Chemistry of a Christian 3
The Origins of Salvation
RECAP
The Purpose of This Project: To rediscover our supernatural and spiritual makeup.
WHERE WERE WE?
So God created human beingsin his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.—GENESIS 1:27 (NLT)
Plural ELOHIM
GOD THE FATHER, SON, AND HOLY SPIRIT WERE ALL INVOLVED IN THE CREATION OF MANKIND IN THEIR IMAGE.
THEY SHARE THE SAME BASE QUALITIES BUT EXPRESS THEM UNIQUELY
The Holy Spirit brings us into a RELATIONSHIP with the Word and, therefore, with the Father.
The Father initiates our IDENTITY, restores it through Christ, and expresses it through the Holy Spirit.
Making us in His image before we accept our identity or reciprocate relationship is the highest expression of GRACE.
Through the Holy Spirit, God then gives us everything we need and empowers us to express our PURPOSE.
OUR BASE ELEMENTS
- Wisdom developed the plan for our salvation.
- Power sees that plan to its successful completion.
- Justice ensures that God’s perfect law brings balance to those who participate in that plan.
- Love will always be the moving force behind that plan.
THEY SHARE THE SAME BASE QUALITIES BUT EXPRESS THEM UNIQUELY
LOVE
The Father expresses it.
The Son demonstrates it.
The Holy Spirit makes it ours.
TRUTH
Whatever God says is absolutely right. Whatever He promises will always be fulfilled.
THE FATHER IS THE SOURCE OF TRUTH.
Teach me your ways, O Lord , that I may live according to your truth! Grant me purity of heart, so that I may honor you.—Psalms 86:11 (NLT)
THE WORD TEACHES US THE PURITY OF THE FATHER’S PROMISES.
“You are truly My disciples if you keep obeying My teachings. And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”—John 8:31,32 (NLT)
THE HOLY SPIRIT PREVAILS UPON US WITH THE ATMOSPHERE OF TRUTH
(The atmosphere of the realized promises of the Father)
“I will ask the Father, and He will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever — the Spirit of truth”.—John 14:16-17 (NIV)
AS IMAGE BEARERS, HIS TRUTH CALLS US TO A LIFE OF HONOR.
We honor Him, as Jesus did, by walking out our lives in the realized, though often not yet beheld, promises of the Father.
THE PURITY OF GODS WORD IS SO PURE AND TRUE THAT IT DEMONSTRATES ANOTHER OF THE QUALITIES OF GOD:
HOLINESS
“Do not come any closer,” the Lord warned. “Take off your sandals, for you are standing on holy ground. I am the God of your father —the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” When Moses heard this, he covered his face because he was afraid to look at God.—Exodus 3:5-6 (NLT) To Moses
When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to him and said, “I am El-Shaddai—‘God Almighty.’ Serve me faithfully and live a blameless life.—Genesis 17:1 (NLT) To Abraham
The place where the Father is at is made Holy!
When we honor the character of God in us (serve) we are made Holy…
We honor the IDENTITY of the Father in us and that in turn makes us HOLY – the key to an eternal RELATIONSHIP with God.
Because everything in the presence of the Father is made Holy, he had to burn sin away through Jesus so that we could be in His presence or have a relationship with Him. He knew we could not make ourselves Holy, so to ensure His desire and promise (TRUTH), he sent Jesus to kick sin into touch, declare us Holy (IDENTITY), and reintroduce the relationship between a fallen man and a holy God (RELATIONSHIP).
Here is how!
THE FATHER IS HOLY
“The Bible says that God is holy, holy, holy. Not that He is merely holy, or even holy, holy. He is holy, holy, holy. The Bible never says that God is love, love, love, or mercy, mercy, mercy, or wrath, wrath, wrath, or justice, justice, justice. It does say that He is holy, holy, holy, the whole earth is full of His glory.”—Scholar R. C. Sproul makes this observation from Isaiah 6:
Holiness Defined
1. To be holy is to be distinct, separate, in a class by oneself.
2. To be holy is to be morally pure.
3. For God to be holy is for Him to be holy in relation to every aspect of His nature and character.
The fullness of God (Love, Justice, Wisdom and Power) when expressed in Holiness and Truth produce the complete expression of the image of God in us!
In His eyes, we are in a class of our own, morally pure through our faith in Christ and through the power of the Holy Spirit aligning every aspect of our character to His.
But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy. So you must live as God’s obedient children. Don’t slip back into your old ways of living to satisfy your own desires. You didn’t know any better then. For the Scriptures say, “You must be holy because I am holy.”—1 Peter 1:14-16 (NLT)
Grant me purity of heart, so that I may honor you.—Psalms 86:11 (NLT)
JESUS, THE WORD IS NEEDED TO DECLARE US RIGHTEOUS AND HOLY.
THROUGH JESUS, WE ARE SETTLED, BALANCED, MADE PERFECT, AND SET ASIDE FROM THE MAYHEM OF THE WORLD (HOLY).
Now may the God of peace make you holy in every way, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ comes again.—1 Thessalonians 5:23 (NLT)
OUR SALVATION STORY IS SECURED
God has united you with Christ Jesus. For our benefit God made him to be wisdom itself. Christ made us right with God; he made us pure and holy, and he freed us from sin.—1 Corinthians 1:30 (NLT)
For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.—Isaiah 9:6 (NLT)
OUR SALVATION THROUGH HIS TRUTH AND HOLINESS IS OUR PEACE.
THE HOLY SPIRIT IS THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH
WHEN WE START LIVING IN THE TRUTH OF OUR SALVATION AND THE HOLINESS OF OUR POSITION, WE DISCOVER THE FEAR HACK.
FEAR HACK?
JUSTICE prevails through the balancing of the scales by Jesus. Peace is ensured, and fear is conquered through the prevalence of LOVE, POWER, AND WISDOM.
GALATIANS 5:22-23 “…Love, joy, PEACE…”
Peace is what He prevails upon us to remind us of the power of the image of God in us. He reminds us of Jesus’ ability to present the combination of truth and holiness and how our faith by GRACE is the key to our purpose, identity, and relationship with HIM.
THE PEACE OF A SOUND MIND
For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.—2 Timothy 1:7 (NLT)
OUR SALVATION
Sin brings death and destruction, while holiness brings health and well-being. God wants your mind and heart to be filled with His holy qualities. As your life is transformed, you will project the light of His holiness into the darkness of this evil world. Then you shall be holy as He is holy.
Wisdom developed the plan for our salvation.
Power sees that plan to its successful completion.
Justice ensures that God’s perfect law brings balance to those who participate in that plan.
Love will always be the moving force behind that plan.
Truth ensured that the promise of our salvation would be kept no matter the cost.
Holiness set us apart through our faith in Jesus and made us right before the Father and brought us into the arena of peace ready for the balance of His image to become our reality.
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