In The Footsteps Of Jesus

Knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin.  For he who has died has been freed from sin.  Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more.  Death no longer has dominion over Him.  For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God.  Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 6: 6-11 NKJV

It's been pretty popular in the church for some time now that we should stive to "Be more like Jesus."  I'm guessing that the reason for this teaching is to get people to strive to be more holy in their sinful lives?  For indeed we are indeed sinners saved by our heavenly Fathers grace.  Is it not true that God cannot stand sin?  Obviously His children need to continually come before His throne of grace in order to seek His grace and forgiveness.  It is this merry go round that many a christian has been stuck on for generations.  I was there once as well.  Hearing that mantra each Sunday from the pulpit pounder that I was yet a sinner who needed to strive to seek my Lords forgiveness often left me with a heavy heart.  Instead of being uplited and encouraged, I often left church feeling the weight of the sin which they said I still carried.  One turning point for me came during a Easter Sunday service, where the pastor gloriously announced that Christ Jesus had indeed died to free us from our sins.  What?  Was this the same guy who just a few weeks earlier had browbeat me for still being a "Sinner saved by grace?"  What had happened in two weeks to change this reality?  Indeed, why would I continue to come before my heavenly Father seeking forgiveness for something that did not exist?  Although it was far from a epiphany for me, it started me to thinking of this part of the church teaching.

"I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me."
Galations 2:20 NKJV

I mentioned the forgiveness merry go round that many christians seem to be stuck on.  If you consider what it is we as christians  are being asked to do and compare that with the truth of Christ Jesus, we will begin to understand the error of this way of thinking.  Don't feel bad if you do not grasp this right away.  You are not unholy or lack knowledge, like me this truth simply has not been revealed unto you until now.  In fact, it is this very truth Of Jesus which the apostle Paul refered to as the "Mystery among the Gentiles."

The mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations, but now has been revealed to His Saints.  To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of Glory.  Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus.  To this end I also labor, striving according to His working which works in me mightily.
Colossions 1: 26-28 NKJV

Well, if Paul indeed had refered to this truth of Jesus as a mystery, I'm assuming that those in his day had as much difficulty accepting it as we do.  Who could blame us?  For this is what we have been raised to believe.  Now, to lay yet another truth on you I'll present to you that which was revealed to me in that Easter Sunday sermon so long ago.  Indeed, if Christ Jesus became sin in our place {2 Corinthians 5:21}, in order to cleanse us from our sins past, present, and future, what is the need for us to continue to come before our heavenly Father to confess our transgressions?  What transgressions do we continue to carry?  Did Jesus make a mistake and only wash away part of our sins?  The logical answer would be that the sacrafice of Christ Jesus eliminated any and all sin from our once sinful lives, period!  Of course, this is only part of the glorious truth of Christ.  Yes, our sins are indeed forgiven, but what of the sin nature which were born into?  It is my belief that this is where the hangup over the truth of Jesus begins.  For not only did the death of Jesus wash away our sins, but our "Old man," our old sin nature was also put to death with Him.  For indeed if our old nature had not been eliminated, it would still need to be dealt with.  However, through the love and mercy of our heavenly Father, we who have accepted Jesus today walk AS Jesus {Galations 2:20}.  There is no need for us to "Be more like Jesus," for we already live today AS Christ Jesus who is within us.  Whatever we feel, sense and experience, we do as Jesus.  How glorious the freedom to know that we are alive in Him!

~Scott~