God’s Adopted Family. 2
We Bare His image.
Reading Galatians 3:23-4:7
The thing that separates us from God, is sin. It is a simple fact, that nothing that this tainted with sin is able to approach the Holy "I AM THAT I AM." So when Jesus paid the price for our sins upon the cross, He made the way clear for us to be reconciled to the Father. We under go a fundamental change when we become new creatures in Christ Jesus.
In the Scriptures we find that there are many references to the old and new nature, the flesh and the Spirit, death and life, the things of God and the things of this world. By the use of such contrasts, we can see that there is to be a radical change in anyone who is born-again.
The Apostle John wrote;
John 1:12+13; "..as many as receive Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even those who believe in His name; who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God."
So those who accept Christ as their Lord and Saviour, are "BORN OF GOD."
Peter puts it this way;
2 Peter 1:3+4; "..His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, By which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be PARTAKERS OF THE DIVINE NATURE having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust."
The old nature, the old us, this old corrupt sin ridden body will not enter the Kingdom of God. The new, that which we have been made to be by the process of the new birth will;
1 Corinthians 15:50+53+54; "...flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption.... For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: "Death is swallowed up in victory.""
Yet now the old has been changed, so that the new has taken its place, we have as Paul put it;
Romans 8:29; "..predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son."
When God first created man in His own image, He created man as a spiritual being. Adam was made in the moral and spiritual image of God. He was a free rational being, un-corrupted and tainted by sin. It is this image, and more, that God recreates in mankind. So how can one see that an individual has put on the new? Jesus said it is by the fruit that is produced that you know what something or someone is.
We are told to;
Colossians 3:9+10; "Do not lie to one another, since you have PUT OFF the old man with his deeds, and have PUT ON the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him."
So what is about the image of God that has been birthed in the born again believer, that can be seen? What is it of God in us that is seen? Some are listed for us;
Colossians 3:12-15; "Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; 13 bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. 14 But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. 15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful."
Now this is a tall order when we look at what the natural nature is like. Yet we look the new creature in Christ Jesus, we start to see that thing can be different. This does require the conscious act of our wills, to;
1. Put off the Old nature.
2. Put on the New nature.
The conscious act of leaving the things of the old nature alone. These are listed for so that we can know what some of them are.
Galatians 5:19-21; "Now the works of the flesh are EVIDENT, which are; adultery, fornication, uncleanness, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambition, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like...."
If you only put off the old and do not put on the new, then you create a vacuum which will suck in nearest thing. Which tends to be what we have just put off and a few things more beside. If I only put off and do not put on, then I am in a worse position than before. I become one of two things:
1. legalist, (law and rules.)
2. libertarian (anarchist.)
I also quickly discover that I cannot keep it up. I am simply unable to maintain that standards, I laps back into the old. The empowering comes as we:
Colossians 3:10; "put on the new man who is RENEWED IN KNOWLEDGE according to the image of Him who created him."
Paul clearly tells us to PUT ON CHRIST (Galatians 3:27).As we commune with our Lord, as we become acquainted with Him and His ways. We find that as we feed the new creation, it grows in strength and power, pushing aside and starving the old. So we become more like Christ, conforming to His image, partakers of the Divine nature, victorious in Him. Our adoption is more then just becoming part of a family. We have become children of God in nature, products of His Divine regeneration, totally identified with, partakers of Himself. No wonder Paul was able to write;
Colossians 4:13; "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."
