So how did it work
A couple of posts ago a spoke about "sanctified identity". In there I mentioned that I wasn't really sure how it worked and went on to explain my experience of God changing how I see myself etc.
Well... here's a little insight into why it works.
We know that Jesus sacrifice was perfect and blameless. Therefore his sacrifice doesn't just atone our sins but actually does a whole lot more. Why is this? Because Jesus's sacrifice is infinate in its worth. One could say that there is still a whole lot of Jesus's gift left over after our sin has been covered and we are reunited with God. An infinate amount in fact. In Isaiah 53 (the messianic prophecy of Jesus death that was written a couple of 100 years before it actually happened) we see statements about what Jesus's death has done that don't refer to sin. They refer to healing and peace.
I.e. Jesus didn't just absolve me of my sin and guilt but also purchased me health and peace.
In John 10:10 Jesus mentions how he came to give us abundant life.
3 John briefly mentions us having prosperous souls.
So then... if you are a Christian, you should not only be free of guilt and condemnation (Rom 8:1) but should be living healed, whole and filled with peace.
It is God's grace at work in us once again that allows us to receive this. None of us deserve this abundant life... but God lavishes it out. This is why I don't care much for trying to buy myself material happiness (which never seems to satisfy anyone), because I have already achieved mans greatest goal. The goal to be happy, and this I've done without any hedonistic practices.
Nothing will make you more content than knowing your God and knowing what he has to say about you. And even better is that externals like where you live, what you do, what you drive, what you own, wear or eat can't take this away. It means that like many matyrs, past and present, you can simply smile, extend your arms to God, sing and laugh while people stone you to death or burn you alive because once again the story gets even better. Or as Paul said, "To live is Christ, to die is gain."
Well... here's a little insight into why it works.
We know that Jesus sacrifice was perfect and blameless. Therefore his sacrifice doesn't just atone our sins but actually does a whole lot more. Why is this? Because Jesus's sacrifice is infinate in its worth. One could say that there is still a whole lot of Jesus's gift left over after our sin has been covered and we are reunited with God. An infinate amount in fact. In Isaiah 53 (the messianic prophecy of Jesus death that was written a couple of 100 years before it actually happened) we see statements about what Jesus's death has done that don't refer to sin. They refer to healing and peace.
I.e. Jesus didn't just absolve me of my sin and guilt but also purchased me health and peace.
In John 10:10 Jesus mentions how he came to give us abundant life.
3 John briefly mentions us having prosperous souls.
So then... if you are a Christian, you should not only be free of guilt and condemnation (Rom 8:1) but should be living healed, whole and filled with peace.
It is God's grace at work in us once again that allows us to receive this. None of us deserve this abundant life... but God lavishes it out. This is why I don't care much for trying to buy myself material happiness (which never seems to satisfy anyone), because I have already achieved mans greatest goal. The goal to be happy, and this I've done without any hedonistic practices.
Nothing will make you more content than knowing your God and knowing what he has to say about you. And even better is that externals like where you live, what you do, what you drive, what you own, wear or eat can't take this away. It means that like many matyrs, past and present, you can simply smile, extend your arms to God, sing and laugh while people stone you to death or burn you alive because once again the story gets even better. Or as Paul said, "To live is Christ, to die is gain."
posted by Gareth at 7:48 AM
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