THE TRIPOD OF FAITH
But it also means that when Christ rose from the dead, I was also identified with His Resurrection – I also rose into newness of life with a NEW nature – a Christlike nature. Because of my identity with Christ’s Resurrection, I became part of a new creation in Christ. I left my identity in Adam behind, the moment I was saved. Now I am identified with Christ’s resurrected life. Just as His death became my death, so His resurrected life became my new, born-again, eternal life in Christ.
It is for this glorious reason that I can say with Paul, “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ Who lives in me, and the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, Who loved me and gave Himself for me.” I have the new, born-again, resurrected life of Christ living in me.
The Holy Spirit of the resurrected Christ indwells my mortal body so that although I remain in this perishable body of flesh and blood, I live by faith in the Son of God so that it is not I that lives but Christ that lives in me. Christ, Who loved me and gave Himself for me. Because of my faith in Him, I will one day exchange this perishable body for an imperishable one. This which is sown a perishable body of flesh and blood, will one day be raised an imperishable body of flesh and bone – a body like unto His glorious body.
Paul writes at length of the glorious exchange that occurs in all who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. A body sown in dishonour is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness but raised in power. It is sown a natural body but raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there must also be a spiritual body. While the first man, Adam, became a living soul, the last Adam, Jesus Christ, became a life-giving spirit.
This is the biggest mystery revealed to the believer. The moment I trusted the Son of God as Saviour, my new life in Christ was born and the old sin nature in Adam (a link and heritage from my earthly parentage) was nailed to the Cross. The old man was crucified in Christ and severed at that point.
However, the nature of that old, fleshly, self-life, will remain throughout my entire life-walk. That old sin nature will remain in bitter rivalry with my new life in Christ which must grow in grace and mature in the knowledge of Jesus. The old man, which was severed at the Cross, is crucified, and yet continues to unleash its assaults against the new life in Christ which was born from above and lives forevermore.
The root of the old sin nature sucks its strength from worldly desires and fleshly ego. It ‘lusts’ against the new life which, through re-creation, is dead to the world and dead to the law, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Saviour. How dearly does my new life need to grow in grace, but how impossible in my own strength to combat the lust of the eye, the lust of the flesh, and the pride of life!
But God in His wisdom and grace, did not leave my new life in Christ to overcome alone. It is by faith that the world is overcome. It is by faith that the flesh is overcome and it is by faith that the devil is overcome. When I was baptised into Christ as His newly born-again child, God sent His eternal, permanently indwelling, life-giving Holy Spirit, to become my life-Guide and my soul-Helper.
It is as I submit to His gracious leading and gentle guidance, that sin is mortified and grace is quickened. The more I respond to His gracious leading and gentle guidance, the more I can say, “I live, and yet not I, but Christ lives in me,” for it is His Spirit that communes with my human spirit. He is the Source that is leading and guiding my new-life in Christ in the things that I say and the way that I behave.
The more we die to self, the more we live for Him, until with Paul we will be able to say, “I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, Who loved me and gave Himself up for me.”
And we pray:
Thank You, Father, for Your indwelling Holy Spirit Who was sent to lead and guide me and all believers through this earthly life, and Who lives in me. Teach me to listen to His voice and recognise His promptings. I pray that, more and more, Your will, not mine be done until I can say with Paul, “the life that I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, Who Loved me and gave Himself for me.” In Jesus’ Name, AMEN.
Making IMPACTS on humanity begins with LOVE and COMPASSION that comes from the LOVE of CHRIST for us. A grateful soul would appreciate His SACRIFICE to SAVE us and reciprocate it as needed. Got this?
GOD’S FOOTPRINTS everywhere one has been indicated that He LIVES in the person: He SPEAKS and ACTS through him, they WORKED together and so, the MEMORIES of such LIFE are always engraved to remain eternally. Reverse is the case with those who CLOSED their HEARTS against CHRIST… their IMPACTS may touch the body but never affected the SOULS! Who’s your companion?
The truth? WALKING with GOD everywhere to leave LASTING LEGACIES is self-sacrifical with no selfish gains… do you mind this? Repent. Rise and shine!
May our life be worthwhile.🙏🔥