“IF...any person is ‘in Christ’, they are a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” (2 Cor. 5:17).

The key operative word there is...’IF’. Friends.... we need to have an honest, but uncomfortable discussion here...

We’ve all heard that expression about putting lipstick on a pig; and how it still remains to be a ‘pig’, no matter how nice you ‘dress it up’. I would submit to you that we have a full blown crisis in the modern day ‘church’ world, which should come as a surprise to no one who is familiar with Paul’s warning found in 2 Tim. 3:1-7. You might go look at that now, and notice that the list of carnal fruit he is describing...is aimed at those who have an outward ‘form of godliness...but deny the power’[ of God to transform them]. They are ‘always learning but never coming to the knowledge of the truth’ (5,7).

Let me be clear here: because of the fall in the garden (Rom. 5:12) the ‘spiritual DNA’ of all of humanity was ‘corrupted’. Death and condemnation was on each one of us from the day we were born, and until one becomes a genuine ‘believer’ in Jesus...God’s ‘wrath remains on them’ (John 3:36). This is what Jesus came to ‘save’ us from...the ‘wrath of God’ (Rom. 5:9; John 3:17-18).

Scripture is clear...we ”all have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory” (Rom. 3:23). “There is none righteous, no, not one;...the way of peace they have not known...there is no fear of God before their eyes” (Rom. 3:10,17-18). But Jesus came to change that; and even more specifically...He came to change us by first changing our hearts (Ezek. 36:24-27). He was going to do this through a ‘spiritual rebirth’ (John 3:3-7). In modern day 'tech terms', think of a new ‘mother board and CPU’ followed up with a good old fashioned ‘reboot’.

Yes...while the ‘reboot’ is underway, it is not uncommon to see some ‘carnal’ traits rising up in the process, but this is simply designed to expose our hearts so that the Spirit of God can begin to deal with that ‘old nature’. This is where ‘repentance’ comes in to play as we ‘put to death’ that ‘old man/nature’ when we turn to Jesus with all our hearts...and begin to follow Him (Rom. 8:13-14; John 10:27).

But here is the problem that is rampant today: We have churches full of ‘seasoned saints’ who can quote scripture forward and backward; and they can play and sing songs until the ‘glory falls down’. In many circles, the list goes on as to what ‘great things’ one might witness being done ‘in the name of the Lord’ (Matt. 7:22; 1 Cor. 13:1-3; Matt. 24:24). Yet...the majority of ‘believers’ today still see themselves as ‘wretched sinners’ who were ‘saved by grace’; fully admitting they are a ‘mess’ or a ‘wreck’,(as in they continue to be 'sinners')... and then in the same breath sing praises to God for His merciful grace. But God did not extend His mercy and grace so that we could continue to ’get by with continuing to sin’. “Heaven forbid...how shall we who ‘died to sin live any longer in it’? (Rom. 6:1-7)

Something was supposed to have happened to us when we ‘repented’...and turned to Jesus. We should not have to tell anyone...that we are ‘Christians’...it should be obvious to ‘all men’ (John 13:34-35). When we continue to profess to be ‘wretched sinners’ and openly admit or confess to ‘sinning regularly’...has it ever occurred to you how this reflects back on God who was supposed to have made us a ‘new creation’? What does our ongoing sinfulness say about His ‘workmanship (Eph. 2:10)? Do you know whose ‘image’ we are being ‘conformed’ to? (Rom. 8:29)

Clearly...many people may think, or profess to be ‘abiding in Jesus’, but the evidence is simply lacking, given what scripture teaches us: “Whoever says they abide in Him ought themselves to walk just as He walked” (1 John 2:6)...and “whoever abides in Him no longer sins” (1 John 3:6). “Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God” (1 John 3:9). And as you might suspect, this message is simply not being taught in our churches today, for ‘all the reasons’.

Now I’ve been around long enough to have heard lots of teaching ‘fads’ in the church world that have ‘come down the pipe’, and there is one in particular that I’ve heard taught over the years that just never really ‘sounded right’ to me; and it has to do with one coming to terms with their ‘identity in Christ’. The short version of what I would call ‘misguided teaching’ places much emphasis on the need for a ‘believer’ to ‘convince themselves...mentally’... and to 'see' that when they ‘accepted Christ as Savior’...they ‘received a new identity’ as a ‘child of God’. It’s as if they can just ‘think it and see it hard enough’...they will begin to ‘walk as He walked’. But friends...abiding in Jesus has NOTHING...to do with ‘positive thinking’, or as the con artist (Harold Hill) in ‘The Music Man’ explained - how kids learned to play the musical instruments he was wanting to sell them ...by using the ‘proven ‘think method’.

Let me wrap up for today by going on record here to share a personal note based on what I have experienced and come to learn in these past six years, and what it means to ‘abide in Jesus’. (John 15:1-8). I don’t walk around thinking about sin...and commandments and laws to keep and avoid. I am not that deluded to see myself or profess to be some ‘pure, holy and righteous man’, and ‘sinless’ at that. But don’t read too much into that and think I’m ‘admitting’ anything else by my ‘side stepping’ certain statements. As Paul stated: “Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on...” (Phil. 3:12). This I can assure you...I have come to know and walk in more freedom these past six years...than what I ever did in the previous forty years when I first ‘came to Jesus’....and then got caught up in ‘Bible Colleges’ and ‘Church life’. It has been a long and painful journey that did not have to be this way. But...better late than never, right?

In short, I quote that line from the popular series called ‘The Chosen’, as spoken by Mary Magdalene who said: “I was one way, and now I’m completely different. And the thing that happened in between...was Him.” More tomorrow...Lord willing.