Are you in Christ? When were you in Christ?

#In_Christ

Are you in Christ? How and when were you in Christ?

Most, without any hesitation, will confidently say when they believe in Him. If that's the case, they have been told only a fraction of the truth; a fraction of the truth taken as the whole truth becomes a heinous lie. Such have been terribly deceived, short-changed, and defrauded. A sane man would be furiously indignant, and demand to be told the whole truth!

Do you care enough to recover the gospel truth? Here's a glimpse of the whole truth of being IN CHRIST.

IN CHRIST - behold this multifaceted jewel!

A believer in Christ is in Christ in these different and distinct SENSES:

- He is in Christ by divine election before time

- He is in Christ by the legal purchase at the cross

- He is in Christ by the effectual calling out of his native state of sin and death to that of grace and salvation in Jesus Christ, at a point in time between his conception and death

- He is in Christ through his believing in the gospel of Christ, and

- He shall be in Christ by the glorious resurrection at the end of time.

The Scriptures speak of this multifaceted truth of being in Christ.

Few understand the richness of this blessed truth. They know and believe only one aspect of this truth, i.e. they are in Christ through their work of believing in Christ! This betrays an understanding of their salvation that is work based.

It is like thinking that a deformed one-fingered hand is a normal complete hand.  Instead of having a dazzling diamond, they have a plain glass marble.

Have you been defrauded; is your "in Christ" a dazzling diamond or a plain marble?

Valiant for the Truth

 

July 14, 2020 

#valiant_for_the_truth

Jeremiah 9:1-16.

In the passage, the LORD gave a long list of censures against the evils and wickedness among His people.

My first impression was, "there goes the Reformed fable of the perseverance of the saints." It is the popular Reformed idea that children of God will most certainly persevere in faith and holiness of life to the end of their lives; those who don't, can't possibly be God's children, to begin with, they insist. They have perverted the P of TULIP; P doesn't say God's children will certainly persevere in faith and holiness of life to the end of their lives.

Jeremiah 9:3
And they bend their tongues like their bow for lies: but they are not valiant for the truth upon the earth; for they proceed from evil to evil, and they know not me, saith the LORD.

One of the top censures against His people is "they are not valiant for the truth..." Closely related to that evil is the twin wickedness stated next, "for they proceed from evil to evil" and "they know not me."

Note a few things:
i. It is the LORD God Himself who leveled these censures.

ii. These censures are leveled against His people; the phrase "my people" occurs in the first two verses.

iii. Precious truth has been delivered to His people through His prophets. This was a unique blessing enjoyed by them. Rom 3:2

iv. How did they treat such a precious gift to them? "They are not valiant for the truth." 

They are not excited with the precious gift; they don't treasure it; they don't learn and understand it; they don't proclaim and defend it; naturally, they don't contend for the truth or expose the lies that are peddled as truth.

v. What's the inevitable consequence when God's people are not valiant for the truth?
- They will proceed from evil to evil; when they are indifferent to the truth of God and are not guided by the truth of God, they will walk contrary to righteousness. Instead of being spiritually-minded, they are carnally minded.
- They know not their LORD: the LORD is to be known through the truth that He has spoken unto us. The LORD's revelation Himself is the only way His people can know Him.

The fact that the LORD censured His people shows that valiancy for His truth is a just and reasonable expectation; it is also a necessary duty for the spiritual wellbeing and usefulness of God's children.

Too many Christians couldn't care less; in fact, not a few are averse to sound doctrines; as a result, they know not the LORD their God. Many are "ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth." 2Tim 3:7.

Are you valiant for the truth of the LORD our God? We live in perilous times; we need be valiant for the truth of God. Amen.

Is common sense dead?

Life precedes the activities of that life;
Justification by God's grace precedes the ability in Christ;
Regeneration precedes the ability to believe in Christ.

John 3:3 KJT
Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

Ephesians 2:1 KJT
And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;

It's common sense that life precedes the actions of that life; faith is an activity of spiritual life. except a man be born again (regenerated) with spiritual life, he is still dead in trespasses and sins, utterly incapable of exercising faith.

EVEN SO...

To say that your faith is the cause of your justification by God is to put the cart before the horse.

It's equally common sense to say that a man's justification freely by God precedes his faith in Jesus Christ. Why? you ask.

It's common sense.
An unjustified man is a man still in his native state of condemnation and death; a man in his native state can't possibly exercise faith in order to be justified by God. Sola fide is fiction.

Have you not read these words:
Romans 3:24 KJT — Being justified FREELY by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.

Romans 5:18 KJT — Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.

Adam's sin brought the condemnation of death upon all represented by him; EVEN SO, Christ's righteousness secured the justification of life to all represented by Him. Amen.

At the justification freely by God's grace, the righteousness of Christ is freely APPLIED to an elect personally (it's already IMPUTED to all the elect during the double imputation at the cross) in his native state of condemnation and death UNTO the justification of life.

The Father's free and gracious act of applying Christ's righteousness to the redeemed gives the divine warrant to the Spirit of God to regenerate such; that is why justification is termed as justification of life. (Rom 5:18)

Your faith evidences your justified state, freely by God's grace; even so, your breath evidences the prior impartation of life; your breath is not the cause of getting you your life.

May the gracious Lord grant you to understand this blessed good news.

p/s - just in case, if any is misguided in this too:
- Faith is NOT the gift of God; eternal salvation is the gift of God, Eph 2:8. Eternal salvation is through the faith of Christ, i.e. Christ's faithfulness in discharging the redemptive work to save His people. - Faith is ONE of the many saving graces worked in a child of God (an elect that has been justified, regenerated, adopted and bestowed with the Spirit of adoption to indwell him) by the Holy Spirit, Gal 5:22.
- A gift comes from without; it's a saving grace that is worked from within by the indwelling Spirit of God.

Conduct yourself honorably in the midst of personal attacks

 

Conduct yourself honorably in the midst of personal attacks (Nehemiah 6)

a. In the good work of rebuilding and repairing the wall of the city of God, there was not only bitter opposition to the good work from without, there were also all sorts of problems from within that hinder the good work,  chapter 5. This is to be expected. It was so from the very beginning.

b. In chapter 4, the bitter opposition was aimed at the people of God collectively: ‘the Jews,’ ‘the feeble Jews,’ ‘they… they… they’ ‘attack Jerusalem…’ All these bitter opposition did not work because they have a god-fearing and dedicated leader to lead and to labor with them. The good work of repairing and rebuilding the wall of the city of God continue uninterrupted and marches towards completion.
- In chap.6 we see the change of tactic by the enemies. Now the attacks, in all their various forms are aimed at Nehemiah personally. The tactic is called, ‘Discredit the shepherd and scatter the flock,’ ‘Smite the shepherd and destroy the flock.’ Nehemiah said, “To me,’ ‘do me harm,’ ‘they sent unto me,’

1. Watch out against the subtle schemes of your enemies
a. They will propose to you peaceful co-existence and co-operation: “Come, let us meet together…”
- The plain of Ono was near the border of Samaria and Philistia, the country of the Ashdodites, who were allies of Sanballat. We will cease our opposition against the good work you are doing… We will co-operate!
- They will set before you all the reasons why it is necessary and advantageous for you to co-operate with them… to accept them as friends… for all sorts of mutual benefits, for the sake of the king, etc.
- They will also point out to you all the disadvantages of living separated lives from the world, missing out on all that the world could offer you… in reality are snares to your souls.
## See James 3:17- first pure, then peace. No peace with the enemies to God’s work. James 4:4.

b. They will be very persistent in their pretence: “Yet they sent unto me 4 times… in like manner 5th time…”
- Beware that their persistence does not mean any sincerity at all! Don’t take the bait!
- Often persistence will wear down any resistance. Sweet talk long enough and many will forget about the poison wrapped in those sweet words. Resists the onslaught of these temptations… Rm 12:2

c. They will employ slanderous letter to blackmail you: “… with an open letter in his hand.”
- Note, it is an open letter… intended to inflict the most damage. ‘It is reported… you… you… you… These matters will be reported to the king. So come, therefore, and let us consult together.’

d. They will even make use of false prophet to make false prophec concerning you to cause you to acts cowardly so that you may be discredited in the eyes of your people.
- “Gashmu saith it…” sowing lies that rebellion is in the air.
- They have secret informers who pledge loyalty to those who opposed the Lord’s work.
- “Shemaiah… Tobiah and Sanballat has hired him” to stumble Nehemiah, to act cowardly…

2. Be immovable in your own calling & priorities
a. Know the great work that you are called to do: “I am doing a great work.”  It is not only a good work… but a great work.  Great work – it is God’s work… unto God’s glory and honor.
- Great work – it is necessary for the spiritual well-being of God’s people.

b. Let nothing distract you from the urgency of the great work: “Why should the work cease while…?”
- Your calling is to be a Christian… why should you be distracted from your high calling to live as one?
- 1Pet 4:3ff…  Eph 5:15ff…  Tit 2:11ff.

c. Seek the needed wisdom, strength and protection from the Lord: ‘O God, strengthen my hands.’ v9.
- The leopard does not change its spots! Know the real character of the enemy.
- Do not be misled or deceived. 1Pet 5:8f. Mark them!

3. Expose the evil schemes of the enemies for what they are
a. ‘But they sought to harm me’: it was no effort at peace or cooperation. Evil and opposition was intended.
- It is not because Nehemiah didn’t want people… How often leaders like Nehemiah are misunderstood…

b. ‘You feignest them in thine own heart’:. they are all lies invented in your own heart.
- They are false accusations… false insinuations… blatant lies invented by their wicked hearts… calculated to stir up trouble and opposition from the Persian authority.

c. Why are they doing all those wicked things? ‘They all were trying to make us afraid… so that we would desert the good and great work, v9. The enemy wants the great and good work abandoned!

d. There are many shameless cronies of Tobiah among the people of God in Judah: v17. Very subtly Tobiah influenced them to oppose Nehemiah. They pledged their loyalty to Tobiah… not because of truth
- We must pledge our allegiance to the truth of God… not to men… no matter how close they are to us… whether by blood or by civil relationship. Sometimes, truth will separate father and son, Mt 10:34.

To the believing, the gospel speaks of the power of God unto salvation

Rom 1:16 ¶For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ:
for it is the power of God unto salvation
to every one that believeth;
to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

Rom 1:16
¶ For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

This wonderful passage is often misunderstood by those who are afflicted with the disease called soundbytitis. One of the consequences is the serious error of gospel regeneration.

The passage is NOT saying that the gospel is the power of God unto salvation. The passage is saying that to the believing ones, the gospel is perceived as the message that declares the power of God in salvation.

The news informs of what has happened; the gospel is good news of what God has sovereignly done, by His divine power alone to save His elect, through His Son Christ Jesus alone, and freely applied to each elect by the Holy Spirit alone.

The gospel is the message of the power of God in salvation; God, in Jesus Christ, saved His people to the uttermost.

The same gospel is perceived by the perishing ones as foolishness. 

"For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God." 1 Cor 1:18.

There is an unbridgeable gulf between the two.

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Read an article here: Why I am not ashamed of the gospel? 
https://things-new-and-old.blogspot.com/2017/07/why-i-am-not-ashamed-of-gospel-of-christ.html