Christ's Divinity Alters Our Humanity
This month, we endeavor to dig like never before in the word of God to draw near to Him, behold Him, and enjoy Him, expecting in return to be vessels for His glory. There will be questions for us to ponder, verses that will challenge us to linger and be saturated in the truth.
The main question I pose is whether the finished work of Jesus alters our humanity. We come to the foot of the Cross as sinners in need of a Savior. On the other side of the cross, we become resurrected beings, which is powerful and astounding. And our identity is in Christ alone.
The call to action is to remember the truth “in Christ” and to consider our rich heritage paid for by the blood of Jesus and our responsibility to be part of His new creation. The New Testament uses the terms ‘in Him,’ ‘in Christ,’ and ‘in Christ Jesus’ no less than 175 times. Why? I surmise because we often forget what Jesus has done and where God has placed us.
A significant part of our sanctification is renewing our minds to what Jesus has done, and one way this happens is when we preach the Gospel to ourselves throughout the day. As we submit to the Spirit, He effectively untangles the complexities of life, paving the way for us to walk in Him by grace through faith.
Our part to abide in Christ: I speak plainly—sweet surrender. “For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.” Colossians 3:3. The word is compelling and convicting exposing the truth of our new creation existence, which we must be embraced to fulfill the call of Christ by being fully present in the Resurrection and the Life.
We reside physically on earth and are accustomed to using natural eyes, but our calling is higher because of what Jesus has done. Therefore, we have access to spiritual vision, able to see ourselves ‘in Him’ and see life filtered through the cross. As Christians, life can feel like a paradox. But the reality is as God has said.
So, how do we wrap our minds around the beautiful truths revealed in the word of God? How do we walk within the confines of the body but alive in the Spirit? There is grand tension of this place of seeming in-between. Yet it is released through the knowledge of Him who is holding space for us.
We are partakers of His life; therefore, “…we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.” 2 Corinthians 4:18.
We are reminded, “Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.” Isaiah 43:18-19. Therefore, let's adjust our lens so our gaze is fixed on Him.
I am not asking us to deny our humanity but rather embrace who we have become in Christ fully. We are a new race of people. A new creation in Christ Jesus. The truth is so very precious to me, and I pray it is for you as well.
I've had a number of conversations over the past few months and somehow these three words keep popping up,“we are human.” They seem harmless, simple, and true for the most part, but are they? What are your initial thoughts? I raise the question because in many of these conversations often times, not always, but often these three words are used when making concessions for the way people think and or behave.
Jesus was fully Man and fully God, right? Jesus experienced humanity. He felt tired. He felt all the things. God made us with emotions. He made us human, right?
When God made man in the Garden He did so with intension creating his body first then giving him life when breathed His Spirit into him. The design was for the Spirit to rule the body, will, intellect, and emotions. The Fall changed that. “Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?” Romans 7:24.
So much happened at the Cross, and I pray we would meditate on the Gospel daily savoring the Incarnation, Crucifixion, Resurrection, and Ascension of Jesus Christ. It is critical to our victory here, now. It is through Him that we experience freedom. “For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.”Romans 8:2.
As I continue my journey in the faith, I find myself asking why more often. How about you? I told you this post would be filled with questions.
Why did Jesus come in the flesh? I submit it was to liberate us from it. 👉🏾 “For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh. Romans 8:3. Now look at this 👉🏾 “in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.” Romans 8:4. Notice the righteous requirement is fulfilled ‘in us,’ not ‘by us.’
This is no small thing, friends. Jesus is the initiator and active participant; we are passive through cooperation and submission through the Spirit. God is really that good! He didn't design a plan and leave it up to us to finish it. He finished it! He finished it from the beginning leaving nothing to chance. This brings us the utmost consolation and facilitates an attitude of gratitude.
Jesus is our merciful High Priest. Jesus understood our frailness and weaknesses and came so that we could be filled with His Spirit and be one with Him and indeed walk as Him here and now. As believers in Jesus, He radically alters everything including our humanness.
Do we believe Him?
“If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.” Romans 8:11. The Triune God is seen in this verse twice and He uses the word mortal bodies. In the future we won’t have a need for a mortal body. This mortal body will put on immortality. This verse is for us here and now. The ramifications of this verse are stunning and powerful. Beloved, ponder the healing and wholeness Jesus died to provide us and indeed has provided in Himself.
Do we perceive it? Will we embrace Him? Will we stop abdicating our responsibilities and authority? We have everything because we have Jesus and are in Him. We must stop burying the talent.
Sidebar: The Parable Of The Talents (Matthew 25:14-30). This parable is much more extravagant than a story about what we do with our blessings (tangible) and abilities. The context is about eternity. Look at the proceeding verses and those which follow in Matthew 25:1-13 and Matthew 25:31-46, when you have time.
We’ve been given the most precious who is Jesus, salvation through the Gospel, His blood and forgiveness, and the grace of the living God. What are we doing with Him? How do we see Him? In the parable, it was how the “servant” saw the Master, which was the problem in stewarding what had been given. How we see Jesus and the finished work is connected to how we think, see ourselves, walk this life out, and reflect Him to others. We are to be fruitful and multiply His Kingdom on earth.
How we think, process, and move in this life is no longer simply as “humans.” Jesus has caused us to be different. We are born of God. “For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.” 1 John 5:4 . Let that sink in.
“From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer.” 2 Corinthians 5:16. Paul says, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” 2 Corinthians 5:17.
Do we believe Him?
Jesus didn't die and leave us the same. He died so we might live in and through Him, making us the Children of God. Jesus is radical, and what He has done in us is revolutionary! We are called to walk in the authority and power the Son supplies. We are to mature, going from faith to faith with the understanding that we have been perfected internally and are now walking out what He has done inside us.
This doesn't mean we walk perfectly, but we are being conformed to the image of Christ, where we reflect His life. Our part is to come into alignment with the truth of what has happened. The process is fragrant of the Gospel and the demonstration of His love. If we accept that we are “just human” rather than a new race of being, how can we effectively walk in His calling?
Aligning Our Words With What God Said: Only What God Says.
It is paramount for us to think before we speak for when we adopt what the world says we don't realize we give permission to the worlds ways. The enemy and his minions have been around for a long time. He was a liar from the beginning and this has not changed. He infiltrates the language subtly looking for an inroad. He has been vanquished, power stripped from the life of believers. We must give him a means and often our tongue is the way. We say things in jest thinking it doesn’t matter, but God’s word says it does matter.
“Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits.” Proverbs 18:21.
Our Lord felt it was important to change the language, which is seen in the Old and New Testaments. God changed the names of Abram and Sarai; why? Think about it, before Isaac was conceived Sarai’s name signified princess confined to one family, but the change in her name to Sarah signified she has become the princess of multitudes. Abram was confessing the promise each time he said her name. Sarah was now calling her husband Abraham, father of many nations, each time she uttered his name, each time anyone talked about or to them they were declaring the promise of God. As a matter of fact, to this day everyone who reads and speaks of this couple continues to confesses the promises given to them and we are the living proof of divine destiny.
Do we get what God has done? Of course, we won’t know it all. But do we even care? I ask because the Church, His Bride has been endowed with power yet we are still walking around as if we are poppers destitute of the authority and abundance of our homeland.
Zachariah the priest was mute for a season until the promise given to him and Elizabeth came to fruition; why? He confessed unbelief in what God said through the angel. Friends, the promise of God is irrevocable and the word of God unchanging. Therefore, he needed to be quiet because the seed (the Word of God) was already planted. Zachariah needed time to catch up to the vision, therefore, he was kept quiet until he could speak what God said.
My point: What we say reflects what we believe, “for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.” Luke 6:45. The promise of God was given in both of these accounts and cooperation through their confession or the inability to confess unbelief over it paramount for its fulfillment. God doesn’t change!
His plan is still unfolding, and we are a part of it. When Jesus walked on the earth, he said, “…Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise.” John 5:19. We are to see Jesus and get busy with what we see our Abba doing. Friends, this is the life He offers us, “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father.” John 14:12.
The Apostle Peter admonished the church, “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.” 1 Peter 2:9.
It is our privilege and a choice to embrace the Truth. We must believe who He is and who He says we are to possess all He says we have in Him. 👈🏾Read that again and let it sink in. I implore us to spend time in the Word, with the Word, and possess the promises He died to give us.
Biblical Journal Prompts
🌻Seeing Jesus
Reflect on what it means for your life to be hidden with Christ in God (Colossians 3:3). How does this influence your daily actions and thoughts?
How can you ensure that Jesus is the focus of your life in everything you do?
🌻Spiritual Vision
Consider how you see yourself and the world around you. How can you adjust your perspective to see through spiritual eyes?
What practical steps can you take to ensure your vision is aligned with Christ's perspective?
🌻Embracing New Creation
Reflect on the truth that you are a new creation in Christ. How does this change the way you view yourself and others?
Write about a time when you struggled with seeing yourself as a new creation. How did you overcome it?
🌻Human and Divine Nature
Jesus experienced humanity while being fully divine. How can reading about His life guide you?
In what ways do you find yourself making excuses for your actions based on your humanity? How can you renew your mind to embrace your new identity in Christ?
🌻Liberation from Flesh
Reflect on Romans 8:3-4. How does understanding that Jesus came in the flesh to liberate you from it impact your walk with God?
What areas of your life do you need to surrender to the Spirit, rather than walking according to the flesh?
🌻Alive in the Spirit
Romans 8:11 speaks about the Spirit giving life to our mortal bodies. How do you perceive the power of the Spirit in your life?
Write about a time when you experienced the Spirit’s power in a tangible way. How did it change you?
🌻Belief and Action
Jesus said believers would do greater works than He did (John 14:12). What does this promise mean to you personally?
How can you cultivate a deeper belief in the works that Jesus said you would do? What steps can you take to walk in this promise?
🌻Chosen and Holy
Reflect on 1 Peter 2:9. How does knowing you are part of a chosen race and a royal priesthood shape your identity and purpose?
In what ways can you proclaim the excellencies of Him who called you out of darkness?
🌻Embracing the Truth
What truths about your identity in Christ do you struggle to believe? How can you overcome these doubts?
Spend time meditating on God’s promises. Write down the ones that resonate with you and declare them over your life.
🌻Possessing the Promises
Reflect on the promises Jesus died to give you. How can you possess these promises in your daily life?
Write a prayer asking God to help you embrace and live out the promises found in His Word.
*
*
We welcome July by living loved and embracing our life in Christ Jesus as our identity. Join me next time as the conversation continues.
Listen to this post on Substack here: https://open.substack.com/pub/theonething1/p/clothed-in-humanity-yet-living-as?r=1voyny&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true
Comments