Alive for the First Time

Alive For the First time – David Needham 

Man made in God’s Image. (unique) 

God/man love relationship His central purpose. Flesh – identity of human beings. 

Adam and Eve free from god, their choice “like god� they were on their own now. What is man? Fragile flesh, will emotions. 

“Where did I ever get the preposterous idea that I could be of any importance to the being who spoke the universe into existence – that I AM significant to him? Arrogance? Fact – (Word is true) We are significant to Him. He loves us. 

God’s image maintained tasks as stewards of earth life. “Being� life found within themselves, alone. Flesh is all they had left. The very creatures who were to express God’s glory – His mind, His will, His love were aborted and perverting that display. 

Sin is – defined (flesh-level efforts to protect [“I set my mind�) some idol) A frame with no picture to portray God’s own reflective glory. 

It’s own flesh, the frame, life. Rejecting dependence upon the will and character of God.  Rejected life, sinners “in the flesh.� 

Who are You? Question their own identity. “God is love� He simply chose to give Himself to me. Perfect justice – “became sin for us.� (II Cor.5:21) 

I can rest – always seeing me “In Christ� I AM to be Holy – my intended destiny. Glorified resurrected bodies. “Is Heaven a place where God will never see me for who I really am?� 

More than justification – He changed your attitude about Him. No longer hostile, reconciled, discover that you love Him.  You love everything about Him. You “Delight in the law of God.� (Rom7:22) You want to please God. Re-makes you a man, “Spirit Personhood� Receive the Savior, you simply are not the same person you were before, whether you know it or not. Who you are – Children of God. Partakers (sharers) of the divine nature, “God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus.� (II Pet.1:4; Eph.2�10)) 

Take Scripture for what it says. Actual truth (even if I don’t feel a given truth from creature) “Born Again� involves a radical change of “BE�ing. Who do you think you really are anyway? Fleshy feelings say one thing “sin is not y friend, but my enemy.� 

What is life? – To fulfill the destiny for which you were made  while the same time being who you are. Yes to life – regeneration – becoming Christian is more than having something taken away (sins forgiven), or having something added to you (a new nature plus the assistance of the Holy Spirit); it is becoming someone you have never been before – it is justification + reconciliation + and regeneration. New identity is not on a flesh level. A Christian’s essential nature is righteous rather than sinful. New Age – “New covenant in my blood� transformed citizens in God’s Kingdom of righteousness – where Jesus reigns, within the kingdom of our hearts. 

We are a people in whom God dwells as the light. God Himself has shined in our hearts! “The same image� (tracing table illustration) 

“Conformed to the image of His Son.� (Rom.8:29) We are now by birth, by the Spirit, the children of God,� pulsating with the risen life of Christ. 

Study John3, Romans 6 to 8, Colossians 1-3, I John1-3  Born again – crucified flesh.  Old age passed away; new covenant has arrived. “Present our members to God as instruments of righteousness.�  Holy Spirit enables us to “put to death the (sinful) deeds of the body� (Rom.8:23;6:13;8:13)  Why?  Natural proneness of our flesh, most particularly its thinking mechanism – is towards sin, (I Cor.15:42,43)  It’s a fact – we have already been set free to fullness of life. (I Cor.2:13-15)  Two kinds of people are the “soulish� people and the “Spiritual� people.  Flesh – natural.  Mere man, ungenerated people. 

Spiritual – received the Spirit as a life-transforming reality. By his birthing act (receiving, not simply accepting Christ) the Holy Spirit actually changes us by placing in us the life of Jesus.  Once only flesh; we are now Spirit. (Jn.3:6) Regeneration – not just a spirit person but rather a whole person, as one unity, shines – becomes light, what we most truly are. (light bulb illustration) 

The only way we are light is because of our dependent union with God, who is light.  (light under a bushel) Born again people whose identities have been hidden.  The kind of life we possess determine the kind of person we are.  We who possess an entirely new kind of life, totally by God’s grace, dare not allow ourselves (or anyone else) to degrade God’s miracle by measuring our selfhood with superficial flesh-level yardsticks.  Jesus said “they are not of this world any more than I am not of the world.� (I Jn.3:6,9;5:18) – Our status rather than our actual behavior.  (God sees us “in Christ�)  “If� anyone does sin.  (be willing to set aside a need of justifying sin in your life) 

Begin with – people cannot be saved apart from admitting both that they have sinned and that they are sinners.  Sinning will be a normal characteristic of believers until they die.  (see I Jn.2:1)  Yes, Christians do possess in our flesh a propensity toward sin. (Gal.5:17)  I John 1:9 – Admit it – aware of specific sin in our life.  But emphasis throughout I John is the joyous expectation of a life in which sinful behavior is unnecessary.  The idea that even though people who are born again will sin occasionally, they will not always be sinning, habitual sinning.  Ideal character of a Christian is the possibility of a life free from sin.  Tell yourself – “You can’t do that!  Are you out of your mind?  No one would do such a thing.� 

Why would anyone who possessed eternal life, who is a child of the light, a citizen in the new covenant age, be insane enough to live as though they were in “darkness�?  Is it possible for a Christian to practice temporary insanity?  Is sin ever a rational behavior? (II Cor.12:21)  “Examine our self to make sure we are truly in the faith.� How would you respond to some particular temptation so sin if you paused log enough to acknowledge 1.) that your thoughts (sin always begin with a thought) were not motivated by your spirit, but by your own self-centered flesh, and therefore were the enemies of authentic life.  2.) that to continue to entertain those thoughts in light of who you mostly are would be to choose to function as temporarily insane? 

Christian: our bent is away from sin, and our normal condition one of sinlessness.  Whatever happens, we are children of God and sin is abnormal and unnatural for us.  You are not in the flesh anymore! If you choose to limit God by depending on your own flesh-level resources to fulfill His law, you will find yourself “A captive to the law of sin�.  Why not see yourself as you really are?  You have been set free!  (don’t be a phony hypocrite and act sinful) So get busy and “walk in the Spirit� “you will by no means fulfill the desires of the flesh.� (Rom.8:2-6;Gal.5:16) 

Spiritual Authority

SPIRITUAL AUTHORITY – Watchman Nee “There is no power but of God.� (Rom.13:1-7)
“Upholds all things by the Word of His power.� (Heb.1:3)
“I will be like the most high.� (Isa.14:12-14)
“Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.� (Mt.6:13)“Are you the Christ, the Son of God?� (Mt.26:62-64)
 His throne is established on His Authority.  It is Imperative to know the Authority of God.  Compete with God’s Authority, becomes an adversary – rebellion.  Isa.14:12-15); Ezek.28:13-17
Trespass against God’s Holiness.  To offend God’s Authority is far more serious.  In serving God we must not violate authorities (a principle of Satan).  Rebellion leads to an act of sin. (An unholy act of rebellion)
The controversy of the universe is centered on who shall have authority.  The greatest of God’s demands on man is not for him to bear the cross, to serve, make offerings, or deny himself.  The greatest demand is for him to obey.  “Obedience is better than sacrifice.�  Obedience alone is absolutely honoring to God, for it takes God’s will as its center.
 “Thy will be done.�
 The will of God is the absolute thing.  Will represents Authority.  To know God’s will and obey it is to be subject to Authority.  We are called to fulfill God’s purpose.   The basic principle is not to choose the cross but to obey God’s will.  As God’s servant, the first thing we should meet is Authority.
 To touch Authority is as practical as touching salvation.  We shall encounter Authority everywhere, and thus being restrained by God we can begin to be used by Him.  It is only by working under obedience to Authority that we can work in accordance to the will of God.  Two important matters in the universe:  trusting in God’s salvation and obeying His Authority.  Trust and Obey!
Sin is lawlessness – disobeying God’s Authority. (A matter of heart attitude) We cannot serve God and go our way of rebellion by having a rebellious spirit.  The fall of man is due to disobedience to God’s Authority.  Our first thought must be to find out who are those to whom God wants us to be subject.  We can learn to obey Authority at anytime we find authority everywhere.  Any action which lacks obedience is a fall, and any act of disobedience is a fall by rebellion.  As mans obedience increases, his actions decrease.
Man’s action should not be governed by the knowledge of good or evil’ it should be motivated by a sense of obedience.  After the fall men need not find in god a sense o right and wrong. They have it in themselves.  This is the result of the fall.  The work of redemption is to bring us back to the place where we will find our right and wrong in God.  There is no authority except from God.  All authorities have been instituted by Him.  Once we learn to whom we must subject, we naturally find our place in the body.
Everyone thinks he is able to distinguish good from evil and to judge what is right and wrong.  He seems to know better than God.  Our knowledge of obedience is woefully inadequate.
The subjection taught in the bible is concerned with being subject to the authorities established by God. 
As faith is the principle by which we obtain life, so obedience is the principle by which life is lived out.
Everyone thinks he is able to distinguish good from evil and to judge what is right and wrong.  He seems to know better than God.  Our knowledge of obedience is woefully inadequate.
The subjection taught in the bible is concerned with being subject to the authorities established by God. 
As faith is the principle by which we obtain life, so obedience is the principle by which life is lived out.
Many have cultivated the habit of being the head, yet without ever having known obedience.  Many profess they know how to obey God, but really know nothing as to obeying god’s delegated authority.  God wishes us to obey His delegated authorities a well as Himself.  All members of the body should be subject to one another.
1.     Have a spirit of obedience.
2.     Practice obedience
3.     Learn to exercise delegated authority. Once you have learned how to be under authority, you will count yourself as nothing even after God entrusts you with much.
Some learn obedience and fail to know how to be authority when sent some place to work.
The father is God’s instituted authority in the home, but the flesh delights in seeing a defect in authority so as to throw off all restraints.  (the sin of reviling)  No one can serve the spirit of lawlessness.  Serve without an order, to serve without obedience to authority.  They think they can do it themselves.  True service is initiated by God.  When man serves under God’s Authority, he is thereby accepted.  The Word of God must be coordinated under Authority.  He who lifts his head and acts independently in being rebellious.  There is no place of isolated individual service.  Authority is God’s choice, not man’s attainment.  God Himself is the Authority.  Beware lest we offend.  Let us never despise God’s chosen vessel.  Whenever man touches God’s delegated Authority he touches God within that person; sinning against delegated authority is sinning against God.

God sees us “in Christ� A new quality of life within – it is “Christ in us�, justification, reconciliation and regeneration.  We are not that old self, we are part of a new humanity that pulsates with life from God, Jesus’ own resurrected  life. 
Bible defines authentic life “in Him was life� sinning really is completely inconstant with who we now are.  Sin remains a powerful enemy to Godliness.  What are God’s expectations?  A life of Holiness!