There is More to the Cross than Forgiveness/Part 2
Our Identity Was Changed in Christ
Christians who understand only that they are forgiven mistakenly see themselves as forgiven sinners on their way to heaven. Not understanding that Jesus has already changed their identity from sinner to saint (holy one) leads them to the mistaken belief that they will be changed into holy people at their physical death. My friend Peter Lord says, āWhat you are here, youāll be there. Most Christians think that death is going to complete what Jesus couldnāt do; that when you die, youāll suddenly be zapped into holiness. But death is an enemy! Thereās something wrong with a theology that says that our enemy is going to do what Jesus is impotent to do.ā Weāve already been changed into holy people (saints) in Christās death and resurrection, so weāre already āqualifiedā to live with God. If we were not, Godās Holy Spirit could not dwell within us now! Mother Teresa didnāt become a saint by committee vote based upon her performance. A person can only be changed from sinner to saint by crucifixion/rebirth in Christ. Youāre already as much of a saint as youāll ever be. Youāre the same person youāll be in eternity after you shed your earthsuit at death. You say, āWell, great day, if this is true, then why donāt I act like a saint?ā Good question. Hold onto your ticket stub; weāll cover this later.
A Suit of ClayāOur Temporary Dwelling
Second Corinthians 5:1,2,8 reveals what transpires at our physical death: For we know that if the earthly tent [body] which is our house is torn down, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For indeed in this house we groan, longing to be clothed with our dwelling from heavenā¦. We are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord.
Notice that God differentiates between you and the earthsuit in which you live. He is revealing that the earthsuit is not who you are. He says, āIf the earthly tent which is our house is torn down, we have a building from God ⦠in the heavens.ā The house is not your identity. Just to be sure we get it, He repeats it: āIn this house we groan.ā Does the house groan or do we groan? We groan. The house is not you; you temporarily indwell it. Notice that the person who is āabsent from the body and present with the Lordā is the same person who indwelled the body on earth. His identity is unchanged by death. Although the body will indeed be changed in the future (1 Corinthians 15:42-44), you and I will not be changed from a sinner to a saint at our physical death, because God has already accomplished this through Christ. God, through Paul, addresses this letter to all the āsaintsā (2 Corinthians 1:1). He never speaks to āsinners saved by grace.ā Thatās manās religious opinion, which is not supported by Scripture. By teaching that Christians have already been changed into the glorious people that weāll be eternally, Iām not teaching Gnosticism (negating the imporĀtance of the body). Iām simply saying what the Bible saysāthat the true you is not the body in which you live. Your personality (soul) and spirit comprise the saint who indwells your dying, earth-bound body.
The passage which speaks about your being changed in the twinkling of an eye is not speaking about changing you, but about changing your body. God says: āI tell you a mysery; we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changedā¦. For this perishable [earthly body] must put on the imperishable [supernatural heavenly body] and this mortal [physical body] </nowiki>must put on immortality [heavenly body]ā (1 Corinthians 15:51,53). Your soul and spirit have already been changed at salvation. Folks, the only change we will experience through death is liberation from the earthsuit. When we eject from the body, the devil can no longer hassle us. Although we will live forever in Godās presence, and had to experience an idenĀtity change in order to qualify for such a glorious future, the Bible teaches that this change has already taken place in Christ at salvation. Thatās why God calls us saints.
The Christian who believes he is a sinner saved by grace is either uninstructed or is ignoring a significant portion of what Jesus accomplished for us as revealed through Godās secretary, Paul. Such a Christian faces life in much the same manner as the faithful Old Testament Jew. That unregenerate man correctly saw himself as a sinner who must reguĀlarly travel to the Temple and strive to fulfill all of the requirements of the Law in order to acquire Godās forgiveness and blessing. In addition to that burden, experiencing the Spirit of Christ living through him to give him victory over the world, the flesh, and the devil was unavailable to him (even in his wildest dreams!). Nor was it possible for him to have his identity changed from sinner to saint. Do you see that this describes the mentality of many born-again saints of God today? Do you experience consistent victory over āthe sin which so easily entangles usā (Hebrews 12:1)? Although no man can ever attain sinless perfecĀtion, you can experience the victorious life. But you must embrace more of the gospel than your blessed forgiveness.
===A New Spiritual Identity===
Although faithful Old Testament Jews were forgiven, had they attempted to enter into Godās holy presenceābehind the Temple veilāthey would have died instantly due to their spiritual identity by natural birthāsinner-men. The high priest, on the other hand, had been granted a grace-exemption as Godās intercessor on behalf of the people. What is it that exempts you from needing such a human priest/intercessor? You have literally been <nowiki>cleansed via being crucified in Christ and then reborn in His resurrection! ā[You] are the temple of the living Godā (2 Corinthians 6:16b)! How can this be? Itās because you are not only permanently forgiven via Jesusā blood, but you are so permanently holy that the Spirit of Christ permanently indwells you. It was through Christās beloved body that He accomĀplished this change in your identity, dear one. Hold on, now; stay with me as I reason with you from the Word. Of course, you should praise God that your sins are forgiven by His precious blood. What a fantastic gift from God! But, gang, you received even more than that! My point is that you should give equal praise to God that your spirit identity was changed from sinner to saint by being crucified and then reborn in Jesusā precious body. Both are mandatory before a person can host the Holy Spirit of God, and this has already been done for you. āThe temple of God is holy, and that is what you areā (1 Corinthians 3:17). Forgiveness alone wonāt give you the privilege of hosting Godās Spirit. Do you see that? Although the Old Testament believer had forgiveness, he could not enter into the presence of God like you do. Although itās not mandatory that you embrace this truth to be saved, it is mandatory that you embrace it in order to experience victory over the world, your flesh, and the devil.
The Temple veil was torn in two at Christās death, exposing the Holy of Holies, and thus revealing that God would no longer dwell in a ātemple made with hands.ā He now dwells in another kind of temple that is āmade without hands.ā āWe heard Him say, āI will destroy this temple made with hands, and in three days I will build another made without handsā ā(Mark 14:58). Born-again people are the new Holy of Holies of whom Jesus spoke! God no longer dwells in a stone temple. Weāre now āliving stones ⦠being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthoodā (1 Peter 2:5b). There could be no such living stones till Jesus was raised from the dead to become our spiritual progenitor. āāThe first man, Adam, became a living soul.ā The last Adam [Christ] became a life-giving spiritā (1 Corinthians 15:45).
Even if God still dwelt in a gilded wooden box, we could, because of the magnificent, gracious effectiveness of Jesusā sacrifice, throw ourselves upon that box in love and gratiĀtude. We could open it and reach insideāno problem! God has vacated the premises and left a forwarding address. The movie Raiders of the Lost Ark depicts God as frying the bad guys who dared to touch the arkāa typical Hollywood spin on reality. Great Scott! Weāve got it much better than having God in a wooden box! Godās presence among men is no longer in a building in your city, nor in a box made with human hands. He lives in the spirit of every person who is born again. And as these saints (holy ones), we donāt have to travel to some Mecca-type geographic locale to visit God. We live in āvital union with Himā inside our earthsuits! Holy God cannot reside in an unholy dwelling, and thereās no way any person can cleanse himself of his old unholy identityāsinner-man. Yet, ānothing [is] imposĀsible with Godā (Luke 1:37). He purged us and He cleaned us up by co-crucifying us and then rebirthing us in Christ (1 Peter 1:3). We have a new spirit. You and I are now holy dwellings: āFor the temple of God is holy, and that is what you areā (1 Corinthians 3:17). The Greek for temple here is naos, meaning āHoly of Holiesā where the Holy Spirit dwells, as opposed to hieron, that part of the temple to which all of the people had access. ChrisĀtians are the holy place where the Spirit of God now dwells on earth! What a magnificent Savior! What marvelous grace!