"If a law had been given that could impart life, then righteousness would certainly have come by the law." (Galatians 3:21)
People say that the reason people aren't saved is because they aren't acceptable to God because they fall short of God's standard of holiness, referring to the law. But this tells us that even if you kept all of the law all of the time your whole life you still would die because obedience to the law could never give life. You see mankind's problem is the condition of sin, not the actions of sin. The disease of sin leads to death. Mankind got infected by sin.
God only held people's actions against them under the law to help people become aware of their disease so it would not kill them sooner. God didn't hide from Adam & Eve when they sinned, Adam & Eve hid from God. Sin was never about you being "unworthy" in God's eyes to approach God. Sin was about you being too shame-filled to see God & too sick to make it in the next life & dying forever as a result. The God of life wasn't sitting in heaven too stubborn to forgive impure people. He was doing everything He could to preserve them. It was never about God holding our actions against us. How do we know that? Because Jesus doesn't hold anything against us when offering us the cure for sin.
In the New Testament to "be saved" means to "be cured." Jesus took our disease (sin) on the cross & became the cure. He was injected with our sin to bring about the antidote because He was the only one who had immunity to it. We've been taught that "our sin killed Jesus" & that we should feel really bad about that. But neither is true. Jesus said He would willingly lay down His life. We saw this happen on the cross when Jesus willingly announced the giving up of His Spirit from His body & breathed His last. Jesus defeated sin on the cross. Jesus did not die because sin had the power to kill Him. He died so that He could raise again to life to defeat death. He broke the power of sin & death, sin on the cross, death while coming out of the grave.
If the reason we face death is because God holds our actions against us why would Jesus suffer so intensely & die? If God was just saving us from Himself, instead of suffering He could have just saved Himself the trouble & changed His mind to choose to forgive us. The word forgive in the bible is a poor translation. The word in the bible does not mean "stop being offended" as the English word forgive does. It actually means "to take away." So in today's sense of the word forgive, God never forgave a single person living today. We were all born after the law ended & after the cure had been introduced. God has never counted a single sin against us, blamed us, or been mad at us. God took away our sins on the cross meaning He took away the spiritual barrier that sin created between mankind & God. He also took away the law which charged us with sin. Only by trusting in Him do we take the cure. Taking the cure of Christ makes God able to take away our burden of sin (guilt/shame) & the condition of sin from our spirit which cleanses us from all unrighteousness by giving us a new eternally living spirit that is united with God.
Related Posts
Lifted Up to His Glory: Talks about how "falling short of God's glory" doesn't picture falling short of some kind of standard.
Showing posts with label cross. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cross. Show all posts
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
Friday, August 24, 2012
So How Are We to Think of Sin as an Action Today?
There is the condition of sin that is in human DNA.
There is the condition of sin that is in the lost man's spirit.
There is the entity of sin (possibly Satan) that wants to devour people (Genesis 4:7, John 8:34, Romans 6:14, 7:14, 1 Peter 5:8).
There are the actions of sin that were all laid on Christ.
The law is over, sin is not charged where there is no law (Romans 4:15,5:13) & because of Jesus' death God no longer charges people with the action of sin (2 Corinthians 5:19). While the flesh of lost & saved people still produce actions of sin & the dead spirits of lost people still produce actions of sin those sinful actions were charged to Jesus instead of mankind and judged at the cross so the sins were "taken away."
God did something magical at the cross, He took whatever past present and future sin we could have been charged with and condemned them in the body of Christ. Judgement for our sins happened before we were formally charged in our lifetime, thus we are not charged in our lifetime. His mercy was so great that He reversed the chronological order of judgement for the people who live after His death!
So how do we think of the action of sin today? That is a question I often ponder. Here is how I see it..
1. Just like an ex-con who has served His time still committed the crime in the first place to earn that time today's actions of sin were still laid on Christ. Knowing that always points us back to Him with gratitude which is the best thing to help us live more lovingly in this world.
2. There is to be no sin consciousness because we have been cleansed for all time by the sacrifice of Christ. I take "sin consciousness" to mean "a counting of our own sins" & "labeling our actions as sin." The opposite of sin consciousness is being "dead to sin but alive to God." Alive to God is key, it means you love God & love others. You don't have to be sin conscious to be love conscious.
3. We are to regard no one according to the flesh. The flesh is the only part of the Christian that produces sin. Lost people have a dead spirit that needs to meet Jesus to be reborn.
In my mind sin is an optional label you can put on unloving actions to hold those actions against yourself or others. I think sin is a completely unnecessary label for actions unless:
1. You are recognizing what Jesus took for you on the cross.
2. You are pointing a non-Christian to the fact that they have the spiritual condition of sin so they will come to trust Jesus for the cure.
3. You are trying to make a Christian aware of their harmful behavior towards other people so that they will walk by the spirit and not by the flesh.
Amazingly the only "consciousness" of sin that is appropriate is the kind that points to the finished work of Christ on the cross. If whatever you think of sin or call sin doesn't easily point to the cross I think you are looking at sin the wrong way. Christ became sin, doing so didn't just bring salvation but it also made it so any legitimate (biblical) thought of sin points you to Him. People have gone "label happy" labeling or viewing most things as sin and thus they miss what it means for Christ to have "taken away the sins of the world." Yes, a lie is still a lie & a lie is still unloving but I don't think it is appropriate to label it as a "sin."
If sin is not charged to us for two reasons (because there is no law to do so & because God refuses to do so) & it has already been judged how can we call an action sin? If there is no law, if the judge refuses to charge you, & any debt you could possibly incur has already been over paid how can you call something a crime? Our lives are not about sin, they are about our relationships with God & others. God can & does look at you apart from your actions. God still lovingly walks us out of destructive behaviors. Sin truly is taken away & for Christians it is as far as the east is from the west. In reality sin as an action is a dead concept for Christians, that is why we must CONSIDER ourselves dead to sin.
It is kinda hard to wrap our minds around because we are desperately trained to call out sin as we see it. God doesn't see all sins the same because He has no eyes for sin at all. He cannot look upon sin because it is gone. What is there for Him to look at? All that is left is trust or unbelief. Truly it is finished.
"The Messiah has finished the transgression, made an end of sin, made atonement for iniquity, brought in everlasting righteousness, & given His holy people His Holy Spirit." (Daniel 9:24, New Covenant Paraphrase)
God's approach is different than ours, He helps you up without saying "that was stupid." He is loving enough to not charge you with fault yet still realize your need. Like the prodigal's father He never breathes a condemning word about your short comings. To charge someone with sin is condemnation. We think we have to be charged with a crime first to prevent repeating it. May we all learn how untrue that is! God doesn't require flesh based efforts to invoke change in how we behave. His loving kindness captures our hearts & that is all we need, to have our heart in His hand.
There is the condition of sin that is in the lost man's spirit.
There is the entity of sin (possibly Satan) that wants to devour people (Genesis 4:7, John 8:34, Romans 6:14, 7:14, 1 Peter 5:8).
There are the actions of sin that were all laid on Christ.
The law is over, sin is not charged where there is no law (Romans 4:15,5:13) & because of Jesus' death God no longer charges people with the action of sin (2 Corinthians 5:19). While the flesh of lost & saved people still produce actions of sin & the dead spirits of lost people still produce actions of sin those sinful actions were charged to Jesus instead of mankind and judged at the cross so the sins were "taken away."
God did something magical at the cross, He took whatever past present and future sin we could have been charged with and condemned them in the body of Christ. Judgement for our sins happened before we were formally charged in our lifetime, thus we are not charged in our lifetime. His mercy was so great that He reversed the chronological order of judgement for the people who live after His death!
So how do we think of the action of sin today? That is a question I often ponder. Here is how I see it..
1. Just like an ex-con who has served His time still committed the crime in the first place to earn that time today's actions of sin were still laid on Christ. Knowing that always points us back to Him with gratitude which is the best thing to help us live more lovingly in this world.
2. There is to be no sin consciousness because we have been cleansed for all time by the sacrifice of Christ. I take "sin consciousness" to mean "a counting of our own sins" & "labeling our actions as sin." The opposite of sin consciousness is being "dead to sin but alive to God." Alive to God is key, it means you love God & love others. You don't have to be sin conscious to be love conscious.
3. We are to regard no one according to the flesh. The flesh is the only part of the Christian that produces sin. Lost people have a dead spirit that needs to meet Jesus to be reborn.
In my mind sin is an optional label you can put on unloving actions to hold those actions against yourself or others. I think sin is a completely unnecessary label for actions unless:
1. You are recognizing what Jesus took for you on the cross.
2. You are pointing a non-Christian to the fact that they have the spiritual condition of sin so they will come to trust Jesus for the cure.
3. You are trying to make a Christian aware of their harmful behavior towards other people so that they will walk by the spirit and not by the flesh.
Amazingly the only "consciousness" of sin that is appropriate is the kind that points to the finished work of Christ on the cross. If whatever you think of sin or call sin doesn't easily point to the cross I think you are looking at sin the wrong way. Christ became sin, doing so didn't just bring salvation but it also made it so any legitimate (biblical) thought of sin points you to Him. People have gone "label happy" labeling or viewing most things as sin and thus they miss what it means for Christ to have "taken away the sins of the world." Yes, a lie is still a lie & a lie is still unloving but I don't think it is appropriate to label it as a "sin."
If sin is not charged to us for two reasons (because there is no law to do so & because God refuses to do so) & it has already been judged how can we call an action sin? If there is no law, if the judge refuses to charge you, & any debt you could possibly incur has already been over paid how can you call something a crime? Our lives are not about sin, they are about our relationships with God & others. God can & does look at you apart from your actions. God still lovingly walks us out of destructive behaviors. Sin truly is taken away & for Christians it is as far as the east is from the west. In reality sin as an action is a dead concept for Christians, that is why we must CONSIDER ourselves dead to sin.
It is kinda hard to wrap our minds around because we are desperately trained to call out sin as we see it. God doesn't see all sins the same because He has no eyes for sin at all. He cannot look upon sin because it is gone. What is there for Him to look at? All that is left is trust or unbelief. Truly it is finished.
"The Messiah has finished the transgression, made an end of sin, made atonement for iniquity, brought in everlasting righteousness, & given His holy people His Holy Spirit." (Daniel 9:24, New Covenant Paraphrase)
God's approach is different than ours, He helps you up without saying "that was stupid." He is loving enough to not charge you with fault yet still realize your need. Like the prodigal's father He never breathes a condemning word about your short comings. To charge someone with sin is condemnation. We think we have to be charged with a crime first to prevent repeating it. May we all learn how untrue that is! God doesn't require flesh based efforts to invoke change in how we behave. His loving kindness captures our hearts & that is all we need, to have our heart in His hand.
Friday, July 27, 2012
Die Daily? No, Already Crucified & Alive to God in Christ Jesus
Somehow performance based religion has turned "death" into a work of the flesh meaning "denial of self-will." Our death spoken of in scripture however is our death with Christ where He killed our old man (spirit) to make us a new creation (spirit) that is created in His likeness (Ephesians 1:3-8, 4:24).
Over and over again, it never fails, I keep seeing how EVERY aspect of religion points to man & His works while true Christianity always points to God's works & His love for us.
Here then is a quick "Lie of Religion" vs. "Truth of God" test:
If it is something I have to do alone by my behavior it is a "Lie of Religion"
If it is something Christ has already done or that He does with my cooperation it is a "Truth of God"
Lie of Religion: Death to self is a work you must perform daily.
Truth of God: Death of your old self is a work Christ performed already, one time for all time.
Read this for a full explanation: Take Up Your Cross Daily † You Have Been Crucified With Christ
Over and over again, it never fails, I keep seeing how EVERY aspect of religion points to man & His works while true Christianity always points to God's works & His love for us.
Here then is a quick "Lie of Religion" vs. "Truth of God" test:
If it is something I have to do alone by my behavior it is a "Lie of Religion"
If it is something Christ has already done or that He does with my cooperation it is a "Truth of God"
Lie of Religion: Death to self is a work you must perform daily.
Truth of God: Death of your old self is a work Christ performed already, one time for all time.
Read this for a full explanation: Take Up Your Cross Daily † You Have Been Crucified With Christ
Thursday, May 10, 2012
The Law is Over (In 100 Words)
Colossians 2:14 & Ephesians 2:15 say "the Law of commandments contained in written ordinances" were "against us" and "stood opposed to us." Those also say that Jesus "abolished" the laws, that He "took them away and nailed them to the cross"
2 Corinthians 3 says the law brings condemnation (including the 10 commandments) and is of no comparison with the glorious righteousness brought by Christ.
We are to walk by the spirit not by the law. Burdening yourself with law just leads to self-condemnation. We don't need a to do list or a don't do list when we have a loving Father to walk with.
2 Corinthians 3 says the law brings condemnation (including the 10 commandments) and is of no comparison with the glorious righteousness brought by Christ.
We are to walk by the spirit not by the law. Burdening yourself with law just leads to self-condemnation. We don't need a to do list or a don't do list when we have a loving Father to walk with.
Friday, April 27, 2012
Can God Look Upon Sin?
Jesus Christ became sin for us (2 Corinthians 5:21). The idea that God can't look upon sin is silly. Habakkuk 1:13, which seems to speak of this, refers to God not being able to look upon sin with approval. If God could not look upon sin then He would have never looked at the earth again after the fall. Jesus looked at sin over and over when He lived as a man on earth. To say God cannot look upon sin is like saying Jesus is not God.
Jesus is God. Is He less holy than the Father? Holy means pure and unmixed. People claim God is too holy to look upon sin. I say God is so holy that He can become sin and still stay pure and unmixed. That is a holiness beyond what we can imagine.
The good news is that because of Jesus, "God no longer charges people with sin" (2 Corinthians 5:19). God is not blind to help those in need out of sin or out of sinful ways yet He does not count people's sins against them.
Related Posts
God's View on Sin
Who's Counting? The Honest View of Christians & Sin in The New Testament
Jesus is God. Is He less holy than the Father? Holy means pure and unmixed. People claim God is too holy to look upon sin. I say God is so holy that He can become sin and still stay pure and unmixed. That is a holiness beyond what we can imagine.
The good news is that because of Jesus, "God no longer charges people with sin" (2 Corinthians 5:19). God is not blind to help those in need out of sin or out of sinful ways yet He does not count people's sins against them.
Related Posts
God's View on Sin
Who's Counting? The Honest View of Christians & Sin in The New Testament
Friday, April 20, 2012
What Jesus Hates & Despises
What Jesus Hates
"Yet this you do have assembly in Ephesus, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate" (Revelation 2:6).
"You assembly in Pergamum have some who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans" (Revelation 2:15).
Nico means to rule over. Laitans means laity which simply translated means "people." God hates the deeds & doctrines (teachings) that involve some people ruling over other people in His body. That means God hates hierarchical authority in the body of Christ.
Interesting that the assembly in Ephesus is the first one written to, it represents the first century body of Christ, those who had not adopted the ungodly doctrine and deeds of hierarchical authority.
The assembly in Pergamum is the third one written to. Pergamum means "mixed Marriage" or "perverted marriage." Jesus says they "have some who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans" meaning hierarchical authority. He says hierarchical authority is "a stumbling block" and it causes people to "commit acts of immorality" (Revelation 2:14-15). The assembly in Pergamum represents the beginning of the institutional church from around the third century which began to have "leaders" (bishops, priests etc) rise up over other people thus usurping the headship of Christ. Headship which of course points to marriage thus setting up a "mixed marriage." How hate worthy is the thing that causes someone to cheat in their marriage? That friends is what hierarchical authority in the body of Christ is.
Hierarchical authority is the only thing in the New Testament that Jesus personally says that He "hates." The entire institutional church is built on hierarchical authority. No church of that sort can claim to "hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans" like Jesus said those in Ephesus did because they are all doing those deeds and in fact not only approve of the deeds but highly exalt the deeds.
Jesus also spoke harshly to the self-righteous but notice that those self-righteous people were exclusively people in positions of hierarchical authority. Hierarchical authority is the fertilizer that makes self-righteousness grow.
Here are two other places where Jesus spoke against hierarchical authority:
Jesus said, "Do not be called leaders because you have one Leader, Christ and you are all brothers" (see Matthew 23:1-12). In this context Jesus speaks against accepting (allowing others to call you by) honorary titles. He also speaks against lack of humility, laying burdens on people, bossing people around, doing things to be noticed by others so you can receive acclaim, loving to be in places of honor, & being greeted as better than others based on your position.
Jesus said to His disciples, "The kings of the Gentiles have power over/exercise authority over them but it shall not be so among you" (see Luke 22:13-30). In this context Jesus speaks against exercising authority over brothers and sisters in Christ (abusive or non-abusive), seeking status over others, & using honorary titles to make yourself seem kind or superior.
What Jesus Despises
The writer of Hebrews 12:2 tells us that Jesus despised the shame of the cross, meaning He felt all the shame and disgrace that mankind has ever felt because of sin. Christ despises the shame we feel, not us but the shame that causes us to feel far from Him as it did with Adam and Eve in the garden (compare Genesis 2:25 with Genesis 3:10). Shame is disgrace, the literal opposite of grace. It is the feeling or perception of disfavor, that you've lost favor with God. God gives grace not disgrace. “Everyone who trusts in Jesus will never be put to shame” (Isaiah 28:16, Romans 9:33, 10:11, 1 Peter 2:6, Joel 2:26-27, Isaiah 45:17, 54:4). He wants us to know His love. Imagine if something made someone you love feel as if you didn't love them or that you loved them less. That is how Jesus felt on the cross when He was despising the shame. The God who loves us without measure felt how unloved we feel.
Conclusion
Sadly hierarchical authority & shame meet at the pulpit, an unbiblical place at every church institution where the so called "leader," "pastor," or "man of God" slings shame and condemnation over a subdued crowd. I have yet to hear a sermon that didn't at some point disgrace grace. I don't say this to shame anyone but to warn of the danger in it. If those on top don't suffer, those on the bottom will and in ways many can't begin to imagine. Usually both suffer but are fooled into thinking that this is "God's way." Be assured that it is not. Heed the words of Jesus. Drop your titles, leave your positions, become a brother or sister and let Christ do what He came to do, build His people.
Jesus did away with the old covenant system of hierarchical authority when He rose again and sent His Spirit. This allowed Him to be the only & perfect mediator between mankind and God (1 Timothy 2:5). He made all of God's people kings and priests, all honored but all equal. What an amazing Lord we have!
Related Posts
"Yet this you do have assembly in Ephesus, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate" (Revelation 2:6).
"You assembly in Pergamum have some who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans" (Revelation 2:15).
Nico means to rule over. Laitans means laity which simply translated means "people." God hates the deeds & doctrines (teachings) that involve some people ruling over other people in His body. That means God hates hierarchical authority in the body of Christ.
Interesting that the assembly in Ephesus is the first one written to, it represents the first century body of Christ, those who had not adopted the ungodly doctrine and deeds of hierarchical authority.
The assembly in Pergamum is the third one written to. Pergamum means "mixed Marriage" or "perverted marriage." Jesus says they "have some who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans" meaning hierarchical authority. He says hierarchical authority is "a stumbling block" and it causes people to "commit acts of immorality" (Revelation 2:14-15). The assembly in Pergamum represents the beginning of the institutional church from around the third century which began to have "leaders" (bishops, priests etc) rise up over other people thus usurping the headship of Christ. Headship which of course points to marriage thus setting up a "mixed marriage." How hate worthy is the thing that causes someone to cheat in their marriage? That friends is what hierarchical authority in the body of Christ is.
Hierarchical authority is the only thing in the New Testament that Jesus personally says that He "hates." The entire institutional church is built on hierarchical authority. No church of that sort can claim to "hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans" like Jesus said those in Ephesus did because they are all doing those deeds and in fact not only approve of the deeds but highly exalt the deeds.
Jesus also spoke harshly to the self-righteous but notice that those self-righteous people were exclusively people in positions of hierarchical authority. Hierarchical authority is the fertilizer that makes self-righteousness grow.
Here are two other places where Jesus spoke against hierarchical authority:
Jesus said, "Do not be called leaders because you have one Leader, Christ and you are all brothers" (see Matthew 23:1-12). In this context Jesus speaks against accepting (allowing others to call you by) honorary titles. He also speaks against lack of humility, laying burdens on people, bossing people around, doing things to be noticed by others so you can receive acclaim, loving to be in places of honor, & being greeted as better than others based on your position.
Jesus said to His disciples, "The kings of the Gentiles have power over/exercise authority over them but it shall not be so among you" (see Luke 22:13-30). In this context Jesus speaks against exercising authority over brothers and sisters in Christ (abusive or non-abusive), seeking status over others, & using honorary titles to make yourself seem kind or superior.
What Jesus Despises
The writer of Hebrews 12:2 tells us that Jesus despised the shame of the cross, meaning He felt all the shame and disgrace that mankind has ever felt because of sin. Christ despises the shame we feel, not us but the shame that causes us to feel far from Him as it did with Adam and Eve in the garden (compare Genesis 2:25 with Genesis 3:10). Shame is disgrace, the literal opposite of grace. It is the feeling or perception of disfavor, that you've lost favor with God. God gives grace not disgrace. “Everyone who trusts in Jesus will never be put to shame” (Isaiah 28:16, Romans 9:33, 10:11, 1 Peter 2:6, Joel 2:26-27, Isaiah 45:17, 54:4). He wants us to know His love. Imagine if something made someone you love feel as if you didn't love them or that you loved them less. That is how Jesus felt on the cross when He was despising the shame. The God who loves us without measure felt how unloved we feel.
Conclusion
Sadly hierarchical authority & shame meet at the pulpit, an unbiblical place at every church institution where the so called "leader," "pastor," or "man of God" slings shame and condemnation over a subdued crowd. I have yet to hear a sermon that didn't at some point disgrace grace. I don't say this to shame anyone but to warn of the danger in it. If those on top don't suffer, those on the bottom will and in ways many can't begin to imagine. Usually both suffer but are fooled into thinking that this is "God's way." Be assured that it is not. Heed the words of Jesus. Drop your titles, leave your positions, become a brother or sister and let Christ do what He came to do, build His people.
Jesus did away with the old covenant system of hierarchical authority when He rose again and sent His Spirit. This allowed Him to be the only & perfect mediator between mankind and God (1 Timothy 2:5). He made all of God's people kings and priests, all honored but all equal. What an amazing Lord we have!
Related Posts
Friday, April 6, 2012
What Happened to Christians on the Cross and at Salvation
Every Christian knows what happened to Jesus on the cross, but not every Christian knows what happened to them. Because of this they’re striving to become someone they already are and they’re fighting to obtain something they already have.
1. What did I lose at the cross?
My Old self, my sinful nature (Rms 6:6)
All my sin (Ps 103:12)
Any need for punishment or fear of punishment from God (1 Jn 4:18)
My inability to please God (Rm 8:8)
Any relationship I might have had with the law (Rm 7:6)
2. What did I retain after the cross?
My physical body (Rm 8:23)
Most of my way of thinking (Romans 12:2, Eph 4:23)
3. What did I gain after the cross?
Peace with God (2 Cor 5:19, Col 1:20)
Complete forgiveness (Col 2:13)
God's acceptance (Eph 1:6)
A relationship with God the Father and the Son (1 Jn 3:1)
My New self, a God-born living spirit (2 Cor 5:17)
His life: Christ is my life (Col 3:4)
His Spirit (Rom 8:11)
His righteousness (Rms 1:17)
His holiness (1 Cor 1:3)
His eternal perfection (Heb 10:4)
The ability to stand on Christ's trustworthiness (Gal 2:20)
The ability to think the thoughts of His mind (1 Cor 2:16)
The ability to approach God with confidence knowing His favor for me (Heb 4:16).
New desires and aspirations (Gal 5:18)
The full rights of sonship (Gal 3:26)
Everything I need for life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3, Php 4:19)
Every spiritual blessing (Ephesians 1:3)
The instant you were born again, God did an amazing work in your life. He gave you a glorious new past and a completely new life. He changed just about everything there is to change about you. But one thing God left unchanged was your mind, your way of thinking. Only you can change that.
Given that there is one part of you that did not change at the cross, what do you think is the key to living the victorious life that God wants you to live? That’s right, you need to change the way you think.
Everything we need pertaining to life and godliness comes through our knowledge of Him who called us (2 Pet 1:13). If you want to see breakthrough in your life, look to Jesus, look to the cross, and change the way you think: “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind…” (Rm 12:2a)
Now repeat after me: “On the cross I died and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the trustworthiness of the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself for me.” This is the glorious beginning of your new story!
1. What did I lose at the cross?
My Old self, my sinful nature (Rms 6:6)
All my sin (Ps 103:12)
Any need for punishment or fear of punishment from God (1 Jn 4:18)
My inability to please God (Rm 8:8)
Any relationship I might have had with the law (Rm 7:6)
2. What did I retain after the cross?
My physical body (Rm 8:23)
Most of my way of thinking (Romans 12:2, Eph 4:23)
3. What did I gain after the cross?
Peace with God (2 Cor 5:19, Col 1:20)
Complete forgiveness (Col 2:13)
God's acceptance (Eph 1:6)
A relationship with God the Father and the Son (1 Jn 3:1)
My New self, a God-born living spirit (2 Cor 5:17)
His life: Christ is my life (Col 3:4)
His Spirit (Rom 8:11)
His righteousness (Rms 1:17)
His holiness (1 Cor 1:3)
His eternal perfection (Heb 10:4)
The ability to stand on Christ's trustworthiness (Gal 2:20)
The ability to think the thoughts of His mind (1 Cor 2:16)
The ability to approach God with confidence knowing His favor for me (Heb 4:16).
New desires and aspirations (Gal 5:18)
The full rights of sonship (Gal 3:26)
Everything I need for life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3, Php 4:19)
Every spiritual blessing (Ephesians 1:3)
The instant you were born again, God did an amazing work in your life. He gave you a glorious new past and a completely new life. He changed just about everything there is to change about you. But one thing God left unchanged was your mind, your way of thinking. Only you can change that.
Given that there is one part of you that did not change at the cross, what do you think is the key to living the victorious life that God wants you to live? That’s right, you need to change the way you think.
Everything we need pertaining to life and godliness comes through our knowledge of Him who called us (2 Pet 1:13). If you want to see breakthrough in your life, look to Jesus, look to the cross, and change the way you think: “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind…” (Rm 12:2a)
Now repeat after me: “On the cross I died and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the trustworthiness of the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself for me.” This is the glorious beginning of your new story!
This post is my summary of a post by Paul Ellis titled Your Glorious New Past
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
The Gospel, Good News for the Whole World
Because Jesus took sin into Himself on the cross so God could pour out His wrath for sin:
God is not putting sins into anyone's account.
God is not counting anyone's sins.
God is not charging anyone with sin.
God is not crediting anyone with sin.
God doing this makes relationship with Himself 100% freely available to all who choose to trust Jesus.
Jesus took everyone's sins into His account. They were counted, charged, and credited against Him. The Son of God paid all of the judgment & punishment required for all sins on the cross. When Jesus said "It is finished" that was a term that also meant "paid in full." Because of Jesus God no longer looks at anyone with regard to sin. God does not relate to anyone based on sin!
Sin is not being charged to the world. The sins of the world are taken away. After Jesus rose to life we now live in a pure relational reality with no spiritual barriers standing between us and God. The words believe and faith both mean trust. Choosing to trust the person of Jesus is the only requirement of salvation.
I can either choose to trust a person to engage in a relationship with that person or I can choose not to trust that person and thus have no relationship with them. Salvation is a pure relational reality that is offered with no spiritual barriers. No barriers of sin, work, deed, or law ever exist for anyone because of the cross! Trust Jesus and live loved!
"God the Father was in Christ on the cross making relationship with Himself available to the world by no longer counting people's sins against them. God has given us this message of relationship to tell others. We beg you on behalf of Christ to come to God." (2 Corinthians 5:19-20)
God is not putting sins into anyone's account.
God is not counting anyone's sins.
God is not charging anyone with sin.
God is not crediting anyone with sin.
God doing this makes relationship with Himself 100% freely available to all who choose to trust Jesus.
Jesus took everyone's sins into His account. They were counted, charged, and credited against Him. The Son of God paid all of the judgment & punishment required for all sins on the cross. When Jesus said "It is finished" that was a term that also meant "paid in full." Because of Jesus God no longer looks at anyone with regard to sin. God does not relate to anyone based on sin!
Sin is not being charged to the world. The sins of the world are taken away. After Jesus rose to life we now live in a pure relational reality with no spiritual barriers standing between us and God. The words believe and faith both mean trust. Choosing to trust the person of Jesus is the only requirement of salvation.
I can either choose to trust a person to engage in a relationship with that person or I can choose not to trust that person and thus have no relationship with them. Salvation is a pure relational reality that is offered with no spiritual barriers. No barriers of sin, work, deed, or law ever exist for anyone because of the cross! Trust Jesus and live loved!
"God the Father was in Christ on the cross making relationship with Himself available to the world by no longer counting people's sins against them. God has given us this message of relationship to tell others. We beg you on behalf of Christ to come to God." (2 Corinthians 5:19-20)
Monday, January 16, 2012
A Wonderfully Loving Promise Fulfilled in the New Covenant
"I, the Lord, have sworn that I will never be angry with you and I will never rebuke you. For the mountains may be removed and the hills may shake, but My loving kindness will not be removed from you, and My covenant of peace will not be shaken," says the Lord who has compassion on you. (Isaiah 54:9-10)
Here are two scriptures that confirm that this is indeed a new covenant promise. They show us that God's "covenant of peace" mentioned in Isaiah 54 is the new covenant of the blood of Christ's cross which makes peace between us and God.
"This is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for forgiveness of sins" (Matthew 26:28).
"Christ made peace with us through the blood of His cross" (Colossians 1:20).
The meaning of angry in Isiah 54:9
God will never be angry with you also means: He will not be displeased with you. He will not be offended with you. He will not be upset with you. He will not be exasperated with you. He will not have wrath for you. He will not resent you.
The meaning of rebuke in Isiah 54:9
God will never rebuke you means: He will not repel you from Himself. He will not beat you back. He will not shame, reject, disgrace, blame, disapprove of or condemn you. He will not reject you as worthless. He will prove you to be worthy. He will not break you. He will not mark you as immoral. He will not ruin you. He will not see you as unclean.
It does not have the same meaning as the word rebuke in Proverbs 3:11-12 or in Hebrews 12:5, "Do not lose heart when the Lord rebukes you." There it means "to correct, to lead you out of false beliefs."
Here are two scriptures that confirm that this is indeed a new covenant promise. They show us that God's "covenant of peace" mentioned in Isaiah 54 is the new covenant of the blood of Christ's cross which makes peace between us and God.
"This is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for forgiveness of sins" (Matthew 26:28).
"Christ made peace with us through the blood of His cross" (Colossians 1:20).
The meaning of angry in Isiah 54:9
God will never be angry with you also means: He will not be displeased with you. He will not be offended with you. He will not be upset with you. He will not be exasperated with you. He will not have wrath for you. He will not resent you.
The meaning of rebuke in Isiah 54:9
God will never rebuke you means: He will not repel you from Himself. He will not beat you back. He will not shame, reject, disgrace, blame, disapprove of or condemn you. He will not reject you as worthless. He will prove you to be worthy. He will not break you. He will not mark you as immoral. He will not ruin you. He will not see you as unclean.
It does not have the same meaning as the word rebuke in Proverbs 3:11-12 or in Hebrews 12:5, "Do not lose heart when the Lord rebukes you." There it means "to correct, to lead you out of false beliefs."
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