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I have been crucified with Christ. And I myself am living no longer,but Christ is living in me. And what now I am living in flesh, I living by faith,that one of the Son of God, who loved me and gave over himself for me. -- Galatians 2.20 In order to live saved, live like Christ and how the Bible says, we must become broken and come to the end of our own efforts and rely totally on Christ. Having had faith in Jesus Christ, God has placed us "in Christ" which involves two great fundamental truths. So that if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old things came aside. Perceive! Things have become new. -- 2 Corinthians 5.17 Crucified Old Creation As an old creation, we are governed by our own self, that is, we rule ourselves by the mind, will, and emotions of our soul; or we even may allow our body and its urges to rise up and rule us. In either case our spirit, the innermost part of us that alone is capable of being joined with God and his Spirit, is suppressed, separating us from God. We live of self and for self. But "in Christ" we were crucified with him as an old creation. (Romans 6.1-14; 1 Corinthians 2.14; Isaiah 53.6; Romans 7.5) Diagram of Old Creation: God the Father|God the Son|God the Spirit ---------------separation--------------- Our Soul | \ | Our SpiritOur Body -- or -- Our Body|Our Soul|Our Spirit Risen New Creation "In Christ" we were raised with him as a new creation. As a new creation, our spirit is restored to its rightful position and is joined to the Holy Spirit, uniting us spiritually with Christ. In our soul we depend always upon Christ, appropriating him -- his life, his mind, will, and emotion -- for our selves. We live of Christ and for Christ. Then we order our body to manifest him. (Ephesians 2.4-7; 1 Corinthians 6.17; Romans 8.14; 2 Corinthians 4.10) Diagram of New Creation: God the Father|God the Son|God the Spirit|Our Spirit|Our Soul|Our Body
Living By Faith There is a distinction between our position "in Christ" and our experience of that position. Our position encompasses the two essential truths of having been crucified with Christ as a old creation and raised with him as a new creation. But our experience of this position rests upon our faith. If we truly have faith in our position, then we will refuse to live as an old creation because we believe that we died with Christ as an old creation and we will rely always on Christ and live for him because we believe that we have been raised with him as a new creation. We may experience more of our position as we live by faith moment by moment, asking ourselves, "Am I living by faith right now?" (Matthew 16.24; Ephesians 4.20-24; 2 Corinthians 5.7; Hebrews 11.6) A single person is single in position and experience. But the moment the person exchanges vows of marriage, that person moves in position from being single to being married. The person may act in ways as if still single; and if so, the person will be experiencing being single when in fact the position of the person is married. Or the person may learn and act more and more like a good spouse and refuse to act as if still single and thus the person will experience more and more the position of being married. After twenty years, the person will be no more married in position than on the day of the wedding ceremony, but hopefully that person will have grown much in the experience of being married. So it is with us in Christ. Continual Prayer: "Dear Lord,I am depending upon you right nowas a risen new creation in order to live for you, and I am denying my self as a crucified old creation. Fill me with your Spirit, so that I might experience moreof my position in you. Thank you, Lord. Amen."
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