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How am I Made New?

How am I Made New?

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CCI Fellowship is focused on reaching God, each other, and the community. The podcast discusses the topic of identity and how we are made new. The speaker emphasizes the importance of understanding who we are in Christ and how it shapes our actions and reality. Salvation is described as a progression, from being saved to being transformed and made holy. The hope of salvation is based on the firm foundation of Christ's second coming. The message encourages listeners to align their thoughts and behaviors with the truth of God's Word. The speaker also addresses the misconception that grace allows us to live however we want, emphasizing the need for personal transformation. The passage in 1 Peter highlights the living hope we have in Christ and the future fulfillment of our faith. The progression of salvation is described as having been saved, being saved, and the ultimate salvation of our souls. Welcome to CCI Fellowship's podcast. Thank you for joining us. At CCI Fellowship, we are reaching God, reaching each other, and reaching our community. We pray that this week's message challenges you in your walk with the Lord, causes you to grow in your faith, and encourages you in your love for the Word of God. All right, open your Bibles to 1 Peter chapter 1. This is part 3 of our Identity Series, and this one is entitled, How Am I Made New? How Am I Made New? So, last week I had mentioned that we were going to discuss a bunch of W's, who we are, where we are, what we have, but before we get to all of those W's, we're going to talk about an H. How? How is it? And so, last week I had talked about the fact that we are three-part beings. I had talked about the Scripture tells us that we have been saved, we are being saved, and we will be saved. And so, I wanted to not just pass over those without giving you references or spending some time on it, and so today we are going to look deeper into the progression of salvation. As we went over last week, identity creates tendencies in the way that we think. Everything starts with how we perceive ourselves. Our actions are based on our own perception, our own beliefs about who we are. So identity creates tendencies in the way that we think. Tendencies shape our actions. Those actions have consequences or an outcome, whether it's a good consequence or a negative one, and those consequences shape our reality. So in this progression, we really see that it does start with who we think we are in our hearts. Proverbs says, as a man thinks in his heart, so he is. And that produces everything else in our lives. It produces our work ethic. It produces how we interact with each other. It produces how we interact with God. So if we want to grow in God, if we want to change something in our lives, we can't start with just changing what our circumstances are or changing what is around us. We have to change our perspective of who we are. Sometimes when we're going through things in our lives, we may be fully aware of who we are in Christ, but are we living in that identity? Are we walking in that truth that God has given us of who we are in Him? And why is that a battle? Because we are being saved, being transformed, being made holy. Paul says, I crucify my flesh daily. I bring my flesh into submission daily, he says, lest after preaching I myself may be disqualified. In other words, he's saying, I'm not going to come preaching to you about holiness in Christ, about living the life of victory in Christ, about laying down the old man and then myself not do those things because it would make me a hypocrite. We have to start with this truth. We are who God says we are as His children. Not we are how we feel we are, because our feelings change moment by moment. We can feel one way in the morning, another way in the afternoon, and a complete different way in the evening. So we can't base our understanding of truth on how we feel in that moment. We have to base it on what God has said, on the solid foundation of what He has established in His Word. So as we go through this series, again our goal is to get into God's truth about who we are, which will then cause a shift in the way that we think, leading to a change in the way we behave, resulting in a new reality of life, freedom, and peace. Let's pray. Father, we thank You for this day. We thank You for Your anointing and Your presence here. I pray, Lord, that as we go into Your Word, that we would lay aside every distraction, and that Father, indeed, You would silence every distraction and every attempt of the enemy to distort and confuse the truth. Father, give us ears to hear and eyes to see and hearts that are ready to receive. May we taste and see that You are good. May we rightly divide the word of truth. Father, give us a desire to understand, but may we lay aside any tendency to be skeptical or critical. May Your truth be delivered to us. May we accept it. May we receive it. May we meditate on it. May we chew on it, Lord God, so that it brings health to us, deliverance to us, freedom, Lord God, and a closer, more intimate walk with You. In Jesus' name, amen. So I ask, as we go through this, that You pay close attention. If you are a note-taker, take notes. If you want to go back and look at the notes later, go to YouVersion. Look under Events, CCI Fellowship, and save the notes so that you can study this later. But as we go through this, I'm also going to bring in some theological terms. I want your cooperation, that you will listen and give your attention and endeavor to receive what God has for us. Not because I'm going to teach you something that's wacky. It's just, it's meat. And I'm going to cut the meat up so that we can understand it, but you still have to receive and take it, and ingest it, and let it be something that brings life to you. So, do I have your attention? Do I have your cooperation? Alright, 1 Peter chapter 1, verse 3 to 9. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation, ready to be revealed in the last time. So we see this salvation that we have received, we have been saved, but yet it is a salvation which shall be revealed at the end of time. In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, whom having not seen, you love. What's this revelation of Jesus? Haven't we received the revelation of Christ? That's why we came to salvation in the first place. So, what's Peter talking about? At the revelation of Jesus Christ, he's talking about his second coming. So Peter is, for us, talking about this salvation that we have received, but this salvation, this hope of salvation that is in us, that will be revealed at a future time. Though now you do not see him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, receiving the end of your faith, the salvation of your souls. I thought we were already saved. Yes we, yes. By grace you have been saved. But we look for a day that is coming. Scripture talks about hope that is fulfilled is no longer hope. And hope that is deferred makes the heart grow weak. But this hope we have because we know the truth that Christ will come back for his people. It's not a hope that is a maybe. It is a hope built on a firm foundation. And our hope, this faith that we have, will be revealed and we shall receive the fulfillment of our faith, the salvation of our souls. So here we have, we're going to look at the progression of salvation. So we have been saved, Ephesians 2 verse 8. We all know this, for by grace you have been saved through faith and that not of yourself, it is the gift of God. Did you know that the New Testament was not written to sinners? Did you know that? The New Testament was written to believers. If you look at the beginning of each of the epistles, it says to the saints. It says to those who believe. John says to the elect, the beloved in Christ. These letters were written to people who already believe. So when we're reading, we need to read them in that context of somebody who has already been saved. So he says to the Ephesians, for by grace you have been saved. He's not talking to people who necessarily are still in the world. Remember, scripture says that spiritual things are not discerned by people who are not spiritual. So we should read that the understanding of these things are written to those who are spiritual. So if he's talking about have been saved, or even if we look at Revelation chapter, Romans chapter 10, it says, with the heart one believes, with the mouth one confesses. For if you believe in your heart that Jesus was raised from the dead and confess with your mouth, you will be saved. Paul's already writing to people who are saved. He's writing to the church in Rome. He's writing to believers who have already been saved. But if you believe in your heart and confess with your mouth, you will be saved. There is a progression. 2 Timothy 1 verse 8 and 9, therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share with me in the sufferings for the gospel, according to the power of God, who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began. We are being saved. 1 Corinthians 1.18 says, for the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved, it is the power of God. When we look at verses that say, have been saved, this is what we typically think of when somebody prays the sinner's prayer. Okay, you're saved. Your name is written in the Lamb's book of life. Okay. And the error that people get into is they pray that prayer once and think, I don't have to do anything else. I can live however I want to. The message of grace in many places has been so perverted and distorted that they say that God's grace covers however you want to live. You don't have to change. Just pray the prayer, get saved, and you're good. But that's not what Scripture teaches us. His grace is sufficient. But Paul also says, I do not frustrate grace by living in the way that I lived before. His grace is sufficient to save us. His grace is sufficient to sustain us through our lives, but we don't frustrate grace. As in, where's the change? This truth of God living in us, Him putting His Spirit in us, is to transform us into His image. Being saved is a present reality. It's an active process between us and the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit works in us to transform us. His word gets in us. Be transformed, Romans 12 says, by the renewing of your mind. Ephesians says that we are being washed by the water of the word. We're being cleansed. We're being made new. We're being conformed into His image. I know last week I kind of messed with everybody in what you believe about being made in the image of God. But hopefully as you have seen the scriptures, you see that yes, humanity was made in the image and likeness of God. But everyone after sin was born in the image and likeness of Adam. Adam still bore a resemblance to God. That didn't go away. But the fact that we are now born with a sin nature, that came from Adam. That didn't come from God. Christ came to restore to us the fullness of the image and likeness of God. Hebrews 2 verse 11 says, For both he who sanctifies and those who are being sanctified are all of one. For which reason he is not ashamed to call them brethren. He who sanctifies, speaking of Jesus, and those who are being sanctified. Now again, the letter to the Hebrews, he wasn't writing to people who were in need of salvation. If you read through the book of Hebrews in the context of everything, you'll find that he's writing to people who had already forsaken the law of Moses. Given their lives to Christ. Received Christ as their salvation. Had been walking with him. But then when pressure came from the Jewish people to embrace again the law of Moses. They were really tempted to go back. And this letter to the Hebrews is a call to the line. It was an encouragement to them. It was a, I feel like, what I see in my mind is a general that is trying to inspire his troops in the midst of battle. When the battle is difficult and the general stands up and says, no we can win this. Don't give up. Don't go backwards. Press on and we will gain the victory. That's what the book of Hebrews is. It's not written to those on this side of the law of Moses. He was encouraging them. Don't give up on the faith that you first believed in. For you are being saved. You are being sanctified. Now, I'll tie that word sanctified back into salvation here in a bit. Hebrews 10 verse 14 says, for by one offering he has perfected forever those who are being sanctified. This is a wonderful verse of confused verb tense. He has perfected forever. It's already done. Your salvation is already done. But yet you are still in the process of salvation. This one gives us a link between the two. He has perfected forever. Ephesians 2 says that he has saved us and seated us in heavenly places with him. Spiritually, we are seated with him. In the level of our soul, we still fight with that old man. Those sinful tendencies. That imperfection. Our spirits have been made perfect. Our souls are in the process of being made perfect. And one day our bodies will be made perfect. So we have this bridge of showing how something can be already completed and yet still be in the process. Matthew 10 verse 22, we will be saved. And you will be hated by all for my name's sake. But he who endures to the end will be saved. He that endures to the end will be saved. I thought it was one and done. There's a beginning. There's a beginning that includes salvation. There's a process that includes salvation. There's a finality that includes salvation. If Jesus said he who endures to the end will be saved, then shouldn't the opposite also be true? That if we do not endure to the end, we won't be saved. You really need to chew on this. I thought nothing could separate us from the love of God. No. That's clear in Roman date. Nothing can separate us from the love of God. Nothing can take us from his hand. That's right. Nothing can take you from his hand. But if we don't endure to the end, it's as if we ourselves jumped out of his hand. God did not force us to salvation. He did not send Christ to save all of the world and just said, okay, that's it. He asked us to serve him. He asked us to believe in him. He asked us to accept the gift of Christ. We can, at whatever moment in our life, reject that gift. People get worried about it. There's no worry about it. Just endure. Just pursue God. I don't know. What if I fall away? Stay away from the line. Those that fall away after they have been in God's presence, experienced salvation, are usually the ones that, if this is the line where this is living in sin and this is living in righteousness, instead of being over there pursuing closeness and intimacy with God, they're still living over here close to the line, looking at the pasture on the other side, going, oh, that grass looks greener. If we are running toward God, we have absolutely nothing to fear or worry that our salvation will not be complete. He that endures to the end will be saved. I've said this multiple times. I've asked people this as we've debated some theological differences. You have to take the whole counsel of the Word. And if it's in there, you have to ask the question, why is it there? And if it's something that goes against what you have come to believe, you have to ask the Holy Spirit, do I believe the right thing about this? I was talking to one guy. You know, we spent so many weeks in the series in 1 Corinthians and ended in 1 Corinthians 14 about the fullness of the Spirit, the gifts that he gives us, the praying in tongues. And this guy was just adamant. That's not for today. And I said, but it's in there. What are you going to do with these verses? That's the question. When we come up against something that we're like, I don't know about that. I don't know if I can receive that. We have to say to ourselves, okay, then what do I do with these verses? And a lot of times what people do is just pretend they don't exist. Or explain them away in some easy fashion that helps them support what they believe and not be challenged by the Holy Spirit to go to another level of revelation. Are you with me? 1 Corinthians 3.15 says, if anyone's work is burned, he will suffer loss. But he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire. Will be saved. Well, that's an interesting verse. What's it talking about? If anyone's work is burned. So this is talking about the day of judgment. There are two books in heaven. Do you know that? There are two books in heaven. One is the Lamb's Book of Life. If you are not in the Lamb's Book of Life, you are not getting in. Scripture is clear about that. Revelation doesn't mix any words. Those who were not written in the Lamb's Book of Life do not get in. But then it talks about this other book. That on the day of judgment, it says, the book of every man's works will be opened. And every man's work will be tried. Will be judged. In 1 Corinthians 3 it says, whatever type of work that is. Let's go there. I tried. I tried to go through it quick, but I just want you to see it. So Paul is talking about how we are God's workmen. We are God's workers together, but we are also his workmanship. Remember Ephesians 2 says, we are his workmanship created in him for good works that he has prepared for us before the foundation of the world. In verse 11, for no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, or straw, each one's work will become clear for the day, that is the day of judgment, will declare it. Because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test each one's work of what sort it is. If anyone's work, which he has built on it, endures, he will receive a reward. If anyone's work is burned, he will suffer loss, but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire. This means that both the person that gets saved as a child, lives their life for God, has a whole lot of work that is gold, silver, precious stones, those things endure through the fire. They'll receive salvation at the end, and they'll have a reward. But it also means that the person that gets saved two seconds before they die, and they've done nothing for God, that all of their works will be burned up, but they will be saved. So what's the difference? We both get salvation. But if I know, if I know that I'm supposed to be building on the foundation of Christ with things that will endure through the fire, and yet I still live my life using the building materials of wood, hay, and stubble, then when I stand before God, and I have had decades and decades of things to build up, that when I receive this reward at the end, I get to lay it back down at his feet. What do we need in heaven? He's going to provide it all. Why do we need a reward? So that we have an offering to lay at his feet. Revelation says that the elders constantly are casting their crowns before him. But if I have been saved, and yet in the process of being saved I continue to live in my own desires, in my own flesh, then on that day when I will be saved, I have nothing to show for it. It's not salvation by works, otherwise the guy that has nothing would not be saved. But I want to have an offering to give to my king when I stand before him. And he is a king that likes to reward his people. Hebrews 11.6 says, without faith it's impossible to please God, and those that come to him must believe that he is and is a rewarder of those that diligently seek him. We will be saved. So this brings us to these three words. Otherwise I'll just keep talking. This progression of salvation can be understood through the use of these three theological terms. Justification, Sanctification, and Glorification. The word justification is a one-time occurrence. It means being made right with God. When we receive Christ as Savior, we're brought into relationship with God the Father. We're no longer his enemies. We're no longer separated from him by our sin. We are made right. And when he looks at us, he doesn't see our old sinful nature, he sees Christ. Romans 5.18, Therefore, as through one man's offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one man's righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life. Romans 5, 6, 7, and 8 are really good chapters if you want to look into this more. About the difference between the nature we have received from Adam and the nature we receive from Christ. Resulting in justification. Sanctification is the process by which one is made holy, and this is a continual work of the Holy Spirit. The word sanctification means to be set apart as holy. As we read in Hebrews, the one who sanctifies and those who are being sanctified. Jesus is the one who saves. Through no other name has salvation come to men than through the name of Jesus Christ. He is the one that saves. So we can read that verse, the verse those who are being sanctified also as those who are being saved. 2 Thessalonians 2.13 But we are bound to give thanks to God always for you. Brethren, beloved by the Lord. Because God from the beginning chose you for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth. We can't be holy on our own. We can't be good enough. Which is why we have to anchor ourselves in who God says we are. And in the process of being made holy that he works. Because we can really get into that place of, why am I not a better person? Why can't I get this? Why do I keep failing? We focus in on ourselves and on our fallen identity rather than on the truth that God has made us his sons and daughters. This process of sanctification never ends until we die. So if you ever think, I'm almost there, that's the devil. I'm almost really sanctified, this is awesome. No, that's the devil. Because as soon as you think that, then he's got you and bam, you fall. Oh, I was doing so good, what happened? You started looking at yourself. There is, in this identity that God has given us, there is an attitude of confidence that we are supposed to have. But yet this confidence needs to be shrouded in humility. Hebrews tells us that we can boldly approach the throne of grace. We don't have to come timidly. We don't have to come begging. We don't have to come, you know, there's some people that have this attitude of, God, just hear my prayers for this person and do some great things for this person, but you don't have to do anything for me. That is a misguided understanding of identity. Because it says, God, I know your power is great and I know you can do miraculous things for them, but I don't deserve it. If you just do it for them, I'll be happy. He's not interested in that type of happiness for you. That attitude only harms you because you withhold from yourself all the great and precious promises that God has given us through Christ Jesus. So I can go boldly before the throne and ask for things for myself and ask for things for other people knowing that God hears me and He accepts me, but I'm also going to go in that confidence with the humility of, I didn't get myself here. The only reason I am here is because of the blood of Christ. And the only reason I can come in understanding is because the Holy Spirit has revealed it to me. We bring nothing to the table except to sacrifice our whole beings to Him. So we can walk in this entitlement of who we have been made, but we don't do it in arrogance. Arrogance won't get you anywhere with God. Humble yourself in the sight of the Lord and He will lift you up. The third word is glorification, the final victory over sin. This is the end of time when our mortal bodies, our corruptible bodies put on incorruption, put on immortality. Where we receive the fullness of our faith, the salvation that has been promised for us. So turn to 1 Corinthians 15, we'll read verse 50 to 54. I'm almost done. I don't know what the title is over in your Bible, if your Bible is separated into sections, but mine says our final victory. Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does corruption inherit incorruption. Behold, I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed. In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet, for the trumpet will sound and the dead will be raised incorruptible and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible has put on incorruption and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, death is swallowed up in victory. Hallelujah. The final glorification. Philippians chapter 3, verse 20 to 21 says, for our citizenship is in heaven. Our citizenship is in heaven. Here on this earth, I have my citizenship. In the U.S., I have my citizenship here. We know people that have three or four different citizenships. All of that means nothing because the citizenship that is important is your citizenship in heaven or is your citizenship in hell. And the great thing is, for as long as the process is to change your citizenship here on earth, it's really, really fast to get out of hell and into heaven. Just receive Christ. But then as you receive him, you've got to pursue holiness. You've got to submit to the process of being saved. Being changed, having your citizenship changed from one to another. Scripture says he's rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of the Son of His love. Our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to his glorious body, according to the working by which he is able even to subdue all things to himself. By grace we have been saved in our spirit. By the work of the Holy Spirit we are being sanctified and saved in our soul. And at his return we will get a new body. So we have been saved from the penalty of sin and made right with God. That is, we have been justified. We are being saved from the power of sin and made holy as he is holy. That is, being sanctified. And we will be saved from the presence of sin and put on immortality, living eternally with God. That's glorification. So where do we go from here? Where do we take this? What does this produce in you? What are you thinking? Are you thinking it's almost ten after five, the kids are about to come in? Are you thinking, I've never heard those terms before, or I've heard those terms before but I don't know what they mean? We have a good week ahead of us with the Holy Spirit. To ask him, help me to understand this. Bring me revelations that I haven't had before. It may be that you're good with these terms, you've heard them before, you know them, you've studied them before. But just keep in mind that not one person knows everything. And there's always something new to learn in Christ. There's always a new level that the Holy Spirit would want to bring revelation to us. But, if the thought comes to your mind, that's not for me, I'm not good enough for that. I don't know if I can receive that for me, that's great for everybody else. That's just the devil. And you don't have to listen to the devil. Sometimes we make him out to be this great force that is impossible to gain the victory over. We have already been given the victory. Christ has already won the victory. So whenever he brings his lies and deception, whenever he brings his temptation and his tactics to draw you away from God. Once you recognize it, all you've got to do is say, no, I'm not giving in to that. Why? Because you have been made new. You have been made into what Satan has always wanted. And will never, ever have. So you can look at him and say, you've got no power over me, dude. I have the authority of Christ. I've been justified. I've been washed. I've been sanctified. Yeah, but I was there when you did that yesterday. Well, that's being sanctified too. That's in the process. We have been made perfect in Christ. We are being made perfect in our actions. In our obedience to him. And finally, this body that is subject to sickness. The whole reason a bunch of people are out today and suffering in their bodies. One day we won't ever suffer with those things again. That pain that you woke up with this morning, you're going to get a new body. And that pain won't be there anymore. Praise God. Well, I'm done. Let's stand together. Sometimes you just quit. You just quit. And say, to be continued. So if you think last week messed with some stuff, wait till next week. We're going to mess with some more stuff. This week was kind of a reprieve. Not any less deep, not any less truth. Definitely something you need to ponder and think about. And converse with the Holy Spirit. To come ready next week so that we can continue to be formed into the image of what he has given us. Amen? Father, I bless your name and I thank you. I thank you God that you have made us new. And you have made us for more. You have made us victorious. Your word says that we are more than conquerors through Christ Jesus. Your word says this is the victory that overcomes the world, even our faith. In our faith, Lord God, we choose to walk in victory. In our faith, Lord God, we choose to submit to the process that the Holy Spirit is working in us. To transform us and mold us into the image of Jesus Christ. And by faith, Lord God, we look toward that day. That day where we will be with you completely made new. Living in eternity in your plan and your purpose. We bless you God, in Jesus name. Amen. Amen. Thank you for listening to this week's podcast. If you are ever in the Tegucigalpa area and looking for an English speaking congregation, please join us on Sunday afternoons at 4 p.m. in Auditorium 2 of the Glacia Cesei in Colonia El Trepiche, just off Boulevard Cuyapa near Una. If you would like prayer or more information about our church, contact us at fellowship.cci at gmail.com. That's fellowship.cci at gmail.com. Or follow us on social media. We hope to hear from you soon. God bless you.