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TRUE CHRISTIANITY IN A NUTSHELL
Okay, I’m an unbeliever. Now, through hearing the gospel of Jesus Christ, something tugs at my heart (God’s calling) and I choose to believe that Jesus Christ did get up from the dead, after dying for my sins. At that moment, my being opens up to receiving the holy spirit of God…..the nature and life of God Himself….which births itself within me, making me a new spiritual creation, a son of God (God, who is spirit). This spirit is everything that was given to Jesus Christ himself in raising him from the dead. So it is Jesus himself who has sent the spirit of God (holy spirit, or Holy Spirit) into the world, to create new Godly beings where and when anyone believes unto him, Jesus.
See studies: What is the Gospel of Jesus Christ and How to Preach It. How to Be Born Again
That is just the beginning. That new nature, the holy spirit of God, has all the qualities of God Himself (and thus, of Christ himself) It is holy, it is righteous (it belongs wherever it is), it is powerful, it is wise, it is redemptive (it restores to usefulness, fruitfulness) Now that spirit, (and all the qualities it imparts to me, as part of its nature) is a gift from God. As the physical birth brought along its sinful qualities, resulting eventually in death, so our spiritual birth brings along its Godly qualities, resulting in everlasting life !!!
See studies: What is the POWER of God? Fruitfulness in Christ – Colossians 1:1-15 GRACE On Grace, Gifts and Thankfulness
As God is ever-expanding, ever-supplying, ever-giving, so are we. As the church (those who have responded to the call of God and in whom the spirit of Christ is born), we as an ever-expanding body are destined to enjoy, explore and rule over an ever-expanding physical universe. See study Eternity awaits!
So, now I am God’s son….a joint heir of Jesus Christ. Now what? Well, spiritually I have it all. I mean…I’m God’s son….perfectly His son. So what is left? To learn to walk as His son. To grow in my understanding of what I’ve been made to be….to grow in my understanding of this amazing gift. The more I understand it, the more I walk in its wisdom and righteousness and power…..its abilities. The more I learn to identify with it, the more I become it in practice…..it being a son of God. See studies What is Fellowship? Our Inheritance
Like in your physical family….when you were born, you belong to and in your family, but you still had to learn and grow into your abilities. That took time, and effort…..but even as you grew and could do more and more, you never questioned your belonging in your family….even when you made mistakes, or mistreated your parents, or siblings. See study Family – a Biblical Perspective
So, now I’m God’s son….what about sin? Well, it definitely belongs in the realm of my physical life, called the “old man” in the Pauline epistles (the part of the Bible addressed to us today). It never had Godly qualities, couldn’t understand or walk with God, and so it was tricked and deceived its whole life. Certain habits were built into my mind, which I still revert back to. The more I build new, Godly, qualities into my thinking, my mind, my reactions……the more I see how they really work well, the less I’ll revert back to the old way (sin). but…..I always have that choice to make, and I will be tricked into following that old, sinful way now and then until Christ returns…..though hopefully with less and less frequency.
See study Pruned by God. Truth vs. Reality
The more I understand and walk with God, the clearer and more obvious become my Godly choices. But choices they will always be, and I will always be susceptible to reverting back.
See study Discerning Devil Spirits
So, how do we deal with sin? With our own as well as with others’? We preach, teach and seek Jesus Christ….the spirit of Christ within. The more we look at him, the more we will become like him.
See study The Glorified Christ
On the other hand, what we don’t want to do is focus on sin, on trying not to sin, on trying to get others out of their sin by pointing our fingers at it. We preach the way out of sin ….we focus in our own lives on the way out of sin and into the presence of God. We focus on discovering and then establishing in our lives what does work, simply allowing what does not work (sin) to fall away, useless, from our lives. In short, we focus on Christ….first in our own lives, and then show that living Christ to others so that they too may walk in his fullness. See studies The Mystery of Christ Freedom from Sin’s Domination
The whole time we preach and teach and seek Christ, we know that we ourselves, and that others, still have that sinful nature. What we want to do is appeal to that “new man” nature, that Christ within. We want to magnify Christ, so that the new man gets fed and grows and we grow in our spiritual abilities and help others do the same. See study Old Man, New Man … A Comparison Jesus – The Bread of Life
We cannot do that by trying to be better ourselves. We do that by learning to abide in Christ, and allowing him, by his spirit, to change us from the inside. See study Freedom in Christ IN CHRIST – what does it mean?
There are some things we can do that will help us grow up in Christ. These are not “laws,” but means to an end.
Study the Bible, learning to understand it, “rightly divided.”
Fellowship together, as seekers of God. See What is Fellowship?
Share with others this newfound life and understanding. See An Un-Polluted Gospel
Develop our relationship with God by abiding in Christ. See Pruned by God.
Pray, Meditate in the truths of Christ, Explore and Discover! See What is Truth?