The vast majority of people I know who have come into grace have been so set free from sin. Only a few ‘have abused it’ and it’s not like the story is over with them yet anyway. God in a sense takes huge risks with His reputation in setting us free, but in HIS wisdom He knows that the freedom + the new nature he has given us will equal holiness. It may take some time for the obedience of faith to work itself out into people’s behaviour, but once it has it is permanent transformation. Legalism can produce quick compliance at best. But take someone enslaved by religion and put him in a different environment……failure. Grace is wonderful. Oh that all leaders could say – I through the law have died (reputation and all) to the law that I may live unto God.
~Scott Liston
God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.
~2 Corinthians 5:21
And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with Him and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages He might show the immeasurable riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
~ Very good news from Ephesians 2
Oh beloved, it is true. We are radically saved by a wonderful G_d!
We are, in fact saved three times. And this is infinitely better than the none that we could bring about on our own. Let’s break this down a bit.
We are saved from the “penalty” of sin (death and hell) as a free gift, by faith in the finished work of Jesus alone. And this is the epic truth that most of us have heard and even truly believe. This work by Jesus through His obedient death and resurrection has paid for every sin ever committed, being committed, and to be committed. It was a near-infinite work done by an infinitely perfect, powerful and Loving G_d. And that we are saved from hell is beyond amazing. That we have the opportunity to live forever in the presence of the great Lover of our souls is a joy beyond comparison.
We are then saved from the “power” of sin in this life, through the willing joyful obedience that HE has given us via His grace in our lives. Paul, speaks often of how we have died with Christ, and even crucified the flesh that once held on to our lives. This is a truth that many of us miss in this life. We are absolutely, totally, completely free. We are not only forgiven, we have the opportunity to never return to the fetid mess of our past. His Spirit within us can actually begin to live out the impossible Christian life through us in tangible and consistent ways.
And it is in this forgiveness and freedom and grace and Love and abundance that we can begin to shine the light of who He is in our lives onto others. We get to, by His grace, share the love we have been given with others. This is a profound fulfillment of the kingdom truth that if a seed will fall into the ground and die, it will sprout – and begin to bear much fruit. So, while it is true that trusting in Jesus to save us from our sins makes us a viable seed, it is trusting Him to save us from ourselves that puts this seed into the ground that it might multiply the Life that seed has been given.
And, oh beloved, there is a day coming where we will be saved from the “presence” of sin altogether. There will most certainly be a day when He pronounces all things done. Sin and self will no longer have any value, for everyone will have made their choices to either live in His Presence or in the their own little fiefdoms forever. And it will be in these new heavens and earth that the Life we were ever Designed to Live will truly begin. We are, not symbolically, in training for a very big game One Day.
Can we see it?
There is nothing we ever have to do – ever – for any of the threefold salvation we have, are, and will receive through Him. From this though, we see that all the covenants of His Word are still in effect. So, the things that looked simply like rules and regulations in the past, now burst forth as promises of additional blessing through obedience to His calling on our lives and the saving of us from “ourselves” in this life. And the salvation we experience now is the impetus which drives us to desire to actually live and be like Jesus… And He is the One who helps us do this through His Spirit within us.
We are made able to live free and Love hard because He has already done the exact same thing for us. And we are imbued with a fire which begins to burn within us. For we are already being given a foretaste of the new and eternal covenant to be fully given at the Wedding Feast of the Lamb, when we are consummated with Him as His bride. Oh what a day that will be! A day when we will be able to realize the holiness we reckon true today.
Trust Him beloved! He is able to triple-save you from the trouble you are in.
