The journal. (Caldwell, Ohio) 1934-1961, 1955-05-19
3 erm OneifG

only begotten Son Of God
(John 3:17, 18).
The Apostle Paul states this
fact: IF any man be in Christ,
he is a new creation. old things
are passed away; behold, all
things are become new" I'll Cor
inthians SID. There is one truth
that is very clear in the New
Testament. That is, when one
surrenders his will and life to
Jesus Christ and becomes a
Christian, that person really be-
comes a new person. Before his
surrender to Christ, he gave no
thought to doing Gods will; he
made plans and lived as if there
were nc God; he had no interest
in spiritual exercise. To him life
meant to satisfy the senses.
Ephesians 2:1-3 is a good des-
cription of person who is not
q Christian. But as a result of
letting Jesus Christ become
Lord, there is a complete change.
That one plans and lives with
Gods will foremost in his think
ing. He finds a joy and salts
faction in spiritual exercise. In
fact, the one who processes to
be a Christian and does not
have this change in his think
ing and living is not really a
Christian q John 3:6).
In Colossians we find that the
genuine Christian is complete
in Him." Here complete" means
ito make replete," full" Fin
ished." In the beginning man
was in fellowship with God.
Man sinned and that fellowship
was broken, and as long as a
man continues in that state that
fellowship cannot be restored.
But when one is willing to con-
fess Jesus Christ as Lord and
Saviour (Roman 1919, 10), that
original relationship between
God and man is resumed. For all
that was necessary to bring that
about was accomplished through
the work and death and resur-
rection of Jesus Christ. On Mans
part nothing more needs to be
done if ne is "in Christ" He is
restored to fellowship with God,
in fact, he becomes a child of
God with all the privileges that
such a relationship infers. The
work is finished, never again to
be repeated.
Space will not permit me to
elaborate on this next thought,
SO / will give you brief outline
which will enable you to follow
it through for yourself. In
Christ" the Christian is "blessed
with all spiritual blessings
in heavenly places Tin the heav-
enlies)" (Ephesians 1:3; 2:6;
Philippians 3:20) The heaven
lies" may be defined as the
sphere of the believers spirit
ua1 experience as identified with
Christ in His nature (II Peter
1:4). The Christian is a heaven
ly man, and a stranger and pill
grim on the earth Hebrews ST.;
l Peter 2:1D. These blessings
are experienced in the Christ
ian's life (Colossians "a; I John
5:l2), in his relationships (John
20:17 God becomes Father,
Hebrews oil, brethren of Christ;
Romans 8:14-17, children of God,
joint-heirs with Christ; I John
SD, in an inheritance (Romans
8:16-17; l Peter 1:4), in future
glory in the kingdom (Romans
8:18-21; Revelation 1:6), in serv-
ice John 1913; Matthew 28:20)
and even in suffering philip
plans 1923; 3:10).
Our final thought is found in
Corinthians 15:20-23 with verse
% as the key-Verse. The Christ
ian's certainty of a resurrection
which will mean not only a free
dom from a body which is sub
ject to sin and disease, but the
receiving of new body fit for
a heavenly existence-a body
like that of Christ philippians
3:2D.
These privileges and blessings
which we have been writing
about are FOR those who are sin
Christ" Any person who is will
ling to acknowledge by word
and deed, Jesus Christ as Lord
and Saviour can come into this
relationship. For "as many as re-
ceived Him, to them gave He
power (the right to become the
children of God, even to them
that believe (trust) on His
name TJohn 1:12).