The Gift of an Opportunity 1
Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: (John 11:25)
Christ is eternal Life. Eternal life is not eternal existence. All spirits have eternal existence. Rather, eternal life is the Life of Christ. In order to enjoy the Life of Christ we must seek the Lord every day with diligence and consistency. The gift Christ gives us is the gift of Himself. As we gain Him we gain eternal Life.
All the Glory of God Almighty is in Christ. As we are willing to press into Christ, to abide in Him each day through the Holy Spirit, we pass from fleshly, corrupt life to eternal, incorruptible life.
The salvation, the eternal life, the glory, the joy, the peace, the redemption in Christ are always an opportunity. God gives to us, through Christ, the authority, wisdom, and power to attain salvation, the Life of Christ, glory, joy, peace, sonship, the fullness of redemption.
It is what we do with this opportunity that determines whether or not we actually gain glory, joy, and eternal life.
The Christian salvation is not an undemanding gift, it is a discipleship. Jesus does not say, "Here is life, take it." Rather, Jesus says, "I am life, follow me." Jesus is the "way" to eternal life. He is the "door." We enter through Him and then walk in the pressured, narrow way that leads to life.
The Apostles, as recorded in the Book of Acts, stressed repentance. In order to participate in the Christian salvation we are required to repent, to turn away from the world and become Jesus' disciple. It is the disciples who are called "Christians" (Acts 11:26).
There is a time to "believe only." Then there is a time to lay down our life for the Gospel's sake. Neither action is sufficient without the other.
Paul taught us the doctrine of "imputation" (ascribed righteousness) meaning God forgives us and regards us as being righteous, apart from the Law of Moses, when we place our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
God receives the sinner and washes away his sins when the individual places his faith in Christ and is baptized in water. Righteousness is ascribed to the sinner apart from his earning righteousness through the works of the Law of Moses.
What we have not understood, however, is that forgiveness and righteousness are all that is assigned so freely. By inferring from Paul's doctrine that every aspect of redemption is imputed we have destroyed the program of the Christian salvation.
By far, most of the benefits of our redemption are not just ascribed to us. Rather, they are developed in us when we act in cooperation with the wisdom and power of the Holy Spirit as He imparts to us the things of Christ.
Righteousness is ascribed to us as long as we are walking in obedience to the Spirit of God. But eternal life is not ascribed to us. The fruit of the Spirit is not ascribed to us. The gifts of the Spirit are not ascribed to us.
The rewards of the second and third chapters of the Book of Revelation are not ascribed to us. Eternal residence in the holy city is not ascribed to us. To serve God as a king and a priest is not ascribed to us. To be a coheir with Christ is not ascribed to us.