A New Reality
Dearly beloved of God, in order to function as a child of God we must believe who God says we are in Christ. God determined this new reality, and now we must persuade ourselves of it with God’s Word. If we do not make up our minds that it is true, the old nature of the flesh will continue to dominate our thinking and our walks.
Our acceptance before God is in Christ, and his accomplishments.
I Corinthians 1:30 NASB
But by His [God’s] doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption,
By God’s wisdom, He determined that in Christ Jesus we are righteous, we are sanctified, and we are redeemed. God determined the standard of justice by which He accepted us. Whose standard carries more weight than His?
People have imposed many standards for justice on mankind which they have conceived, but they carry no weight in the eyes of God. God’s standard for justice is the supreme standard.
Galatians 3:26
26 For you are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.
We are God’s children by believing in Christ Jesus. Our acceptance before God is in Christ Jesus, and by his accomplishments. God determined this awesome reality. His standard for justice is in Christ, and what he accomplished.
The book of Ephesians makes this abundantly clear. In 1:3: God “blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places IN CHRIST.”
In verse 4: “According as He hath chosen us IN HIM [Christ] before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and without blame before Him.
In verses 5, 6: “In love having predestinated us unto the adoption [sonship] of children BY JESUS CHRIST to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, wherein He hath made us accepted IN THE BELOVED [Jesus Christ]:”
Verse 7, 8a: IN WHOM [Jesus Christ] we have redemption through HIS BLOOD, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace, wherein He hath abounded toward us.”
How did God accomplish these realities? In Christ. All that we have from God is in Christ. Who we are as children of God is in Christ.
II Corinthians 5:17, 18a WT
Wherefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old things passed away. Behold new things have come, and all [of the new things] are from God, Who reconciled us to Himself through Christ….
God accomplished this new spiritual reality in Christ. We no longer know any one according to the flesh; not Christ, not yourself, not anyone. If anyone is in Christ he is a new creation!
II Corinthians 5:21 WT
He [God] made him [Jesus Christ] who did not know sin to be sin for us so that we might become the justness of God in him.
God sees us in Christ as new creations. He sees us as the righteousness of God in Christ, so how should we see ourselves? We must persuade ourselves with God’s Word that we are who God says we are in Christ.
Your flesh will rear its ugly head to deny that you are a new creation in Christ. It will tell you that you are unworthy. It will recall your past sins, and shortcomings, and tell you that you are not good enough. It will say that it could not possibly be “all in all,” that you are “complete in Christ Jesus,” that it is “Christ in you, the hope of glory.” The flesh will always repudiate the grace of God.
Will you believe the old man of the flesh, or will you believe God your Father?
The flesh will cry, “Oh wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from the body of this death?” The new man says, I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord for the deliverance!
Sin reigned unto death but now grace reigns through God’s justice unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.
The old man was crucified with Jesus Christ. He was buried with Christ. He that has died is justified from sin.
When we were dead in sins, God made us alive together with Christ, (by grace you are saved,) and He raised us up together with him, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.
Walk in this newness of spirit life. Now grace reigns through God’s justice unto eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Now we are new creations in Christ.
Dearly beloved of God, you are who God your Father says you are in Christ. Persuade yourself with God’s Word of this new reality. Be fully persuaded that you are who God says you are in Christ.