Are You in Adam or in Christ? - You in Christ

WHO ARE YOU IN CHRIST?

Here is a simple test – Are you afraid of God? Do you worry that you may never really measure up to the standards of holiness and be rejected from the Kingdom of God. Do you feel so dirty that it is inconceivable to think that you could be precious and of tremendous value to God?

Allow me to review just for a moment – what were the things that destroyed Adam’s relationship with God.

Adam BELIEVED some other voice besides the voice of God.

Adam DOUBTED that God really had his beat interests in mind. He took it upon himself to MAKE HIS OWN PROVISION (he ate the fruit to gain something FOR and BY HIMSELF).

The voice of the enemy of God is saying the same things today, he has no new tactic, no creative powers, but only to kill (Adam died), steal (Adam lost access to the tree of life), and destroy (intimate unrestrained fellowship was lost with God). Think about it. I believe that when we are honest, we can see the places in our lives where we have been deceived by these same things. We have decided to pursue our own provision because it did not seem that God would, or could do a good job for us. Romans 3 lays it out clearly:

Romans 3:22-31 But now God has shown us a different way to heaven --not by "being good enough" and trying to keep his laws, but by a new way (though not new, really, for the Scriptures told about it long ago). Now God says he will accept and acquit us-declare us "not guilty"-if we trust Jesus Christ to take away our sins. And we all can be saved in this same way, by coming to Christ, no matter who we are or what we have been like. 23 Yes, all have sinned; all fall short of God's glorious ideal; 24 yet now God declares us "not guilty" of offending him if we trust in Jesus Christ, who in his kindness freely takes away our sins. 25 For God sent Christ Jesus to take the punishment for our sins and to end all God's anger against us. He used Christ's blood and our faith as the means of saving us from his wrath. In this way he was being entirely fair, even though he did not punish those who sinned in former times. For he was looking forward to the time when Christ would come and take away those sins. 26 And now in these days also he can receive sinners in this same way because Jesus took away their sins. But isn't this unfair for God to let criminals go free, and say that they are innocent? No, for he does it on the basis of their trust in Jesus who took away their sins. 27 Then what can we boast about doing to earn our salvation? Nothing at all. Why? Because our acquittal is not based on our good deeds; it is based on what Christ has done and our faith in him. 28 So it is that we are saved by faith in Christ and not by the good things we do. 29 And does God save only the Jews in this way? No, the Gentiles, too, may come to him in this same manner. 30 God treats us all the same; all, whether Jews or Gentiles, are acquitted if they have faith. 31 Well then, if we are saved by faith, does this mean that we no longer need obey God's laws? Just the opposite! In fact, only when we trust Jesus can we truly obey him. TLB

So what then is missing?

Romans 3:27,28 Because our acquittal is not based on our good deeds, it is based on what Christ has done and our faith in him. So it is that we are saved by faith in Christ and not by the good things we do