Living In Christ

THE DAILY WORD
By Jim Seekamp

Friday March 28, 2008

Revelation 22:11 (NIV)
Let him who does wrong continue to do wrong; let him who is vile continue to be vile; let him who does right continue to do right; and let him who is holy continue to be holy."

Notice that "doing right" and "being holy" are addressed here as two different things! Just as there is a difference between "doing wrong" and "being vile", there is also a difference between "doing right" and "being holy"!

Being vile is a state. Doing wrong is an action. In the same way, being holy is a state, and doing right is an action. The state of being vile is caused by not having God's nature of righteousness and holiness. The state of being holy is caused by having God's nature of righteousness and holiness.

1 Corinthians 1:30 (NIV)
It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God-- that is, our righteousness, HOLINESS and redemption.

Notice that Jesus Christ has BECOME OUR righteousness, holiness, and redemption. In other words, all three of these things-- righteousness, holiness, and redemption-- are not OUR doing, they are CHRIST'S doing! We only have them because we are IN CHRIST!

Ephesians 4:22-24 (NIV)
22. You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; 23. to be made new in the attitude of your minds; 24. and to put on the NEW SELF, CREATED to be like God in true righteousness and HOLINESS.

Notice that we are told to "put on" the holiness that we ALREADY HAVE! Our NEW SELF (the born again human spirit) was CREATED with true righteousness AND HOLINESS! To "put on" the new self is to ACT like what you already are!!

Christianity is not about "Acting like a Christian". If you live that way, you will be under constant condemnation every time you fall short of your own expectations. The whole reason Jesus came was to set us free from sin, and to set us free from the MINDSET of sin. God has given us a new way to live, with no condemnation:

Romans 8:13,14 (NIV)
13. For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live, 14. because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.

The "sons of God" (which is what we have become) are those who are led by the Spirit of God! WE can live our lives by simply following the leading of the Spirit of God, who lives inside us!

The worst teaching I ever heard on the verse above stated that YOU must somehow "put to death" the "misdeeds of the body", and therefore, because of your own effort, you will live. That teaching flies in the face of everything the Bible tells us, and it is not what Romans 8:13 is saying.

It is crystal clear that we obtain eternal life ONLY by BELIEVING in Jesus:

1 John 5:13 (NIV)
I write these things to you who BELIEVE in the name of the Son of God so that you may KNOW that you have eternal life.

It is crystal clear that we have the righteousness of God ONLY because we believe in Jesus:

Romans 3:21-24 (NIV)
21. But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. 22. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, 23. for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24. and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.

Our salvation ONLY COMES by confessing Jesus as Lord and believing in your heart that God raised Jesus from the dead:

Romans 10:9,10 (NIV)
9. That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.

That means that when Romans 8:13 talks about "putting to death the misdeeds of the body" to obtain life, it is talking about GETTING SAVED:

Romans 8:13 (NIV)
13. For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live

Living according to the "sinful nature" (or "flesh" in the KJV) causes death. All who do not receive Jesus Christ as Lord are living that way-- and reaping death:

1 John 5:11,12 (NIV)
11. And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.

When you are born again, you have put to death all the misdeeds of the body-- by receiving God's FREE GIFT of righteousness! All your sin is blotted out when you get saved, and you receive the very nature of God! FREE!!

We are supposed to live our lives in the new way of the Spirit; simply obeying His leadings! We are NOT supposed to be living our lives in the misery of trying to live up to perfection! We are no longer under the Old Covenant. We are released from the law so we can live in the NEW WAY of the Spirit:

Romans 7:6 (NIV)
But now, by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code.

PRAYER
Thank You Father for Your life-giving Word. Thank You for purchasing my righteousness and holiness. Help me to always remember Your mercy and grace, and depend on You completely, following the leadings of Your Holy Spirit.
In Jesus' Name, Amen.

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