"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" (2 Corinthians 5:17)

A prominent New Testament scholar once said that the Christian life consists of becoming what you are. Despite the popular statement: "Christians are not perfect just forgiven," having some real truth to it, it is also true that Christians are perfect in that through the gospel the life of Christ has been given to us as a grace gift. We have been put into a new kingdom and given a new identity.

This means that through faith in Jesus we:

1. Have been rescued from the Kingdom of darkness.

Paul uses this language in referring to salvation. We have been taken out of slavery to sin and made a free people. (Col 1:13)

2. Are declared to be "In Christ."

Paul uses this phrase over 200 times in the New Testament. He is eager that Christians see their identity as closely tied to their victorious Lord.

3. Are joined to Christ and one another.

For Paul lone ranger Christianity is a foreign concept. When a person becomes a Christian and given a new identity in Christ they become part of a body. Salvation is salvation into community.

4. Are dead, resurrected and Exalted.

Paul sees the believer as so bound to Christ that they are dead to sin, alive to him and will be ultimately glorified and exalted. Out new identity is closely bound to Jesus. (Rom. 6, Col 3:3).

5. Filled and endowed with power and authority.

Christ was endowed with all the fullness of God's authority & power and those in Christ need not fear the enemy because in him they share in that authority & power. (Col. 1:19f and Col 2:10, Eph. 3:19)

6. Receive the Spirit & his gifts for ministry.

The presence of the Spirit in the believers life is the supreme sign of ones new identity and the assurance of future victory in Christ. (1 Cor.2:10-14, Gal. 5;16-20, Rom 8:13, Eph. 5:18)

All this and much more are gifts given in our salvation; may we live like its true.

Grace and peace from Marcus