In Christ, Chapter Three

 

 

In the last chapter I shared with you a verse of scripture that I want to take a deeper look into. Paul said in Col. 1:18-22,

 

"And he (Jesus) is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence. For it pleased the Father that in him (Christ) should all fullness dwell;   And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.   And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled   In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight:"

 

My prayer today is that Father will find a way to open the minds of those in the Church in order that they might understand what He was doing for all of His creation when He offered up His Son on the cross. The carnal mind cannot understand all that He accomplished by offering up the life (blood) of Jesus on the cross. Paul had a very deep understanding of these things and wrote about them in Romans, Ephesians, Colossians and Hebrews.

 

The Church has in times past taught Law and very little about Grace. When they did talk about Grace it was mixed heavily with Law. Do's and Don'ts for the Christian. As a result we grew up in Christ with a legal mindset and we have ordered our life based upon a sin consciousness and not on a righteous consciousness. When we study the New Testament all the carnal mind sees is that we are sinners saved by grace and we are now living under the Law of Christ. If you ever allow your mind to understand Grace you will realize that we are no longer governed by Law.

 

I am presently trying to get you to see that if we are in Christ we are not sinners and cannot be sinners because there is no sin in Him. The carnal mind absolutely cannot understand this because it is focused on sin and not on the fact that we are righteous because He is righteous and not because we have been able of ourselves to become righteous. Our righteous is nothing but filthy rags in God's sight. Isaiah 64:6 says,

 

"All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags;"

 

We have been taught this in the past and put it together with what Paul said in Rom. 3:23,

 

"For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;"

 

And what John said in I John 1:8-10,

 

"If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.    If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.    If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us."

 

We put these scriptures together and come to the conclusion that we are just sinners saved by grace. But with this mind set it just doesn't line up with what Paul said that God said in Heb. 8:10-12,

 

" For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people: And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest. For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more."

 

And what John said in 1 John 3:4-6,

 

"Whosoever commits sin transgresses also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law. And you know that He was manifested to take away our sins; and in Him is no sin. Whosoever abides in Him sins not: whosoever sins has not seen Him, neither has known Him."

 

Those of you who want to live under Law can in no way justify these scriptures because they are in opposition to one another. However, if you understand what Paul was saying in Gal. 5:18 you will know that we are living under grace and not under Law. Paul said,

 

"But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. "

 

Paul said in Rom. 6:14,

 

"Sin shall not have dominion over you: because you are not under the law, but under grace."

 

What I am sharing with you in these series of studies is something that the Lord has to teach you as only He can. I just didn't wake up one morning and understand all of this. If you have a desire to know the truth and an interest in the things of God, He will teach you about these things as only He can.

 

John said in 1 John 3:4-5,

 

"Whosoever commits sin transgresses also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.    And you know that He was manifested to take away our sins; and in Him is no sin."

 

John makes it very plain that the sin that God took away is that of transgressing the Law. Paul said in Col. 2:13-15,

 

And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened (or made alive) together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances (Law) that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it."

 

He did away with the sin of transgressing the Law by doing away with the Law. Therefore, if there is no Law, you cannot be guilty of transgressing it!

 

Furthermore, if you are in Christ you cannot commit sin because there is no sin in Him!!!! This fact just blows the carnal mind because of our preconceived understand of what sin is. To understand this, you must be convinced that the real person you are is Spirit! You don't have a spirit you are a spirit and being in Christ is spiritual language! The carnal mind and the present earthly body of flesh cannot understand this. It just doesn't make since to the carnal mind because the carnal mind makes mistakes, or if you will sins!

 

However, you are in Christ. The real you, which is spirit, is in Christ. Your body of flesh is not in Christ but your spirit is in Christ. Paul talked about this in Rom. 8:10-11,

 

"And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of him (God) that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken (give life to) your mortal bodies by His Spirit that dwells in you." 

 

The carnal mind cannot understand what Paul was saying in Romans, Ephesians, and Hebrews. Logical thinking cannot explain how your body can be dead and yet live. It cannot explain the eleventh chapter of Romans that all of Israel will be saved even though blindness has been given to them by God for a period of time! The reason that the carnal mind cannot understand these complex verses of scripture is because they are written in spiritual language and can only be understood with the help of the Holy Spirit! Paul said in 1 Cor. 2:6-10,

 

"Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought: 
But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory: Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. But as it is written, Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God has prepared for them that love him. But God has revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searches all things, yea, the deep things of God.

 

For years, the Church has taught that we don't need the Holy Spirit to guide us because we now have the Holy Inspired Bible and all we need to do is to study to show ourselves approved, a workman that needs not be ashamed. (2 Tim. 2:15)

I was taught that only the Apostle's were given the Holy Spirit to guide them because they didn't have the Bible to study.

 

I praise God that the Church is wakening to the fact that without the Holy Spirit you cannot understand the deeper teachings of God. The carnal mind cannot understand the things that I am sharing with you. It has to be revealed to you by His Spirit. Jesus told his disciples in John 16:12-15,

 

"I have yet many things to say unto you, but you cannot bear (receive) them now. Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will show you things to come. He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall show it unto you. All things that the Father has are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall show it unto you." 

 

Think about these things and allow the Holy Spirit to explain them to you.