Integrity- People of God

God, Who is love, brought forth from Himself, a creation of love, mankind. Mankind was made perfect in love, perfect in the image of God and was given dominion over all of God’s creation on the earth. They lived in perfect harmony with God, one another and all creation until the fall. At which time mankind was so marred they no longer looked like their creator but they took on the prideful and selfish nature of the one they obeyed; a fallen angel. Love came and redeemed that which was lost, our relationship with God and our created purpose. Now those who are in Christ Jesus are a new creation, a new people and are restored into the family of God.

We are changed from fallen and marred persons into the family of God through faith. Faith is belief and trust in God’s word. It is the very thing that was needed to keep us from falling into this sinful state and believing the lie of the enemy rather than listening and believing God. It was an act of disbelief in God’s word which said mankind was created in the image of God that caused them to disobey. Had mankind believed God, they would not have been tempted to believe the lie of Satan’s telling them they can be something they already were, like God.

Ephesians 2: 8-9 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God. Not of works, lest anyone should boast. NKJV

We experience God’s salvation personally and become representatives, agents and ambassadors of God’s redemption when we by faith, trust and believe in Jesus. Faith believes in the life, death, resurrection of Jesus, His atonement of our sin debt and our obedience to God’s word through the power of the Holy Ghost. When we have a saving faith in Jesus, we admit our sin and accept His payment for our sin debt and with gratitude we accept His forgiveness.

We rest totally on the completed work of Jesus. Jesus stands before God for us so that we can now come boldly to the throne of Grace, before God and be accepted as His beloved. What a love! What a love story! A love so strong, so deep, so committed, He would not leave us to ourselves in our depraved and marred state.

Psalm 31:14-15 But I trust in you, LORD; I say, You are my God. My times are in your hands; deliver me from the hands of my enemies, from those who pursue me. NIV

Faith is the process of being transformed from death in this current world system to life in Christ and the kingdom of God. Our spiritual death and resurrection frees us from the bondage of sin in our flesh which we had no control or authority over prior to Jesus’ deliverance. Now we are free from the spiritual grip sin had on us and we can now as an act of our will ask God to deliver us from the habits of sin that the body had become accustomed too. We are free to die to self, pride and the flesh to stop living for our own glory and live for God’s glory. We are free to love God and love others as image bearers of God.

Matthew 28: 18-20 Then Jesus came to them and said, All authority is heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. NIV