to become.
I do not live by effort.

Christ is my life…
And I rest in Him.

🔥 Call to Action

Step out of self… and into Christ.

Receive the Gospel of Grace:

👉 You are free—not just from sin, but from self.

Rest in Him.
Live from Him.
And walk in the freedom He has already given.

The Gospel of Grace — What Does It Mean to Die to Self?

By Carl Timothy Wray 🔥

The Gospel of Grace Series

The Gospel of Grace — The Finished Work Proclaimed
The Gospel of Grace — I Will Restore the Years the Locust Has Eaten
The Gospel of Grace — Lest Any Man Should Boast
The Gospel of Grace — Made Willing in the Day of His Power
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