Dwelling in Destiny

Intro

The Chriostian life is full of strange dicotamies.

We are set free.

John 8:36 AV

36 If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.

But at the same time we are slaves to Christ.

1 Corinthians 7:22 NASB95

22 For he who was called in the Lord while a slave, is the Lord’s freedman; likewise he who was called while free, is Christ’s slave.

There are also mystries regarding our identity in Christ.

On one hand:

Mark 10:6 AV

6 But from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female.

On the other hand

Galatians 3:28 AV

28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.

Today we are going to look at one of these mystries.

It is the mystrey of the different levels of fellowship different believers have with Jesus Christ.

By the book, eveery Christian should have the exact same fellowship with Jesus.

This is because every single one of us did not ern our fellowship, but it was given to us by God through reconciliation.

again if we look at Gal

Galatians 3:28 AV

28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.

We are all one.

Paul says it like this:

2 Corinthians 3:18 AV

18 But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.

Scripture tells us that each of us has:

2 Corinthians 4:13 AV

13 We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak;

Let me put this plainly:

We were ALL sinners.

We were all given the same grace.

We were all washed by the same blood.

We were all filled with the same spirit.

We all pray in the same name - the name of Jesus.

We all read the same scriptures.

Christianity is the ultimate level playing field.

But we find a dicotomy:

Whilst in theory we should all be the same spiritually, we find this is not the case.

There are christians who seem to have more peace than us, when scripture tells us we have all been given the same peace.

There are christians who have more joy than us, when scripture clealy tells us that our joy is the same.

Thdere are christians who are stronger than us, while scripture says tht we al have access to the same strength.

What are we to make of this?

The difference between a victorious christian nd a defeated christian has got nothing to do with God granting the one more than the other.

In fact, its got nothing to do with God at all.

The difference boils down to sanctification.

Sanctification and Justification

A while ago we did a sermon on these two biblical words.

Let me refresh:

Justification is the act wherby God declares the beliving sinner righteous in Jesus Christ.

Romans 5:1 AV

1 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:

Very important to note is this is a legal decleration by God.

God simply declares us to be righteous.

BUT this decleration does not actually MAKE us righteous.

Imagine a thief in court, he pays his fine - when his fine is payed the judge declares that justice has been done and the thief is free to walk out as an innicent man.

He is not ACTUALLY innocent, but rather has been delared LEGALLY innocent.

This is what God did to each of us through Jesus Christ.

I am a sinner.I know i am a sinner because i sin.

But LEGALY i am not a sinner because God has justified me.

Legally i am:

Galatians 3:26 AV

26 For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.

Now this is very important because it is on this basis of our justification that God dealls with us.

When he sees me, he does not see me as a sinner (which i am) but he sees me as righteous as Jesus Christ.

The same is true for all of you.

Thats why we are all the same in Jesus.

You cant be more justified than you are now or more than any other Christian.

However, there is another part to our slvation other than our justification.

Sanctification

Sanctification is not like justification.

Justification is a single act of God that takes place once at our conversion.

Sanctification is a process that takes the rest of our lives.

Sanctification is us, with God’s grace and help, living our lives to match our justification.

Simply put:

Ephesians 4:1 AV

1 I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called,

Here are the facts:

None of us are worthy to be called God’s children.

Neverthelesss, in God’s great love, He declared us His Chiuldren.

Thats justification!

Now, ou duty is to strive with all our heart, soul and strnegth and grace to live AS IF we WERE worthy of that calling.

That is sanctification!

And it is here that we find why christians who share the exact same justification experience such different degrees of power and presence - the difference is their sanctification.

Justification is your calling.

Sanctification is your walking.

A classic example of the discrepency is Abraham and Lot.

Lets look at the facts:

BOTH Abraham and Lot were saved men.

Abraham was saved:

Galatians 3:9 AV

9 So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham.

Lots was also saved:

2 Peter 2:7 AV

7 And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked:

Now one day Jesus and 2 angels came to visit Abraham:

Genesis 18:1–2 AV

1 And the LORD appeared unto him in the plains of Mamre: and he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day; 2 And he lift up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood by him: and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself toward the ground,

While there the Lord sat, talked and even ate a meal with Abraham.

The Lord and the angels felt at home with Abraham because he was a man of holy living.

However,

They had also come to investigate the sins of Sodom and Gomorrah, which was where Lot lived.

What is interesting is that of the 3, only the 2 angels went to Lot.

Genesis 19:1 AV

1 And there came two angels to Sodom at even; and Lot sat in the gate of Sodom: and Lot seeing them rose up to meet them; and he bowed himself with his face toward the ground;

The Lord did not come to lot, sit with him, talk to him, eat and fellowship with him like He did with Abraham - EVEN THROUGH BOTH MEN WERE SAVED.

The reason is simply because Lot, though saved and delievered from judgment - was NOT a SANCTIFIED man.

Our vision verse says it like this:

Ephesians 3:17 AV

17 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,

That word dwell literally means to unpack and make youself at home.

Jesus made himself at home with Abraham because he was justified AND sanctified.

But Jesus was not at home with Lot, Jesus saved Lot from judgment but not once does scripture say He dwelet with Lot.

Conclusion:

How worthy of the title Child of the Living God do you walk?

Are you at home in sinful Sodom?