I RECALL reading one of my favorite periodicals, finishing one article and turning the page to the next and finding this title jumping out at me: There is Forgiveness, subtitled, But there are No Shortcuts on the Road to Reconciliation. What a wonderful truth both of these statements make: There IS forgiveness, forgiveness being one of the most significant and precious words in the English language; and although we are a people who love shortcuts, when it comes to reconciliation and –let me add sanctification- attempted shortcuts only lead astray. As I like say over and over again, “do the process,” and part of the process is the grace aspect of forgiveness.
ONE of my favorite movies is City Slickers. If you’ve not seen it, it is a story of three friends and “that typical struggle” with finding themselves while going on an extreme vacation “cattle-drive.” In a critical scene they lament times past, opportunities lost, recall days of youth when things were simpler, like when they played sandlot baseball. Playing sandlot baseball, if an argument ensued or a fight broke out over a questionable call or play, they could call a “do-over,” – rewind the play and do it over again. But as we get older, we find there really are no “do-overs;” we make our decisions, our mistakes and we have to live with them. There are no “do-overs!” …Well yes, and well – no; there are “do-overs” for those who come to Christ, it’s just called “forgiveness,” and the assurance of the acceptance in the Lamb who keeps on cleansing us of all unrighteousness, over and over again. For those who come in faith with a humble and contrite spirit, 1John 1:9 provides a precious cleansing, finding with Psa. 51:17 the Christian’s “do-over.”
NOW you might ask, “Well Joe, isn’t a “do-over” a short-cut?” I would answer, no – because we kids made a “do-over” a part of the process. We knew our fallibility and weakness for error. Our pride as we grew-up made us forget the necessity for forgiveness, and the necessary means for getting there. But God never forgot the need, and provided the perfect way to become “new creatures” in Christ. And the means of reconciliation from which forgiveness is derived is no short cut, no short path around the righteous requirements of a holy God. Redemption accomplished and applied is very complex and complete in its nature and extent. For a full understanding of this I would commend you to the excellent book on that topic by John Murray, Redemption Accomplished and Applied, examining what it took for Christ to make us new creatures in bringing many sons to glory (Heb. 2:10) …Which is the point of today’s consideration.
In the wondrous blessings of Christ,
Joe
Neh. 8:10, Isa. 30:15 & Job 2:10
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Chapter 22—Completeness and Security – Continued
Think for a moment of the positional truth of 2 Corinthians 5:17, “… If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature [creation]: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” In the Lord Jesus we are altogether new creations, born anew and complete in Him. He is the eternal Source from which our condition is to develop. “For we are God’s [own] handiwork (His workmanship), recreated in Christ Jesus, [born anew] that we may do those good works which God predestined (planned beforehand) for us, (taking paths which He prepared ahead of time) that we should walk in them—living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us to live” (Eph. 2:10, Amp.).
Even though the work is complete in Christ, there is nothing automatic about our experience of it. Ours is the responsibility of faith. We were not only born anew by faith, but we are to live, walk, and grow by faith. To enter intelligently and cooperatively into that which our Father has established for us in Christ, by faith we are to “put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness” (Eph. 4:24). This simply means that we are to rest in our position in the Lord Jesus as our life. We are to abide there because we have already been established (born) there. “And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him” (Col. 3:10). “For as many of you as have been baptized [spiritually, by the Holy Spirit] into Christ have put on Christ” (Gal. 3:27).
“But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfill the lusts thereof” (Rom. 13:14). The Lord Jesus is “put on” as we abide in Him by faith. Our risen Lord is full provision for our Christian life and service; and the cross is the only provision we have for the self-life. As we confidently rest in the Lord Jesus, the Holy Spirit gives us the things of Christ by means of growth. As a result, our condition begins to reflect what we already are in position. By faith, we abide and live in Him; by faith, His life is developed and manifested in us. “My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you” (Gal. 4:19).
…….To be continued
