Tuesday, April 2, 2019

The Gospel of Grace: The Reality of Our Union in Christ



I am shocked over how quickly you have deserted the grace gospel and strayed away from Christ who called you to Himself by His loving mercy. I’m frankly astounded that you now embrace a distorted gospel of salvation by works! 7 That is a fake “gospel” that is simply not true! There is only one gospel—the grace gospel! Yet you have allowed those who mingle law with Christ’s grace to confuse you with lies. Galatians 1:6-7 TPT first edition


 We've been in an ongoing study of the Gospel of Grace. That is the Good News of Jesus Christ and all He has accomplished for us in the Finish Work. We've seen the Reality of our Righteousness. We saw the Reality of the New Creation, what it means to be made new. We've also exposed the dangers of Religious Traditions and mixture. 

 Today, I sense the leading to share on another reality of this great Gospel. Our perfect union with Christ. We are united with Him. We are in Christ. This is a powerful truth. Under the Old, those who knew God had the benefit of God being with them. That is good knowing God is with you. 

 The New Covenant though goes further. Not only is God with those who believe, But He is also in those who believe. This is this Union with Christ. God is dwelling within His people. Becoming more God inside minded produces boldness in our relationship with the Father. 

 This Union with Christ is seen many times in the New Covenant. Romans 6 declares we are united with Him in Resurrection life. Ephesians tells us Christ dwells within by Faith. Paul shows we are found in Him, having a Righteousness of Faith and not of works and performance.
and become one with him, no longer counting on being saved by being good enough or by obeying God’s laws, but by trusting Christ to save me; for God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith—counting on Christ alone. Philippians 3:9 TLB 

 This is this Union with Christ. Being in Christ, not just walking with Him. With this powerful revelation of what Christ did for us in the Finished Work, it leads us to eradicate an enemy to mankind that plagues so many especially in our fast-paced, social media driven world. The scourge that plagues many, loneliness, feelings of isolation, being disconnected, especially in your relationship with God. 

 I want you to hear the words of Jesus Himself, the Person of Grace. 
32 Indeed the hour is coming, yes, has now come, that you will be scattered, each to his own, and will leave Me alone. And yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me. John 16:32 NKJV (Emphasis mine)

 This truth needs to be rooted and grounded in our hearts and renewed thinking. We are NEVER alone, for the Father is with us. We've seen already just a few passages that reveal God is not just with us but in us. How can we ever say that we are isolated and disconnected?

 You see, the enemy has a scheme. The tactic this defeated foe uses is to place a question mark where God places a period. When he first appeared his words to Eve were to question what God said. 

 So he uses trying circumstances and difficult seasons to try and convince you that you are isolated. That you are alone, and apart from everyone. That your situation is unique and not like any other. That no one will understand what you're experiencing or rather what you're going through. 

 The tactical assault will come this way, hath God really said He is with you? The defeated devil will lie trying to convince you that God is not with you. The defeated enemy will utilize his most powerful ally, religious tradition to move you into thinking God is so far from you and that your brothers and sisters in Christ want nothing to do with you. 

 The defeated foe likes to remind you of your failures and shortcomings. Thoughts of past failures or present struggles come in waves and the defeated devil using tradition says you've sinned once too often. You've messed up too often. Or will lie saying no one likes you. You're too different. None of the brethren want to fellowship with you. The enemy wants to discount Grace, the precious Blood, and the Finished Work, by speaking religious traditional concepts to you repeatedly. Don't believe the lie, Jesus' perfect redemption perfectly cleansed us and made us righteous once for all time. 

 The devil is a defeated liar. Jesus triumphantly defeated him in the glorious Finished Work. Jesus tells us the Father is with Him. He is not alone. Are we not in Christ Jesus? Are we not hidden in Him? Is He not found in Him? If Jesus and the Father are not separated, then neither are we. 
13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. 14 For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, Ephesians 2:13-14 NKJV

Under this New Covenant, because of the Finished Work believer, you are not apart from Christ, ever. You are not far from Him. There exists no disconnect between you and God. There is no time or place wherein God leaves or turns from you. God is with us and abides within because of the precious Blood of Christ. God has, nor ever will, turn His back on you.

 In this perfect Union with Christ, we are never alone. We have God with us always. Loneliness, feelings of isolation, sensing a disconnect are all the lies of the World, wrong thinking, and the defeated enemy. The Father is with us, Christ is in us through His Spirit, we are never alone!
Image by Alexas_Fotos from Pixabay

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