"Forgiveness means not merely that I am saved from hell and made right for heaven (no man would accept forgiveness on such a level); forgiveness means that I am forgiven into a recreated relationship, into identification with God in Christ. The miracle of Redemption is that God turns me, the unholy one, into the standard of Himself, the Holy One, by putting into me a new disposition, the disposition of Jesus Christ."
God Bless Oswald Chambers! He has emphasized a core element of our regeneration through the Cross which has been missed out or skipped over by many.
Pastor Joseph Prince of New Creation Church also preached on this recently. It is wonderful how the Holy Spirit moves through the minds of humble and diligent men who chose to write and speak by faith, not by sight.
Another way to phrase our recreated, renewed disposition can be found in 2 Corinthians:
"Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God.
"For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." (V. 20-21)
We do not effect the reconciliation; that is effected in us through Christ. We are made THE righteousness of God, not just righteous, but the same, fully-fledged, fully emphasized standing as Christ Himself!
Now wonder John could calmly and candidly write:
"As he is, so are we in this world." (1 John 4:17)
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