Saved by Grace through Faith Rejecting self and the world we are indwelled by God’s the Holy Spirit. The position of God’s Spirit is the surety of the promise of the resurrection. The promise that when we die with Christ and yield our self to Him we shall be risen at His coming. Yet, it is a present position. Just as in Christ Blood, Adam was covered by the sacrifice “Looking forward to the promise was in right standing with God. So too we in Christ are new creatures, Old things are passed away and all things become new. Today’s sacrifice is rejecting self and this world and dying with Christ on the Cross. We are His yielded to Him. The sacrifice, the cost is, “MY all on the Cross with Jesus.” The righteousness of God and the resurrection are the promise of that sacrifice THEY ARE MINE NOW!!!
If however Satan can convince us that we are so evil so “Totally Depraved” that we cannot know God, Satan has made a major step to making every man a sinner.
Christians are not and cannot be Sinners.
Satan has made this, “you are a sinner” idea work for a long time and steals the Christian Victory we should have. If people are convinced that they are too sinful to choose, God must do it all and choose who will be saved “what difference does it make God will Do it all any way” But, if we recognize that there two groups of people and that a free moral agent is responsible for the choice they make. We must choose to make the sacrifice to live for God. Reject the world, reject self and Satan, die with Christ on His cross to Live again.
I hear preachers talking about “Repentant Sinners” almost to the point you would think we have to be saved or at least repent of our many sins every week, day, hour.
But, the work of Jesus on the cross made a difference, we are not, cannot be in the flesh bound to sin. Jesus changed all that!
Rom 5:19 For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of One shall many be made righteous.
Rom 8:2 But the Law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.
Everything Adam did to damage fellowship between man and God: JESUS restored and more too. Jesus is now at the right hand of God as our intercessor, so if we fail He is there to protect us. We are in Christ, we cannot be living in sin!
A Christian is not a Repentant Sinner. Was a sinner yes, but now a new creature in Christ, not living in sin and constantly repenting of sin, we must choose to turn from sin.
A Christian is in Christ! In Christ we are “Indwelled by the Holy Spirit”, Adopted into the family of God, Adopted as Children of God, Heirs of God, Joint heirs with Christ. Old things are passed away ALL things are become new. We are the temple of God indwelled by the Holy Spirit we are Priest of the Most High God with Jesus as Our High Priest. We are a Royal Priest hood and will rule with Christ in the Kingdom. The office of a Priest has always been to lead the people to God, to teach the people by life and example how to come to and know God. In Christ that is our responsibility NOW. We must choose to be a servant of Christ and do His will in all we do.
There are TWO groups of people, the ones choosing God and the ones that reject God. There is now and always has been two groups in the world “sons of God” and “sons of men”.
Being saved, Living in God is about acknowledging and obeying and trusting GOD.
1Pe 2:5 Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.
Rom 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
Rom 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
Heb 5:11 Of whom we have many things to say, and hard to be uttered, seeing ye are dull of hearing…
This new birthright of Grace and our place in it along with our relation to Jesus Christ our High Priest is the heart of “many things to say” and of which we cannot allow ourselves to be “dull of hearing”. Much of the problem in our present time comes from the church not teaching the true position and responsibilities of the Christian.
We have a responsibility to go tell others the wonders of God’s grace. If there are suffering and hard work, the toil is nothing compared to the love of God. And even this suffering has a promise.
Rom 8:17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.
Rom 8:18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
We have a responsibility, Every Christian has a responsibility, to be a bondslave of the Master and teach the Church and learn the truth from the word of God and to share this truth with others. We must learn what we can of what the world is saying and the errors that confront the Church. How else can we ever seek to teach the truth and correct errors if we do not know what they are?
The birthright with Christ carries with it a great responsibility.
Part three is the hardest to understand and explain.
This final step in salvation is called many things by different groups all trying to explain the wonders of salvation. Some say “a second work of Grace”, others “Christian maturity” or ”Christian Perfection”. Still others “Total sanctification” but all I think are trying to say the same thing.
As we mature in Christian service we learn the more I yield myself to God the more His power can flow through me to do His work and will. When Living for Jesus is all I want and know there is a change in life that solves many problems.
To be only HIS my all in all what a blessed thought.
Again forgive the length of this post but I do not know how to say it in less words.
