The word "savation" has come to mean going to heaven when you die and being forgiven. Some Christians promote the worthy idea that Christians should also live a life free from sin. While these concepts are true, they are also extremely limited. Salvation is vastly more than keeping your nose clean while you wait for the last trumpet.
We need to know what we are saved from and what we are saved to. We need to go back to Eden, where the problem arose in the first place. God warned Adam that disobedience would bring death. Adam did not die physically, that much is obvious. He could still think, reason, show emotion and choose - all faculties of the soul. So what is death? We see in Eden that Adam hid from God. He was naked and ashamed. He tried to hide from God but to no avail.
We know from God's Word that we are spirit, soul and body. So it was the spirit man that died. It is the spirit man that God makes alive when we are born again. So what happens then?
We need to know a deeper truth than forgiveness of sin. It's wonderful to be forgiven. I felt a load of guilt lift off me when I accepted Christ. But what happens then? That's what I needed to know. Many years later, I realised that there was an aspect to the Christian life that I was not aware of until then. This truth is that Christ is the Life of the born again believer. "Life" is not just going to heaven when you die. It is not a concept. It is not even a new way of living. So what is it?
We need to go back to Eden for the answer. Adam was supposed to eat the fruit of the tree of life. He did not. So Adam had no choice but to live according to the natural life that God gave him. So mankind generally lives by the principle of good and evil, right and wrong. That is why the Law appeals to so many. It is in line with human nature. God did not send His Son only to die for our sins. He died that we might live again. Not only that, He becomes the new life of those who are born again.
God gives us nothing, I repeat, nothing, outside of Christ. He gives us all things in Christ. Do a word study. Look up how many times the NT says, "in Christ" or "in Him". I got to 50 before I decided it was enough. Not only this, Christ is the life of the born again believer. As Adam should have eaten from the tree of Life, so the Christian should "eat" Christ (John 6). Jesus came that we might have life, not a better set of rules. Jesus is The Life, not just the best example to follow. I've heard many messages on Jesus as the Way to God. Christians know that Jesus is the truth (although many prefer the written Word to the Living Word) but not so many know Jesus as their life.
The New Testament confirms this. Galatians 2:20 is one of the best known verses but not so many realise what it means in experience. "Christ is your life" Colossians 3:4 and "For me, to live is Christ" Philippians 1:21, Jesus is the Life, John 11:25.
All very well, but what does it mean in practice? It means that we can quit trying to be good Christians. It means that we are already complete in Christ. It means that we are partakers of the divine nature. However, as Adam had to choose, so must we. It means to turn away from depending on what we think or feel and our own self will. We must ask Jesus to live out His life in us, through us and in place of who were are in ourselves. It is so simple that many miss it.
For many, the Christian life is burdensom. So many things to know, so many prohibitions and restrictions. Jesus said that His yoke is easy and His burden is light. That's what happens when someone else is carrying your load. All we have to do is walk with Jesus moment by moment, day by day.
Does it work in practice? About 3 years ago, I went to hospital with a life threatening illness. It was pancreatitis. I was in such pain and stress that I sweated drops of blood. Yes, it can and does happen. I was in hospital 8 days. During that time, I had opportunity to witness to a doctor. I was able to encourage a Christian nurse. My now wife prayed for me, out loud. The same doctor told me that she saw my wife's prayer answered word for word. It was the hardest 8 days of my life in one way yet greatly blessed in others. And all through the ordeal, I was at peace. That is not natural. Jesus was my peace in that terrible storm.
We need to know what we are saved from and what we are saved to. We need to go back to Eden, where the problem arose in the first place. God warned Adam that disobedience would bring death. Adam did not die physically, that much is obvious. He could still think, reason, show emotion and choose - all faculties of the soul. So what is death? We see in Eden that Adam hid from God. He was naked and ashamed. He tried to hide from God but to no avail.
We know from God's Word that we are spirit, soul and body. So it was the spirit man that died. It is the spirit man that God makes alive when we are born again. So what happens then?
We need to know a deeper truth than forgiveness of sin. It's wonderful to be forgiven. I felt a load of guilt lift off me when I accepted Christ. But what happens then? That's what I needed to know. Many years later, I realised that there was an aspect to the Christian life that I was not aware of until then. This truth is that Christ is the Life of the born again believer. "Life" is not just going to heaven when you die. It is not a concept. It is not even a new way of living. So what is it?
We need to go back to Eden for the answer. Adam was supposed to eat the fruit of the tree of life. He did not. So Adam had no choice but to live according to the natural life that God gave him. So mankind generally lives by the principle of good and evil, right and wrong. That is why the Law appeals to so many. It is in line with human nature. God did not send His Son only to die for our sins. He died that we might live again. Not only that, He becomes the new life of those who are born again.
God gives us nothing, I repeat, nothing, outside of Christ. He gives us all things in Christ. Do a word study. Look up how many times the NT says, "in Christ" or "in Him". I got to 50 before I decided it was enough. Not only this, Christ is the life of the born again believer. As Adam should have eaten from the tree of Life, so the Christian should "eat" Christ (John 6). Jesus came that we might have life, not a better set of rules. Jesus is The Life, not just the best example to follow. I've heard many messages on Jesus as the Way to God. Christians know that Jesus is the truth (although many prefer the written Word to the Living Word) but not so many know Jesus as their life.
The New Testament confirms this. Galatians 2:20 is one of the best known verses but not so many realise what it means in experience. "Christ is your life" Colossians 3:4 and "For me, to live is Christ" Philippians 1:21, Jesus is the Life, John 11:25.
All very well, but what does it mean in practice? It means that we can quit trying to be good Christians. It means that we are already complete in Christ. It means that we are partakers of the divine nature. However, as Adam had to choose, so must we. It means to turn away from depending on what we think or feel and our own self will. We must ask Jesus to live out His life in us, through us and in place of who were are in ourselves. It is so simple that many miss it.
For many, the Christian life is burdensom. So many things to know, so many prohibitions and restrictions. Jesus said that His yoke is easy and His burden is light. That's what happens when someone else is carrying your load. All we have to do is walk with Jesus moment by moment, day by day.
Does it work in practice? About 3 years ago, I went to hospital with a life threatening illness. It was pancreatitis. I was in such pain and stress that I sweated drops of blood. Yes, it can and does happen. I was in hospital 8 days. During that time, I had opportunity to witness to a doctor. I was able to encourage a Christian nurse. My now wife prayed for me, out loud. The same doctor told me that she saw my wife's prayer answered word for word. It was the hardest 8 days of my life in one way yet greatly blessed in others. And all through the ordeal, I was at peace. That is not natural. Jesus was my peace in that terrible storm.
