Seated in the Heavenlies with Christ

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marks

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Thank you @marks, I have noticed that you are maturing at a rapid pace, while I am a bit "stunted" in my growth in Christ...too many voices and I need help from my fellow brothers and sisters, spiritually, and not falling behind, or out of this race.

God bless you and family.
J.
Just to say, what I value more in our exchanges is that which comes directly from you, but I know, it's like shorthand.

Much love!
 

marks

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The notes is as if I wrote it myself, makes perfect sense to me,
For me, the key is to remember, and to understand, and to competely believe, that God has forgiven and removed away from me, cleansing me, of all sins, past/present/future. That Justification and Reconciliation are real and complete.

Romans 5:1-5 KJV
1) Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:
2) By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
3) And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience;
4) And patience, experience; and experience, hope:
5) And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.

The same faith that saves us, trusting in Jesus for our salvation, is the same faith by which we have access into the grace in which we stand.

Trusting Jesus for the forgiveness of our sins, reconciling us to God, God brings us into His family, and our salvation is accomplished. God's intend for us is that we stand against those things that come against us, and endure through them while continuing in His will.

Trusting in Jesus that our reconciliation is complete and real opens the door to the grace in which we stand - - - if we choose to stand.

"Work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God Who works within you both to will and do what pleases Him"

Works . . . Present Tense Active Voice . . . God is working in you now, both to will and to do.

His is not only giving us the ability to perform what He intends for us, but He also works repairing our will.

We contend with our flesh, but He gives us the grace to endure.

Much love!
 
J

Johann

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Just to say, what I value more in our exchanges is that which comes directly from you, but I know, it's like shorthand.
For me, the key is to remember, and to understand, and to competely believe, that God has forgiven and removed away from me, cleansing me, of all sins, past/present/future. That Justification and Reconciliation are real and complete.

Romans 5:1-5 KJV
1) Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:
2) By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
3) And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience;
4) And patience, experience; and experience, hope:
5) And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.

The same faith that saves us, trusting in Jesus for our salvation, is the same faith by which we have access into the grace in which we stand.

Trusting Jesus for the forgiveness of our sins, reconciling us to God, God brings us into His family, and our salvation is accomplished. God's intend for us is that we stand against those things that come against us, and endure through them while continuing in His will.

Trusting in Jesus that our reconciliation is complete and real opens the door to the grace in which we stand - - - if we choose to stand.

"Work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God Who works within you both to will and do what pleases Him"

Works . . . Present Tense Active Voice . . . God is working in you now, both to will and to do.

His is not only giving us the ability to perform what He intends for us, but He also works repairing our will.

We contend with our flesh, but He gives us the grace to endure.

Much love!
How do I use the quote feature to give you my answer on, say, three or four points you have made here, so that I do not have to resort to my "short hand" but write with a long hand.
J.
 

marks

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Raccoon1010

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Ephesians 2:4-7 LITV
4) But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us,
5) even we being dead in deviations, He made us alive together with Christ (by grace you are being saved),
6) and raised us up together and seated us together in the heavenlies in Christ Jesus,
7) that He might demonstrate in the ages coming on, the exceeding great riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

Colossians 3:1-4 LITV
1) If, then, you were raised with Christ, seek the things above, where Christ is sitting at the right of God; Psa. 110:1
2) mind the things above, not the things on the earth.
3) For you died, and your life has been hidden with Christ in God.
4) Whenever Christ our life is revealed, then also you will be revealed with Him in glory.

So where are "we" exactly?

Our bodies are clearly terrestrial. Our soul goes with the body, also terrestrial. What about our spirit?

That which is born of flesh is flesh. That which is born of Spirit is spirit. Notice I capitalize the first "Spirit", God's Spirit, we are born from Him.

Is the Spirit terrestrial? I should say not!! God is Spirit, not within the confine of our terrestrial realm.

Romans 6:10-11 LITV
10) For in that He died, He died to sin once for all; but in that He lives, He lives to God.
11) So also you count yourselves to be truly dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

We are dead to sin, but alive unto God.

Seated in the heavenlies in Christ, Who returned to heaven until that time He returns. We are in Him, we are in the celestial kingdom.

We have life that is beyond this realm, that defies this realm, that is not bound by this realm. We are in communion with God outside of this realm, and as we come to understand this, we then live within this realm in a manner consistent with our life in Christ.

1 John 4:15-17 LITV
15) Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God.
16) And we have known and have believed the love which God has in us. God is love, and the one abiding in love abides in God, and God in him.
17) By this, love has been perfected with us, that we have confidence in the day of judgment, that as He is, we are also in this world.

Much love!
I've seen God the Father in Heaven. He appeared to me and spoke to me, telling me to worship his son Jesus. He had a body. I only saw his face though. He had an appearance like iron. Jesus of course has a body like us.

The iron appearance can also be read in the 2nd book of Enoch.
 
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J

Johann

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I don't know him.
No problem, he was a Baptist and have I not seen any negative reviews.
But while you are here, we are "in" Christ, does that mean we are holy as God is holy, even in walking in the resurrection life of Christ?
We will not achieve holiness or sinless perfection on this side of eternity, but our lives should reflect the immaculate purity of God.

Correct? Hence my question, are we AS holy as God is holy, or is this as God sees us IN Christ.


The Lord Jesus called us to be “the salt of the earth” (Matthew 5:13). Salt is a preservative, and in these days of moral degradation, may we not be conformed to the behavior and thinking of this decaying planet; rather, may we be ambassadors of Christ and agents of transformation and renewal (2 Corinthians 5:20; Romans 12:2). By imitating the holiness of God, we bring honor to Him and comfort to others.

God is holy. In Him, there is not even the faintest trace of evil. He is impeccably pure, wholly without fault, and uncompromisingly just. God cannot lie. He cannot make wrong decisions. He is blameless, timeless, and sinless.

By contrast, we are flawed beings tainted by sin (Isaiah 53:6; 1 John 1:8). By all rights, a holy and righteous God must judge sinners, and the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23); thankfully, we can escape the wrath of God by placing our trust in Christ Jesus as Savior (Hebrews 2:3). Were it not for the gospel of Jesus Christ, the holiness of God would be mankind’s greatest fear, for no sinner can stand in the presence of His blinding glory.

But, through a simple act of faith, those who believe in Jesus as Savior have been pardoned (Matthew 9:6). To the lost the holiness of God is a dreadful matter, but to the redeemed the holiness of God is our greatest good.

 

marks

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The Lord Jesus called us to be “the salt of the earth” (Matthew 5:13).
This is an interesting statement. I'm not ignoring the rest, this just caught my eye. Jesus did not in fact call anyone "to be" the salt of the earth. Jesus told the Jews, "You are the salt of the earth". You may apply that to us, most do, but even so, it's not an admonition, it's a declaration.

Much love!
 

marks

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Hence my question, are we AS holy as God is holy, or is this as God sees us IN Christ.
Can you be "partly holy"? To me, either you are holy or you are not. Holy, meaning, set apart for God's use.

So I'm like a wrecked car that God chose to use for Himself.

Much love!
 
J

Johann

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This is an interesting statement. I'm not ignoring the rest, this just caught my eye. Jesus did not in fact call anyone "to be" the salt of the earth. Jesus told the Jews, "You are the salt of the earth". You may apply that to us, most do, but even so, it's not an admonition, it's a declaration.

Much love!
I am well aware not everything in the scriptures is applicable to us.


"by the mercies of God" In the LXX this describes the compassionate nature of YHWH (cf. Exod. 34:6). Here it refers to the doctrinal progression of Romans 1-11. There is an obvious emphasis in Romans on the "mercy" (both oikīeirō and eleeō) of God in dealing with fallen humanity (cf. Rom. 9:15,16,18,23; 11:30,31,32; 12:8; 15:9). Because God's grace and mercy are offered freely, believers must live godly lives (cf. Eph. 1:4; 2:10) out of gratitude, not merit (cf. Eph. 2:8-9). The new lives (i.e., Col. 3:9,10,12) are meant to turn others to faith in Christ!

"to present" This is an aorist infinitive. This was one of several sacrificial terms used in this context: sacrifice, Rom. 12:1; holy, Rom. 12:1; acceptable, Rom. 12:1. This same concept is expressed in Rom. 6:13,16,19. Humans will either give themselves to God or to Satan. As Christ gave Himself uniquely to do the Father's will, even death on a cross, His followers must also emulate His selfless living (cf. 2 Cor. 5:14-15; Gal. 2:20; 1 John 3:16).

"your bodies" Christianity is different from so much of Greek philosophy, which thought the physical body was evil. It is the arena of temptation but it is morally neutral. The term "body" seems to parallel "mind" in Rom. 12:2. Believers need to commit their entire being to God (cf. Deut. 6:5; 1 Cor. 6:20) as they had previously committed it to sin (cf. Romans 6).

"a living" This was radically different from the dead offerings of the Jewish or pagan temples (cf. Rom. 6:13; Gal. 2:20).

It must also be differentiated from asceticism (the harsh treatment of the physical body for religious purposes). It is not the body's isolation, punishment or celibacy that is advocated, but an active life of service and Christlike love.

"and holy sacrifice" The term "holy" means "set apart for God's service." The focus of this term in this context is on the believer's consecration and availability to be used by God for His purposes.

"be holy yourselves also" This is an aorist passive (deponent) imperative. Believers are called to holiness. God's will has always been that His children reflect His character (cf. Titus 2:14).

The goal of Christianity is not only heaven when we die, but Christlikeness now (cf. Rom. 8:29-30; 2 Cor. 3:18; 7:1; Gal. 4:19; Eph. 1:4; 2:10; 4:13; 1 Thess. 3:13; 4:3,7; 5:23). Jesus' task was not only remission of sin, but the restoration of the image of God in fallen mankind. We must always be suspicious of an assurance of salvation that lacks Christlikeness!

The gospel is (1) a person to welcome; (2) a truth about that person to believe; and (3) a life emulating that person to live (cf. Eph. 4:1; 5:1-2,15; 1 John 1:7; 2:4-6). Remember the shocking words of Jesus in Matt. 5:20 and 48! Always be careful of "what's-in-it-for-me" Christianity. We are saved to serve. We are called to holiness in no uncertain terms. God have mercy on a western church trapped by (1) prosperity; (2) materialism; and (3) health/wealth preaching!

But if you are holy AS YHVH is holy, good for you brother, the righteousness of God in Christ is reckoned to me, does that make me inherently hagios?


Rom 4:1 What then shall we say was gained by Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh?
Rom 4:2 For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God.
Rom 4:3 For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.”

It was reckoned unto him for righteousness (elogisthē eis dikaiosunēn). First aorist passive indicative of logizomai, old and common verb to set down accounts (literally or metaphorically). It was set down on the credit side of the ledger “for” (eis as often) righteousness. What was set down? His believing God (episteusen tōi theōi).




Rom 4:4 Now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his due.
Rom 4:5 And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness,
Rom 4:6 just as David also speaks of the blessing of the one to whom God counts righteousness apart from works:
Rom 4:7 “Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered;
Rom 4:8 blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sin.”

Psa_32:1-2, Psa_51:8-9, Psa_85:2, Psa_130:3-4; Isa_40:1-2; Jer_33:8-9; Mic_7:18-20; Mat_9:2; Luk_7:47-50


But I am well aware you don't really appreciate my shorthand, but have you ever thought how difficult it is for a Afrikaner to think in English and to express himself as fluently as you are, in English?
You are gifted in that sphere, use it wisely.
J.
 

marks

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I am well aware not everything in the scriptures is applicable to us.
As I was reading that post, I hadn't figured out yet that you hadn't written it.

If I were reading something you had written I'm thinking you may not have said that.

Much love!
 

marks

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Don't know if this is a compliment or a rap over the knuckles.
Take it as a compliment. And a cautionary tale. I don't always realize when you are quoting someone else, and if they say something you don't personally thing, I can get confused.

Much love!
 
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Johann

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We should always consider how to responsibly use what God has given to us.
Absolutely, that's the reason I would surround myself with one or two godly counselors, brother and sisters in Christ, should I veer of the beaten path, thus bringing dishonor to my Lord and Savior Christ Jesus and loose credibility on this Forum.
It is not my desire to elevate myself, the ego eimi, but to glorify Christ in word, thought and deed and not misrepresent the holy scriptures in any way, shape or form, and a style of life in accord with/transformed by the Holy Spirit.

Shalom to you and family.

Oh, and thank you for showing me the quote feature.
LaChem achi, my brother.
 
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St. Joseph

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Eph.6 does not mean we fight supernatural demons but that the warfare is in our brains,the natural sinful man fightibg with the new man. Every child of God goes through it. And the war will last until you die.
Romans 7
Romans 12:2
 
J

Johann

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Eph.6 does not mean we fight supernatural demons but that the warfare is in our brains,the natural sinful man fightibg with the new man. Every child of God goes through it. And the war will last until you die.
Romans 7
Romans 12:2
The Whole Armor of God
Eph 6:10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.
Eph 6:11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
Eph 6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
Eph 6:13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
Eph 6:14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;
Eph 6:15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
Eph 6:16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
Eph 6:17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:
Eph 6:18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;
Eph 6:19 And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel,
Eph 6:20 For which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.

This warfare is as real as it stands written-and has nothing to do with our "brains-3pound brain"

There is to this day a huge debate on Romans 7 whether this is Paul the unregenerate/regenerate-but I believe this is Paul the regenerate and we all have an inner conflict-but read Romans 6 brother.

We can be overcomers-says me-while I myself have a tremendous inner battle.
Shalom
Johann
 
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