Our natural reason says, If we do not walk, how can we ever reach the goal? What can we attain without effort? How can we get anywhere if we do not move? But Christianity is a queer business! If at the outset we try to do anything, we miss everything.
Most Christians make the mistake of trying to walk in order to be able to sit, but that is a reversal of the true order. Commenting on Ephesians, Watchman Nee says: You should see a sharp distinction between the first three chapters and the last three (with the connection between the two at 4:1). As a study of your own, read the book of Ephesians and write down all that God has done for you and that which you are called to do yourself. This divine order is clearly seen in the books of Ephesians, Colossians and Romans among others. In other words, the Christian life is becoming (in experience) who you already are (as God sees you). The Book of Ephesians, for example, first makes us “sit and learn” of our position in Christ and then, in view of this position, encourages us to live a life consistent with it. Most of the apostle Paul’s letters in the New Testament draw a sharp distinction between what God has done for us by grace and how we are to live in view of this fact. The riches of God’s grace give us a new position in Christ, and this makes all the difference in living with purpose and satisfaction. Ephesians 1:3 says we were (past tense – when we first believed in Jesus) blessed with every spiritual blessing in Christ in accordance with His pleasure and will – to the praise of His glorious grace! How do we define grace? A common definition is “God’s riches at Christ’s expense.” Another way to describe grace is “the unmerited favor and kindness of God.” And oh how He has acted out of his kindness for the good of the believer! There was justice due for the penalty of our sin, but God paid that debt through the sacrificial death of His Son. Next Steps: Learn About More Core Christian Beliefs The Riches of God’s Grace for the Believer
AND THATS WHEN I REALIZED I AM JESUS CHRIST HOW TO
How to Establish These Truths in Our Hearts What Our Position in Christ Means (and What It Doesn’t Mean) This study will explore the riches of God’s grace in regard to the believer’s position in Christ. Ephesians 2:7 affirms that our new status flows out of that wonderful phrase “the riches of God’s grace.”
In His goodness and by His grace, God changes our standing - our position - before Him when we place our trust in Christ for the forgiveness of our sins. Our position in Christ is our legal standing with God: Are we guilty or not guilty? Debtors or free? His enemies or His friends? Understanding these things makes a difference in how we live day in and day out. I believe that nothing is more foundational to the Christian life than for the believer to understand his or her position in Christ Jesus.
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