Thursday, January 1, 2009

New Beginnings

Everyone must start somewhere. Our first beginning is conception. From there, our lives are full of new beginnings. We begin our lives as we know them at birth. We begin to walk and talk, love and learn. Without beginnings, our lives would be worthless. None of us can stay at the stage of conception, infantry, toddler, child, teenager, or adult. Even then, after death, we begin our afterlives.

I started thinking about beginnings, first of all because of the new year and secondly because I read Genesis 1-4. As I contemplated all this, I thought of another connection that is very apparent and I'm sure you all have heard, yet it can never be said too many times.

It is never too late to become a “new man” *, make a new beginning. “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” (II Corinthians 5:17). This new beginning signals a new stage in your life, a time for growing and learning, just like every other new beginning and stage in your life. Just like you cannot always remain an infant, you cannot always remain a babe in Christ either. You must grow and learn, if you are to go on to be anything in this world.

Unfortunately, not all Christians have done this. Many are still in habitual sin. Does this mean they are Christians? If they truly believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, that He came to earth to die for their sins, was crucified, buried, and rose again the third day according to Scripture, then yes, they are Christians. Their standing is sealed. It is their state that is carnal, reflecting their position as babes in Christ who have not grown and learned.

This misunderstanding of “standing and state” has caused much confusion in many a Christian life. In fact, I never understood it until recently, nor did I understand the importance to know the difference. The author of the tract “Standing and State” explains it this way: “Briefly stated, the believer's standing is the way God sees him in Christ, as perfect in Him. But his state is the way God sees him in his daily walk, which is sinful and erring, and needs to be improved and corrected.” Some Scriptures used to back this statement up are Romans 5:1-2, I Corinthians 15:1, I Peter 5:12, Philippians 2:19-20, Philippians 4:11, and Colossians 4:7.

Another good point addressed in this tract is the fact that Ephesians is broken into two parts. The first part (the first three chapters) deal with the believer's standing in Christ. At the end of the third chapter, Paul writes, “Amen”, marking the conclusion of this topic. Chapter four begins thus: “I therefore...beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called”. Notice the word “walk”. This second half on Ephesians dwells mostly on the believer's walk, his state.

With New Year's and resolutions upon us, I would like to encourage you to consider your new beginning. Maybe you have been a Christian for many years. Maybe you are a brand-new Christian. In any case, are you growing and learning? Your standing is in Christ, where is your state?


* To become a “new man”, a Christian, you must simply believe that Christ came to earth to die for your sins, was crucified, buried, and rose again the third day according to Scripture. “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.” (Romans 10:9), “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (Romans 10:13).

1 comment:

  1. Something we miss as evangelists the the need to show people that they are going to die and spend eternity in Hell. We have all heard that Jesus saves.. what does that mean? He has to save us from something. Our sins, which demand we burn for punishment. Unless we have something to be saved from, we don't need saving. We are sinners dangling by a thread over the brink of Hell, just many of us don't address that possible fate. We say God loves, God is merciful, rarely do we shout, "Look, for your doom is near!"
    We are the watchmen in the tower, let us cast off the deeds of darkness and walk in the newness of life.

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