For God hath not called us unto uncleanness,
but unto holiness. He therefore despiseth,
despiseth not man, but God, who hath also
given unto us His Holy Spirit.
1Thessalonians 4:7-8
The views of God, or that there is not a God, are theistic on both sides of this subject of God or not a God. It is our attitude about God that determines our belief and our faith, or non-faith. Attitudes are the result of many influences in a person' life. Attitudes are not absolute as they, and any sane person would agree, that they change over time and over the many different influences that have affected a person' thinking. What you have come to believe is you! the question for a person seeking Christianity, Authentic Christian Faith is who are you and what are the influences that make you you? What do you believe about yourself? The apostle Paul wrote: If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature; old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new" (2Corinthians 5:17). Note: if the two Greek words translated "if" this is not the one that is subjective, it is definite, if you do this or that this will be the consequence. So, "if" you have come to believe in the Christ, Jesus Christ, as revealed to us in the Bible you are a "new creature." Do you believe that? Or do you hope that it is true? Do you believe that when you, not "If" you do believe, but when you do believe that old things have passed away? Oh! You say: I am still doing things that I know that the Bible says not to do, so how can my old things have passed away by my belief in Jesus Christ. Good question! Do you actually believe that by your belief in Jesus Christ you can have salvation? What is your idea of the salvation of your soul? Jesus Christ came to save all who believe upon Him, do you believe that? Do you just hope that it is true, or have you come to know by your reading His word and allowing the Holy Spirit that God indwells a believer that this is true? What is this thing salvation?
When a person comes to belief, "if" he/she does their is this experience that you have of this salvation and you know that there is something now different, you are being influenced by something, or someone that is not of this world and its culture. Life, your actual life is really altered. Hoe do I know this? Because the old things that belong to the old creature are so altered that you do not want those things, your desires are new, the old has lost its power. this new life, your new created life is much like the water flow from a faucet that is strong when wide open but as the valve is closed the power of the flowing water loses its strength until the water is shut off. The opposite is true of one who has come to believe. At first the valve, this new life, being a new creature is flowing but not as fast as it will be as the valve, the reading, the meditating, the praying to God for strength, the water will grow stronger and stronger until it riches its full potential. Only if another is allowed to close this valve, this new life will the flow, this experience of salvation lose its power in your life. Has God altered things, or the thing that matters? Are you still juggling with yourself and are still hankering after the old things? If so the Spirit of God has not made an alteration in you and you are not allowing yourself to become a "new creation." Now, you are to active in your transformation, but do not miss this point: You are not transforming yourself, God is the One who is transforming you and you are taking into your life His transforming power. You cannot, you must not consider that you did this: no! This is some great miracle that God would even consider saving a sinner, let alone to think that He would come to earth just to die so that this is possible. If you come to believe upon Jesus and allow yourself to be transformed into a "new creature," this then is what we know to be sanctification, a growing into the image of Jesus Christ who died so that all this is possible. By this altering you can see the evidence that you are saved, that you have the salvation promised by God through His Only Begotten Son Jesus Christ.
If, you come to believe on Jesus as your Savior then you can stand in the light that "old things are passed away; behold all things are become new" you no longer have to shuffle between the "old creature" and the "new creature" for God's salvation is worked out in you and me by the Holy Spirit. You do have this to do: walk in the light as God is in the light, in fact God is the Light. By the death, burial, resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ His life can be worked out in your "if" you put you faith, if you come to Authentic Christian Faith, and are not following some man's doctrine by putting it above Jesus Christ. God is willing, are you? God's light is working out in every particular way, or, you may not be conscious of this, but this working out by God is deeper than your consciousness.
Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD,
and whose hope the LORD is.
Jeremiah 17:7
You are a new creature, the old has passed away
Richard L. Crumb
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