“I am 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 me, and gave himself for me.”
Galatians 2:20 KJV
We are all born into this world in the fleshy, corrupt nature of fallen humanity. We take the sinful nature of our first father Adam and as a result we are naturally clothed in defiled garments and stand before the God of the universe as sinners.
“Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.”
Romans 5:12 KJV
We have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God as Paul tells us in Romans 3:23 KJV, but thanks be to God the Father, for He so loved us, that He commendeth His love towards us, by sending His Son Christ Jesus, to be the propitiation or sacrifice for our sins, that by believing on His Son, by faith, we shall not perish but have everlasting life. See John 3:16 KJV.
“In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.”
1 John 4:9-10 KJV
When we accept, by faith, the Blood of Christ, that was shed upon Mt. Calvary for our sins, we are justified before the Father, on account of the righteous merits of Jesus. When we make that public decision to be baptised and commit our lives fully to God, the “old man” within us dies and the “new man” is born. No longer are we seen as a fallen son of Adam, but instead we are seen as a son of God, a brother of Christ, covered in His righteousness, for all our righteousness is as filthy rags, Isaiah 64:6 KJV.
“Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life….Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.”
Romans 6:4,6 KJV
But in our own strength, we cannot “walk in the newness of life”, because in us, that is, in our flesh, dwelleth no good thing. “There is none who does good, no, not one,” Psalm 53:3 KJV. However, if we commit our lives to Christ, and surrender all to Him, to walk in all His statutes and commandments, He will work in us both to will and to do of His good pleasure. He will give us the strength to overcome sin and to walk and live even as He lived. We can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. The most challenging sin, which seems to so easily beset us, can be overcome when we lay hold of the victory that Christ has gained on our behalf.
“be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.”
John 16:33 KJV
He who began this good work in us, this work of transformation, this work of sanctification, shall perform it until He comes again. For He is the Author and Finisher of our faith. It is the will of the Father that we should grow up into the full stature of His Son Jesus Christ, reflecting His image and reflecting His character in this dark and sinful world. By this we shall be reconciled to God. We are called to be Christians not only in name but also in deed, in action, and in lifestyle, for “faith without works is dead”, James 2:26 KJV.
“But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass, the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.”
2 Corinthians 3:18 KJV
“Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ.”
Ephesians 4:13 KJV
Christ came in the sinful, fallen flesh of humanity and He overcame at every step of the way. He was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Hebrews 4:15 KJV. As a result of His victory over the flesh, He grants us that same power to also overcome the flesh, that we may live day by day according to the Spirit. For He that is in the flesh cannot please God, Romans 8:8 KJV.
Therefore friends, having these “exceeding great and precious promises”, “let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in [our] time of need.” 2 Peter 1:4, Hebrews 4:16 KJV.
“With man all these things are impossible, but with God, all things are possible.” Matthew 19:16 KJV
Loud Cry Compendium
Loud Cry Compendium 