The Crisis That Christians Must Pass
2004-01-08 15:06
For Christians who are in Christ Jesus, seeking to be justified again in Christ creates the most difficult crisis to face. Because of this matter, I used to be in great anguish, run aimlessly and beat the air.
Being in Christ by itself is the righteousness of God. Why do we seek to be justified again? It makes us fall to the wiles of arrogant and haughty Satan; it returns us to the former conduct; establishing our own righteousness, it makes us boastful of ourselves before men and before God.
For Christians who seek to be justified again in Christ, God makes them be found sinners again. He lets them know that it is wrong to rebuild their own selves that they destroyed; the sinners found are the old selves as they were.
It is written, "If, while we seek to be justified in Christ, it becomes evident that we ourselves are sinners, does that mean that Christ promotes sin? Absolutely not! If I rebuild what I destroyed, I prove that I am a lawbreaker. For through the law I died to the law so that I might live for God. I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me (Galatians 2:17-20)." It is true that if through the law I died to the law, I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.
Despite our knowledge of the above, sometimes we very foolishly seek to be justified in Christ. It is because Satan prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour, and tries to deceive even the elect. However it is written, "Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died--more than that, who was raised to life--is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us (Romans 8:33-34)." In the heavens and the earth, there is no one who can bring any charge against those whom God has chosen.
The Truth says, "It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God--that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. Therefore, as it is written: 'Let him who boasts boast in the Lord (1 Corinthians 1:30-31).'" It is only Jesus who has become our righteousness; he who boasts must boast in the Lord. As our Lord himself taught us, we will have to always plead with God so that we may not fall into temptation to boast ourselves, and we may be kept from the evil--establishing our own righteousness again.
Therefore, those who are in Christ Jesus are already in perfect righteousness. God does not accept any sacrifices but the righteous sacrifice of Christ. Only Christ has become for us wisdom from God--that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. it is written, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come (2 Corinthians 5:17)!" To be in Christ or not to be in Christ, that is the question.
We can be in Christ only by precious faith. The Bible says, "But my righteous one will live by faith. And if he shrinks back, I will not be pleased with him (Hebrews 10:38)." "My righteous one" means he who is in Christ, and "shrinking back" means turning from the Christ the righteousness of God in order to establish his own righteousness again. Therefore, establishing our own righteousness in Christ means our turning from the truth. As it is written, "For we cannot do anything against the truth, but only for the truth (2 Corinthians 13:8)," those who belong to Christ Jesus live only for the truth.
If branch remains in the vine, it can bear fruit of itself. But if branch does not remain in the vine, seeking to bear fruit of its own, it will wither away in the end. The Bible warns, "So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall (1 Corinthians 10:12)!"
Christ is the righteousness of Christians, and Christians don't boast except in Christ and his cross. It is written, "May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world (Galatians 6:14)."
Let us approach the throne of grace with confidence, which is opened through the curtain, so that we may plead with God to keep us from foolishly seeking to be justified in Christ.
The least brother, Kim Yun-gu
Being in Christ by itself is the righteousness of God. Why do we seek to be justified again? It makes us fall to the wiles of arrogant and haughty Satan; it returns us to the former conduct; establishing our own righteousness, it makes us boastful of ourselves before men and before God.
For Christians who seek to be justified again in Christ, God makes them be found sinners again. He lets them know that it is wrong to rebuild their own selves that they destroyed; the sinners found are the old selves as they were.
It is written, "If, while we seek to be justified in Christ, it becomes evident that we ourselves are sinners, does that mean that Christ promotes sin? Absolutely not! If I rebuild what I destroyed, I prove that I am a lawbreaker. For through the law I died to the law so that I might live for God. I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me (Galatians 2:17-20)." It is true that if through the law I died to the law, I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.
Despite our knowledge of the above, sometimes we very foolishly seek to be justified in Christ. It is because Satan prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour, and tries to deceive even the elect. However it is written, "Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died--more than that, who was raised to life--is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us (Romans 8:33-34)." In the heavens and the earth, there is no one who can bring any charge against those whom God has chosen.
The Truth says, "It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God--that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. Therefore, as it is written: 'Let him who boasts boast in the Lord (1 Corinthians 1:30-31).'" It is only Jesus who has become our righteousness; he who boasts must boast in the Lord. As our Lord himself taught us, we will have to always plead with God so that we may not fall into temptation to boast ourselves, and we may be kept from the evil--establishing our own righteousness again.
Therefore, those who are in Christ Jesus are already in perfect righteousness. God does not accept any sacrifices but the righteous sacrifice of Christ. Only Christ has become for us wisdom from God--that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. it is written, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come (2 Corinthians 5:17)!" To be in Christ or not to be in Christ, that is the question.
We can be in Christ only by precious faith. The Bible says, "But my righteous one will live by faith. And if he shrinks back, I will not be pleased with him (Hebrews 10:38)." "My righteous one" means he who is in Christ, and "shrinking back" means turning from the Christ the righteousness of God in order to establish his own righteousness again. Therefore, establishing our own righteousness in Christ means our turning from the truth. As it is written, "For we cannot do anything against the truth, but only for the truth (2 Corinthians 13:8)," those who belong to Christ Jesus live only for the truth.
If branch remains in the vine, it can bear fruit of itself. But if branch does not remain in the vine, seeking to bear fruit of its own, it will wither away in the end. The Bible warns, "So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall (1 Corinthians 10:12)!"
Christ is the righteousness of Christians, and Christians don't boast except in Christ and his cross. It is written, "May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world (Galatians 6:14)."
Let us approach the throne of grace with confidence, which is opened through the curtain, so that we may plead with God to keep us from foolishly seeking to be justified in Christ.
The least brother, Kim Yun-gu
