How the nature of the believer is affected in their union with God in Jesus Christ

1 Peter 1:23 "for you have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and enduring word of God."

The themes of forgiveness or being made right with God are often found in discussions about the Gospel. To know that the sinner can be made legally right with God by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone is the celebrated truth of justification by faith. However, salvation does not deal only with one's legal standing before God. When one studies the New Testament's teaching on salvation, one discovers that a genuine change on the inside has occured. In salvation, the sinner is united by faith to Jesus Christ through the agency of the Holy Spirit's work of Spirit baptism (1 Corinthians 12:12-13). Spirit baptism simply refers to the point and time in salvation that the Spirit of God takes the sinner out of "Old Adam", positionally and experientially, and places them positionally and experientially in Jesus Christ. This idea of "union with Christ" is so many times overlooked and yet is central to understanding the Christian life from its inception at regeneration in saving faith and justification (i.e conversion) to the post-conversion Christian life that is to be lived out everyday (what the Bible calls "sanctification").

A far does the change within the Christian go?
According to the Apostle Peter - we are born again not by corruptible seed, but incorruptible. Many older Christian writers from the first few centuries of the early church saw an incredible truth being developed by Peter and the biblical authors as it pertains to this theme of incorruption or "non-decay".
These older Christian writers, called "the church fathers", described Christian salvation, and the effects of the change that occurs in the believer's ongoing union with Christ as experiencing the "incorruptible" life of God within the Christian. This-is-to-say, incorruption refers to how God's very life affects your life

One of those ancient writers - Athanasius (late fourth century), a very godly man who was a champion for the Christian faith, illustrates this point with a piece of straw. A piece of straw is by its nature a flammable substance. If you bring it close to a flame - it will catch fire, i.e it is subject to corruption. However if I take that piece of straw and soak it in a fireproof substance (such as asbestos), that straw will draw into itself the asbestos, taking up into it the very nature of the asbestos. Now the straw is still frail and quite small as it was before - however its nature has been changed. It is different, taking on the characteristics of an inflammable substance.

How scripture describes the Christian's humanity being affected by union with Christ
Peter writes these words in 2 Peter 1:4 "by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust." As Christians we by faith have taken into our very spirit the very life of God Himself. He lives in our human spirit. One writer has defined a Christian as a the very life of God penetrating the human soul.

To think that God Himself, in the person of the Holy Spirit, is indwelling me and affecting me as I even write this blog - is truly exciting. Through our union with Jesus in His humanity, we experience the wonderful fellowship He eternally enjoys with the Father and Spirit in His Deity. In like manner, because the Father, Spirit and Son have been forever united together, all Three Persons as One God enjoy the company of Christians by way of the Son's post-Pentecost humanity. As we saw in Athanasius' quote earlier, Christians are the little frail, pieces of straw that have been enabled and empowered by the Spirit of God to draw up into themselves the very life of God through Jesus Christ. Is it no wonder John writes in 1 John 1:3-4 "what we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ.4 These things we write, so that our joy may be made complete."

The importance of Jesus' post-resurrection and post-Pentecost ministries for you today

Philippians 3:9-10 "that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death;11 in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead."

What Jesus could do in His post-resurrection ministry and is doing in His post-pentecost ministries

In yesterday's post we considered how Jesus Christ in His exalted state at the right hand of the Father experiences the sufferings of Christians and empathizes with them as man while knowing all things about them as God. We explored a little bit about grasping this profound truth through the Biblical doctrine of the believer's union with Christ. 

When Jesus raised from the dead, His physical humanity experienced a radical change that enabled Him to do things that He could not do while ministering prior to the cross. Indeed, Jesus retained and still does possess a physical human nature. That nature is the one He assumed in the virgin birth/conception upon His entry from eternity into time (Luke 1:35; Hebrews 10:5-7). However, in His post-resurrection appearances, Jesus could walk through physical objects (John 20:19) and change His physical appearance (Luke 24:16) while clearly retaining a physical body (Luke 24:40-43; John 20:27). Those 40 days of post-resurrection ministry demonstrate an alteration in Jesus' humanity that gives us a glimpse into what we can look forward to as Christians when we ourselves are physically resurrected and/or transformed in our humanity at His Second coming (1 Corinthians 15:50-57; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18).

The glory of all that has been said thus far is that it gets even better when we speak of Jesus' post-Pentecost ministry - i.e His current activities following His ascension into Heaven in Acts 1:10-11. As Jesus ascended into Heaven, He went into Heaven to be seated at the Father's right-hand. It must be understood that Jesus still to this day, and forevermore, will retain His physical humanity. He did not become some phantom or angel. Jesus Christ is to be forever God in human flesh. 

We saw that his human nature was altered as a result of His resurrection from the dead. However in His ascension, the wonder of what He could do in His humanity was even more expanded. 

Jesus' union with believers and their union with Him, all made possible by His post-Pentecost ministry

Time and time again the scriptures indicate that as a result of the coming Holy Spirit in Acts 2, the Person of Jesus Christ in perfect union of Deity with the Spirit could somehow communicate His glorified humanity to Christians. 

The Evangelical  Dictionary of Theology notes the following about the significance of Jesus' current union with Christians: "Current figures are employed in Scripture to illustrate thus union and identification. The vine and the branches is employed by Christ Himself in John 15:1-6. Here the union is manifested by communion, spiritual life, and fruit as a result of the union of branch and vine. The branch is in the vine and the life of the vine is in the branch. Another figure is that of the head and the body (cf. Eph 1:23-23; 4:12-16; 5:23-32). Here also there is organic union of the body and the head, depicting the living union of Christ and the church."

Life practical application of Christ's union with us and us with Him

This incredible union between the Lord Jesus Christ and believers is an amazing subject to consider. Not only is the believer's union with Jesus a profound theological truth, but moreso a practical reality regarding the believer's identity. To know that Jesus Christ is not sealed off from us in history, or in heaven, or in the pages of sacred scripture, is an exciting realization. Furthermore, Christians living down here on earth as the church militant are not sealed off from their Lord in the day-to-day struggles of life nor in times of suffering for the faith. As the God-man, Jesus Christ "gets us" and "empathizes" with us more now than He could had ever done even while here in the days of His first coming. The Post-pentecost Jesus is able by the Spirit to communicate not only His Divine presence to us but also His physical post-glorified humanity in such a way as for there to be a real union between us and Him. 

When we read the passage quoted at the beginning of today's post, Paul is expressing what amounts to an experience of Christ becoming His own. At salvation, Paul had experienced what it was like to die and rise - the old life died and the new life begun. The former Saul of Tarsus died on the road to Damascus and the New Saul of Tarsus was raised out of the tomb of sin and hatred for God to a life of living and loving God. The post-Pentecost Jesus called His name and Saul became Paul. However Paul indicates that the ongoing reality of experiencing Christ's sufferings and resurrection power includes Jesus' current experience of what believers the world-over were experiencing and how His resurrection power could transcend time and be ever available. Paul's point is to state how these amazing truths are central to being a follower of Jesus Christ. 

As we noted yesterday - whenever Jesus suffers, we suffer. Conversely, whenever we suffer, Jesus in His post-Pentecost humanity at the Father's right hand empathizes and enters into our plight. Without affecting Who He is as God, the Son takes His infinite knowledge of what our pains are and will be and chooses in His glorified humanity to experience them with us right now. I beg readers to let that final point sink in - since when you really think about it - Jesus understands! 

God-centered congregation celebrates Redemption - P2

Ephesians 1:7 "In whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sin"

It is in Numbers 3:40-51 that we see God revisiting that decree He had made over a year prior in Exodus 13. As God sets the foundations for His God-centered congregation, He places at the center of His instructions the celebration of redemption.

What is there to celebrate about redemption?
Our particular text on redemption is Numbers 3:40-51. In this text, we find four details about redemption that make cause for celebration. There are four traits about redemption that we find in Numbers 3:40-51. Yesterday we looked at the first two traits of redemption that make cause for celebration: namely redemption’s specific focus and redemption being about a substitute on behalf of sinners.  Today we will consider the final two traits, noting how they are fulfilled and completely worked out by Jesus Christ in the New Testament:

Redemption is about Sufficient Payment. Number 3:44-47
God had originally told the Israelites back in Exodus 13 that the firstborn of every Israelites belonged to the Lord. Here in Numbers 3, that episode is recalled - only in this instance it is given more detail. For every firstborn Jewish male, God would have a corresponding Levite firstborn serve God - full-time - in their place. According to Number 3:39 - there were 22,000 Levite firstborn. However in Number 3:43 - there were 22,273 first born in the remainer of the camp of Israel - which meant that there was not enough to cover the requirement. God already had it covered by instituting the payment of silver as "redemption money" to cover the 273 who did not have the necessary substitute. If it had not been for that provision, those Jewish males would had to been included in the service of themple, seperated from their families, and thus violating the word of God which said only the Levites could serve.

Redemption's setting is in blood. Numbers 3:48-51
In Number 3:48 we find out where the redemption money was to be paid - "to Aaron and his sons". Who were these people? The High Priest and his priestly sons - the ones who offered the blood sacrifices on behalf of the people. God reminds us here that redemption is never seperated from the shedding of blood. Ephesians 1:7 tells us that without the shedding of blood, there is no remission of sins."

Why redemption accomplished in the New Testament is so superior
This text in Numbers points us to what would be accomplished by Christ in the New Testament.  Thankfully when He accomplished salvation, it was once for all, never to be repeated. (John 19:30; Hebrews 9:28).  Just as the redemption mentioned here in Numbers pictured substitution and the payment for one group of people by others, Christ fulfilled both by being both the sinner's substitute and paying in full the salvation of all who by grace through faith would believe on Him. (1 Peter 1:17-18; 2:22).  Unlike here in Numbers, Eternal redemption is not based upon silver and gold, but rather the precious blood of Christ, the spotless lamb of God. (1 Peter 1:17-18). Finally, unlike the redemption mentioned here in the Old Testament, what Christ did enabled the cleansing of the conscience. (Hebrews 9:14)

With the scriptures being the strength of a God centered congregation, redemption is cause for celebration.

The God centered congregation celebrates redemption

Ephesians 1:7 "In whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sin"

A God-Centered Congregation Will be Cross-Centered
As we continue in our blog series on what makes for a God-centered congregation, we focus today on the celebration of redemption.  The local church that is God centered will center its living and mission around what Christ accomplished on the cross.  The Apostle Paul writes these words in 1 Corinthians 2:2 - "For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified."  

In the Bible redemption refers to God's purchasing of His people out of bondage of slavery to sin into the salvation of freedom in Jesus Christ.  In yesterday's post, we noted that a God-centered congregation's strength is scripture.  With that said, what is it that comprises the God-centered congregation's joy, celebration?  It is that chief work of God - prescribed and pictured in the Old Testament and accomplished in the New - redemption.

Redemption was central to God's plan for the congregation of Israel
When God brought Israel out of Egypt in Exodus 13, we read these words in Exodus 13:2 "“Sanctify to Me every firstborn, the first offspring of every womb among the sons of Israel, both of man and beast; it belongs to Me.”  Now why would Yahweh, the LORD, make this statement? In Exodus 13:14-15 we see why: “And it shall be when your son asks you in time to come, saying, ‘What is this?’ then you shall say to him, ‘With a powerful hand the LORD brought us out of Egypt, from the house of slavery. 15‘It came about, when Pharaoh was stubborn about letting us go, that the LORD killed every firstborn in the land of Egypt, both the firstborn of man and the firstborn of beast. Therefore, I sacrifice to the LORD the males, the first offspring of every womb, but every firstborn of my sons I redeem.’

It was in this decree of God to redeem His people, as well as to remind them of His action on their behalf - that God ordained this law of redemption.  It is in Numbers 3:40-51 that we see God revisiting that decree He had made over a year prior in Exodus 13.  As God sets the foundations for His God-centered congregation, He places at the center of His instructions the celebration of redemption.

What is there to celebrate about redemption?
Our particular text on redemption is Numbers 3:40-51.  In this text, we find four details about redemption that make cause for celebration.  There are four traits about redemption that we find in Numbers 3:40-51.  Today we will consider the first two, noting how they are fulfilled and completely worked out by Jesus Christ in the New Testament:

1. Redemption has a specific focus - you. Numbers 3:40
God wanted Moses to take a census of the every first-born son among the Israelites and record their names.  This tells us something: that when God wants to reveal or accomplish redemption - He has a specific focus, a specific intent.  Who or what is His specific focus? You.  1 Timothy 4:10 states - "For it is for this we labor and strive, because we have fixed our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of believers." 

Historically speaking Christ is the Savior of all men - since by His death He paid the price to hold off the judgment that is otherwise set to come upon this world.  All men right now get the opportunity to hear the Gospel as a result of God's common grace extended to all, since it is is God's preference that none would perish, but all would come to repentance. (1 John 2:2; 2 Peter 3:9) Eternally speaking Christ is the Savior of all who believe.  We know that all who believe on Jesus Christ will in no way be rejected by God. (John 6:37)  Anyone who believes in Jesus does so due to God's calling, drawing grace given in the convicting work of the Holy Spirit. (John 6:44; 16:8-16)   

2. Redemption is about Substitution. Number 3:41-43
In Number 3:41 we read twice that the Levite firstborn and cattle were numbered "instead of" the the first born sons and cattle of the remaining Israelites.  Why? Because the Levites was the tribe that represented the people before God in the service of the temple.  In the arrangement of the camp - the tabernacle or worship center of Israel was central, with the Levites camped all around it.  Any other Israelite would had been camped at least a mile away. 

Unless one brought a sacrifice to the doorway of the tabernacle, no Israelite was allowed - save the Levites.  Even then, when an Israelite brought the sacrifice - it was the Levites who took the sacrifice from their hands.  The sacrifice itself was slaughtered in the place of the offerer.  All of this points to Jesus Christ, who died in our place. (2 Corinthians 5:21) Truly Christ was the Lamb of God who was spotless and blameless, suffering the wrath of God instead of us and dying so that all who believe could enjoy eternal relationship with Him. (1 Peter 1:17-18)

Tomorrow we will consider two more features about redemption that make cause for celebration in the God-centered congregation.

The Gospel's True Jesus and a substitute Jesus

Acts 4:12 “And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.”

Today's blog will be dealing with this significant question: how is the salvation of Jesus Christ accessed and applied to human beings?

1. The True Gospel teaches Salvation is Accomplished by Christ and Applied by the Holy Spirit through the scriptures to his Church


The Bible's teaching on salvation Accomplished and Applied
By Grace Alone
Unlike the Roman Catholic Church, the Bible teaches that salvation, and its application, are worked forth by Christ through His Spirit to His people. 
Through Faith Alone in Christ Alone
It is the Holy Spirit who applies the gifts of faith and repentance whereby the sinner makes a decision of trust in Jesus Christ. (John 1:12-13; 16:8-16; 2 Timothy 2:24-26) 
By the Bible Alone
It is the Holy Spirit who strengthens the Christian in following through in obedience to the commands of God. (Galatians 5:16, 22) 
Leading to a Faith that is not Alone
It is through the scriptures that the salvation to turn a heart of rebellion into worship is brought, as well as the desire to live out the Christian faith. (Psalm 19:7-14) By faith without works one recevies salvation which leads to an ongoing faith that works, or is never unaccompanied without evidence of a changed life. (James 2:14-18)

The Bible's teaching on Baptism and the Lord's Supper
Pertaining to the place of baptism and the Lord's table, they function mainly a pictures of the prior work of salvation received by faith in the believer. (Romans 6:4-5; Colossians 2:12; 1 Peter 3:21) Baptism is an act of obedience done by converted people, and the Lord's Table is for those converted people who have been immersed in a church which practices believer's baptism as a picture of salvation. (Acts 2:38-41)  We see no evidence whatsoever of these two ordinances conveying salvation.

This point express the fact that only two ordinances, or Divinely prescribed wordpictures were given by Christ to His church - Baptism and the Lord's Supper.

The Bible's teaching on the role of the church
In the Bible, Baptism initiates the believer into the membership of the church, not life in the kingdom. Jesus taught that the new birth, recevied by grace through faith, is what initiates one into salvation or the Kingdom. (John 3:3-6). The Church functions to be the means by which the Christian gorws in their faith with other Christians. (Hebrews 10:24-25) However, the church is to never replace Christ nor the ministry of the Spirit in matters of salvation. Only through the scriptures, preached and taught, can salvation be begun and received in the heart. (Romans 10:17)


2. Roman Catholicism teaches salvation accomplished by Christ and is applied through participation in its Church system

The Roman Catholic Church Sacramental System: Functioning as a substitute Jesus
In Roman Catholic teaching, especially in Part Two of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, the way in which one receives salvation and participates in it is through what are called "sacraments".  When something is termed a "sacrament", it is simply a conveyor or vehicle of God's grace.  This word in other Christian communions refers more to how God strengthens or encourages the believer.  However in Roman Catholic theology, a sacrament is taken a step beyond, and refers to conveying actual saving faith and sustaining of the participant in salvation. 

For the Roman Catholic Church there are seven such "sacraments" which we'll just simply list and describe.  Please note that the definitions assigned to these words are not from scripture, but rather meanings given by Roman Catholicism itself:

1. Baptism - That which, when combined by faith, brings about Christian conversion.1 

2. Confirmation - Small children are taken through a ceremony whereby they learn and recite the teachings of the church. 
3. Confession - Roman Catholic Theology believes that when one sins, they can lose the grace of justification (salvation) they received in baptism.  Thus by going to the priest, the priest assigns a means for them to get right with God again through certain moral acts or "penance".2

4. The Mass -  In Roman Catholic teaching, this is literally a re-sacrifice of Jesus Christ for the participants - albeit a bloodless sacrifice. 3

5. Marriage - When a Roman Catholic wedding is performed, you will commonly see the celebration of a mass.4 

6. Anointing of the sick - Sometimes still viewed as "last rites", this particular act is done for those near death or extremely ill.

7. Holy Orders or Ordaining to the Preisthood - The Priests, Bishops and the entire Roman Catholic Heirarchy has their own "sacrament" that is believed to convey some level of authority to them.  This means they represent the interests of Christ and the church, especially in the Mass. 

The Sacramental system is how the Roman Catholic Church believes the benefits and experience of salvation are applied and experienced.  In a large way, though claiming in their theology to believe in accomplished work of Jesus Christ, yet the application of such work is accomplished through the Roman Catholic system.  If anything, the sacramental system functions like a substitute Jesus. 

Conclusion
Once again the Roman Catholic system, when compared to scripture, shows a completely different gospel.  May we through the study of God's Word aim to understand and proclaim the True Gospel, which must ever be contended for in every generation.

Endnote_______________________________
1 Also too, since Roman Catholicism believes in sprinkling infants, quite literally that infant, when sprinkled, is believed to be infused with the regenerating grace that leads to salvation. 

2 Thus the Roman Catholic never has full assurance of salvation, and is thus tied to the sacramental system. Once they pay there penance, the priest declares their sins forgiven or "remitted" and thus they can particpate in the Mass.

3 This Roman Catholic version of the Lord's supper has the priest blessing the bread and the wine with them being transformed into the body and blood of the Lord Jesus. Roman Catholicism teaches that when a participant has payed penance, the mass restored them to fellowship within the church.

4 This rite is viewed as a sacrament as well, a conveyor of grace. Quite literally the sacramental system covers a Roman Catholic from cradle to grave.

A New Creation

2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.

If anyone is in Christ....
This one verse tells us about the the truth of the incorruptible life of God transforming the human nature of the Christian.  It sets forth the condition: "If any anyone is in Christ".  To be "in Christ" refers to being "in association with Him" or "connected to Him" by faith.  When I by grace through faith believe on Jesus Christ as Savior, Lord and treasure, the Holy Spirit of God takes me and transfers me from the kingdom of darkness into the Kingdom of the Beloved Son.  (please compare Acts 26:18)

My natural bent from birth is to do nothing but sin - do corruption.  However when I become a believer in Jesus Christ - it is because the Spirit of God was doing a work of grace.  As He so touched my heart, I turned to Christ in faith, and thus I evidence a changed nature - a changed "bent".  Now I want to more and more everyday to wage war on sin and do the will of the Father. (please compare Ephesians 2:10).

He is a new Creature....
I am literally made a "new creature".  When God creates something, He creates it out of nothing.  When He made the heavens and the earth in Genesis 1:1, He did not have some pre-existent material lying around.  He spoke the worlds into existence and they were so. (Psalm 33:6; John 1:1-3). When God sets His affection upon a person, He comes to them and calls them and literally creates a new nature out of "nothing".  He speaks forth into the otherwise darkened, dead spirit inside of us (with no pre-existing spiritual life), and penetrates our human soul (mind, emotions, will) by bringing into it the light of His glory. (please compare 2 Corinthians 4:1-6).

As the text above states - we "become a new creature".  The corruption of spiritual deadness and darkness is no more in my human spirit.  My "nature" is changed into incorruption.  Now my soul - where my mind, emotions and will are located , is being progressively affected by the reality in my human spirit.  I am set free from having to participate in corruption. Though I will never reach the point in this life where I'll never sin again (for sinless perfection will not take place until I in Heaven with the Lord) -  yet the last time I did sin, I did not have to. 

Old things have passed away, and behold, all things have become (and are still becoming) new
To be a new creature in Jesus Christ points to the reality of the incorruptible life of God living in, and out and through the life of the Christian.  That is why Paul writes - "old things have passed away, behold all things become new".  That last verbal phrase "become new" is in a special tense in the original language.  It speaks of a reality that took place in the past and still has present, ongoing results.  At salvation I was made a new creature in my human spirit.  In sanctification my soulish realm (mind, emotions and will) are being progressively affected to desire more and more the incorruptible life.  Only at glorificiation will my body and whole being be set free from the presence of corruption.  

The power of incorruptible salvation

1 John 4:13 By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. (English Standard Version)

Yesterday I began to explore the incredible theme of "incorruption" as it relates to the biblical teaching of salvation.  Many times when the gospel is presented - the themes of forgiveness, peace with God, being made right with God and adoption are stated.  As right as it is to do this - I discover in the Bible that salvation not only affects my judicial standing and relational standing before God, but also my very nature is transformed.    Though I still remain human in my creaturely existence, yet in Christ I am not just human.  Morally and spiritually speaking I learn to think, feel and act with God since He lives inside of me.  Below are a couple more thoughts on this theme of "incorruption".

Incorruption means I can be like Jesus more and more in this life
1 John 4:17 states - "By this, love is perfected with us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment; because as He is, so also are we in this world."  With this passage we find out that as Christians, we don't have to wait until we get to heaven to be like Jesus.  Rather, as we grow in grace, we can become more like Jesus (in the way He thinks, acts and feels, we can too).  Everything in this universe has one thing in common - it is all subject to decay and corruption.  Its all running down.  Our physical bodies are this way too.  However as Christians  our human spirit is being renewed day by day.  For the Christian, Christ should become more profound, more new and exciting by each passing day. 

2. Incorruption means I am morally and spiritually being transformed
1 John 3:9 in the English Standard Version states - "No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’s seed abides in him, and he cannot keep on sinning because he has been born of God."  A Christian at salvation is set free from the penalty of sin.  As one grows in grace, they are being set free from the power of sin.  When the Christian appears before the Lord in glory, they will be set free from the presence of sin. 

Sin is viewed as corruption.  As the life of God Himself, living in our human spirit, begins to spread throughout our soul, we are progressively becoming more like Him, and less corrupt.  Over time the Christian should find themselves hating sin, and sinning less and less severely.  Though we can never reach the point of sinless perfection in this life, yet as Christians we are set free from having to sin and be underneath the mastery of our hang-ups.  Whenever I sin - or partake of corruption - I do so not because I have to, but because I choose to. 

May every child of God reading this blog draw from the life of God indwelling them this day. 

Non-decaying salvation

1 Peter 1:23 "for you have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and enduring word of God."

Often in discussions about the gospel, the theme of forgiveness or being made right with God is found.  Truly this theme covers most of the ground we find when describing the application of salvation that takes place at the moment of saving faith.

One theme however has gotten overlooked in describing what takes place in the human heart the moment a person, drawn by grace through faith believes on Christ.  According to the Apostle Peter - we are born again not by corruptible seed, but incorruptible.  Many older Christian writers from the first few centuries of the early church saw an incredible truth being developed by Peter and the biblical authors as it pertains to this theme of incorruption or "non-decay".  Below I want to unfold very briefly what this aspect of Christian salvation is all about.

Incorruption refers to how God's very life affects your life
One of those ancient writers - Athanasius, a very godly man who was a champion for the Christian faith, illustrates this point with a piece of straw.  A piece of straw is by its nature a flammable substance.  If you bring it close to a flame - it will catch fire, i.e it is subject to corruption.  However if I take that piece of straw and soak it in a fireproof substance (such as asbestos), that straw will draw into itself the asbestos, taking up into it the very nature of the asbestos. Now the straw is still frail and quite small as it was before - however its nature has been changed.  It is different, taking on the characteristics of an inflammable substance.

Peter writes these words in 2 Peter 1:4 "by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust."  As Christians we by faith have taken into our very spirit the very life of God Himself.  He lives in our human spirit.  One writer has defined a Christian as a the very life of God penetrating the human soul. 

To think that God Himself, in the person of the Holy Spirit, is indwelling me and affecting me as I even write this blog - is truly exciting.  If you are a true believer in Jesus Christ, He is doing the same thing.  He who is without corruption, is taking us through the process of becoming less corruptible and becoming more incorruptible. Thank you Lord for a non-decaying salvation. 

In tomorrow's blog we will unfold some more truths regarding this theme of incorruption.