Every born again believer in
Jesus Christ has a new standing before the Lord God.
This eternal position never changes. It does not
depend upon changes, chances or our circumstances.
Romans chapters three through
seven tells us who we are in Christ.
We have a new standing with
God. By God's grace we have complete acceptance with
God in Christ. We are at peace with God; God is at
peace with us! "Therefore having been justified by
faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus
Christ, through whom also we have obtained our
introduction by faith into this grace in which we
stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God"
(5:1–2). We have a new relationship in which we are
reconciled with God, and as a result is we
experience His peace.
We are members of a new family.
The disobedience of Adam brought death. All men die
in Adam. However, we have a new head of the family
who is Jesus Christ, and He gives eternal life. "For
if by the transgression of the one, death reigned
through the one, much more those who receive the
abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness
will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ"
(5:17).
We have a new identification in
Christ. We have been baptized by the Holy Spirit
into the body of Christ. We have died to the old
life, have been buried with Christ and have been
raised to new life in Him. We are now identified
with Christ. We are as men who have been raised from
the dead. "Therefore we have been buried with Him
through baptism into death, so that as Christ was
raised from the dead through the glory of the
Father, so we too might walk in newness of life"
(6:4).
We also have a new master. We
are no longer slaves to sin. We now have a choice;
we do not have to obey sin any longer. "For just as
you presented your members as slaves to impurity and
to lawlessness, resulting in further lawlessness, so
now present your members as slaves to righteousness,
resulting in sanctification" (6:19). Our new master
leads us in God's righteousness. Sin has a payday
and death is its wages, but Christ gives us life
every day v. 23).
We have a new love. Our old
husband died and we have married Christ. We now have
an intimate abiding love relationship with Jesus
Christ. A new relationship demands my love, my
loyalty, and my obedience. We obey Him because we
love Him. "Therefore, my brethren, you also were
made to die to the Law through the body of Christ,
so that you might be joined to another, to Him who
was raised from the dead, in order that we might
bear fruit for God" (7:4).
We have a new motive of
service. "But now we have been released from the
Law, having died to that by which we were bound, so
that we serve in newness of the Spirit and not in
oldness of the letter" (7:6). We have been set free
from the bondage of the Law and are now free to
serve Christ. I am a free person, united with
Christ, free to serve Him (Galatians 2:20; 5:1;
Romans 6:11-14; 7:4, 6).
How do you live the normal
Christian life? Reckon upon these great facts about
you. You are a new person in Christ. Act upon these
truths. Put into daily practice what you know to be
true.
Who are you in Christ? Have you
claimed His grace and appropriated who you are in
Him? It is something we must do daily as we walk by
faith in Christ.
Selah!
Message by Wil Pounds (c) 2006
Anyone is free to use this material and distribute it, but it may not be sold under any circumstances whatsoever without the author's written consent.
Unless otherwise noted "Scripture quotations taken from the NASB."
"Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE" © Copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation Used by permission." (www.Lockman.org)Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NET) are from the NET Bible copyright ©1996-2006 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. http://www.bible.org/. All rights reserved.
Wil is a graduate of William Carey University, B. A.; New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, Th. M.; and Azusa Pacific University, M. A. He has pastored in Panama, Ecuador and the U. S, and served for over 20 years as missionary in Ecuador and Honduras. He had a daily expository Bible teaching ministry head in over 100 countries from 1972-2005. He continues to seek opportunities to be personally involved in world missions. Wil and his wife Ann have three grown daughters. He currently serves as a Baptist pastor and teaches seminary extension courses in Ecuador.
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