Bob Cassell, Messenger
Physical death will visit every person on earth. No one is exempt! Some will be afraid when it occurs, and others will welcome it as a joyous transition from earth to heaven. Why can’t everyone look forward to heaven, especially if life on earth has been difficult and torturous? Some think because life has been “Hell on earth” they will receive a compensation into eternal life. This is a limited human viewpoint that says if extreme bad has been experienced on earth, then only good should await inside the “pearly gates.” This is a flawed view and leads away from the very thing that must be understood in order to possess eternal life. Could it be that there is an impregnable barrier between man and God that has nothing to do with difficulties in life or whether one has been perfectly good or grossly bad?
Let’s consider what separates humans from being accepted in eternity by a sovereign and just God. First there is spiritual death that was imputed from Adam because of his deliberate and unadvised sin. He was the first human to sin by volition. Eve was deceived and made a poor decision. Adam was not deceived but still made a poor decision. This is why Adam is considered federal head of the human race and is responsible for committing the first sin. Think of it. No human had committed a sin until now! It was Adam who by volition chose to sin rather than abstain from the temptation. This imputed sinful condition caused the envelopment of something that was not within him originally. Also, it was not the fault of any of Adam’s progeny. Spiritual death was rooted in Adam’s original sin, but it affected every person born thereafter, For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive (1 Corinthians 15:22).
It may appear unfair, but the entire human race was counted guilty when Adam sinned because the human race is born of Adam‘s seed and therefore, counted guilty.
Your sins did not create the old sin nature. This nature dwells within you and incessantly tempts you to obey its dictates. You were condemned long before you committed one single act of personal sin. Adam had been warned, For in the day you eat thereof you shall surely die (Gen. 2:17b). The bad news is there is a consequence in having the old sin nature from which personal sins are committed, as nothing that is tainted can enter Heaven. Why? Because when Adam sinned and was condemned all of his progeny was condemned. There was an attached penalty called spiritual death which is separation from God in an eternal like of fire.
Spiritual death passed upon all members of the human race for all have sinned. All of humanity became condemned by Adam’s sin as it passed down to every person by birth. Thereafter, every member of the human race followed suit and committed personal sins from the sin nature.
There was a consequence because the condemned old sin nature was imputed to the soul, and from it the means of committing personal sins. Therefore, death (spiritual) passed upon all men for all have sinned.
Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin: and so, death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned (Romans 5:12).
This original sin by one man was the basis of condemnation and the acquirement of an old sin nature that would remain in him until death.
The finished work of Christ on the cross offers a new saved position to those who accept Him by faith as the one and only savior. Formally there was a condemned relationship in Adam, but from that condemned position there is offered a way of escape for those who receive Christ as Savior. How shall we escape, if we neglect so great Salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord and was confirmed unto us by them that heard Him (Hebrews 2:3). The believer in Christ immediately possesses a permanent relationship with Him, and everything He is and has been shared positionally. And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He that has the Son has life; and he that has not the Son of God has not life (1 John 5:11,12).
For as in Adam all die (spiritually) even so IN CHRIST (Positionally) shall all be made alive (1 Corinthians 15:22).
This term in Christ has a broad meaning and constitutes an abundance of His glorious riches. Some of these riches are identified as follows:
- Jesus Christ is ETERNAL LIFE, Being IN CHRIST means we have his life and since His life is eternal, we are privileged to possess the life that comes from Him. And this is the record that God has given to us eternal life and this life is in His Son. He that has the Son has life and he that has not the Son of God has not life. These things have I written to you that you that believe on the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may believe on the name of the Son of God (1 John 5:11-13).
- Jesus Christ is ABSOLUTE RIGHTEOUSNESS, and by His grace we possess a perfect and forever righteousness. It is the kind of righteousness that His righteousness requires Him to require.
It indeed is by grace that it is acquired by simple faith that rests exclusively in the person of Jesus Christ. This gracious underserved and unmerited imputation is what enables the redeemed to stand before a Holy and righteous God and live forever.
For he has made Him to be sin for us who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him (2 Corinthians 5:21).
- Jesus Christ is the Son of God and by grace we are in Christ and share his sonship.
For you are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus (Galatians 3:26).
- Jesus Christ is elected forever, and we share HIS election.
Behold my servant (Jesus Christ) whom I uphold; my elect in whom my soul delights; I have put my spirit upon him, and he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles (Isaiah 42:1).
According as He has chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love (Ephesians 1:4).
You may be assured it is He who has made us accepted by means of his finished cross work and not by our works of human righteousness.
Without the slightest strain on His holiness God accepts as righteous those who have been placed in union with Jesus Christ.
It is clear, we do not become righteous by doing righteous deeds, but having been made righteous by the imputed righteousness of Jesus Christ we are equipped to produce righteous deeds.
All deeds performed outside this righteous position in Christ are wood, hay, stubble, and perishes with the using. His
- Jesus Christ is predestined, and we are blessed to share in His destiny.
Having predestined us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of His will (Ephesians 1:5).
- Jesus Christ is the HEIR of God, and by believing in Christ we become joint heirs with Him.
The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God; and if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ (Ephesians 16,17a).
- Jesus Christ is Sanctified, (set apart unto God) we are set apart or sanctified positionally in the perfect righteousness of Christ and are therefore perfected forever.
Unto the church of God which is at Corinth (or your city of town) TO THEM THAT ARE SANCTIFIED IN CHRIST JESUS, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours (1 Corinthians 1:2).
Do not miss this comment! The scriptures constantly make a distinction between the believer’s position in Christ and his daily walk or ordinary living. A believer’s position in Jesus Christ is the result of the work of Christ and is fully permanent the moment an individual receives Christ as savior.
The weakest, most uninformed, and fallible believer has precisely the same relationship in Christ as the most mature and recognized Christian. All of the growth, trials, events, and circumstances that are a part of the believer’s life work together toward the final transformation in a resurrection body at the appearing of Christ. At this point, our work is done, and all opportunity to serve on earth in the devil’s world is finished.
All of these things, working together, have as their object and purpose to make the believers life conform to his exalted and eternal position in Christ. The condition in a believer’s life is to be constantly compelled by working the condition or experience into the eternal position in Christ. Occupation with Christ will lift the human experience to a lofty level that will result in the production of divine good as opposed to human good produced in the energy of the flesh.
Know this well! The believer grows in grace; not to appropriate or secure grace… this grace is received because he serves a God of grace who deals with him in grace.
All of this amazing grace is available because, Grace is all that God is free to do in and for the believer on the basis of the finished work of Christ on the cross. This amazing grace can only be appropriated by means of faith in the person of Christ. It is the work of God for man, it is not the work of man for God.
Sanctification for the believer is to be set apart unto God and occurs in three phases 1) a believer is sanctified positionally in Christ, never to be condemned. 2) Every believer is sanctified experientially as that believer remains in fellowship by a constant confession of all known sins and is controlled by the Holy Spirit. This set apart condition is real but unfelt and is the means of producing divine good. 3) The believer is sanctified ultimately and forever upon receipt of the resurrection body.
Positional sanctification is accomplished by the Lord Jesus Christ. Experiential sanctification is accomplished by God the Holy Spirit and Ultimate sanctification is accomplished by God the Father when we are set apart forever in a resurrection body.
- Jesus Christ is our High Priest. Since all believers are set aside unto service in His plan, we are positioned in Christ to serve as priests.
You also as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ (1 Peter 2: 5)
- Jesus Christ has a Kingship, and we share His kingship, for so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting Kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (2 Peter 1:11).
To have eternal life we must possess the life that comes from Him who is the way, the truth, and THE LIFE. Our position in Christ is obtained by means of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and is our standing. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved (Acts 16:31). This is how we stand and in WHOM we stand! It is not in us nor in our behavior, it is in Jesus Christ who becomes our absolute righteousness. Without receiving and possessing HIS perfect righteousness there is absolutely no hope of everlasting life.
The establishment of this exalted position in Christ is performed by the operation of the Holy Spirit and results in a new birth which is defined as Regeneration (Titus 3:5, John 3: 6-7, Eph. 2:1,5.
Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit (Titus 3:5).
That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is Spirit. Marvel not that I said unto you, YOU must be born again (John 3:6-7).
And YOU has he quickened who were dead in trespasses and sins (Eph 2:1).
Even when we were dead in sins, He has quickened us together with Christ, By Grace you are saved (Eph. 2:5).
This standing is further solidified by means of the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit.
What know you not that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit which is in you, which you have of God, and you are not your own (1 Cor. 6:19).
To protect this high standing the Holy Spirit seals the believer to ensure eternal security.
In whom you also trusted, after that you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also after that you believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of Promise (Eph. 1:13).
And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby you are sealed unto the day of redemption (Eph. 4:30).
This high and permanent position also protects the believer from eternal judgement!
There is therefore now no condemnation (Judgment) to them which are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1).
To believe in Jesus Christ is to have the great privilege of sharing what Christ is and has:
Jesus Christ is the eternal Son; we share his Sonship: For you are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus (Gal 3:26).
Joint Heirship with Christ: The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit, that WE ARE the children of God: And if Children, then Heirs; heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together (Rom. 8:16,17).
We share His Election: According as He has chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in Love (Eph 1:4).
We share His destiny: Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will; vs 11 in whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who works all things after the counsel of his own will (Eph:1: 5,11).
We share in His kingship: For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting Kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (2 Peter 1:11).
We Share in His priesthood: You also as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ; vs 9 But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people: that you should show forth the praises of him who has called you out of darkness into his marvelous light (1 Peter 2:5,9).
We Share His sanctification: Unto the church of God, which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours (1 Cor 1:2).
To be positioned in the righteousness of Christ is to be a new creature (creation) and is to have a new birth where old things like Spiritual Death are passed away and all things become new with eternal Spiritual life.
The new believer’s position in Christ guarantees eternal security. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 8:38,39).
The great characteristics of our position in Christ are not obtained by experience, nor are they progressive, or related to human merit. They are eternal in nature and are known only in and by the word of God. They are obtained totally and completely at the moment of salvation.
The Holy Spirit of God took the new believer at the moment of salvation and entered him into union with Christ and sealed him forever. He keeps him in this secure position by means of His power and not because of the performance or behavior of the new believer.
All believers should live on the basis of our secure position in Christ and not on the basis of our vacillating human experiences. We, by grace, have a secure position in Christ and must stay in fellowship by the confession of all known sins as they occur and thereafter spend time in studying the word of God; thereby growing in grace and maturing in the knowledge of the Son of God as He is revealed in God’s holy and infallible word.
But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, to Him be glory both now and forever (2 Peter 3:18). Amen and amen!
Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved (Acts 16:31).
For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord SHALL be saved (Romans 10:13).
Yes, this is God’s truth… believe it and you will immediately possess eternal life. Reject it and you will be eternally condemned!
He that believes on the Son has everlasting life; and he that believes not the Son shall not see life: but the wrath of God abides on him (John 3:36).
