Defined differently

“For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” John 1,17 (NKJV)

Grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

A beautiful illustration of this is the story of the woman caught in adultery. In Jesus' days on earth, some Scribes and Pharisees took it upon themselves to be 'defenders' of the law of God (‘Thou shall, thou shall not’) and they brought the woman before Jesus to see what He would do, hoping to trapping Him by find fault at Him.

The law stipulated that anyone caught in adultery should be stoned.

But with Jesus, this woman found grace (unmerited favor). The one who would have rightfully condemned her did not. In addition, she received truth to set her free: “Go and sin no more”. Jesus’ words were not another command like the law. But it was like an empowering command, a declaration, a decree over her life. “Go and sin no more”. In these words, were the grace (the divine enablement) for her to live a godly life.

[The story is in John 8, 2-11]

“He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.” Colossians 1,13 (NKJV)

When Jesus becomes Lord of a person’s life, they are delivered from the power of darkness and brought into the kingdom of light. Something shifts. Often times, as new believers, we don’t fully comprehend what really happened and what changed. Still, we know, without a shadow of a doubt, that our lives are no longer the same. Indeed, the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of God came in.

For the devil, Satan of the kingdom of darkness, he does understand what a person’s salvation means.

He knows who Jesus is and who a child of God is. Satan and His cohorts were defeated on the cross and stripped of all power to harm this new creation of God. The only tool they possess is tricks and deception.

‘If we can’t harm him directly, let him sabotage himself, oppose himself and set himself against all good’

“And the Lord will make you the head and not the tail; you shall be above only, and not be beneath, if you heed the commandments of the Lord your God, which I command you today, and are careful to observe them. “ Deuteronomy 28,13 (NKJV)

The Lord will make you the head and not the tail, and you shall only go up and not down.

These promises are for all those who believe and who take hold of them (make them theirs).

In the book of Deuteronomy, God was making a covenant with the nation of Israel. In a nutshell, obedience was to result into blessings and disobedience into curses. Now, for those who are in Christ Jesus, they are blessed and not cursed. Jesus took the curse on their behalf when He was crucified on the tree. And because of His sacrifice, His blood that was shed, made God to impute to us righteousness. So in God’s eyes, we are righteous not with the righteousness that comes from the law but by the righteousness that comes by faith in Jesus Christ.

[Galatians 3,13, Romans 3,21-26]

This means that, in the spirit realm, as a child of God, you are righteous and a candidate for every promise God has ever made for His own.

This is why, upon salvation, you are defined differently. You are not defined according to the standards of the world but according to the standards of God (His will concerning you). Now you are His own, you are His child. A new creation born of God, the seed of God on the earth.

The life of salvation affects/ should affect (depending on how much a person allows God to do His work):

• Life experience

  The Holy Spirit produces “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” (Galatians 5,22-23)

  
  

• Purpose of life

  The dreams and desires of the believer become God-centered and not self-centered (me and my own). Living for God becomes the pursuit of a lifetime.

  “God has made us what we are. In Christ Jesus, God made us new people so that we would spend our lives doing the good things he had already planned for us to do.” (Ephesians 2,10)

• Conduct

  Because God made us kings and priests unto Him. We walk as kings and priests.

  Royalty has a code of conduct. Priesthood has consecrations. And because of the responsibility and privilege bestowed on us, godliness is the seal of our righteousness.

Beloved child of God, seek to understand who you are in Christ. You are in the world but not of the world. Heaven is your true reality. Even if, on earth, things may spell otherwise, God’s truth will never change. You will inherit the promise through faith and patience. You will handle tangibly what God has promised you.

 “Therefore do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward.” Hebrews 10,35 (NKJV)

“So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded.” (NIV)