The Apostasy in the Church has done terrible things. Among the worst of which is that it has led multitudes to believe that being a Christian essentially means to be a 'good' person.
But that is not what Biblical Christianity means. The essence of Biblical Christianity is succinctly expressed in the following: "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new" (2 Corinthians 5:17). Not a new life, but a new "creature:" that is to say, a new and different kind of being. To be a Christian does not mean that one gets a 'second chance,' or a fresh start in life, with a clean slate, so to speak. Becoming a Christian does not involve reformation, but transformation.
The distinction between apostate Christianity and Biblical Christianity is not subtle, but it is radical, fundamental, comprehensive. Those who have not themselves experienced the transformation of what is called in Scripture the "new birth," which is wrought in and through Jesus Christ by the power of the Holy Ghost, can neither perceive nor understand that Biblical Christianity means total rejection not only of this present world but, moreover, of one's own life in this world.
Biblical Christianity begins with death. The soul that comes to Christ, seeking forgiveness of sins and to receive the gift of eternal life, must be willing first to die; which is the true meaning of repentance. Remorse for one's wrongdoings is not repentance, if such sorrow does not bring one to the point of surrendering the totality of oneself to Christ. The Bible says that "godly sorrow worketh repentance not to be repented of" (2 Corinthians 7:10). I have many times seen souls who were very obviously under conviction of their sins ~ as evidenced by their words of deep regret and tears of sorrow; yet, they refused to come to repentance.
Apostate Christianity rejects the necessity of the death of self as being the requisite precursor to the new birth. Therefore, the apostate Church knows nothing of the reality of the new birth. How can a "new creature" which is born (of God) live in the same house (body) together with a fallen, human being which (according to Scripture) is "enmity" (actively, aggressively at war) with God? Do not confuse sanctification with regeneration. The "old man" can never be sanctified. Only a regenerated (born-again) soul can be sanctified.
Everything that has been said to this point, however, is the necessary foundation for what is to follow in this essay.
Let us now examine the following passage of Scripture:
Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. (Isaiah 55:6-9)
The "transformation" which every "new creature" in Christ must undergo (following upon regeneration), involves a process of learning and embracing an entirely new, and radically different, way of thinking and acting.
The first step in that process requires that I must forsake my own thoughts and ways. That is not an easy thing to do. For, that entails everything I have learned and acquired (as I suppose,) throughout my lifetime in the world. How can I then live, if I forsake my own thoughts and ways altogether? The result of putting away from myself my own thoughts and ways, is suggested by the image I posted, above: which it to say, it would have the effect to leave "me" void (without personality or identity).
But God does not leave me void. Rather, He is interested and willing that I should be filled with His thoughts and His ways, instead of with my own. I can neither think God's thoughts nor act in accordance with God's ways, so long as I choose to follow after my own thoughts and ways. Therefore, I am continually confronted with a choice, in every circumstance of life. The Bible contrasts the two different paths thus: to choose one's own thoughts and ways is to live after the 'flesh' (or to be "carnally minded"); whereas, to choose God's thoughts and ways is to live after the 'spirit' (or to be "spiritually minded"). Those two diverse paths have drastically different outcomes:
"For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his." (Romans 8:5-9)
Thus we see the importance of having the mind of Christ. But in order to be filled with God's thoughts, it is imperative that we must be filled with the knowledge of God's Word. It is furthermore imperative that we must be filled with God's Spirit, in order that we may then act in accordance with God's ways.
Let's look again at the last sentence in the first passage quoted, above, which states: "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts" (Isaiah 55:9). The contrast between man's thoughts and God's thoughts is not slight but it is extreme. It stands to reason, then, that the lives of professing Christians ought to appear extremely different from everyone else's. Sadly, that is most often not the case.
I have oftentimes said that the reason so few are willing to come to Christ in truth, is because that once they learn they must utterly renounce their own life in this world in order to be Christ's disciple, they are no longer interested to be a Christian.
Now, to those of us who have been willing to yield ourselves entirely to the will of God in Christ, we are instructed and invited (if not also challenged) to "go on unto perfection" (Hebrews 6:1). Not by any plan or program of our own, though, can we do that. But God has shown us the way:
"If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land." (2 Chronicles 7:14)
When I view, in its purest sense, the message which I have tried to convey in this essay, it actually appears daunting to me. Notwithstanding my own obedience hitherto, as I have believed, to God; yet, I ask myself whether and to what extent I am willing to forsake my own thoughts and ways, and to become as one utterly dead to sin and to the world, but wholly alive unto God.
Wow! Is that what God is looking for ~ as His eyes "run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him" (2 Chronicles 16:9)?
I believe so.
Do I want that kind of relationship with God?
With all my heart, I do.
So, when I have removed my 'old' face (symbolized in the above image), and put on that 'new' one, I will look (and speak, and act, and live) like Christ.
In closing, consider carefully the following passage of Scripture ~ in light of this teaching:
If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.
For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.
Mortify [put to death] therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: for which things’ sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience: in the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them. But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds;
and have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him: where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all. (Colossians 3:1-11)
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