In his book Victory Over the Darkness, Neil Anderson begins by posing this question:
‘Who are you?’
Now, I myself could answer in one of the following ways:
I am Scott Lencke. But that is my name, that isn’t who I am. I could say I am a lecturer at the Bible College of Wales, but that is what I do. I could say I’m an American, but that is my nationality. If I chopped my arms and legs off, I would still be me, wouldn’t I? Even if I had a heart transplant, I would still be me.
The question ‘who are you’ is not a question of occupation, appearance, or not even the name by which I am called. It is a question of identity.
In John 8:32, Jesus tells us, ‘You will know the truth and the truth will make you free.’ We have to remember that truth sets us free. The greatest truth man can know is God Himself. We are truly set free when we come to know God in Jesus Christ. But sometimes, because of what we have gone through in life – hurts, pains, broken hearts, or a myriad of other painful experiences – our perception of who God really is can be distorted. So I believe beyond a shadow of a doubt that the second most important truth for any Christian to know is who they are in Christ.
There is a banner that sets above the heads of many Christians. I don’t believe it is an accurate banner, but nevertheless, it is raised above many people’s heads. The banner says this: ‘I’m just a sinner saved by grace.’ But, as I’ve said, I don’t believe this is a correct statement based upon the overwhelming teaching of Scripture about all of those who are in Christ. Now don’t yell heresy just yet, stay with me…
Scripture teaches us that when a person becomes born again, there is something new and different that takes place in our lives. Scripture teaches us that, as Christians, we have a new status. Where we once stood condemned before God, we, as sons and daughters of God, now stand justified. I know that is a big, religious word, but let me break it down for you. To be ‘justified’ means that we are declared not guilty, and at the same time we are declared righteous.
Therefore, having been justified (declared not guilty and righteous) by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. (Romans 5:1)
Now that is gospel, that is good news. Paul also teach us that:
Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. (Romans 8:1)
It is a righteous judgment that God declares us not guilty because Christ paid for it all. We all probably know what 1 John 1:9 says, ‘If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.’ God is not only faithful to cleanse us from our sin, but He is also 100% righteous to forgive us. Did you know that if God were to hold our sins against us as the people of God, He would be absolutely unrighteous. Think about it for just a minute. Christ has already paid for our sin – ‘It is finished.’ Therefore, if God decided to hold our sins against us, it would cancel out what Christ did on the cross. But God did hold our sin against Jesus and He paid for it all. For that reason, God will never hold our sins against us ever again. ‘IT IS FINISHED!’
Jeremiah got a glimpse into the new covenant and what would come in Christ, and this is what he said:
‘For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.’ (Jeremiah 31:34)
Through the prophet, God speaks, and this is what He says: ‘I will remember your sins no more.’ We know that Scripture teaches that our sins are forgiven, God will remember then no more, and they are as far as the east is from the west. But still many Christians have the idea that when they die, they will stand before God and He will have a big video screen that will display every sin they have ever done. Then as each sin goes by on the screen, God will say, ‘Why did you do that?’ Then another sin pops up on the screen, ‘Why did you say that?’ And so on. But how can that be. God promises to never remember our sins again. The truth is that God will not hold our sins against us ever again. ‘It is finished!’
The unrighteous will one day stand before God at the ‘great white throne’ judgment as Revelation 20 makes clear, but we as sons and daughters of God we will not be at that judgment. We will have entered into the kingdom prepared for us before the foundation of the world, hearing the words of the Father, ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant...enter into the joy of your master’ Now that is gospel, that is good news.
We have been given a new status. We are justified. We have been declared not guilty and our sins have been dealt with once for all time. And at the same time, we have been declared righteous because we are in Christ Jesus (2 Corinthians 5:21). Let it sink in that God will never hold your sins against you again. Let it sink deep into your heart that you are righteous in Christ. Now that is truth and that is truth that sets us free. | 