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As we consider the reality of becoming the NEW CREATION, we begin to comprehend that Jesus shed His untainted BLOOD (the life of the flesh, Lev. 17:11) to ATONE for our sins. And He gave His LIFE (psuche, sinless soul-life) for our salvation (sozo, wholeness, Rom. 5:21). We could think of it this way: The blood accomplishes our initial (or positional) atonement from sin. But... it is His LIFE that accomplishes our ongoing progressive sozo which provides wholeness of mind and character. Somehow, much of the church world stops with the POSITIONAL salvation. Bless God, we went forward down the aisle and confessed our sins; now our duty is over! But we never quite figured out how to "put on the New Man" - or live successfully as a Christian. Well, we might have tried in our excited days of being a new convert and first finding God, but as time went on, we forgot and re-incorporated many of our old ways. Somewhere along the way, "I'm a new creation" became a great song that we now heartily sing without giving much consideration to it's meaning. Funny how the whole church world wants to "go to heaven" without bothering to DO what the Bible says. Worldly ways still have strong entrance into the heart of the modern church. Many aloof, arrogant, and proud Christians exemplify the fallen self-pleasing nature of self determination. Others are passively yielding and compliant. Compromise rules the masses of once-committed believers who have now lost their holy boundaries. Much of our "religion" has become extremely worldly. Yet, Paul cautioned us to find another way. Gal 2:20 "I m crucified with Christ: nevertheless I LIVE; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved (agapao) me, and gave himself for me"(KJV). This means we lose our soulish identity and become a class of people on earth who migrate to the next dimension of LIVING. "I am crucified with Christ," Paul explains how this act of being crucified was already accomplished by the blood of the Savior in the initial salvation experience. Through the cross, we become partakers of this promise -- we have already been crucified (impaled in company with Christ). It's already done! We don't have to keep dying again and again. We're not like the hero in the old western movies who keeps rising up with "just a flesh wound." Reckon it done (Rom. 6:11) The problem is that we need to stay dead. But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. (NKJ) IT is already done... I am crucified to the world. "They that are Christ's have crucified (already finished) the flesh (Gal. 5:24)." Now, all we have to do is not nurture that OLD MAN nature. It remains dead and buried far away from our present day actions. "Nevertheless, I LIVE." Because I understand the necessity of maintaining death to the old nature, it doesn't haunt me. I become partner in His life! Death is swallowed up in LIFE. My work is not to repeatedly crucify myself, live in a convent, or be separated from all monetary influence. My position (as a NEW CREATION) is to maintain the flesh in a crucified state. My evil nature becomes totally separated from my renewed thoughts, my controlled actions, and my disciplined desires. I'm crucified from mySELF." That's how I'm free to inherit God's zoe LIFE. I live (I am quickened by the same spirit that raised Jesus from the dead.) Just like the angry crowd taunted Jesus on the cross, all my carnal nature and affections continue to cry out, "come down from the cross." (Mark 15:30) But, it's my duty to maintain absolute control over the sinful old nature. So "I LIVE." Living happens by allowing the Holy Spirit to conduct His specific job of revealing the NEW CREATION nature in me. He unveils "Christ living in me" - the anointed power to obtain my destiny. "Christ LIVETH in me." No longer will I be satisfied with just knowing the power of the cross to ATONE. Jesus now LIVES (abides) in resurrection power within to cause me to exhibit LIFE -- to be like Him in character and nature -- to understand the full power of ongoing salvation. Heb 7:25 tells us, "Therefore he is able to SAVE COMPLETELY those who come to God through him, because he ALWAYS LIVES to INTERCEDE for them" NIV. That's how we can LIVE... "I LIVE by faith in the Son of God." Yes, I LIVE the quickened life - the God-kind of LIFE that comes by faith. That NEW CREATION life comes and DWELLS (abides) in me - right now -- here in this lifetime. Jesus explained it often. John 17:11 says, "Now I am no longer in the world, but these are IN THE WORLD...." (NKJ) Believers remain here living above this (cosmos) worldly system. John 17:14 "...and the world has hated them because they are NOT OF THE WORLD (world systems), just as I am NOT OF THE WORLD."(NKJ) We are "not of the world. "Just as" or "even as" (Strong's # 2531 kathos) Christ is "not of the world." It is out of this likeness to Christ, that we obtain this quality to resist the worldly nature. Jesus did not pray that we be taken "OUT of the world" (vs.15), or suddenly "raptured" away, but that we be "kept from the evil one." There's no escapism clause here. Believers are to be separated OUT of the old way and that separation is what causes them to be "kept from the evil one." But that's not all. We not just separated OUT, but then are separated INTO the New LIFE. The NEW CREATION human lives IN THIS WORLD while not being OF THE WORLD. That means we no longer endlessly contend with our worldly nature, or are tempted by the carnality of the worldly systems. John 17:16 They are NOT OF THE WORLD, just as I am NOT OF THE WORLD. (NKJ) Not of the world. The NEW CREATION manifests the God kind of LIFE that is in Jesus, not that of the world. We demonstrate, as much as possible, a life without sin. Not of the world. We walk in the same realm as Jesus ("just as" He was NOT OF THIS WORLD), hence we are just as He is, in His presence. Not of the world. We establish God's kingdom on earth as it is in heaven (Matt. 6:10). We belong to a kingdom that is NOT OF THIS WORLD (Jn. 8:23, 18:36). We live independently from this worlds systems, with new eternal standards and principles that govern. Not of the world. We live in the world, in order to "redeem" (salvage) the world, but we are not "of" the world. Jesus became the firstfruit example of living in the world, but not of it. Jesus gave "himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good." )Titus 2:14 NIV). Jesus prayed, "As You sent Me INTO THE WORLD, I also have sent them INTO THE WORLD" (John 17:18 NKJ). The NEW CREATION is sent INTO THE WORLD (systems), exhibiting a new nature and the image of Christ. They walk in covenantal fellowship with God and covenantal fellowship with humankind. They no longer loose the battle against the flesh, the have dominion and rule. 1 John 4:17 "Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we IN THIS WORLD. (KJV) As He is, we are. His love matures (perfects) us into the new character of Christ that we PUT ON. When we SEPARATE ourselves from worldly ways, God will "receive us." (2 Cor 6:1617) The phenomenal promise remains for those that maintain a NEW CREATION lifestyle... for ye are the temple of the living God; ... I will dwell in them, and walk in them; ... (KJV) Let us make a fresh declaration in accordance with the will of God -- from every corner of the earth the "now" purposes of God must be released. We have come to the "set time" (Ps. 102), a time for complete and radical renovation of our current mindset. This new experience will position us into the dynamic new experience of being the demonstration of the power of God (1 Cor. 2:4). image at www.placer.ca.gov
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