Understand Who You Are in Christ

(5th article in the Salvation Series)

Some Christians describe themselves as “sinners saved by grace”.  The problem with this, is that it takes the wrong perspective.  It emphasizes you as a sinner.  It’s describing who you USED to be, not who you currently are.

The Bible says that upon salvation you became a new creation.  It says that you are now seated in heavenly places with Christ.  That you exist with Him in perfection.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!

2 Corinthians 5:17

And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus.

Ephesians 2:6

But some will ask, if this is true, how do you explain the fact that we still sin?

That is the whole point of salvation.  It’s taking who you are now in heaven (a regenerated spirit) and transferring it to who you are on earth (a fallen soul).

We can better understand this if we look at the composition of man.

Man is comprised of three parts: body, soul and spirit.  He looks like this:

At the center of man is his soul.  His soul consists of mind, will and emotions.

Before the fall, man communicated in two realms— the physical realm and the spiritual realm.

The SOUL of man used it’s physical BODY to communicate with other men in the physical realm.  The soul of man used it's SPIRIT to communicate with God in the spiritual realm.

The following illustration shows how man’s soul and spirit were LINKED so that he could communicate with God.

But then the first man, Adam, sinned and his SPIRIT DIED.  He could no longer communicate with God.  The link between his soul and spirit were broken.

The point of salvation is that God restores the link by restoring the spirit of man. Your restored spirit is what resides with God in heaven.  It’s the NEW you.  It’s your true identity.  The Bible calls this process, JUSTIFICATION.  Your spirit is justified in Christ.  It is a new creation and is perfect.

God further wants to restore your SOUL (your mind, will and emotions).  This is the part of you that still sins.  It’s been corrupted by information received through your physical eyes on earth.

If you VIEW life through the eyes of your fallen body, your soul will never be restored.  You will see yourself as a “sinner” saved by grace.  This is NOT how God wants you to see yourself.  God wants you to see yourself from the eyes of your regenerated spirit so He can transfer who you are in heaven (perfect) to who you are on earth.

Be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.
Ephesians 4:23-24 

In this way He sanctifies you.  We transform our thinking to MATCH with who we are in heaven.  The Bible calls this SANCTIFICATION.

Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.  Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is— his good, pleasing. and perfect will.

Romans 12:2

As you can see, understanding who you are in Christ is very important.  It’s how God restores your mind, will and emotions.

So the next time someone tells you they are a “sinner saved by grace” you’ll be able to explain to them that they have the wrong perspective.

More information on this subject is available in my book Truth Based Thinking.