Saint, saved by His grace

So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death. The law of Moses was unable to save us because of the weakness of our sinful nature. So God did what the law could not do. He sent his own Son in a body like the bodies we sinners have. And in that body God declared an end to sin’s control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins. He did this so that the just requirement of the law would be fully satisfied for us, who no longer follow our sinful nature but instead follow the Spirit. Romans 8:1-4

“I’m forgiven, but not perfect.” How many times have you heard Christians use this cliché when they realized that they just gave in to temptation? The problem with such statement is that it does not provide a clear expression of what a Christian’s identity should be as revealed from God’s word. Once you do not have a clear understanding of your identity in Christ, you become vulnerable to Satan’s tactics of deceptions and could find yourself giving in to temptations. From the text, the Apostle Paul described what empowers Christians to live their lives. It is by being “in Christ” that a Christian experiences the life of Christ. When you accept the life that Christ offers and surrenders your life completely to Him, God sees you no longer a sinner but a person saved by His grace. The righteousness of God through Jesus Christ has been given to you not because you are righteous but because of your surrender to Him and because of His mercy, you experience His grace. That is who you are in Christ. Let this truth permeates your heart and mind. God made it possible through His death on the cross that you are forgiven of your sin. Your identity as a Christian was not based on your merit or performance; it is all given through the grace of God. This is why Paul said, “now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.” So do not let Satan attack your identity in Christ and continue to fall prey on his tactics defeating you to live the life Christ gave you. Each day that God allows you to be here in this world, remind yourself of who you are in Christ. Continue to meditate on His word and by faith believe what God promised you as His child and realize that you belong to Him. Who you are in Christ and who you will be ten thousand years from now will not change because of the righteousness of Christ given to you.

Blessings,