1. Where is there NO condemnation? IN Christ
2. Who is IN Christ? Those who walk IN the Spirit
3. Who is NOT IN Christ? Those who walk after the flesh
4.What does walking after the FLESH mean? Galatians 5: 16 & 18-21
16 - This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.
18-21 - But if ye be LED of the Spirit, ye are not under the law. Now the WORKS of the FLESH are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which DO such things shall NOT inherit the kingdom of God.
1 Corinthians 6: 9-11
Know ye not that the unrighteous shall NOT inherit the kingdom of God? BE NOT DECEIVED: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, not adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.
Revelation 21: 7-8
He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.
5. What does it mean to walk after the Spirit? Galatians 22-24 But the FRUIT of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance. And they that ARE Christ's have CRUCIFIED the flesh with the affections and lusts.
Romans 8: 4
That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
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Romans 8: 39 - Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, WHICH IS IN Christ Jesus our Lord.
6. Where is the love of God? IN Christ Jesus
7. Are you IN Christ Jesus if you are walking after the flesh? Romans 8:1 - There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are IN Christ Jesus, who walk NOT after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
Jude teaches believers the necessity to remain IN the love of God. --> 20-21 - But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, Keep yourselves IN the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.
If we are not IN THE LOVE OF GOD, then we are not IN CHRIST. See Romans 8:39 above.
Grace is found ONLY IN CHRIST. We grow IN Grace ONLY if we continue IN Christ where we are made a new creature.
2 Corinthians 5:
17 Therefore if any man be IN CHRIST, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
18 And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;
19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.
20 Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God.
21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God IN HIM.
8. Once IN CHRIST, always IN CHRIST? Or once IN grace, always IN grace? For some YES and for others, sadly, NO.
Galatians 5: 4 Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.
Ephesians 2: 8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God
Does he call those who are IN Him to repentance? Absolutely, there are times believers must be made aware of a transgression and must repent in order to remain IN CHRIST. The Word demonstrates that there are those IN HIM who will be in danger of being CAST FROM HIM or OUT OF HIM if repentance does not occur.
These Are Some Of The Scriptural Examples of Believers IN CHRIST in danger of being removed from HIS BODY:
A. Revelation 3:
13 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
14 And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God;
15 I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.
16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.
17 Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:
18 I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.
If this church is spued from Christ's mouth, are they then still IN Christ's body? No, clearly not.
B. John 15: 1 I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.
2 Every branch IN ME that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.
3 Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.
4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.
5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
6 If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.
7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.
8 Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.
9 As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.
10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love.
If a person is in His Vine - as described above-, but later "cast forth" and "withered" from the vine of Christ, is that person still IN Christ? No, clearly not.
C. Hebrews 3:
12 Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.
13 But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.
14 For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end;
15 While it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation.
Why is the inspired writer of Hebrews warning these believers, brethren, that they must not "depart from the living God"? Why does he tell them that they must continue with this confidence until the end? These verses show that beginning IN Christ is necessary but also that we must of our free will choose to continue IN Christ. Most of us know that without the work of Christ IN us, we cannot be free, and eternal life can't abide where HE is not. I am so thankful for the Lord's goodness -but I know that I am called to abide in HIS Goodness.
D. Hebrews 6:
4 For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost,
5 And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come,
6 If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.
7 For the earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed, receiveth blessing from God:
8 But that which beareth thorns and briers is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing; whose end is to be burned.
Verse 6 above deserves special attention ---> again indicates they once believed.
E. Hebrews 10:
26 For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins,
27 But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.
28 He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses:
29 Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?
30 For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people.
31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
If the Holy Spirit has shown a believer an area of sin, and that person continues to sin, these verses indicate that the unforgivable has occurred --> the SPIRIT OF GRACE has been insulted, resulting in blasphemy against the Holy Ghost. Let us not disregard that the individual described above WAS SANCTIFIED. Sanctification had occurred (a believer), but the believer chose not to continue IN CHRIST by disobeying the Holy Spirit. This is unforgivable and will result in the coming vengeance of an Almighty God.
F. Romans 11:
19 Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be grafted in.
20 Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear:
21 For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee.
22 Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off.
Why is Paul speaking to believers and warning them that if they do not continue in the goodness of Christ, they will be cut off? This shows that a believer can depart from being IN Christ's goodness. This is clear also that we, as believers, have nothing good in us unless we are IN CHRIST. Then, His Goodness is imparted to us. Let us make no mistake, however; Christ makes us a new creature by His Spirit. We will be transformed from the inside to the outside by HIS WORK IN US == the Fruit of the Spirit through walking IN the Spirit. The Word shows that we, through disobedience, can be removed from HIM.
If He does not abide IN us, we are lost. Period.
Being chastised by the Lord is not the assurance of knowing you ARE saved (present tense); it is being exercised and trained by His chastisement. In other words, being obedient to Him when He attempts to teach us the error of our ways demonstrates His salvation working IN us. Do I look the other way when He corrects me? Do I pretend that because He has shown me favor in certain areas or times in my life, that I am IN Him no matter the future decisions I make? When I am faced with temptation, do I give into it because I have the preconceived notion that I am a "child of God"? Do I think His past favor or anointing in my life is a license to currently sin? Do I continue to take part in what is ungodly because prayers in the past have been answered? Many would say, "Well, if a person thinks this; then, they were never really a believer." There is no doubt that many profess to believe in Christ when they have NEVER believed. However, there are those who have believed and have fallen away from the faith - from obedience - from Christ. It has happened. It is happening. It will continue to happen.
Eternal life abides only IN those who are IN CHRIST . . . until the end.
Isaiah 58: 1
Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins.
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