I'll try to help. If God, all knowing and having all authority over creation, appeared and told you that you were an astronaut and then He vanished; what would you say or think regarding your identity?
I'll try to help. If God, all knowing and having all authority over creation, appeared and told you that you were an astronaut and then He vanished; what would you say or think regarding your identity?
You're not helping!
But I'll try to answer your question, anyway. What I would think about my identity, after that experience, would not change significantly. I would think I just had a very weird hallucination, and get on with my life. (Here, on earth! )
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Hebrews 13:23 Know ye that our brother Timothy is set at liberty
You really didn't answer last time but if you someone stole your retirement money and only way to get it back was to sue, would you?
Would I want to? Yes. lol However, I know it wouldn't be what Christ would desire. God would just have to see me through. I mean, my retirement investments could vaporize in the market tomorrow. Obedience to Christian principle is obedience to Christian principle.
But I'll try to answer your question, anyway. What I would think about my identity, after that experience, would not change significantly. I would think I just had a very weird hallucination, and get on with my life. (Here, on earth! )
Well, then I was right. You don't see it. lol Sadly, that's a symptom of being burned by, or having been neglected by, cultic Pelagianism. I had serious issues when coming out of the UPCI. It's greatly benefitted me to have a good friend with a Master's Degree in Apologetics, with specialization in cult recovery.
You are what God states that you are in Scripture. Ponder reckoning the truths of the Christian's identity with this verse alone. We can look at more later...
Galatians 2:20
I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
This is the essence of living by faith and walking after the Spirit. It's not about what you do or how you behave. It's about what you are in Christ and your realization and reckoning with regards to your identity in Jesus Christ as a new creature. It's not about behavior... it's about spiritual state of being known as being "in Christ".
Well, then I was right. You don't see it. lol Sadly, that's a symptom of being burned by, or having been neglected by, cultic Pelagianism. I had serious issues when coming out of the UPCI. It's greatly benefitted me to have a good friend with a Master's Degree in Apologetics, with specialization in cult recovery.
You are what God states that you are in Scripture. Ponder reckoning the truths of the Christian's identity with this verse alone. We can look at more later...
Galatians 2:20
I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
This is the essence of living by faith and walking after the Spirit. It's not about what you do or how you behave. It's about what you are in Christ and your realization and reckoning with regards to your identity in Jesus Christ as a new creature. It's not about behavior... it's about spiritual state of being known as being "in Christ".
So, if God told me I was an astronaut, then I am an astronaut?
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Hebrews 13:23 Know ye that our brother Timothy is set at liberty
So, if God told me I was an astronaut, then I am an astronaut?
Yes. From the divine perspective you would indeed be an astronaut. lol
Let's look at various perspectives of reality. I know it sounds strange but consider this... you are a living being on a satelite (earth) spinning through space. Also, God being transcendent of time, sees what His eternal intention is for you... and sees you as that very thing right now in time. Perhaps in eternity you will take His glory throughout creation in your glorified body. For example, Paul said that we are "seated" (present tense) with Christ in Heavenly places. I look around, I don't see myself seated with Christ in Heavenly places. But I know that I am, I have reckoned it so by faith. The Bible says that I am the "righteousness of God", therefore while I see the principle of sin in my fallen flesh, and even experience failure to govern it at times, I know that with regards to my spirit (which is one with Christ in the Holy Spirit) I am sinless, pure, and holy.... Justified, standing just before God, as though I never sinned. Why? Jesus became sin for me, that I might become the righteousness of God. He who knew no sin, took my sin and my very identity upon Himself in His Passion, that I (being a totally depraved human being) might take upon myself His righteousness and identity. I was crucified with Christ. I was buried with Christ. I am risen with Christ. And I am presently seated with Christ. That means, through Christ (or in Christ), I am dead to the Law. I've already served my punishment for my sin (past, present, future) in Christ. There is no law against me now. I live as one risen from the dead. This is my new identity in Christ. And I reckon it so by faith. The moment I try to please God by obeying the Law, I've fallen from grace. Why? Because I'm human and I'm bound to sin. And once I have, I have broken the whole Law in breaking one law. And even if I obeyed the Law perfectly for only a day... I've only attained the "righteousness of the Law", not the righteousness of Christ (who is holier than the law). If I live by the Law I robe myself in my works... if I reckon Christ's righteousness as being imputed to me by faith... I robe myself in Christ's righteousness, and thereby I am sinless and clothed in God's own holiness which goes infinitely beyond the holiness aquired by the Law. And when I fail and do sin, as Paul said, it is not I who sins, but sin that dwells within my fallen flesh. With my outward man I find myself obeying the law of sin (due to the fallen nature of my flesh), but according to the inward man I obey the Law of God via Christ Jesus. I must now walk after the Spirit, reckoning these truths by faith, or I will be overcome by a sense of condemnation. To be disappointed in self... is to have trusted in self. If I'm overcome with condemnation I clearly got my eyes off Christ and His work on the cross.
Remember, the human perspective is limited to time and space. The divine perspective is not. We must see ourselves as God sees us... not as we see ourselves or according to our behaviors or those standards that religion regulates through various laws, customs, and traditions.
Apostolics are largely legalistic. We focus on works. Therefore we've failed to learn how to appropriate these various truths of our identity in Christ by faith. We face the danger of living in a little world of our own little laws... that can never please God. This will either create in us a hardened legalism... or a burned out apathy. In both cases, there is a failure to be conformed into the very image and likeness of Christ Jesus.
Now, I'm not to live by "standards" or "rules". Now I am to allow self to die daily, that Christ be formed in me. Throughout our lives the Holy Spirit is forming and fashioning us into the image and likeness of Christ as we surrender self with each passing day. The ultimate end... being in the image of Christ, glorified, and in fellowship with God. I have no standard... I have an example. I have no things to do... I have somone to be. This is the glory of grace.
In sports they say, "Keep your eyes on the ball. Be the ball." In the Christian arena we are to, "Keep your eyes on Jesus. Be Jesus."
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