Understanding Our Position in Christ

OUR CORE ISSUE!

TO UNDERSTAND OUR IDENTITY IN CHRIST WE HAVE TO UNDERSTAND OUR CORE PROBLEM!

CHURCH’S AS A BODY AND THE INDIVIDUALS SOMETIMES GET THIS VERY IMPORTANT PROBLEM WRONG.

OUR CORE PROBLEM IS NOT BAD BEHAVIOR LIKE:

LYING

CHEATING

STEALING

ADULTRY

MURDER

OUR PROBLEM IS SO MUCH DEEPER THAT THAT! (LETS LOOK AT )

New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update Chapter 5

12 Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned

YES, SIN IS A PROBLEM, BUT DEATH IS THE DEEPER PROBLEM! SIN COMES FROM THE DEATH, DEATH DID NOT COME FROM SIN!

**IN THE GARDEN DEATH DID COME FROM THE SIN, BUT NOW WE ARE BORN WITH SPIRITUAL DEATH AS OUR CORE PROBLEM.

BECAUSE OF THE SPIRITUAL DEATH SIN EMANATES FROM THE VERY CORE OF WHO WE WERE!

TURN TO RED LETTERS JESUS IS SPEAKING:

New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update Chapter 10

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.

SO JESUS CAME TO GIVE LIFE TO THE SPIRITUALLY DEAD NOT TO CHANGE OUR BEHAVIOR!!

THE GOSPEL SOLUTION IS NOT TO FIX OUR BEHAVIOR, BUT TO GIVE LIFE!

**SIDE NOTE: YES OUR BEHAVIOR WILL CHANGE DO TO THE SUPERNATURAL CHANGE TO LIFE!! (REMEMBER HEART OF STONE TO HEART OF FLESH!

OUR DELIVERANCE/TRANSFERMATION

SO HOW DID THIS HAPPEN: THERE WAS A DELIVERANCE:

(LETS TURN TO )

New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update Chapter 1

30 But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption

(LETS TURN TO )

The New King James Version Chapter 1

13 He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love

*conveyed= transferred WE ARE TRANSFERRED OUT OF ADAM INTO CHRIST, WHEN WE CALL UPON CHRIST FOR SALVATION HE CHANGES OUR VERY NATURE AND IDENTITY.

IS IT POSSIBLE TO BE SAVED AND NOT KNOW THIS?

YES, INDEED! THIS IS ONE OF THE MOST NEGLECTED TEACHINGS IN THE CHURCH!

A LOT OF BORN AGAIN CHRISTIANS COME TO JESUS ASKING FOR FORGIVENESS OF SINS AND SALVATION!

*SALVATION IS MUCH MORE THAN JUST FORGIVENESS OF SINS!! SALVATION IS A FIX FOR OURSELVES/ OUR CORE PROBLEM! DEATH

(TURN TO PAUL ASK DO YOU NOT KNOW THIS?)

3 Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death?

4 Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.

5 For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection,

6 knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin;

HERE WE SEE PAUL EXPLAINING:

DO YOU NOT KNOW THAT YOU HAVE BEEN TAKEN OUT OF ADAM AND BAPTIZED IN CHRIST! * IMMERSED

SCRIPTURE HERE IS NOT TALKING ABOUT WATER BAPTISM! PAUL IS STATING THAT EVERYONE AT BIRTH HAS BEEN BAPTIZED INTO ADAM AND UPON SALVATION WE ARE BAPTIZED IN CHRIST AS OUR SOLUTION!

MOST CHRISTIANS BELIEVE AND SAY THE FOLLOWING A LOT OF TIMES:

JESUS DIED FOR OUR SINS

JESUS WAS BURIED FOR OUR SINS

JESUS ROSE AGAIN FOR OUR SINS

GOD THE FATHER ACTUALLY TRANSFORMED US LIKE THIS:

WE DIED WITH JESUS

WE WERE BURIED WITH JESUS

WE WERE RAISED WITH JESUS

**A SUBTLE DIFFERENCE? NO, A RADICAL DIFFERENCE!! WE ARE UNITED WITH CHRIST! (LOOK AT VERSES 4-6 ABOVE)