Reigning in life – to good to be true?

Reigning in life – to good to be true? That’s what the enemy would have us believe. If he cannot stop us coming to Christ his next step is to somehow undermine the effectiveness of the gospel in our lives as God’s people. He would be happy to convince us that the gospel simply saves us and gets us to Heaven, but in the here and now don’t expect too much, it’s going to be hard, a slog, there’ll be more defeat than victory – those temptations, those demons, you face day by day, you’ll never beat them, they’ll always get the better of you. Jesus may get you to Heaven but he can’t help you here. Listen, in some way or other he’ll seek to rob us of all that God gives us in the gospel through Jesus Christ.

Sadly too many of us believe his lies and live defeated joyless lives. Satan couldn’t be happier. That’s the kind of bad advert he wants for the gospel, but that’s not what God wants (if that’s you, then please don’t come into condemnation, that again is what the enemy wants, but rather hear God’s heart for you, he wants to give you hope and lift you up, not cast you down). When reading Paul’s letters you can’t help but see that the gospel is so much bigger and better than that, it not only saves and delivers, it gives new life and empowers – we are new creations in Christ Jesus, the old has gone and the new has come. In the midst of the messiness of life in the here and now, this overlap of the ages the gospel of grace gives us power to live, yes, to reign in life.

We are no longer in old Adam, but in Christ.

Adam is not our history, Christ is – whatever was your history in Adam has gone, done away at the cross, your history is now in Christ.

Adam is not the source of our life, Christ is. It’s not from below, but from above.

The realm of the Flesh (this fallen sinful world that has been judged and is passing away) is no longer the sphere of our life but the realm of the life giving, energising Spirit is (the new age inaugurated in Christ).

We don’t have two natures, a sinful nature and a new one, but one made new in Jesus Christ.

Transformation can take place as we take hold of these gospel truths, experience the renewing of our minds, receive daily of his grace and the free gift of His righteousness, and know the empowering presence of the Spirit.