| Author | Message | ||
| Gatororeo7 (Gatororeo7) |
I posted this on CARM and I thought it would be good to share it here. A person has no identity apart from a relationship with someone or something else. We can determine our identity by what we do or what we look like, but those things can change with time. As Christians, we have an identity in Jesus Christ that can never be shaken, changed, or taken away, regardless of now much it is challenged. This is because God sees us through what Christ has done for us. The Believer's Identity in Christ 1. You Are a Brand New Creation: "What this means is that those who become Christians become new persons. They are not the same anymore, for the old life is gone. A new life has begun!" (2 Corinthians 5:17) 2. You Are Totally Forgiven: "For he has rescued us from the one who rules in the kingdom of darkness, and he has brought us into the Kingdom of his dear Son. God has purchased our freedom with his blood and has forgiven all our sins." (Colossians 1:13, 14) 3. You Are Totally Righteous: "But now God has shown us a different way of being right in his sight--not by obeying the law but by the way promised in the Scriptures long ago. We are made right in God's sight when we trust in Jesus Christ to take away our sins. And we all can be saved in this same way, no matter who we are or what we have done." (Romans 3:21, 22) 4. You Are Reconciled: "For since we were restored to friendship with God by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be delivered from eternal punishment by his life. So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God--all because of what our Lord Jesus Christ has done for us in making us friends of God." (Romans 5:10, 11) 5. You Are Redeemed: See Colossians 1:13-14, above. 6. You Are Sanctified: "...yet now he has brought you back as his friends. He has done this through his death on the cross in his own human body. As a result, he has brought you into the very presence of God, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before him without a single fault." (Colossians 1:22) 7. You Are Justified: "Yes, Adam's one sin brought condemnation upon everyone, but Christ's one act of righteousness makes all people right in God's sight and gives them life." (Romans 5:18) 8. You Are Part of the Body of Christ: "Now all of you together are Christ's body, and each one of you is a separate and necessary part of it." (1 Corinthians 12:27) 9. You Are a Citizen of Heaven: "But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior." (Philippians 3:20) 10. You Have Eternal Life: "And this is what God has testified: He has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. So whoever has God's Son has life; whoever does not have his Son does not have life. I write this to you who believe in the Son of God, so that you may know you have eternal life." (1 John 5:11-13) 11. You Are Totally Loved: "I have loved you even as the Father has loved me. Remain in my love." (John 15:9) Seventh-day Adventism, however, denies the believer each one of these. In Adventism, faith in God is insufficient to do anything in the Christian life. There is always something else that is required. Seventh-day Adventism New creation: Denied to the believer unless the believer keeps the law perfectly. Forgiveness: Denied to the believer until after the investigative judgment; even then denied unless believer has confessed each individual sin. Righteousness: Denied to the believer until he has kept the law prefectly. Keeping the law in Adventism is the means of gaining God's acceptance. Reconciliation: Denied to the believer. Until a person is totally righteous with God by keeping the law perfectly, he will always be under condemnation from God, and thus not reconciled. Redemption: Denied to the believer more roundabout. Adventism says we are redeemed from the curse of the law - death. Yet they say we have an obligation to keep the law. Only by keeping the law is one righteous and accepted before God. Failure to keep the law will result in death. So believers are not redeemed in Adventism. Sanctification: Denied to the believer. Only by keeping the law perfectly is one made holy before God. Justification: Denied to the believer until he has kept the law perfectly and stopped sinning. Membership into the Body of Christ: Denied to the believer until he is saved, which is dependent upon keeping the law perfectly. Citizenship into Heaven: Denied to the believer until he is saved, which is dependent upon keeping the law perfectly and will not be known until after the investigative judgment is completed. Eternal life: Denied to the believer until he keeps the law perfectly. Total love: Denied to the believer until he keeps the law perfectly. From this list it is clear. A person can believe in Christ until he is blue in the face, but until he keeps the law perfectly, his very identity is taken away from him in Adventism. Regardless of what the Bible says, they are impossible in Adventism apart from perfect lawkeeping. They rob the believer of his very identity, the thing that tells him who he really is. | ||
| Dennis (Dennis) |
Excellent thoughts and theology, Joel. Dennis J. Fischer | ||
| Melissa (Melissa) |
Itís a fascinating parallel given the article in Review by Paulsen from May 2002 as well. He seemed to spend quite a bit of time concerned about Adventism/Adventists losing its/their identity. He seemed to say it is a higher calling to be an Adventist than being ìjustî a Christian. Surely, I had to have misunderstood.... |
