Post by randy on Nov 12, 2020 18:13:36 GMT
My wife and I suffer regular bouts of "negativity," and I don't think it's possible to avoid it. But I do think the proper way to deal with it is by "identifying with Christ."
What this means is that by faith we can identify with Christ's death, resurrection, and ascension. After all, he didn't come down to die for himself, as if he was some kind of masochist. Instead, he came down to die for us, to rise for us, and to ascend for us so that we could benefit from things only he could do. We can participate in these things by faith because we could never have done them on our own.
By faith we identify with Christ's death. We see our sins as forgiven, and we see our sins as put to death. The penalty has been paid, and we don't need to pay it again.
We also see ourselves as coming back to life after being punished with death, experiencing not just mortal life again, but more, the spiritual life of Christ himself. We experience his righteousness. This righteousness can no longer be disqualified due to our own inherent sinfulness.
And we also identify with his ascension into heaven, where we live free of sin, as if in a glorified state in complete victory over sin. We experience victory over sin not as if we are no longer in our mortal bodies, but rather, as having the ability to live in the righteousness of Christ even while we still live in mortal bodies. We still have the negativity, but we also have the new life of Christ that surpasses the life of the fallen body.
What do you think? Do we identify with Christ's death, resurrection, and ascension as a form of forgiveness, righteousness, and victory that we have access to by faith? Is this what Christ came to do for us, to make these things available to us by grace?
What this means is that by faith we can identify with Christ's death, resurrection, and ascension. After all, he didn't come down to die for himself, as if he was some kind of masochist. Instead, he came down to die for us, to rise for us, and to ascend for us so that we could benefit from things only he could do. We can participate in these things by faith because we could never have done them on our own.
By faith we identify with Christ's death. We see our sins as forgiven, and we see our sins as put to death. The penalty has been paid, and we don't need to pay it again.
We also see ourselves as coming back to life after being punished with death, experiencing not just mortal life again, but more, the spiritual life of Christ himself. We experience his righteousness. This righteousness can no longer be disqualified due to our own inherent sinfulness.
And we also identify with his ascension into heaven, where we live free of sin, as if in a glorified state in complete victory over sin. We experience victory over sin not as if we are no longer in our mortal bodies, but rather, as having the ability to live in the righteousness of Christ even while we still live in mortal bodies. We still have the negativity, but we also have the new life of Christ that surpasses the life of the fallen body.
What do you think? Do we identify with Christ's death, resurrection, and ascension as a form of forgiveness, righteousness, and victory that we have access to by faith? Is this what Christ came to do for us, to make these things available to us by grace?