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The Daily Word of Righteousness
Grace—What Is It?, continued
And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. (II Corinthians 3:18—NIV)
"Are being transformed into his likeness."
And once more:
For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. (Romans 8:29—NIV)
"Conformed to the likeness of his Son."
Is it clear to you in the above passages that the heart of the Christian salvation is change? Is it clear also that a grace that only forgives is not able to produce what God is after?
There is no doubt God intends for us to be transformed into the Lord's likeness, to be changed into the image of Christ. What grace has God given to us that we can be successful in the program of change into His image?
The atoning blood of Jesus Christ that forgives our sins so God can keep working with us even though much sin and self-will remains in our personality.
The body and blood of Jesus Christ which are Divine resurrection life within us.
The Holy Spirit who serves as our guide, our comfort, and our power.
The testimony of the Apostles of the Lamb.
The born-again experience.
All these serve as the grace of God to us. None of these was available to those who labored under the Law of Moses.
No patriarch, priest, or prophet under the Law of Moses had the experience of Christ being born in him. Christ conceived and formed in us is the Kingdom of God. Christ conceived and formed in us is, in fact, the entirety of the new covenant. It is Christ, the Law of God, who is written in our mind so we will understand the will of God. It is Christ, the Law of God, who is written in our heart so we might be motivated to do the will of God.
Jesus Christ is God's eternal Grace to us, not just the grace of forgiveness but the grace of a new creation in which our old nature is crucified with Christ and our new nature, as part of Christ's resurrection Life, lives at the right hand of God.
Those who hold the old point of view maintain vigorously there is nothing we are to do but believe in Jesus. He has done, is doing, and always will do all that is necessary for us to enter the Glory of God. The writings of the Apostles do not agree with this understanding of the Christian salvation. The New Testament contains hundreds of commandments that we must keep if Christ, who Himself is the New Covenant, is to be formed in us.
We have to pray. If we find it difficult to pray without ceasing, as the Apostle commands, we are to go to God and ask for wisdom and strength in prayer.
We have to study the Scriptures. Again, God will help us if we ask Him. If we do not pray and read the Scriptures (if they are available) we will get nowhere as a Christian. Jesus does not read the Scriptures for us, but He will assist us if we ask Him.
To be continued.