Living Evil-free is Easy - Thesis #19
“By salvation I mean not barely according to the vulgar notion deliverance from hell or going to heaven but a present deliverance from sin a restoration of the soul to its primitive health its original purity a recovery of the divine nature the renewal of our souls after the image of God in righteousness and true holiness in justice mercy and truth.” - John Wesley
“Straightway, on our regeneration, we attained that perfection after which we aspired.” - Clement of Alexandria
“Being baptized, we are illuminated; illuminated we become sons; being made sons, we are made perfect; being made perfect, we are immortal.” - Irenaeus of Lyons
It’s really important that we understand that Biblical salvation really isn’t about going to heaven or hell AT ALL! It’s about our union with Christ that causes us to actually live free.
Even the word forgiveness can often be translated as freedom in the scriptures. More than forgive us, Christ set us free from evil!
“Justification is not only the forgiveness of sins, but the bestowal of a positive righteousness that derives from beyond us, and which we have through union with Christ. It is a perpetual living in Christ, from a centre and source beyond us. To be justified is to be lifted up above and beyond ourselves to live out of the risen and ascended Christ, and not out of ourselves.” - Thomas F. Torrance
Far too many Christians are hung up on making it in, rather than being loving and free.
The truth is that everyone has already made it IN, therefore everyone can live loving and free!
“Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men.” - Romans 5:18
We have become new creations in Christ! Do you know that!?!
“The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’s seed abides in him, and he cannot keep on sinning because he has been born of God.” - 1 John 3:8-9
Now, obviously people still struggle with evil, and often that is because they have developed an addiction that is contrary to their nature.
But, what if they’ve just never been told that they are new creatures in Christ??? Most people have never been told in a real way that they ARE new, and not old broken sinners. We have a massive identity crisis in the church, in the whole world, where even Biblical scholars think that they will always be fallen sinners until they die.
But, what if we started preaching a new creation in Christ?
And, then what if they get teamed up with some addiction recovery help?
Boom. We can all can walk in freedom!
A few simple practicals and a strong foundation of the Gospel and anyone can thrive!
Now, of course, if we don’t walk it out we are still loved and celebrated by Trinity!!!
“My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.” - 1 John 2:1
But, the scripture seems to believe that you are more powerful than you think! You can live free from evil!
“How can we who died to sin still live in it? Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin.” - Romans 6:2-6
We are NOT slaves to evil! Jesus Christ actually accomplished something in His life, death and resurrection!
Unfortunately the church is still full of poor theology based on people’s experiences and not based on The Word, Jesus. And, we rarely establish communities where people are taught and helped to be free. But, this can change! We have Christ living inside us! The One who created the cosmos with a word!
May we take time to ponder the reality that Christ has made us actually holy, and know that we can live lives of pure love!!!
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Also, please watch the video version of this thesis where Matt shares more: