Good Morning, Meetpastordan Readers…Being a follower of Jesus Christ is much more than calling ourselves “Christians”. It is a way of life that has to be demonstrated to the world around us on a daily basis, and that can only be possible through the mystery of Christianity found in the transformation that takes place in us when we make the decision to accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior. We become “new creatures” in Christ, meaning our old self – enslaved to our sin-nature – is replaced by the Holy Spirit that empowers us to rise above the temptations of our flesh, the world around us, and the lies and deception of satan! But as I wrote last week, this is the process we have to follow in order to live the abundant life promised to us by Jesus; a life that is characterized by confidence, security, peace and serenity, joy and freedom.
We know that all human beings inherited Adam and Eve’s sin-nature. It was passed down to all future generations because of their disobedience to God’s directive. All that means is that man’s natural inclination is to live with the focus on “self” rather than on God. The only way to remedy the loss of the spiritual connection that originally existed between God and man, is for man to initiate the process. When we become willing to repent, meaning we are ready to turn from our old ways and turn to God’s ways, He is there to welcome us with open arms.
James 4:10 reads, “When we humbly bow down before the Lord and admit our dependence on Him, He will lift us up and give us honor.” As we develop our relationship with God, we quickly learn that His foremost will for our life is that we accept His gift of grace. That is the only way we can be freed from the yoke of our sin-nature. 2 Corinthians states, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: the old has gone; the new is here.” Now we are capable of becoming the person God created us to be. Ephesians 2:10 reads, “We are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ, so we can now do the good things He planned for us long ago. We are His masterpiece because we (now) are in Christ.
As clearly stated in John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish (to be condemned because of our sins), but have eternal life.” That truth – that scriptural fact, is a gift from God. We did nothing to earn it nor do we deserve it. But Jesus’ atonement for our sins on the cross is God’s ultimate show of His love for us, and when we accept His gift, it is our ultimate show of faith (belief; trust) in Him. Romans 5:8 tells us, “When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners.”
That is the mystery revealed concerning our salvation. When we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, we have an exchange of spirit, or nature. Our old nature, a slave to sin, is replaced with the Holy Spirit. The nature of the Holy Spirit is not to sin, but to empower us to live a life that is pleasing to God; a life that reflects the teachings of Jesus. So, what did Jesus teach? Repeated themes included love, mercy, grace, tolerance, compassion, humility, forgiveness, and being of service to others. Does that sound impossible? The only reason it is not impossible is because we have the Holy Spirit in us to empower us to accomplish that purpose.
As Christians, we have been set apart for God. Ephesians 1: 4 reads, “Long ago, even before He made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy (without sin) and without fault in His eyes.” Notice that God chose us because we chose to accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. Now we are in Christ. (Notice “being chosen” has no predestination overtones. We are chosen because we are in Christ. There is no other reason.) The Holy Spirit is the essence of Jesus Christ living in us. (Ref. “What is the Holy Spirit” Oct. 7th, paragraph 5). God knows the weakness of human beings. He knows that by our very nature we yield to the temptations of the world, the temptations of our flesh, and the lies and deceptions of satan. That is why His plan, even before He created the world, was to send “at just the right time” the Savior, to do for us what He already knew we were incapable of doing for ourselves. (Ref. Romans, 5:8)
Jesus also knew that His disciples were, of their own volition, a rather weak bunch. He also knew they drew whatever strength they needed to accomplish their purpose from Him. That is why He told them that after He was gone (meaning after his death), He would not leave them like orphans, but instead would send a comforter, a guide, a teacher, a counselor to empower them – and us – to accomplish His purpose. And what was Jesus’ purpose? It was to do “the Father’s will.” (John 6:38)
Because we are in Christ, we inherit these three gifts: (1.) forgiveness of sins, which means we can come boldly before God with no fear of condemnation (Romans 8:1): (2.) eternal life with God, Jesus and all other believers: (3.) the Holy Spirit to empower us to live a life that is pleasing to God, as well as a life that will bring us abundance, joy, peace and serenity like we have never before experienced. BUT THERE IS MORE!
We are also heir to all the spiritual blessings in the heavenly realm, and all the promises in the Bible…and there are many. Because we are in Christ, every time we set out to grow in our Christian walk, more truth is revealed. It is through this revelation that our faith grows and we become more comfortable and confident that our life is built on a solid foundation. It is on this solid rock of faith that we begin experiencing God’s blessings. He wants us to put our trust in Him. As stated in Malachi, 3:10, “…I will open the windows of heaven for you. I will pour out a blessing so great you won’t have enough room to take it in. Try it! Let Me prove it to you!”
My suggestion is that you go to the Bible and open it to Ephesians and read the Chapter 1 (only 23 verses). Notice how many times the blessings come because we are in Christ. We are truly set aside to be God’s ambassadors to the world, and in doing so, we are heir to all the blessings He promised His children (us).
When the reality of who you are in Christ sets in, you cannot help but be flooded with joy and hope!! And who are you in Christ? Well, how’s this for hitting the spiritual jackpot: Your sins are forgiven; now you are acceptable to God. You are worthy to come before Him with no fear of condemnation.. You are loved unconditionally with a love that is unending and unfailing. You are a Saint and no longer a sinner; even when you fall short of God’s glorious standard, He doesn’t condemn you. He just wants you to get up and continue becoming more Christ-like. He’s now your cheerleader! You are now grafted into His family; now you are His Child. You are heir to every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realm, including spiritual healing and revelation. And YOU are heir to all the promises in the Bible…hundreds of them!
Regardless of what anyone else thinks of you, this is your new identity in Christ. Holy-Tomoly…does anything else really matter?
Feel free to respond to this message, and please “like” and share with social media friends
May God Bless Ya…
Dan Presgrave (a.k.a. Pastor Dan)
Leave a Comment