Becoming Who You Already Are in Christ

Imagine this. You're in a courtroom being tried for a crime you know you are guilty of committing. The room has been called to order by the judge, and you stand nervously, waiting to hear the final verdict. The only thing flooding through your mind is how unbearable your jail sentence is going to be. You silently wonder if there's any chance you might receive an early parole. Then, to your utter shock, the judge declares you "not guilty." You are amazed and vow to never commit another crime again. You even promise to live your life giving back and doing good deeds. You think, "If I continue to do good things then I might be able to earn the right to really be 'not guilty'." However, you still seem to struggle with the same things that you struggled with before being declared "not guilty." You find yourself in this never ending cycle of falling short and trying to work your way back into good standing. The guilt and shame never seem to go away, and no matter what you do, you just can't seem to earn the right to be "not guilty" on your own terms, even though the judge declared it true.

Does this sound familiar? As a believer in Christ, this story might just sum up your thinking about your spiritual walk. Although you are a believer, you may still continue to struggle with the same old things, You know you are saved by grace, but you also know that this grace is supposed to affect the way you live your life. You are supposed to be different, and falling into sin is disheartening. You may tell yourself, "If I just go the church more, read my Bible more, and do good works, then I'll be a better Christian." However, you continue to fall short, and you feel like you're in this never ending cycle of trying to do better, ultimately in an effort to earn your right to become "not guilty." This is a poor way of thinking about the gospel and the motivation behind what you do or how you serve. A careful look into Scripture reveals two very important concepts to grasp about the gospel: gospel indicatives and gospel imperatives.

Gospel Indicatives

A gospel indicative explains what Christ has done for you and who you are in Him. Gospel indicatives define our position in Christ. Paul reminds us in Romans 8:30 that those whom he called "he also justified." But what does it mean to be justified? Wayne Grudem says, "Justification is an instantaneous legal act of God in which he (1) thinks of our sins as forgiven and thinks of Christ's righteousness as belonging to us and therefore (2) declares us to be 'just' or morally righteous in his sight." The Bible tells us that justification comes after we respond in faith to Christ (Rom 3:26;5:1;Gal 2:16). Therefore, when we repent of our sins and believe in Christ we now have a new position. That position is identification with Jesus Christ. When God looks at a believer, Christ's righteousness is seen rather than the person's sinfulness. This position is something declared and given by God. This is a gospel indicative.

Gospel Imperatives

A gospel imperative explains what you must do or how you must act as a result of your position as one in Christ. For instance, the Bible says to, "let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with malice." Paul goes on to say,  "be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another." In reality the New Testament is filled with these types of commands. Christians are called to live godly lives as a result of who they are in Christ. This would be the gospel imperative.

Here's what you need to understand about these two truths of the gospel: The imperatives are the overflow of the indicatives. Therefore, your motivation to do, must be fueled by what has already been done with the understanding that your "doing" will never earn you the "not guilty" status. That status has already been earned by Jesus Christ and given to you freely, apart from any of your own working. The Bible is clear, however, that when you become a Christian your old self dies and you become a new creation covered in the works of Christ (2 Cor 5:17; Rom 6:6). When you see the gospel in this light, it will free you to serve and minister in light of who and what you already are. Jesus is the one who sets you free from a wrong way of thinking about these truths from either of two extremes. Pray that His Spirit would free you from thinking that you have to earn your right to be declared righteous. Pray also that He would help you to take your actions seriously, remembering that identification with Christ always results in a changed life and the fruit of good works. Read and study Colossians 3 and find the gospel indicatives and imperatives. As a result of who you are in Christ and by the power of the Holy Spirit, go to war with your old self which has already died (assuming you are a genuine believer). Seek to put on the new self which was bought with a price. Become who you already are...