To Become a New Person in the Kingdom of God, the Old Adam Having Passed Away

It appears until the present hour the Christian salvation has been presented as the Divine program for forgiving the sins of the world. It is this but vastly more than this. It is the Divine program for bringing forth a new creation.

The original problem was rebellion—first of the angels, then of mankind. Forgiving people does not solve the problem of rebellion, it only relieves the problem until the solution is found.

If a person abides in Christ an entirely new creation comes forth. Nothing of the old Adam remains. Everything of the new is of God through Jesus Christ.

When a believer is not faithful to Christ, is occupied with the pursuit of money, or with immorality, or with anything else that detracts from the fervent pursuit of Christ, a new creation is not produced. Adam remains intact.

The great error of today, as we have said, is an emphasis on grace to the exclusion of righteous behavior. The concept is that we are not obligated to keep the commandments of Christ and His Apostles because that would be to be "saved by works." When Paul contrasted faith and works he was contrasting faith in Jesus Christ with obedience to the Law of Moses, not faith in Jesus with obedience to the commandments of Christ and His Apostles.

As long as we refuse to obey the commandments found in the New Testament, the numerous exhortations to put away the sins of the flesh and to live righteously, the new creation will not come forth. How could it?

The "white stone" apparently is a voting pebble signifying we have been found worthy of the Kingdom of God. We have been called. Our single-minded devotion to Christ has brought us into the ranks of the chosen. Then we have been proven faithful. A new creation has come into being and so a new name is assigned.

Only the person receiving the new name knows what it is. Our present name was assigned to us arbitrarily by our parents before our personality was known. Our present name satisfies the needs of our adamic nature. But the new creation that is coming forth in the overcomers is seen at this time only by them. Only they know what Christ is working in them and revealing to them.

It may be true that when the sons of God are revealed their new name, and also the new name of Jesus Christ, will be made known.

As we said, none of this will be given to believers who are continuing in their fleshly appetites and passions, not pressing into Christ in a fervent, single-minded fashion. It is hidden from them.

Perfect union with Christ.

The authority and power to rule in Christ over our circumstances.

Freedom from the fear of being tormented by the Divine judgment.

Daily provision for the saint who is fighting the good fight of faith.

And now a new creation with a new name.

Let's press forward.

To be continued.