No Longer a Sinner - In God's Image

God created us in His image - a triune being (Genesis 1:26-27). He made us into His dwelling place by His Spirit (Ephesians 2:22). He predestined us to conform to the image of His Son (Romans 8:29).

In the first months and years of our sanctification, we struggle with the sin nature. We disobey and fail to win the race. Formerly in the likeness of the first Adam's nature, we fall short of God's glory (Genesis 5:3; Romans 3:23, 6:23).

Yet, as we fall more in love with Jesus than our self or the world, the things of earth grow dim in our heart and the things of God take pre-eminence in our decisions and actions.

The Holy Spirit works in us according to His good pleasure, molding us into Christ-minded individuals who realize that Jesus is our whole life (Philippians 2:13; Colossians 3:4).

As the Spirit transforms us into the likeness of Christ, who is sinless, our desire to sin wanes. The outward, carnal man is sanctified daily into a Saint instead of a sinner.

The character of Christ in now our character. The righteousness of Christ is our nature. The power of Christ in us overcomes any desire to use our body or soul - our mind, will or emotions - for carnal or sinful purposes.

Christ in us gives us His nature that pertains to life and godliness, and He calls us to live in His glory and virtue. We put on the new man and escape from the corruption of sin and the world.

We walk in holiness and purity, conformed to the image of Christ in us. Once we see Christ in us for who He is, we become like Him (1 John 3:2; Colossians 3:4). More and more, we are continually changed into His image (2 Corinthians 3:18).

Prayer:

Father God, help us to realize Your work in our life makes us perfect by Your Spirit just as You are perfect. It is not just in eternity through glorification, but now through sanctification as we cooperate with Your Spirit (Romans 8:30; Hebrews 12:23; Philippians 3:21). Salvation is a three-phased progression and is not something we do.

Just as our salvation in our spirit is by Your Spirit, so is our sanctification in our soul, and eventually You will give us glorification with our immortal body (Galatians 3:1-3; Philippians 2:12-13). Remind us that Christ in us is our hope of realizing Your glory in us now, as Your Spirit replaces our character with His fruit and our nature with the nature of Christ in us (Colossians 1:27; Galatians 4:19).

Thought for the Day:

As we eat Jesus' body and drink His blood, He transforms us into His image for all the world to see; and His glory fills us and shines forth from us by His Spirit. - John 6:54

Does God Hate?

 

It is amazing to see that God feels the same emotions that He gave to human beings. He experiences all of them from joy to love, and even hate. God is very concerned about His people walking in the ungodly ways of the world. He hates the sin of the world, because it is unrighteous and it ruins our health spiritual, physical and in our mind, will and emotions (Leviticus 20:23). He knows that worshipping any other God will ultimately disappoint us; therefore He abhors it when we put any person, place, activity or thing ahead of Him in our heart (Leviticus 26:30).

When anyone provokes God’s children to sin, God hates them (Deuteronomy 32:19). He says it is better for a millstone to be around their neck (Luke 17:2). God abhors the wicked that boast of their sin and encourage the covetous, as well as the wicked that love violence and all workers of iniquity. He considers them fools. They will not be able to stand in His sight (Psalm 10:3, 11:5, 5:5). He especially hates those who deceive or murder the innocent (Psalm 5:6).

Israel vexed the Lord so often that it was only His promise to Abraham that kept Him from destroying the whole nation more than once (Psalm 78:59). They ignited His anger over and over; so much so that He acually abhorred His own inheritance (Pslam 106:40). He took away His tabernacle, destroyed the places of the assembly and caused the solemn feasts and sabbaths to be forgotten in Israel, because He despised their kings and priests (Lamentations 2:6). God drove Israel out of His house due to their wickedness, and He hated their princes (Hosea 9:15).

God has even been known to hate individual people. It seems unreasonable for Him to do that; but He knows the end from the beginning, and He knows the hearts of mankind (Isaiah 46:10; Jeremiah 17:10). Esau was one of those God hated (Romans 9:13). Esau’s god was his belly. He sold his birthright for a bowl of lentil stew (Genesis 25:29-34). So God destroyed Esau’s heritage (Malachi 1:3).

God also destroys those who plot against His Saints. He puts them to shame because He despises them (Psalm 53:5). He warns against prostitues, because He abohors those who fall under their spell (Proverbs 22:14). There are seven things, which God really despises: the proud, liars, murders of innocent people, a heart that plans wicked scemes, mischief makers, a false witness and those who sow discord in His Body (Proverbs 6:16-19). That just about covers the spectrum of sin.

Prayer:

Father God, You despise anything and anyone that will harm Your beloved Saints. You are jealous over us and You want to keep us and protect us from all harm (Exodus 20:5). Sin is the most harmful habit anyone can embrace. Therefore, You abhor whatever will lead us into temptation. We thank You for sending Your only begotten Son to pay the penalty of our sin, and to set us free from Satan’s clutches, the flesh and the world (Romans 5:6-10).

Thought for the Day:

God forgives every sinner who repents. – John 3:16