I would like now to offer just a few words, as way of review; We I hope by now have a pretty good idea of the condition we live in. By that I mean , the fellow we ride around in and arrive at church in, is the same person who was turned out of the Garden of Eden [the Biblical image of a perfect life with God] and sent into a world of work and pain, and sin, where we now live. As long as we are here we will be in that Adam body by our very nature. But as we have learned, we Christians, have gained access to a brand new nature by faith, by all that was done on the cross[more on this later] and now again via faith only, the Holy Spirit is teaching us in our New Birth that we have a new nature found in our mind , by faith in the new Adam, who is our New Nature , by faith identifying us as a new race, before God in Heaven in the person of the Savior of our souls, our identification, positioned as our representative there! We truly only exist as Christians, in Gods mind as His Son, but by the intention of God in His Son we have been occupied in our mortal Adam body's by His Mind and Knowledge of these things, by His Spirit, again found in our mind, and by that power we are being changed into the image of His Son, the only form we can be accepted in, in Heaven. These and many other true truths, are given to us by His Grace.
By the way let me again say , most of this teaching comes from Miles Stanford booklet on The New Birth Explained, with my stumbling rhetoric added. On to Grace! " The gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord". " For by GRACE are you saved through FAITH; and not of yourselves, it is a gift of God. Rom 6:23 , Eph 2:8. Grace means unmerited favor, as in "while we were yet sinners He saved us". His reason for that Gift of salvation in to conform us to the image of His Son. His original purpose" Let us make man in our image". We the Christian as Ive said many times, are found in that image in heaven IN the person of the resurrected new Adam , Christ.
We are now as Christians given the privilege to live our life on the same principal as we received the new birth, that of Grace." As you have received Christ Jesus the Lord , so walk[live your life] in Him Col 2:6.' For it is the work of God in you to do His will" Phil 2:13. God the Fathers will for you is that you become like His Son. And we now know that can only be accomplished by finding our identification/position, in Him. Not by our performance or works."lest any man should boast", but by the Grace found in the person of Jesus Himself.
We all might remember the "pink cloud" of our new birth experience, and in time we all cooled in our new love for Jesus, and we found ourselves in our old nature in sin. We asked ourselves if this is real why did it not endure where is the victory? We struggled to find it in, bible studies, church work, fellowship and perhaps feelings. We are in good company, Paul said " When I would do good, evil is present in me....Oh retched man that I am ! Who shall save me from this body of death" Rom7:21,24. Well my friends this is how Paul and you , by this struggle, learn Grace. You now see[ I hope] we cannot live the Christian life in our own strength. Not even with Gods help. Remember this the Words of Jesus Himself "I am the vine, you are the branches, he that abides [lives] IN me, and I in him, will bring forth fruit; FOR WITHOUT ME YOU CAN DO NOTHING." This really said it all, does it not? If these word and all that we have been discussing until now do not make you turn to seek with all you heart the desire to know Christ as your identification, well then my good friends, I truly hope not, but perhaps confronting your absolute failure in sorrow, to find this truth on you own will have to be your lot. Unless, the Bible is not the word of God, you will certainly find when you stand before Him this truth. Yes you will be there in heaven, as a Christian no matter how you deal with this truth! But why not experience it now? By entering into the crystal clear, Biblical knowledge, of your identification in Him.
It is by this vine 'the new nature' in Him, in dependence and fellowship with that vine that you are joined to Him as a branch, and that is the image of His life before the father flowing in you. "That the life of Jesus might be manifest in our mortal flesh" 2 Cor 4:11. You will not by your own find this , it is a gift of the Fathers, growth IN His Son.. Regeneration by Grace is the principal of the Christian life. It will be a slow and dependent walk, but God has chosen you to a walk by Grace. " for we are Gods workmenship created IN Christ Jesus unto good works[the will of god] which the Father Has ordained that we should walk in" Eph 2:10.
These word of Gods should encourage you to become active in the search for meaning in identification/position. To be a willing instrument in the will of God. As Paul said ' His Grace , which I received, was not in vain, but I labored harder than any; yet not I but the Grace of God was with me"1 Cor 15:10. We will look at our acceptance and assurance of these Bible truths in the nest blogs. Please stay with me it only gets better!
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