OR
5 Things That Happened To You The Moment You Were Saved To Equip You To Live On
This Planet!
Doug Dodd s.b.g. – Berean Bible Church – Edgewater, Florida
What happens when a person trusts Christ as Saviour? A new born believer is born fully functional
to walk the way God intended. It is only later as a babe in Christ becomes aquatinted with religion and
talked out of his Bible that he begins to falter.
A new believer is a new creature in Christ the moment he is saved!
When you trust Christ you receive all the Holy Spirit you will ever have. When you trust Christ you
receive all spiritual blessings. You are said to be "Complete" in Christ not lacking anything!
Lets talk about that.
There are many things that take place the moment of salvation but 5 of them are of critical importance
in the establishment of the new believer in his walk.
The first item on the list is "spiritual circumcision".
Col 2:10 And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power: 11 In whom
also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins
of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ:
Let's work through this verse.
And ye are complete in him - This means exactly what is says. We are complete "in Christ".
The Apostle Paul reminds the Corinthians about this very thing when he says: 1 Cor 1:30
But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification,
and redemption: 31 That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.
which is the head of all principality and power - Why did Paul add this phrase? To let us know
that the issue is Christ. He is in authority over all things. Some beings are in rebellion to that authority
but only temporarily. He is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. He is the issue - not us, we find our
completeness in him.
In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands - In
Christ we participate in his circumcision. This circumcision is a spiritual one, it is made, performed,
without hands, that is, God does it.
Notice now what this circumcision accomplishes!
in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh - It is clear from this verse and others
that sin resides in our flesh. This spiritual circumcision cuts off the flesh and the sin it contains.
But cuts it off from what?
We are made in the image of God, i.e., we have three parts. Notice: 1 Th 5:23 And
the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body
be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Before you were saved you were in bondage to the Old Sin Nature. This Old Sin Nature resides in our
flesh after salvation.
The illustration below shows the condition of a man before salvation.
The spirit, soul and body are linked and the BODY is the dominate factor. It is control of the spirit
and soul.
The next illustration depicts a saved man after "spiritual circumcision" has taken place.
The body of sin has been circumcised away from the spirit and the soul.
Believers are no longer under the bondage and domination to the "Old Sin Nature". Believers
today, have been set free from the power of sin in their lives.
The natural question to ask at this point is "why then do believers sin?". The answer is
because they choose to do so. God has made us a part of a total victory program over sin. So much so
that a believer would have to plan and choose to sin. This topic is covered in Romans chapter 6-8.
But this is not all that God has done for the believer.
- WE HAVE BEEN CIRCUMCISED
- WE HAVE BEEN MADE RIGHTEOUS
It is the lie of religion and Satan that righteousness comes from unrighteousness. The RIGHTEOUSNESS
that God REQUIRES is the RIGHTEOUSNESS he SUPPLIES.
Religion teaches that you can turn over a new leaf, you can do your best, you can be very sorry etc.,
etc,. etc.. But this is not what the Bible teaches.
Satan teaches righteousness, notice… 2 Cor 11:13 For such are false apostles,
deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. 14 And no marvel;
for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. 15 Therefore it is no great thing if his
ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according
to their works.
Satan through religion would have you to believe that you can do something to please God when the
only thing that pleases God is his Son!!
The bible teaches that man is totally and completely corrupt and is without any redeeming value except
for the fact that God loves us. Rom 5:8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were
yet sinners, Christ died for us.
Notice the condition of man according to the word of God.
Isa 64:6 But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and
we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.
Job 14:4 Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? not one.
Job 15:14 What is man, that he should be clean? and he which is born of a woman, that he should
be righteous?
Rom 3:10 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:
Rom 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
This is the condition that God finds us in. What we need is righteousness, what we do not intrinsically
have is righteousness, what God will give us is his righteousness.
2 Cor 5:21 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.
1 Cor 1:30 But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness,
and sanctification, and redemption: 31 That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory
in the Lord.
This imputed righteousness not only secures us a position in the heavenlies but also serves to encourage
the believer in his walk because we know we cannot fail - "In Christ".
But this is not all that God has done for the believer.
- WE HAVE BEEN CIRCUMCISED
- WE HAVE BEEN MADE RIGHTEOUS
- WE ARE INDWELT
Eph 2:19 Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with
the saints, and of the household of God; 20 And are built upon the foundation of the apostles
and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; 21 In whom all the building fitly framed
together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: 22 In whom ye also are builded together for
an habitation of God through the Spirit.
The abode of God today is the church the body of Christ. He lives in the believers. 1 Cor 3:16
Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth
in you?
1 Cor 6:19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which
is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? 20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore
glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.
Do you know where God lives? He lives in you and in me and in all believers. We carry him around with
us wherever we go, whatever we do, whatever we think - He is with us.
Gal 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me:
and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave
himself for me.
We are, you and I, the temple of God. This knowledge motivates the believer to be aware of just who
God has made us. We do not have to go to a temple to find God - we are the temple and he is with us wherever
or whatever we do…. This will and should affect what we do and where we go and how we behave knowing
that we are ambassadors for Christ.
But this is not all that God has done for the believer.
- WE HAVE BEEN CIRCUMCISED
- WE HAVE BEEN MADE RIGHTEOUS
- WE ARE INDWELT
- WE HAVE BEEN BAPTIZED
This has nothing to do with water. There are at least 14 different baptisms in the bible and only
2 of them are with water (washing of the priest in the old testament & baptism of repentance Hebrew
water rite associated with the ministry of John Baptist). Baptism in the bible means "to be identified
with."
Notice some of the dry ones:
Mat 20:22 But Jesus answered and said, Ye know not what ye ask. Are ye able to drink
of the cup that I shall drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with? They say
unto him, We are able. = his baptism into death
Luke 3:16 John answered, saying unto them all, I indeed baptize you with water; but one
mightier than I cometh, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose: he shall baptize you with
the Holy Ghost and with fire: = 3 baptisms in one verse, only one wet!
Rom 6:4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was
raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. =
death baptism of Christ
1 Cor 10:2 And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; = the only ones who got
wet here went to hell.
1 Cor 12:13 For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles,
whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. = the one baptism into the
body of Christ.
1 Pet 3:20 Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days
of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water. 21 The
like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh,
but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ: = Noah saved by
baptism but didn't get wet…
Baptism = identification.
Col 2:12 Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the
operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.
We have been totally identified with the death, burial and resurrection of Christ. We have been baptized
into one body, we have been baptized into his death and we have been baptized into his resurrection.
Total identification with Christ. All he accomplished he accomplished for you and me. All he has he has
given to us "in Christ".
But this is not all that God has done for the believer.
- WE HAVE BEEN CIRCUMCISED
- WE HAVE BEEN MADE RIGHTEOUS
- WE ARE INDWELT
- WE HAVE BEEN BAPTIZED
- WE HAVE BEEN SEALED
We have been sealed unto the day of redemption. There is nothing that can separate me from God in
Christ.
2 Cor 1:21 Now he which stablisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God; 22 Who
hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.
Eph 1:13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation:
in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,
Eph 4:30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.
Phil 1:6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform
it until the day of Jesus Christ:
2 Tim 1:12 For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I
know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto
him against that day.
Being sealed means we are eternally secure in Christ.
Rom 8:35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress,
or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 As it is written, For thy sake we are
killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. 37 Nay, in all these things we
are more than conquerors through him that loved us. 38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life,
nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, 39 Nor height, nor
depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ
Jesus our Lord.
There is nothing we can do to lose eternal life because we did nothing to earn it. It was a gift.
It was a free gift, given to all who would believe that:
- All are lost in sin
- None are righteous and cannot save themselves
- Christ died for our sins
- Christ rose again on the third day as the author and finisher of eternal life.
- Put your trust in what the bible says.
This is not all of what God has done for us… but this should get you motivated to learn more about
our wonderful God and Saviour!!
Just remember CRIBS.
Circumcised Righteous Indwelt Baptized Sealed
~FINIS~
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