We walk like the people of old walked, in faith based on things far ahead.
All
these died in faith without getting what was promised. But they saw it
far ahead and welcomed it, and they confessed they were strangers who
had no permanent home on earth. Those who talk that way show they’re
looking for a country of their own. If their hearts had been in the
country they left, hey could have found an opportunity to go back.
Instead, they were longing for a better country—I mean heaven. That is
why God is not ashamed to be called their God, because He has prepared a
city for them. Heb 8:13-16 AAT [That city is the New Jerusalem of the new heaven and new earth (Rev 21-22]
Also looking far ahead, we walk as God’s saints with God given faith.
Saints is a kingdom word identifying believers made holy by the death of Jesus’ physical body (Col :22, Heb 10:10) and cleansed from all sin by His blood (1 Jn 1:7). Thus, God has made each of us holy to Himself and part of His community of saints/holy ones.
1Paul,
an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God,To the saints who are in
Ephesus, and are faithful in Christ Jesus:2Grace to you and peace from
God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
3Blessed
be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in
Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, 4even as he
chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be
holy and blameless before him. In love 5he predestined us for adoption
as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, 6to
the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the
Beloved. 7In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness
of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, 8which he
lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight 9making known to us the
mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in
Christ 10as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him,
things in heaven and things on earth. Eph 1 ESV
31“When
the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he
will sit on his glorious throne. 32Before him will be gathered all the
nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd
separates the sheep from the goats. 33And he will place the sheep on his
right, but the goats on the left. 34Then the King will say to those on
his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom
prepared for you from the foundation of the world. in His kingdom. Mt 25 ESV
3Praise
be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy
he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of
Jesus Christ from the dead, 4and into an inheritance that can never
perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, 5who
through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the
salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.1 Peter 1 ESV
We
saints are called to turn away from following our own will and with
faith, follow Messiah Jesus our King with that assurance of things hoped
for.
1Now
faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things
not seen. 2For by it the people of old received their commendation. Heb 11 ESV
He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son. Col 1:13 ESV
But of the Son he says,
“Your throne, O God, is forever and ever,
the scepter of uprightness is the scepter of your kingdom. Heb 1:8 ESV
14Since
then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens,
Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15For we do not
have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but
one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.
16Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we
may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Heb 4 ESV
That faith is a gift of God.
But
God, who is rich in mercy, loved us with such a great love. He made us
who were dead in sins alive with Christ. [You are saved by a gift of His
grace.] And since we are in Christ Jesus, He raised us with Him and had
us sit with Him in heaven to show in the coming ages the immeasurable
riches of His love by being kind to us in Christ Jesus. You are saved by
a gift of grace which you get by faith. You didn’t do it. It is God’s
gift. It isn’t because of anything you have done, or you might boast. He
has made us what we are, creating us in Christ Jesus to do good works,
in which God long ago planned for us to live. Eph 2:4-10 AAT
We
are saved by faith, not by any works we do. Since many try to be saved
through religious works and even through good works, Paul made that very
clear.
8For
by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is
the gift of God: 9Not of works, lest any man should boast. Eph 2:8:9 KJV
1What
shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh,
hath found? 2For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to
glory; but not before God.
11And
he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of
the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised: that he might be the
father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcised; that
righteousness might be imputed unto them also: 12And the father of
circumcision to them who are not of the circumcision only, but who also
walk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham, which he had
being yet uncircumcised. Romans 4 KJV
We walk as new creatures, created in Christ Jesus
The outpouring of the Holy Spirit was the beginning of a new order of mankind, alive unto God. The moment we confessed Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelt within us and we in Him (1 Jn 4:15), creating us in Christ Jesus. “Not
by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his
mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the
Holy Ghost” (Titus 3:5 KJV). N. T. Wright puts washing of regeneration “washing of the new birth.” (The Kingdom New Testament). Regeneration is the again genesis of the New Covenant. “Regeneration” comes from the Greek word “paliggenesia” from the root words “palin/again” and “genesis.” Thus God created us in Christ Jesus as http://billbremer.org/new-beings-kingdom-god/ - New beings fit for the kingdom of God . The only other time “regeneration” is used in the Bible, Jesus is referring to the again genesis of the righteous and heaven and earth (Mt 19:28; Rev 21-22)
Here’s how we walk in good works
For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God afore prepared that we should walk in them. Eph 2:10 ASV
I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beseech you to walk worthily of the calling wherewith ye were called. Eph 4:1 ASV (Col 1:10; 1 Th 29-12; 1 Th 4:1, 1 n 1:5-7)
This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye no longer walk as the Gentiles also walk, in the vanity of their mind. Eph 4:17 ASV
And
walk in love, even as Christ also loved you, and gave himself up for
us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for an odor of a sweet smell. Eph 5:2 ASV (Jn 8:12; Jn 831-32; Rom 6:4; Col 2:6; 1 Jn 2:3-8; 2 Jn 1:4-6)
There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. Ro 8:1 ASV (Ro 8:4; Gal 5:16; Gal 5:25).
Now
if you were raised with Christ, be eager for the things that are above,
where Christ is sitting at the tight of God. Keep your mind on things
above, not on earthly things. You see, you have died, and your life is
hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, your Life, appears, then you too
will appear with Him in glory.
Kill,
then, what is earthly in you: sexual sin, uncleanness, passion, evil
lust, and greed, which is idol worship; these are bringing down God’s
anger. Once you also practiced them when you lived in them. But now also
get rid of all such things as anger, rage, malice, slander, and dirty
talk. Don’t lie to one another, seeing that you have put away your old
self and its ways and have put on the new self, which is continually
renewed in knowledge to be like Him who made him. Here there is no Greek
or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, but Christ is everything and in
everything.
Then,
as holy people whom God has chosen and loved, be tenderhearted, kind,
humble, gentle patient: bear with one another and forgive one another if
you have a complaint against anyone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.
With all this have love, which binds it all together to make it perfect.
Let the peace of Christ, to which you were called as one body, be in your hearts to
decide things for you. And be thankful. Let Christ’s Word live richly
in you as you teach and warn one another, using every kind of wisdom.
With thankful hearts sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God. And
everything you say or do, do it in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by
Him give thanks to God the Father. Col 3:1-17 AAT
------------- Bill Bremer Kingdom Relationships http://billbremer.org
billbremer04@yahoo.com
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