Who Am I in the Kingdom of God? (reprint from 2/1/12

For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; ²¹ who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself.  Philippians 3: 20, 21

What does it mean to be 'in Christ'?

The Promise-- A Call to Grace

For centuries the prophets of God foretold a time when a Deliverer would come and Sin would cease to be.  Israel was called to a life of relationship with God, to keep His commandments and live out His statutes.  But they couldn’t do it.  They tried repeatedly, but always fell prey to their sin nature.  So God went  a step further:

   “BEHOLD, DAYS ARE COMING, SAYS THE LORD, 

WHEN I WILL EFFECT A NEW COVENANT 

WITH THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL AND WITH THE HOUSE OF JUDAH; 

9 NOT LIKE THE COVENANT WHICH I MADE WITH THEIR FATHERS 

ON THE DAY WHEN I TOOK THEM BY THE HAND 

TO LEAD THEM OUT OF THE LAND OF EGYPT; 

FOR THEY DID NOT CONTINUE IN MY COVENANT, 

AND I DID NOT CARE FOR THEM, SAYS THE LORD. 

10 “FOR THIS IS THE COVENANT THAT I WILL MAKE WITH THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL 

AFTER THOSE DAYS, SAYS THE LORD: 

I WILL PUT MY LAWS INTO THEIR MINDS, 

AND I WILL WRITE THEM ON THEIR HEARTS. 

AND I WILL BE THEIR GOD, 

AND THEY SHALL BE MY PEOPLE. 

11 “AND THEY SHALL NOT TEACH EVERYONE HIS FELLOW CITIZEN, 

AND EVERYONE HIS BROTHER, SAYING, ‘KNOW THE LORD,’ 

FOR ALL WILL KNOW ME, 

FROM THE LEAST TO THE GREATEST OF THEM. 

12 “FOR I WILL BE MERCIFUL TO THEIR INIQUITIES, 

AND I WILL REMEMBER THEIR SINS NO MORE.”

~Hebrews 8:8-13 

26 Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27 I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances. 28 You will live in the land that I gave to your forefathers; so you will be My people, and I will be your God.

~Ezekial 36:26-28 

This is the Promise of the Father, and as Christians we are called to live in the Promise of full forgiveness, and  full acceptance.

         Romans 12: 1,2--Transforming, Renewing

Ephesians 4:22ff--Putting off and putting on

II Corinthians 5:21--the Double Imputation

I Corinthians 1:9--God has called us into fellowship with the Son.

II Timothy 1:9--the promise is based on God’s purposes, not our works

Romans 8:26-30-- We were predestined to be formed in His image.

John 15:5--live in Him, because without Him we can do nothing.

The Flesh/Moralism--The World's Version of Good & Evil--we can do nothing of value to the Kingdom of God in our own power.

Galatians 3:1-5

Galatians 5:1; 13; 17,18

Prayer of Recollection-- Syncing up with God

Think for a minute of something most of us are familiar with:  syncing a computer with another device, like an iPad or iPhone.  When you connect them, they pass information back and forth until they both know everything about the other.

The Prayer of Recollection is like “syncing up” with the Holy Spirit.  We get quiet, turn inward to where the Spirit lives in our hearts, and spend a few minutes being open and receptive with Him.  Pretty soon our hearts are “in sync” with each other, and we can go on, empowered afresh.  I might be appropriate to stop several times a day and reinforce what we already know:  I am in Christ, and that alone if my true identity.

-Our finite body--we are limited in what we can do.

-Our finite spirit--we are limited in what we can know and be.

-Our True Identity--we are ‘in Christ’--that is most truly who we are.

Consider how you typically approach God?  

-Attentiveness of mind and heart is something to ‘practice’ and spend time with, bonding with God.

-Align our will with His Will--it’s hard to give up our own will, or imagine having a will at all sometimes.  His Will is the only will worth having.

--Sit in loving receptivity--”Listen” with your spiritual ears. Be prepared to wait awhile. You might hear nothing.  But God is at work in your heart, and the more cooperative we are, the shorter the time we remain in the dark.  Practice daily, even for 5 mintues at a time.