“There are those who sincerely try to live a life they do not have, substituting religion for God, Christianity for Christ, and their own noble endeavors for the energy, joy, and power of the Holy Spirit. In the absence of reality, they can only grasp at ritual, stubbornly defending the latter in the absence of the former, lest they be found with neither! There are those who have a life they never live. They have come to Christ and thanked Him only for what He did, but do not live in the power of who He is. Between the Jesus who was and the Jesus who will be they live in a spiritual vacuum, trying with no little zeal to live for Christ a life that only He can live in and through them, perpetually begging for what in Him they already have!” Major Ian Thomas (From the forward of Classic Christianity)

Romans 5:10

“For if, when we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to Him through the death of His Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through His life!” Now having been cleansed of all unrighteousness and the sin issue settled forever, there are only 2 things left that God had to do for man:

1. Provide Righteousness.
2. Provide Life.

1. God’s Gift Of Righteousness.
   1. Righteousness Is From God.

Romans 10:3-4

“Since they did not know the righteousness that comes from God and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness. Christ is the end of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes.”

Romans 1:16-17

“I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: The righteous will live by faith.”

Romans 3:21-22

“But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe.”

Philippians 3:7-9

“But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ – the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith.”

1. 1. Righteousness Is A Gift.

Galatians 2:21

“I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!”

Romans 5:15-17

“But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God’s grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many! Again, the gift of God is not like the result of the one man’s sin: The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification. For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ.”

Remember: Before righteousness could be given, man had to be totally forgiven and cleansed of all unrighteousness.

1. 1. You Have Become The Righteousness Of Christ.

1 Corinthians 1:30-31

“It is because of Him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God – that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. Therefore, as it is written: Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.”

2 Corinthians 5:21

“God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.”

1. God’s Gift of Life.
   1. Man’s Condition Under The Law – Spiritually Dead.

Galatians 3:21

“Is the law, therefore, opposed to the promises of God? Absolutely not! For if a law had been given that could impart life, then righteousness would certainly have come by the law.”

Romans 7:10

“I found that the very commandment that was intended to bring life actually brought death.”

Romans 5:12

“Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned.”

Ephesians 2:1

“As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins.”

John 3:36

“Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath (death) remains on him.” John 3:18“Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned (dead) already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.”

1. 1. God’s Provision Under Grace – Saved By His Life.
      1. Man is not merely saved by the death of Christ, but by the LIFE of Christ. Romans 5:10“For if, when we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to Him through the death of His Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through His life!” Colossians 2:13“When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins.” John 10:10“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” John 1:4“In Him was life, and that life was the light of men.” John 6:48“I am the bread of life.” John 5:39-40“You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about Me, yet you refuse to come to Me to have life.” John 14:6“Jesus answered, I am the way and the truth and the life.” Romans 6:23“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Ephesians 2:4-5“But because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions – it is by grace you have been saved.” John 14:19“Before long, the world will not see Me anymore, but you will see Me. Because I live, you also will live.” John 5:24“I tell you the truth, whoever hears My word and believes Him who sent Me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.”
      2. Salvation is restoring man to his true humanity. John 3:3-6“In reply Jesus declared, I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again. How can a man be born when he is old? Nicodemus asked. Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb to be born! Jesus answered, I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit.” Colossians 1:25-27“I have become its servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness – the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the saints. To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.”
2. In Him You Have Eternal Life.
   1. God’s Testimony Concerning Eternal Life. Hebrews 13:5“God has said, Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” 1 John 5:9-13“We accept man’s testimony, but God’s testimony is greater because it is the testimony of God, which He has given about His Son. Anyone who believes in the Son of God has this testimony in his heart. Anyone who does not believe God has made Him out to be a liar, because he has not believed the testimony God has given about His Son. And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.”
   2. Questions To Consider:
      1. What caused the Spirit of God to depart from Adam?
      2. What caused the Spirit of God to depart from Jesus?
      3. What is the only thing that could cause the Spirit of God to depart from you?
      4. Where are your sins?
      5. Were your sins judged?
      6. What was the verdict?
      7. What was the penalty?
      8. Who took it?
      9. How much of it did He take?
      10. Therefore, how much is left for you?
      11. Why can’t the Spirit of God depart from you when you sin?
3. Conclusion: In Him You Are Complete. Colossians 2:9-10“For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and you have been given fullness (completeness) in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority.” 2 Peter 1:3“His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness.” Ephesians 1:13“And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in Him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit.”
4. The Christian Lives By Faith. Ephesians 2:8-9“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast.” Romans 14:23b “Everything that does not come from faith is sin.” Colossians 2:6“So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live (by faith) in Him.” Hebrews 10:38a“But my righteous one will live by faith.” Hebrews 11:6“And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.”
   1. Faith Must Have An Object.
   2. The Object of the Christian’s Faith is Jesus Christ and His Finished Work. John 11:25-26 (KJV)“Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believes in Me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever lives and believes in Me shall never die.”
5. Practical Application.
   1. You Will Never Experience a Changed Life Until You Experience the Exchange of Life. Philippians 1:21“For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.” Galatians 2:20“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”
   2. Are You Willing To Accept Christ As Your Life?
   1. Are you willing to live with the attitude of not my will, but Yours be done?
   2. Are you willing to give up trying to control your circumstances?
   3. Are you willing to give up trying to control everyone around you – kids, mate, parents, employees, etc.?
   4. Are you willing to give up trying to control your future?
   5. Are you willing to surrender to the One Who: Gave His Life for You, So He Could Give His Life to You, So He Could Live His Life through You?

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1. Introduction: The Cross – The Dividing Line of Human History.
   1. A Will is in Force Only When Someone Has Died.

      Hebrews 9:16-17

      “In the case of a will, it is necessary to prove the death of the one who made it, because a will is in force only when somebody has died; it never takes effect while the one who made it is living.”

   2. Without the Shedding of Blood (Sacrifice), There is No Forgiveness.

      Hebrews 9:18-22

      “This is why even the first covenant was not put into effect without blood. When Moses had proclaimed every commandment of the law to all the people, he took the blood of calves, together with water, scarlet wool and branches of hyssop, and sprinkled the scroll and all the people. He said,  ‘This is the blood of the covenant, which God has commanded you to keep.’ In the same way, he sprinkled with the blood both the tabernacle and everything used in its ceremonies. In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.”

    

2. A New Covenant
   1. Reason for a New Covenant

      Hebrews 8:7-8a

      “For if there had been nothing wrong with the first covenant, no place would have been sought for another. But God found fault with the people.”

   2. The Lord’s Declaration of the New Covenant

      Hebrews 8:8b-12

      “The time is coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah. It will not be like the covenant I made with their forefathers when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they did not remain faithful to my covenant, and I turned away from them, declares the Lord. This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time, declares the Lord. I will put My laws in their minds and write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be My people. No longer will a man teach his neighbor, or a man his brother, saying, `Know the Lord,’ because they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest. For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.”

   3. The Holy Spirit’s Testimony about the New Covenant.

      Hebrews 10:15-18

      “The Holy Spirit also testifies to us about this. First He says: ‘This is the covenant I will make with them after that time, says the Lord. I will put My laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds.’ Then He adds: ‘Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more.’  And where these have been forgiven, there is no longer any sacrifice for sin.”

   4. The New Covenant Replaced the Old.

      Hebrews 10:8-10

      “First He said, ‘Sacrifices and offerings, burnt offerings and sin offerings You did not desire, nor were You pleased with them’  (although the law required them to be made). Then He said, ‘Here I am, I have come to do Your will.’  He sets aside the first to establish the second. And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.”

      Hebrews 7:18 -19

      1. 1. “The former regulation is set aside because it was weak and useless (for the law made nothing perfect), and a better hope is introduced, by which we draw near to God.”

            Hebrews 8:13

            “By calling this covenant ‘new,’  He has made the first one obsolete; and what is obsolete and aging will soon disappear.”

      2. A New Priesthood
         1. The New Priesthood Replaced the Old

            Hebrews 7:11-12

            “If perfection could have been attained through the Levitical priesthood (for on the basis of it the law was given to the people), why was there still need for another priest to come – one in the order of Melchizedek, not in the order of Aaron? For when there is a change of the priesthood, there must also be a change of the law.”

         2. A Superior Priesthood Representing A Superior Covenant.

            Hebrews 8:6

            “But the ministry Jesus has received is as superior to theirs as the covenant of which he is mediator is superior to the old one, and it is founded on better promises.”

            Hebrews 9:15

            “For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance – now that He has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant.”

      3. A New Priest
         1. A Perfect Priest Guaranteeing A Better Covenant.

            Hebrews 7:20-22

            “And it was not without an oath! Others became priests without any oath, but He became a Priest with an oath when God said to Him: ‘The Lord has sworn and will not change His mind: You are a Priest forever.’ Because of this oath, Jesus has become the guarantee of a better covenant.”

            Hebrews 7:26-28

            “Such a High Priest meets our need – One who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens. Unlike the other high priests, He does not need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for His own sins, and then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for their sins once for all when He offered Himself. For the law appoints as high priests men who are weak; but the oath, which came after the law, appointed the Son, who has been made perfect forever.”

         2. An Eternal Priest

            Hebrews 7:23

            “Now there have been many of those priests, since death prevented them from continuing in office.”

            Hebrews 7:24-25

            “But because Jesus lives forever, He has a permanent priesthood. Therefore He is able to save completely those who come to God through Him, because He always lives to intercede for them.”

      4. A New Sacrifice
         1. His Sacrifice Took Away Our Sins.

            Hebrews 10:1-4

            “The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming – not the realities themselves. For this reason it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship. If it could, would they not have stopped being offered? For the worshipers would have been cleansed once for all, and would no longer have felt guilty for their sins. But those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins, because it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.”

            Hebrews 10:5

            “Therefore, when Christ came into the world, He said: ‘Sacrifice and offering You did not desire, but a body You prepared for Me.’

            Hebrews 9:23-28

            “It was necessary, then, for the copies of the heavenly things to be purified with these sacrifices, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. For Christ did not enter a man-made sanctuary that was only a copy of the true one; He entered heaven itself, now to appear for us in God’s presence. Nor did He enter heaven to offer Himself again and again, the way the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood that is not his own. Then Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world. But now He has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of Himself. Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and He will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.”

            Atonement Covered Sins, 
Christ Took Away Our Sins.

         2. His Sacrifice Is Final.

            Hebrews 10:11-14

            “Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But when this Priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, He sat down at the right hand of God. Since that time He waits for His enemies to be made His footstool, because by one sacrifice He has made perfect forever those who are ‘the holy ones.’”

         3. There Is No More Sacrifice For Sins.

            Hebrews 10:17-18

            “Then He adds: ‘Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more.’ And where these have been forgiven, there is no longer any sacrifice for sin.”

            Hebrews 6:4-6

            “Therefore . . . It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age, if they fall away, to be brought back to repentance, because to their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting Him to public disgrace.”

            Hebrews 10:26-29

            “If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God. Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. How much more severely do you think a man deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God under foot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified him, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace?”

            Conclusions Concerning Forgiveness

            Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.

            God remembers your sin no more.

            There is no longer any sacrifice for sin.

      5. A New Ministry
         1. We Are Ministers Of A New Covenant

            2 Corinthians 3:6-11

            “He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant – not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. Now if the ministry that brought death, which was engraved in letters on stone, came with glory, so that the Israelites could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of its glory, fading though it was, will not the ministry of the Spirit be even more glorious? If the ministry that condemns men is glorious, how much more glorious is the ministry that brings righteousness! For what was glorious has no glory now in comparison with the surpassing glory. And if what was fading away came with glory, how much greater is the glory of that which lasts!”

         2. We Are Ministers Of Reconciliation

            2 Corinthians 5:17-19

            “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to Himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them.”

      6. Practical Application.
         1. There Is A Sabbath Rest That Remains For Us.

            Hebrews 4:1

            “Therefore, since the promise of entering His rest still stands, let us be careful that none of you be found to have fallen short of it.”

            Hebrews 4:9-11a

            “There remains, then, a Sabbath rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from his own work, just as God did from His. Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest.”

         2. Are you willing to put aside all form of religion and rest in the sufficiency of Christ?

            Old Covenant: Man reaching up to God with self effort to be accepted by God.
            New Covenant: God reaching down to man through Jesus Christ with love and acceptance.

            Under Law Man Says	Under Grace Christ Says
            Look at what I’m doing for You	Look at what I did for you
            Look at how I went to church	Look at how I went to Calvary
            Look at how I was raised in my denomination	Look at how I was raised from the dead
            Look at how I gave my money	Look at how I gave My life
            Look at how I confessed my sins	Look at how I took away your sins
            Look at how I stood against sin	Look at how I died for your sins
            Look at how I judged the lost world	Look at how I saved the lost world
            Look at how I marched against evil-doers	Look at how I suffered for evil-doers
            Look at how I bowed down to You	Look at how I became one of you
            Look at how I healed the sick	Look at how I raised the dead
            Look at how I spoke in tongues	Look at how I spoke in love
            Look at how successful my life was	Look at how successful My death was

         3. Are You Willing To Enter God’s Rest?

            Hebrews 10:19-23

            “Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, His body, and since we have a great Priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful.”

            Hebrews 4:16

            “Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”

      7. Conclusion: Believe it and Be Happy!

      Hebrews 8:13

      “By calling this covenant ‘new,’ He has made the first one obsolete; and what is obsolete and aging will soon disappear.”  

       

       

A relative had joined a legalistic church and begun to adopt a life of rules and regulations. Sue tried to live up to those standards, but soon became frustrated and disillusioned upon the honest realization that she was unable to perform these same works at every point, all of the time. She had heard that salvation was free, but based upon her constant failure, she wondered if she was even saved at all. The question Sue desperately wanted an answer to was, "How do I assure myself about my salvation with God?"

Bob’s response began with the first verse of Romans 5,“… since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." He went on to explain how behavior doesn’t set you apart, the One you know sets you apart — Christ Jesus.

Bob then presented the gospel to her, emphasizing that salvation is not merely forgiveness of sins, but the receiving of eternal life. He continued to explain that she could be confident that this life is eternal because of what Jesus had done at the cross. In just a few minutes, Sue came to accept the Lord by faith and received His resurrected life.

We recently followed up with Sue to discover that many good things are taking place in her life. She is experiencing a restful peace in her Savior. Fear and anxiety have been replaced with the assurance of God’s love for her and acceptance of her.

Before Jesus, fear was producing a bare existence, full of self-condemnation. "Walking on eggshells," and "waiting for God to strike," had been her normal emotional life. Her newfound joy and peace in Christ have become apparent to her husband, her pastor and the people she works with.

Inside the packet of ministry materials sent to Sue, was our Born Free tract. It has become her favorite resource. She routinely returns to it as a reminder of the acceptance and freedom she has in Jesus. She is currently reading the book, Complete in Christ. She has promised to call back when she finishes it to update our listeners on the latest chapter of her new life in Christ.

If you would like to hear Sue’s call in its entirety click here ]]> http://www.realanswers.net/realanswers/?feed=rss2&p=10 0