If you discovered that you were of royal blood, would it affect how you think and reason?
INTRO
Be transformed by the renewing of your mind - Rom 12:2
Dear fellow disciple of Jesus:
As I attempt to share some of what I'm seeing in Scripture regarding our identity in Christ - in light of what it means to be born again OF the Spirit, I want to encourage you to not take my word for it, or anyone's for that matter, but to read and study to find out for yourself whether what I'm seeing is of any value for advancing God's kingdom on earth. For we are each responsible to work out (wrestle to fruitfulness) our own salvation with fear and trembling (Phil 2:12). I'm just sharing a little of my journey as I do just that.
So, regarding Rom 12:2 "be transformed by the renewing of your mind," this anchor charge in the believers maturing process, a key question that keeps rising in my heart is, To what is our mind being renewed?
Over the past 10 years or so, this question has been increasingly at the forefront of my mind, because, the more I've studied the more I've noticed certain theological perspectives in the Church at large that, though widely accepted do not seem to produce the fruit God states is the actual result of our having believed. So, excluding that some people love darkness more than light, a couple other possibilities are that we're not presenting the gospel with full disclosure (life for Life), or something is missing from the message that helps the believer grow from revelation to understanding.
At the heart of it all, though understandable, for we definitely need saving, the gospel message I often hear presented focuses more on the salvation gift we receive from Jesus as Savior than the life of worship we give to Him as Lord, and a mindset that tends to center on forgiveness for our sinful weakness and what we're going to someday become, over our resolve to stand in what we have already become as ones born again OF the Spirit and are being raised to maturity WITHIN by persevering in overcoming our flesh. Those who do not recognize or accept how Scripture reveals that the believer's new identity is a literal (positional and conditional) spiritual rebirth tend to reason as though we are constantly working toward righteousness and holiness rather than from righteousness and holiness. As such, this leads to our continually asking God to help us do and be what He has already positioned, called, and equipped us to be and do in overcoming both our flesh and the world around us. Understanding this distinction is imperative if we are to operate in the fullness of God's provision and intent.
Let's see...regarding my exegesis of Scripture, I apply a foundational, four-part hermeneutic of Literal, In Context, Rightly Divided, and Why Given? (for maintaining the big picture) to my studies, and believe that both topical and expository preaching and teaching provide the most effective and accurate means of engaging Scripture. So I'm working on how to best deliver what I'm seeing, and finding it quite challenging because, by default, it has turned out to be a combination of both. Only, rather than my observations emerging from a particular passage or topic (because I didn't go looking for what I'm finding), the topic has risen from the whole of Scripture over many years of reading and study.
So, in essence, what I'm endeavoring to share is more of an expository observation utilizing the whole Scripture on the topic of the New Creature in Christ; observations that have emerged as I've studied more and more literal interpretations of certain, seemingly outlier Scriptures that, though central in Scripture, are not often included in our teaching, or ignored or explained away in our overall theological views. (I've also noticed this increasingly so in the more recent updates of popular Bible translations: words being added in parenthesis that by default shade interpretation.)
Since we are transformed by the renewing of our mind, and our transformation into His likeness "with ever increasing glory" is the point of God reconciling us, understanding what our mind is being renewed to is worth wrestling to the point of resolve, even if it means tweaking our current theological views a bit. As mentioned, I didn't go looking for what I'm finding, it's risen and continues to rise from the entirety of the Word. So, I too am being challenged, deeply. As such, I do believe, and increasingly so, that what I am seeing is worth bringing to the Body at large, lest we be deceived by yet another "Did God really say..." rouse and find out too late that we have run in vain - or, have not run at all.
God help us.
Strength and courage to you in your journey!
Brett
RAMPART
For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edge sword, picering even to the division of soul and spirit . . . - Heb 4:12
Drawing from the more literal translations of Scripture, the following is a foundation or theology map to what I'm seeing and wrestling.
If born again (Jn 3:3-5):
At the deepest reaches of our inner being (Heb 4:12), the vital principle (unction) and/or driving force of our very existence (Eph 3:16), is the Light-bearing (Jn 8:12), Life-giving (Jn 14:6), Fruit-producing (Jn 15:5) present reality (position and condition) that we, having believed (Eph 1:13), are a New Creature (2 Cor 5:17) begotten from above OF the Spirit (1 Pet 1:3), the result of Oneness with the Spirit, sealed by the Spirit in our circumcised hearts (Rom 2:29) as a guarantee of what is to come (2 Cor 1:22), and who is hence:
One Spirit (1 Cor 6:17), possessing the mind of Christ (1 Cor 2:16), a New Nature (1 Jn 3:9) and Resurrection Power (Eph 3:16), grafted into the Cultured Vine (Rom 11:24) for participation in the Divine Nature (2 Pet 1:4), renewed in knowledge in the image of Its Creator (Col 3:10), made perfect (complete) forever and set apart by God (Heb 10:14) in order to bear the fruit of His likeness (2 Pet 1:3-10) persevering in good works prepared in advance for us to do (Eph 2:10) and the administration of gifts given by the Spirit (1 Cor 12:4), ascended and seated in Christ in the heavenly realms at the right hand of the Father (Eph 2:6) to abide presently IN Christ (Jn 15:5) and grow to maturity (Col 2:9-23) as ambassadors of righteousness and ministers of reconciliation (2 Cor 5:18-20) through the renewing of our mind (Romans 12:2), having been set free from the law (bondage) of sin and death (Rom 8:2) and control of the flesh (Rom 8:5), with the sin nature (sinner identity) crucified and buried with Christ and raised to new life in Christ (Saint identity) through baptism (Rom 6:3-11), considering ourselves dead to sin and alive to God (Rom 6:11-13) and taking captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ (2 Cor 10:4), and the overcoming (dominion) of sin (1 Tim 1:7) in our flesh that remains (Rom 7:17, 20), the offering of our bodies as a living sacrifice (Rom 12:1), for the purpose of making ourselves a Bride ready for the return of our Lord, King and Groom (Rev 19:7), in order that He might receive us unto Himself a suitable helpmate to abide, rule, and reign with Him for eternity (2 Tim 2:11-13)!
AMAZING! God says that we are the Body and Bride of Christ who, OF One Spirit, is making Herself ready for His return, thus making Him known to others through the righteous, empowered lives we live now - that they too might come to know the hope-filled wonder of their loving Creator! What an honor and a privilee!
THE WARFARE MINDSET & CONFESSION OF JESUS & HIS BRIDE
regarding sin
It is imperative that we take responsibility for any and all sin we commit by giving way to the flesh. For, in addition to it disrupting our fellowship with our Father, we will be held accountable for deeds done while in the body (2 Cor 5:10), And, if left unaddressed, sin can lead us into deception and strongholds by which we are, ultimately, drawn away from our secure position in Christ (2 Pet 3:17). So we confess our sins to God (1 Jn 1:9) and to one another (Ja 5:16), and we repent by turning wholeheartedly again to God (Acts 3:19), renouncing the sin (lawlessness 1 Jn 3:4) of our flesh and overcoming it by and in Jesus' Name (2 Cor 4:2).
However, if we are to live the hope-filled. righteous, fruit-bearing life God has by His Spirit called us to, equipped us for, and therefore expects us to live, just as Jesus thought and reasoned only from Oneness with the Father, we must learn to proactively think, reason, speak and act from who we are as the New Creature "renewed in knowledge in the image of It's creator who created him (Col 3:10)." For we have been born from above OF the Spirit and our life is now hidden in Christ, the product of One Spirit (1 Cor 6:17 YLT) - lest we be deceived and live by the flesh while calling our belief system, faith (2 Tim 3:5).
Further, while we are to deal with the sin of our flesh, if we can repent after we sin, can we not repent of the thoughts and/or actions that lead to sin and by the Spirit take them captive? God says we can! Our example is Christ Jesus who constantly spoke what was true regarding His identity of Oneness with the Father, resisting sin to the point of shedding His blood. Our commission, therefore, and the natural effect of Oneness with His very Spirit, is to also proactively seek and agree with what God says is true about our New Man identity in Him, affirming what He has done and is dong in our new, empowered being; for, just as we are created in His image and likeness, our words create life or death.
May we, by the Spirit with Whom we are One, be diligent to agree with, proclaim unto accountability, and persevere in what God says is true about His Children, Body, and Bride!
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