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Cart Before the Horse?

September 22, 2026 at 9:49 AM Leave a comment

We’ve all heard the saying, “Don’t put the cart before the horse!” and of course, it makes perfect sense to us. It’s not the horse’s job to push the cart, but to pull the cart. It works much better that way.

Within Christendom and with respect to many Christians, it is easy to put the cart before the horse where our spiritual lives are concerned. It all depends on which church you attend and who your pastor is, along with their particular theological bent. It is extremely important to understand and know that a pastor/preacher who sees himself as more aligned with Reformed theology than otherwise, very likely emphasizes something other than simple faith when it comes to a believer’s sanctification. Yet, Paul seems to indicate that the same faith used to receive salvation is the same faith used to progress in our sanctification.

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 (e.g. sanctification), I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain. (Galatians 2:20-21 NKJV emphasis added)

The above text  is something that Paul took several chapters to explain in the book of Romans. In fact, in Romans 6, he takes the time to spell out what it means that we (in Christ), are dead to sin, but alive in Christ. Romans 5 highlights the reality that we are born sinners because we essentially come from Adam and even though we did not sin exactly like Adam (and Eve) did, we inherited a sin nature from Adam. The sins we commit because of that sin nature are our very own sins and make us culpable and guilty before God. We can do nothing to help ourselves out of the terrible predicament that we are in, completely alienated from God awaiting His eternal wrath.

Yet, as Paul details in Romans 5:6-20, Jesus died in our place so that we would not have to suffer the eternal consequences of our condition. Like a professional brick layer, Paul builds his “wall” (or case), to help us understand the problem we have and how we can do nothing to help ourselves. It required Another who was perfectly sinless, while fully able to identify with our humanity; Jesus, God the Son, who clothed Himself with humanity.

Romans 6 builds on chapter 5, revealing that even though it seemed like things were hopeless, they’re really not because of God and His unconditional love for humanity. Since Jesus died for us, those who come to Him in faith believing that what He accomplished on our behalf has made the eternal difference in our lives, believers now have a new life in Christ.

Paul’s first question then to us in Romans 6:1-2 is, “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?

Obviously, if Paul says we should no longer live in sin because we have died to it, there must be a way to do just that, right? Notice the last portion of verse 2 points out that we have literally died to sin itself (the sin problem or the sin nature). This occurred when we looked to Jesus, believed what He said about Himself and His death on our behalf, and embraced these truths. It does not mean that our previous sin nature is removed. If that was the case, Paul would not have to tell us to not sin. We still have our sin natures, but it has been defanged and dethroned. It is now our choice as to whether or not we follow its dictates.

These are deep truths ultimately leading us to the reality that when we embraced Jesus, we were literally joined with Him in His death. Our death in Christ means that when He rose from the dead, we did as well. Because of that, we have become new creations in Christ.

Let’s take a few moment to consider this and what it might have to do with putting the cart before the horse. As Paul notes in Galatians 2, all believers have been crucified with Christ. We have been buried into His death and rose with Him when He rose from the grave. Notice that he follows this fact up with another fact, that we are now alive to Christ and the life we now live in the flesh (sanctification), is to be lived using the same faith that we exhibited when we first received Jesus as our Savior. This is an extremely important aspect of our Christianity. Yet, too often we fail to fully comprehend it. I actually wonder if we can fully comprehend it in this life, but certainly God wants us to understand more than we do and Satan wants to keep us from understanding it at all.

Too often, in our ongoing sanctification, we as Christians are busy doing what we think are “good works,” based on how they look on the outside. After all, Paul and others throughout the New Testament continually tell us to do those good works that honor God. This is what we are called to do, right?

There are, unfortunately two ways we can do those good works. We can do them in the strength of our own flesh or we do them in the power of the Holy Spirit who indwells us. I’m not talking about miracles, signs, wonders, or tongues. I’m speaking of the power that emanates from the Holy Spirit within us to do the things God calls us to do without it feeling as though we are relying on our own strength to get those things done. We all know how exhausting that can be.

Have you ever just floated down a moving river on some type of floating device that simply carries you along with the water’s current? You don’t really have to do anything except possibly avoid getting beached. The water itself moves you along and you just enjoy the ride. You don’t expend a good energy moving your floating device, because the current moves you along.

To me, Reformed theology is putting the cart before the horse. Just do it. Get it done. Get to work. Try harder. However, it seems that Paul’s teachings reveal something else. I died with Christ. I no longer live at all. The new life I now life I live by faith in Jesus. This is somewhat remarkable, isn’t it? It reminds me of what Jesus is telling us about abiding in Him (John 15). It reminds me of when He speaks of living waters that will well up from within based on our believing faith in Jesus (John 7:38).

So, where is this living water that Jesus promised? Is it in you? Is it in me? Like that rushing creek or river that carries things along with it, the impression I get here in John 7:38 is that these living waters are also supposed to carry us along in God’s will. I’ve experienced that from time to time, but it is not a regular, daily occurrence and that bothers me. How does this translate to us as believers? How do we more easily bear the fruit that Jesus, through the indwelling Holy Spirit, wants to produce in and through us, or experience the living waters that move us along in His will?

As I previously noted, there are two ways to accomplish the good works that appear in our lives for others to see. One way is to pull ourselves up by our own bootstraps and simply “do it!” The other way is to more fully understand and give ourselves to God daily, in increasing measure. The former method gets Self involved in the process. The latter allows the Holy Spirit to work in and through us and we are virtually carried along.

But the hardest part of this equation is coming to terms with the new reality we now have in Christ. Paul has tried to explain it to us. He’s doing his best to make it come alive by presenting the facts of our new situation, having believed in Jesus for our salvation.

However, if you are like me, there is something missing at times. The missing part is the lack of realizing that I am truly dead to sin and alive in Christ. That leaves me struggling with my flesh a great deal. I do what I think I’m supposed to do as a believer, but I end up doing it with fleshly energy. That’s putting the cart in front of the horse.

Does Paul have an answer to this problem? Yes, fortunately he does. The answer is found in Romans 6:8-11.

8 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, 9 knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. 10 For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. 11 Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. (emphasis added)

Notice that one word in the last verse or this passage, verse 11. The word, “reckon.” This is literally an accounting term. Just as an accountant takes care of the books on a daily basis, ensuring that things add up and there are no issues with the math, believers should daily (and often throughout the day), “reckon” ourselves dead to our old way of life, which Jesus (and us), died to. In essence, we need to create a new habit, a new way of thinking.

How do we reckon ourselves dead to the flesh but alive to Christ? We remind ourselves of this truth and reality as often as we can think of it and the Holy Spirit will make it come alive within so that living the life that honors God is not done from our “inner strength” (Self or the flesh). It is done with the power of the Holy Spirit. It is simple to understand intellectually, but can be very difficult to learn to live.

The old man/flesh doesn’t like letting us go. The flesh is there to remind us that we were once servants to it. This is the daily struggle we face. The struggle is not in doing good works or not because we can do them even in our fleshly energy. The struggle is in more fully understanding the truth that we are, in fact, dead to sin and the old man (the flesh or Self), and alive to Jesus.

I wish I could tell you that understanding this truth and reality is instantaneous, that as soon as you ask the Lord He will grant you an increasing awareness of this fantastic truth that will guide our lives for the remainder of them. Unfortunately, this is not necessarily what happens. For some people, the awareness happens quickly. For others, not so much. It could be related to an individual’s personality. It could be simply in the way God chooses to reveal this extremely important truth to us. It could be a bit of both.

Is there anything I can do to possibly make things happen sooner than later? Yes, in Paul telling us to reckon ourselves dead to sin and alive to Christ, he’s providing a big clue. How do reckon yourself anything? One of the best ways is to read, study and memorize the Scriptures that inform us of this truth. So, memorizing Galatians 2:20-21 begins the process of helping us to reckon ourselves dead to sin, but alive to Christ, which ultimately begins to renew our minds (Ephesians 4:23). This process puts the cart in front of the cart, where it belongs.

As the truth of Scripture begins to take root within our hearts and minds, we are renewed with this new truth that is opposed to the flesh’s attempts to regain control of us. This process of renewing our minds is connected to the reckoning that Paul wants us to do (reckon is an action verb). If we do not reckon (consider or tell ourselves), that we are dead to sin but alive to Christ, we will never even begin to understand this extremely important truth.

I believe (though I’m not there yet), that as we gain more insight and understanding regarding the actual spiritual reality of our position in Christ (dead to sin, alive to Him), our walk in Christ becomes easier because it flows from within much more naturally as living waters. Now, when we do those good works with this renewed mindset, the energy flows from a heart that is deeply connected to God in Christ. We draw on the Spirit’s power within instead of the old man who is trying to trick us into using our own energy to get things done. Self does not die quickly or easily.

Memorize Galatians 2:20-21. Repeat it to yourself often throughout the day. In doing so, you’ll be reckoning yourself the truths that are revealed in it and renewing your mind. You’ll also stop putting the cart before the horse.

It may not look any different on the outside to others, however, it will feel completely different to you within because you will see the difference between using the energy of Self or relying on the living waters from the Holy Spirit.

Entry filed under: christianity, Religious - Christian - Prophecy, Religious - Christian - Theology, salvation, sanctification. Tags: Galatians 2:20-21, reckon yourself alive to Christ, reckon yourself dead to sin, renew your minds, Romans 6-8.