Free At Last

One of the areas that the church has been strong in its teaching is man's need for righteousness, which is definitely needed, but in doing so it tends to lean heavy on ones weaknesses, failures and inability to please God. Even a large majority of hymns tend to speak only of victory, freedom, peace and rest in the after life rather than in this life. Many of the more modern contemporary Christian songs also tend to focus on the struggles of this life; the difficulties of becoming a better Christian; confessing ones lack, which is basically the "woe is me" syndrome. These things have filled many believers with guilt, condemnation as well as having feelings of inferiority. This is what is known as "sin consciousness." Sin consciousness is a product of pastors and teachers who constantly preach and teach that believers will always be sinful. It's a product of song writers whose lyrics, whether old or new, are contrary to scripture and the reality of what believers have and have become through Christ.

The following is one of many facts presented in the Bible concerning what the believer has and has become through their faith in Christ...
"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God. For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him." (2 Corinthians 5:17-21)

First we see that the believer is a "New Creation." This means that his spirit which was dead is now made alive with the very nature of God. The apostle Paul tells us that "we were dead in trespasses, but made alive together with Christ." (Ephesians 2:5) In the same way that Jesus was made alive and became a new creation after He satisfied justice by taking all of mans sin upon Himself believers also have become new creations. Next we see that "old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new." This means exactly what is says. The old sin nature has passed away. Believers are not dealing with a dual nature.

Unfortunately, many pastors and teachers tell people that they still have the old sin nature within them based on Romans chapter seven. However, the apostle Paul was explaining what a person under the law was dealing with not a born again believer who is a product of God's grace. Remember it was the apostle Paul who said,  "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me." (Galatians 2:24) Does this sound like a believer who had a dual nature, one of sin and one of righteousness? Not at all! But this is where the problem lies. Teaching believers that they have two natures would mean that they would have God's nature and the devils nature in the same temple. What utter nonsense this teaching is. It is a total contradiction of 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 "Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's." No wonder so many believers are under guilt, condemnation as well as having feelings of inferiority.    

At this point we need to have some clearer understanding of a problem that a new believer faces, but one that has already be solved by God. When one becomes born again, it is their spirit that becomes a new creation not their soul (mind, will and emotions) or their flesh. Until one is born again their soul has been manipulated by and under the desires of the flesh and still wants to follow fleshly impulses. So what did God do to correct this dilemma? He has given us His Word. This is why it is so very important for believers to read, study and meditate on God's Word daily. The apostle Paul tells us, "And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God." (Romans 12:2) and "be renewed in the spirit of your mind." (Ephesians 4:23) In other words a mind renewed with God's Word becomes subject to the newly created spirit and not the old corrupt flesh. It is just that simple.

The apostle Paul and the writer of Hebrews dealt with believers who confessed Christ but never really did anything more with their new life, "And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ. I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able; for you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men?"
(1 Corinthians 3:1-3) and "For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food. For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil." (Hebrews 5:12-14) Let's not be naive and prideful, there are far to many believers in the church today who are carnal. I am not only referring to new believers who have not been taught how to live by God's Word, but also those who have been saved for many years who consider themselves mature as well as ordained ministers who stand in pulpits every Sunday. Carnal Christians are those who let their fleshly feelings run their lives, which is due to a lack of a mind renewed by God's Word.      

Next, we see in 2 Corinthians 5:17-21 that God "has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ..." It has nothing to do we us, that is, how we feel or how low we think ourselves to be. The fact is God took it upon Himself the reconcile humanity to Himself. (Because the focus here is "sin consciousness," I will not take the time to discuss the ministry that believers have to the lost as ambassadors for Christ). We see that God took mans sin issue upon Himself by making Christ to be come sin. He placed all sin with all of its destructive manifestations upon His Son for every man woman and child for an incredible purpose, "that we (believers) might become the righteousness of God in Him. The moment that one confesses and places their faith in Christ, an instantaneous transformation happens. They become a new creation with the righteousness of God filling them.

What this means is that the very moment that one becomes born again they can stand before God without guilt, condemnation or inferiority. It means that believers are truly free from their past. It means that they are new creations NOW and can live in victory right here on planet earth. It means that eternal life is not something that the believer is heading toward where one day they will finally have relief, it means that eternal life is flowing through them NOW.

The apostle Paul inspired by the Holy Spirit goes to great lengths in the first eight chapters of Romans giving the church the revelation of the righteousness of God; the need for God's righteousness; the imputation of God's righteousness, and the demonstration of God's righteousness all for the purpose of the believer walking free from condemnation, "There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit." (Romans 8:1)   

 Let us look at some of the other wonderful attributes that God provides for His newly created child...
But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you. (Romans 8:11)

"For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out,"Abba, Father." The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs — heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together." (Romans 8:15-17)

"What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? Who shall bring a charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written: "For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter." Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.  For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 8:31-39)

 Honestly, it there one shred of evidence in any of these scriptures that believers stand guilty, condemned or inferior before God? Certainly not! Now is the time to rid ourselves of sin consciousness and place our faith in the integrity of God's Word. It is time to live the resurrected life every day not only on Easter Sunday. When believers truly understand what it means to have the righteousness of God in them, sin, sickness, disease, pains, poverty nor the devil will ever have place in their lives again  Guilt will be replaced with innocence, condemnation will be replaced with liberation, inferiority will be replaced with superiority and believers will truly be able to do all things through Christ.