by David J. Stewart | April 2016
Colossians 3:1-4, “If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.”
What a precious truth! CHRIST, WHO IS OUR
LIFE!!! What does this mean? It means that when you believe the Gospel,
Jesus comes to live inside your body. Romans 8:9, “But ye are not in the
flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now
if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of
his.” Notice the capital “S” which refers literally to the
Holy Spirit and not just a Christlike attitude. 1st Corinthians 3:16-17,
“Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the
Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of
God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy,
which temple ye are.” God does not dwell
within church buildings with stained-glass windows, padded pews, plush
carpeting and air-conditioning; but rather, inside the body of every
born-again believer!!!
As such, it is Christ's Holy Spirit indwelling the believer which gives us spiritual life. The Bible teaches that because of Adam's sin in the Garden of Eden, the floodgate of sin was opened upon humanity, and so sin and death passed down upon all mankind (Romans 5:12). Thus, every human being ever born into the world (with the exception of Jesus, Whose biological Father is God the Father), has been born spiritually DEAD. 1st Corinthians 2:11 and 14, “For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit (lowercase s) of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God (capital S). ... But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” Unless a person is born-again (i.e., born spiritually into God's Kingdom) he or she cannot understand the things of God, for they are spiritually discerned. This is why there is so much theological heresy on the internet and in the false churches of the world. Satan tricks many people to think that his evil spirit is God's Holy Spirit, and that his evil ministers are God's ministers (2nd Corinthians 11:13-15). Oh, it is wonderful to be a Christian!
I was reading tonight and found a great quote from Evangelist Oliver B. Greene:
“When we believe, we receive: 'Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved' (Acts 16:31). 'As many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name' (John 1:12).”
SOURCE: Dr. Oliver B. Greene; The Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Hebrews; THE GOSPEL HOUR, INC., © 1965
It
is very easy and simple to be saved. Many Bible students mistake the
emphasis upon repentance in the Old Testament as meaning “turning from sins”
to be saved. However, we learn that this is simply not the truth when we
read Genesis 15:6, “And he [Abram] believed in the LORD; and he counted
it to him for righteousness.” The New Testament quotes from Genesis
15:6. Romans 4:3-8, “For what saith the scripture?
Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.
Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt.
But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the
ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. Even as David also
describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God
imputeth righteousness without works, Saying, Blessed are they
whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.
Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.”
Oh, how beautiful are these Scriptures, which Evangelist Ray Comfort totally ignores in his “THE EVIDENCE BIBLE.” Kindly, Mr. Comfort has been deceived by the Devil. I have a copy of his tainted book right in front of me. I wanted to double-check, just to make sure I am being accurate. The last Scripture Mr. Comfort comments about is Romans 3:20, and then the next verse is Romans 4:20. He skips one of the most important passages of Scripture in the Holy Bible, about the doctrine of IMPUTATION. Oh my, how could any serious Bible teacher fail to teach the doctrine of IMPUTATION? And neither does Mr. Comfort comment about Genesis 15:6. You see, the vital doctrine of imputation doesn't fit his heresy of Lordship Salvation.
Kindly, Ray Comfort has brought a curse upon many churches.
Galatians 1:6-9, “I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called
you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: Which is not another;
but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the
gospel of Christ. But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach
any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you,
let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I
now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have
received, let him be accursed.”
What Is The Gospel?
(an excellent, doctrinally-sound, writing by Dr. Harry A. Ironside).
Do you have the new life which is in Jesus Christ friend? No amount of religion can produce the new birth. John 1:12-14, “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.” Beware of anyone (such as Mr. Comfort) who refers to being “born-again” as a radical experience instead of a new birth. Salvation is not reformation, nor is it rehabilitation, nor is it education; it is REGENERATION!!!
One of my favorite Scripture passages in the
Bible is Galatians 2:20, “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless
I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and
the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of
God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. I do not frustrate the grace of
God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.”
There we see the truth of Colossians 3:4b, “CHRIST, WHO IS OUR LIFE”!!!
Amen and amen! Why would anyone want to pass up on the blessed gift of
having the Son of God—the great God and Savior of all men (1st Timothy
4:10)—live within their very being? The Holy Bible is a
precious book of thousands of
promises from God to every Christian.
Oh, it is Wonderful to Be a Christian
If you, dear reader, have never been
saved, then you have only your own carnal dead spirit within you. You
have only the “natural man” (1st Corinthians 2:14-16). As such, you cannot
comprehend the wonderful things that God has in prepare from you as His
child (1st Corinthians 2:11; Romans 8:32). You miss so much by not getting
saved. I am a member of the heavenly family, now, presently. I already have
eternal life. Ephesians 2:7, “That in the ages to come
he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us
through Christ Jesus.” Becoming a child of God grants you
immediate rights, such as, unrestricted full-time access to God's Throne of
Grace, to obtain mercy to find grace to help in time of need (Hebrews
4:15-16).
Colossians 3:3-4, “For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.” I love that, God promises that when He appears, we will appear “WITH HIM.” Every saint has God's promise to be “CAUGHT UP” at the Pretribulation Rapture. At this time of the Rapture, we will meet with Jesus in the air (1st Thessalonians 4:17). We will appear with Him in our new glorified bodies, having been transformed from mortality to immortality (1st Corinthians 15:52-57, receiving a new supernatural body fashioned like unto the Lord's miraculous resurrected body (Philippians 3:21). What a day that will be!!! No more bodily pain!!! Praise God!
It is Jesus Christ WHO IS OUR LIFE! We don't live the Christian life; but rather, “CHRIST LIVETH IN ME.” Galatians 2:20, “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.” CHRIST LIVETH IN ME!!! You don't “Invite Jesus into YOUR LIFE.” You get born-again as an admitted sinner by BELIEVING THE GOSPEL, and then CHRIST IS YOUR LIFE!!! END
