Portrait of Faith

Unlike the eagle in my last post, we’re all born a praire chicken. We become eagles through Jesus Christ and undergo three fundamental changes.

1. Colossians 2:13-14 “When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross.”

Jesus canceled the written code with its regulations. He took our sin away. They are NO MORE!

2. Romans 8:15-16 “For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.

“We become God’s children and thus heir, co-heirs with Christ. If indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may share in his glory.”

3. 2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefor, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come.”

When we accept Jesus and decide to follow Him, we become new creations. The old has gone. The new has come!

So what happens to us at conversion? Legally, we go from guilty to acquitted. Relationally, we go from being slaves to being adopted children. Internally, we go from being “children of wrath” (Ephesians 2:3) to “partakers of the divine nature.” (2 Peter 1:4)

Dwight Edwards illustrates this so beautifully. I will try to paraphrase. Imagine standing before the judge, knowing you’re guilty of the crime, but having the judge slam his gavel down and pronounce you “not guilty.” (Justificaiton)

Then before you leave, he puts his arm around you, the criminal, and tells you he wants to adopt you and make you part of the family. (Adoption)

The judge has done all he can for you. The last part is up to you. Your inner renovation is dependent upon how much you, the criminal, want to change.

But with Christ it is different! “We’re changed inherently as well as legally and relationally.”

But I still feel like that praire chicken, clucking around, you say or was that me who said it? How come I don’t feel like an eagle?

I will address this subject next time! Until then, there’s so much to digest in this post. Don’t chew too fast, but savor every morsel.