2Cor.5:17-18(Amp) says, "Therefore, if any person is ingrafted in Christ Jesus (the Messiah), he is a new creation (a new creature altogether); the old previous moral and Spiritual condition has passed away. Behold, the fresh and new has come. All things are from God, Who through Jesus Christ reconciled Himself to us (received us into favor, brought us into harmony with Himself)."
We have been reconciled back unto God, through Jesus. As believers, we must have faith to receive this reconciliation through Jesus and the Holy Spirit. You might believe this is automatically done, when you were saved, but it isn't. Many believers still refuse to accept all that Jesus has done for us, at His Resurrection. God has made us righteous by actually placing the Righteousness of Jesus, in and through us, but many refuse to reconcile themselves to this Truth. They consider themselves to be only "sinners saved by Grace."
God's Word doesn't bear this out, so they're not reconciling themselves to God. This doctrine mostly comes from those who really don't know the fullness of reconciliation, in terms of God's Awesome Grace, in their hearts. God's Gift of Grace brought us into His family and it had nothing to do with the life we lived before receiving Jesus as our Lord. Righteousness was given to us, when we received Jesus, but if we don't know who we've become in the new creation, then we'll continue considering ourselves from the old person we once were. We must have faith in God's Word, in order to be reconciled in this part of our walk with the Father. He now sees us as "the Righteousness of God, in Christ Jesus."
Rom.5:17,19(Amp) says, "For those who receive God's overflowing Grace (unmerited favor) and the free Gift of Righteousness, putting them in right standing with Himself, reign as kings in life through the One Man Jesus Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One)." In order to reconcile ourselves to this Truth, WE MUST, by faith in His Truth, accept and receive it to ourselves. If we continue seeing ourselves as being unrighteous in God's eyes, then our ability to receive answers to our prayer and other portions of the new creation child of God, will be dwarfed.
Paul goes on to explain God's Grace to us in Jesus, in Verse19, which says, "For just as by one man's disobedience (Adam's failing to hear, heedlessness, and carelessness), the many were constituted sinners, so by One Man's obedience (Jesus) the many will be constituted righteous (made acceptable to God, brought into right standing with Him.) Righteousness is a word that has been removed from today's vocabulary and has been replaced by what we think it means. Righteousness or right standing with God, is a Gift of Grace that was offered to us, when we received Jesus. Now, in Jesus and the new creation He has birthed by His Sacrifice, we've been restored or brought into existence by the Father. We've been brought into God's family, through Jesus and have the same ability Adam had before his transgression, to enter into the Very Presence of God, without sin, guilty, condemnation. We are new creations and are children of the Most High God.
The reconciliation God has offered us in Jesus, is already done on God's behalf. We must however, accept this Gift of Righteousness and reconcile ourselves with Him. Religion and carnal minds will continue telling us that we are "still unworthy, unrighteous and still sinners. If we believe this, then will won't reconcile ourselves to the Truth of God's Word, which says this is already ours to enjoy. When we lack faith in what Jesus has done, we won't be able to enjoy fellowship with the Father in His Presence, like He desires. And, we won't be able to learn His will and Love, like we should.
We remain in the Outer Court, like the Old Testament saints, instead of entering the Holy of Holies with Him, when we don't understand the Fullness of God's Grace. God invites us to come directly and boldly into His Very Presence and His Throne Room of Grace, in Heb.4:16. God invites us to enter into His Presence, any time we need or want to, His Door is always open. Christianity isn't just some religion, but it's family and home to the Most Loving, generous and providing Father. He Loved us, when we were at our worst and welcomes and receives us, as Jesus made us to be in Himself.
We, of course, make mistakes in this life of the flesh and the world. I hope though, that if you've truly accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord, in Truth and faith, then you're not deliberately living in sin or aren't growing in knowledge of who you've become in Him. Grace isn't a license to live any way we desire, but is the Strength of God that keeps His new creation children. Through Jesus, God has done what no one could do for ourselves, despite how hard we try. It's only by faith in what Jesus has already done for us, we can be made righteous in His Presence for eternity.
Paul writes about our going from "faith to faith," in Rom.1:17(Amp). Our faith in what Jesus has truly done, is an ongoing Revelation that will bring us into the maturity of our salvation. We will either accept or reject our reconciliation and our right standing before the Father, by faith in Jesus. Our trying to make ourselves righteous by works and pride in our ability, will never work. Everything in our salvation, is determined by how much faith we put in His Finished Work. Because we are already "heirs of God and joint heirs with Jesus," (Rom.8:17), all these things are already ours to enjoy. We must accept them in faith in Jesus, in order to truly enjoy them in this life and when we get Home to Heaven. This is our inheritance. It's not something we work for or can earn, but is what we receive by faith in Jesus' Work for us.
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