Page 18 - lifeandgrace
P. 18
It is put another way in 1Pet 1:23 (NKJV) "having been born again, not of corruptible seed but
incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever,". This Seed is Jesus Christ and is
incorruptible. Our spirits have taken on eternity through the eternal Life, that is, Jesus who now lives and
abides in our spirits forevermore. Our spirits are redeemed and incorruptible. Our bodies are not redeemed
as yet, and we still struggle in this visible realm. Our souls are still affected by Satan’s attacks and by his
temptation for us to sin. But in our spirits, the eternal Life of Jesus Christ dwells therein and is not subject
to Satan’s attacks anymore. In the unseen, eternal realm, where our spirits dwell, we have been born of
incorruptible seed.
We are holy - immediately. 1Cor 3: 17 (RSV) "If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy
him. For God's temple is holy, and that temple you are." 1Pet 1: 16 (RSV) since it is written, "You shall
be holy, for I am holy”. There is only one way to become holy and that is to partake of Christ’s holiness.
All our righteousness and holiness is of Him and none of ourselves. We are not holy and righteous
because of anything we have done, but it has been imputed to us because of the sacrificial death of Jesus
Christ on the cross of Calvary. In God’s eyes, we are now beloved as we see in Eph. 5: 1 (RSV)
"Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children." God has also cleansed us a in Eph 5:26, 27 (RSV)
"that he might sanctify her, having cleansed [Note: this is past tense] her by the washing of water with the
word, 27that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing,
that she might be holy and without blemish. " From an identity standpoint, the church is already without
spot or wrinkle in the unseen or eternal realm even though its members continue to sin in this seen or
temporal realm. We should begin to see ourselves as God sees us and not as we see ourselves. He sees us
through the lens of Jesus’ righteousness because we are “in Christ.” It’s time to stop disagreeing with God
and begin agreeing with His word and what He says about us. Is our view more important than His view?
Not hardly!
How is this new identity achieved? Very simply it comes by believing and trusting in the Lord Jesus.
John 6:29 (RSV) "Jesus answered them, ‘This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has
sent.’" When we believe in the Lord Jesus, that is, when we come to truly trust Him for our salvation from
sin, trust Him to give us eternal life, trust Him to take us to be with Him when we pass from this life, we
have repented because repent means to stop going the way you are going (that is, the way of the world)
and go another way, the way of God. So when we turn from our way to His way we have fulfilled what
Peter says about repent in Acts: Acts 2:38 (RSV) "And Peter said to them, "Repent and be baptized every
one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you shall receive the gift of
the Holy Spirit."
When a person turns from his life now and turns to Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, he indeed has
repented, has turned around and is now going another direction in life. In doing this we also begin to let
go of our former ways of doing things that go against the Lord and His word, and we begin to take on the
character of Jesus as we walk out our salvation. Baptism makes a statement to the world and to God that
we have become separated from the world and its ways.
Romans also tells us to believe and confess Jesus as Lord: Romans 10:9 (RSV) "because, if you
confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you
will be saved." Again it tells us to believe. When we truly believe, it becomes like a fire shut up in our
bones as Ezekiel says, and we cannot help but tell others.
What happened in you and to you? First, there is forgiveness of sins. Mat 26:28 (RSV) "for this is my
blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins." Acts 22:16 (RSV) "And
now why do you wait? Rise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on his name”. What sins
incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever,". This Seed is Jesus Christ and is
incorruptible. Our spirits have taken on eternity through the eternal Life, that is, Jesus who now lives and
abides in our spirits forevermore. Our spirits are redeemed and incorruptible. Our bodies are not redeemed
as yet, and we still struggle in this visible realm. Our souls are still affected by Satan’s attacks and by his
temptation for us to sin. But in our spirits, the eternal Life of Jesus Christ dwells therein and is not subject
to Satan’s attacks anymore. In the unseen, eternal realm, where our spirits dwell, we have been born of
incorruptible seed.
We are holy - immediately. 1Cor 3: 17 (RSV) "If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy
him. For God's temple is holy, and that temple you are." 1Pet 1: 16 (RSV) since it is written, "You shall
be holy, for I am holy”. There is only one way to become holy and that is to partake of Christ’s holiness.
All our righteousness and holiness is of Him and none of ourselves. We are not holy and righteous
because of anything we have done, but it has been imputed to us because of the sacrificial death of Jesus
Christ on the cross of Calvary. In God’s eyes, we are now beloved as we see in Eph. 5: 1 (RSV)
"Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children." God has also cleansed us a in Eph 5:26, 27 (RSV)
"that he might sanctify her, having cleansed [Note: this is past tense] her by the washing of water with the
word, 27that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing,
that she might be holy and without blemish. " From an identity standpoint, the church is already without
spot or wrinkle in the unseen or eternal realm even though its members continue to sin in this seen or
temporal realm. We should begin to see ourselves as God sees us and not as we see ourselves. He sees us
through the lens of Jesus’ righteousness because we are “in Christ.” It’s time to stop disagreeing with God
and begin agreeing with His word and what He says about us. Is our view more important than His view?
Not hardly!
How is this new identity achieved? Very simply it comes by believing and trusting in the Lord Jesus.
John 6:29 (RSV) "Jesus answered them, ‘This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has
sent.’" When we believe in the Lord Jesus, that is, when we come to truly trust Him for our salvation from
sin, trust Him to give us eternal life, trust Him to take us to be with Him when we pass from this life, we
have repented because repent means to stop going the way you are going (that is, the way of the world)
and go another way, the way of God. So when we turn from our way to His way we have fulfilled what
Peter says about repent in Acts: Acts 2:38 (RSV) "And Peter said to them, "Repent and be baptized every
one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you shall receive the gift of
the Holy Spirit."
When a person turns from his life now and turns to Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, he indeed has
repented, has turned around and is now going another direction in life. In doing this we also begin to let
go of our former ways of doing things that go against the Lord and His word, and we begin to take on the
character of Jesus as we walk out our salvation. Baptism makes a statement to the world and to God that
we have become separated from the world and its ways.
Romans also tells us to believe and confess Jesus as Lord: Romans 10:9 (RSV) "because, if you
confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you
will be saved." Again it tells us to believe. When we truly believe, it becomes like a fire shut up in our
bones as Ezekiel says, and we cannot help but tell others.
What happened in you and to you? First, there is forgiveness of sins. Mat 26:28 (RSV) "for this is my
blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins." Acts 22:16 (RSV) "And
now why do you wait? Rise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on his name”. What sins
