Freedom

[newnature]

Freedom from God’s condemnation is a reality for every single believer, not because of any new found performance capabilities, but because we are made the righteousness of God in our union with his perfectly righteous son. On top of that, everything necessary to prove to us beyond any shadow of doubt, and to prove to Satan and his rebellious forces that we are totally secure in our union with God’s son, we need nothing more, God supplied every need already. There were a lot of people in Paul’s day and in our day trying to earn their righteousness before God by way of their performance. They thought God would measure their do’s and don’ts and thought they were actually measuring up. God would considered them righteous worthy of his attendance, worthy of being in heaven. In fact, they were bragging, boasting about their achievements as though God could do nothing other than to declare them righteous because they deserved just such a declaration. Paul warned to guard against those who would promote a righteousness through performance idea.


It is up to those of the world to either accept or reject their redeemer, but that does no less make him their redeemer. When we accept our redeemer and the price he paid, the ransom he paid, then we are joined to Christ and we have his righteousness attributed to our account. Those who reject the gift are thumbing their noses at the one who died to paid that price for their redemption. The price was paid for all, and through that payment Jesus redeemed the entire human race from the sin barrier that separated the world from God. It is now a son issue, not a sin issue. Will those of the world accept or reject the payment Christ made for their redemption? Those who reject their redeemer will face the ultimate consequences of that rejection. God did for us what we could never do for ourselves, he took all of our performance off of us and put it onto Jesus and judged him for our faulty performance. The only thing God is asking us to believe to be placed into his son, is to take him at his word concerning what his son did where our sins are concerned. The instance we take our stand with God, we are not only saved, but sealed until the day of redemption of these earthly tents in which we dwell. Flesh wants to say if I broke it, I can fix it. God is not asking us to turn from anything to be saved, he is asking us to believe Jesus accomplished salvation for us and we are simply to believe it. Jesus did it all, there is nothing left for us to do, God did all the giving, we do only all the receiving, faith is taking God at his word concerning what his son did on our behalf.

 

[visionary]

Nice start... What is the walk of a believer after accepting their redeemer?

 

[newnature]

Nice start... What is the walk of a believer after accepting their redeemer?

Does Romans 6:1 mean that once a person becomes saved they can just go out and do anything they want to do, live anyway they want to live and still be saved? Does Paul give people a license to sin? Human reasoning would reason it that way. Divine reasoning, divine viewpoint would say, NO, GRACE IS A MUCH GREATER MOTIVATOR. It’s the love of God that constrains us, not fear that God is going to strike us dead or face the second death if we perform what we shouldn’t be performing or, don’t measure up through our performance. Are people set apart as holy in God’s sight because of their lack of sin? Or, are people set apart as holy in God’s sight because he has joined them to his son?

The criteria for salvation is repentance and repentance means turning away from sinning or, at least, a commitment to turn away from your sinning. This is what is commonly taught from the pulpits across the country, from the pulpits of pastors who REFUSE to acknowledge the truth of 2 Corinthians 5:18-21. Has sin been taken off the table of God’s justice through Jesus’ death for those sins according to the apostle Paul, or has it not? Now, how many people not understanding Justification or Sanctification will look at 1 Corinthians 9:27 and say, “See there! If you don’t live right, if you just let that flesh run wild, why, you’re going to be a castaway, you’re going to lose your salvation.” They take one passage while ignoring everything else, out of its context. A passage out of its context is a pretext, and so their pretext is you can lose your salvation which is foolishness. How many of us share Paul’s concern today when it comes to the life we live out of appreciation, not out of apprehension, or out of an attempt to earn a more righteous standing before God? What Paul is telling us here is not how he set himself apart in order to gain a greater righteousness before God through his performance, but how he made his life-style (to the best he could) conform to who God has already made him to be in his sanctified or set-apart identity being joined to the Savior that he might more affectively reach others. That was Paul’s key motivation. There is a vast difference in those two motivations.

 

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It is up to those of the world to either accept or reject their redeemer,

Where does the bible directly say this?

 

[1213]

...It is up to those of the world to either accept or reject their redeemer, but that does no less make him their redeemer. When we accept our redeemer and the price he paid, the ransom he paid,...

I think there is one problem with that, which is often brought up by atheists. If something was paid, to whom was it paid? That is the question that I think shows the common redeemer idea is not entirely correct and Biblical.

It is good to notice first, Jesus had right to forgive sins before his death and he gave that same right for his disciples also.

The scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, "Who is this that speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, but God alone?" But Jesus, perceiving their thoughts, answered them, "Why are you reasoning so in your hearts? Which is easier to say, 'Your sins are forgiven you;' or to say, 'Arise and walk?' But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins" (he said to the paralyzed man), "I tell you, arise, and take up your cot, and go to your house." Immediately he rose up before them, and took up that which he was laying on, and departed to his house, glorifying God.
Luke 5:21-25

Whoever's sins you forgive, they are forgiven them. Whoever's sins you retain, they have been retained."
John 20:23

It didn’t depend on payment. God had given Jesus right to forgive even before the death. That is why I think the common payment idea is wrong. However, it can be seen that Jesus paid the price, because the reason why he was killed was that he came to proclaim the Gospel and he lived his life for us. He used his life for our benefit, so that we could get the message. in that way, it can be seen that he paid with his life. But I think it is not Biblical idea if people think death was the point. The life of Jesus was the point, because he used it for our benefit and showed the way to God.