Who We are in Christ
as described by The Riches of Divine Grace *
The Bible doctrine of salvation:
• Includes those things which are done for the individual at the
instant he believes
• The sum total - constitutes “The Riches of Grace in Christ Jesus”
These things divinely accomplished at the instant of believing
alone form that aspect of salvation which is already accomplished
in and for the one who believes.
* Lewis Sperry Chafer’s Systematic Theology (Vol. III pp225-266)
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The three tenses of Salvation
Past Tense
Present Tense
Future Tense
Time
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Past Tense
What has
occurred here
?
• salvation from the penalty of sin
• refers to salvation as being wholly past
• completed (unchanging) for one who has believed
• from what ? – to what ?
• from eternal death to eternal life
• Eph. 2:8 For by grace you have been saved through faith
• Jn. 5:24 --- he who believes - has eternal life - has passed out of death into life
• Jn. 10:28 --- shall never perish - no one shall snatch them out of My hand
• Rom. 8:1--- no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus
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Present Tense
What is
occurring here
?
• salvation from the reigning power of sin
• we are to walk by faith (reckon ourselves dead to
sin)
• from what ? – to what ?
• from the power of the sin nature to being alive to
God
• Rom. 6:6 Knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, that our body of sin
might be done away with ( put in idle !)
• Rom 6:11 Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus
• the “Identification Truths” describe the Present Tense of salvation
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Future Tense
What will
occur here
?
• salvation from the presence of sin
• saved into full conformity to Christ
• yet to be revealed in the last times
• from what ? – to what ?
• from presence of the sin nature to absence of the sin
nature
• 1 Jn. 3:2 --- it has not appeared as yet what we shall be -- when He appears,
we shall be like Him
• 1 Pet 1:5 --- protected -- for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last times
• Phil 1:6 --- will perfect it (a good work in you) until the day of Christ Jesus
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Position vs. Condition
(borrowed from D. G. Barnhouse)
Our POSITION / STANDING
( WHO WE ARE IN CHRIST )
• Eternal
• Unchangeable
IN
CHRIST
Our CONDITION / STATE
( OUR MOMENT-BY-MOMENT WALK
IN OUR CHRISTIAN LIFE )
• Temporal
• Changeable
Hal Molloy 6Dec1998 / 9:00am
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The Essential Character of God’s Riches of Divine Grace*
1. They are not experienced
2. They are not progressive
3. They are in no way related to human merit
4. They are eternal in their character
5. They are known only through the divine revelation
of the Word of God
* Lewis Sperry Chafer’s Systematic Theology (Vol. III pp225-266)
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1. They are not experienced *
• They are facts of the newly created life out of which most precious
experiences may grow.
• For example, justification is never experienced; yet it is a new eternal
fact of divine life and relationship to God.
see Rom 5:1
Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God
through our Lord Jesus Christ,
(we) having been justified by faith
we have peace with God
see 2 Cor. 5:21
* Lewis Sperry Chafer’s Systematic Theology (Vol. III pp225-266)
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2. They are not progressive *
• They do not grow, or develop, from a small beginning.
• They are as perfect and complete the instant they are possessed as
they ever will be in the ages to come.
To illustrate:
Sonship does not grow into fuller sonship, even though a son may be
growing. An old man is no more [i.e. greater] the son of his earthly
father at the day of his death than he was at the day of his birth.
see Gal. 3:26 and Romans 8:14
* Lewis Sperry Chafer’s Systematic Theology (Vol. III pp225-266)
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3. They are in no way related to human merit *
• It was while we were yet sinners that Christ died for the ungodly
(Rom 5:8).
• There is a legitimate distinction to be made between good sons and
bad sons; but both equally possess sonship if they are sons at all.
• God is said to chasten His own because they are sons, but certainly
not that they may become sons.
Human merit must be excluded:
• They are made to stand on the unchanging Person and merit of the
eternal Son of God.
• The Christian is "accepted (now and forever) in the beloved."
see Rom. 14:3 and Rom 15:7
* Lewis Sperry Chafer’s Systematic Theology (Vol. III pp225-266)
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4. They are eternal in their character *
• The imparted life of God is as eternal in its character as its Fountain
Head.
• Hence the Word of His Grace: "I give unto them eternal life and they
shall never perish." (see John 10:28)
• The consciousness and personal realization of such relationship to
God may vary with the daily walk of the believer; but the abiding facts
of the new being are never subject to change in time or eternity.
see John 6:40, John 17:13 and 2 Thess 2:16
* Lewis Sperry Chafer’s Systematic Theology (Vol. III pp225-266)
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5. They are known only through the divine revelation
of the Word of God *
• They defy human imagination, and since they cannot be
experienced, their reality can be entered into only by believing the
Word of God.
• These eternal riches of grace are for the lowest sinner who will only
believe.
See 1 Thess. 2:13 and Heb 4:12
* Lewis Sperry Chafer’s Systematic Theology (Vol. III pp225-266)
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The Riches of Divine Grace *
1. In the Eternal Plan of God
a. Foreknowledge – Acts 2:23, 1Pet 1:2&20
b. Predestinated – Rom 8:29
c. Elect of God – 1Thess 1:4, 1Pet 1:2, Rom 8
d. Chosen – Eph 1:4
e. Called – Rom 8:30, 1Thess 5:24
2. Redeemed - Gal 5:1, Rom 3:24, Eph 1:7
3. Reconciled – 2Cor 5:19-21
4. Related to God through Propitiation – 1Jn 2:2
5. Forgiven all Trespasses – Col 2:13
6. Vitally conjoined to Christ for the Judgment of the Old Man
“unto a new walk” – Rom 6:1-10
7. Free from the Law – Rom 7:4-6, Rom 8:2
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* Lewis Sperry Chafer’s Systematic Theology (Vol. III pp225-266)
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8.
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
9.
Children of God
Born Again – Jn 3:3-6, Jn 1:12-13, 1Pet 1:23
Regenerated – Titus 3:5
Quickened (made alive) Eph 2:5, Col 2:13
Sons of God – 2Cor 6:18, Gal 3:26, 1Jn 3:2
A New Creation – Eph 2:10, 2Cor 5:17
Adopted – Eph 1:4,5
10. Acceptable to God by Jesus Christ – 1Pet 2:15
a. Made Righteous – 2Cor 5:21
b. Sanctified Positionally – Jn 17:19
c. Perfected Forever – Heb 10:14
d. Made Accepted in the Beloved – Eph 1:6
e. Made Meet – Col 1:12
11.
Justified – Rom 5:1, Rom 3:26
12.
Made Near (nigh) – Eph 2:13
13.
Delivered from the Power of Darkness – Col 1:13
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14.
Translated into the Kingdom of the Son of His Love – Col 1:13
15.
On the Rock, Christ Jesus – 1 Cor 3:11
16.
A Gift from God the Father to Christ – Jn 17:2-24
17.
Circumcised in Christ – Eph 2:11, Col 2:11
18.
Partakers of the Holy and Royal Priesthood – 1Pet 2:5 & 9
19.
A Chosen Generation, A Holy Nation, A Peculiar People – 1Pet 2:9
20.
Heavenly Citizens – Phil 3:20
21.
Of the Family and Household of God – Eph 2:19
22.
In the Fellowship of the Saints – Jn 17:11 & 21-23
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23. A Heavenly Association – Eph “Heavenly Places”
a. Partners with Christ in Life – Col 1:27, Col 3:14, 1Jn 5:11-12
b. Partnership in Position – Col 3:1, Eph 2:6
c. Partners with Christ in Service – 1Cor 1:9, 2Cor 6:1
d. Suffering – 2Tim 2:12, Phil 1:29, 1Pet 4:12-13, Col 1:24, Rom 8:18
e. Prayer – Jn 14:12-14
f. Betrothal – 2Cor 11:2, Eph 5:25-27
g. Expectation – Titus 2:13, Heb 10:13
24. Having Access to God
a. Access into His Grace – Eph 2:18, Rom 5:2, 2Pet 3:18
b. Access unto the Father – Eph 2:18
c. Access in Reassuring – Heb 10:19-22
25. Within the Much More Care of God – Rom 5:8-10
a. Object of His Love – Jn 3:16, Rom 5:8, 1Jn 3:16
b. Object of His Grace (Salvation, Safekeeping, Service, Instruction) –
Eph 2:7-9, Rom 5:2, Jn 17:18 & Eph 4:7, Titus 2:12-13
c. Objects of His Power – Eph 1:19, Phil 2:13
d. Objects of His Faithfulness – Heb 13:5, Phil 1:6, 1Thess 5:24
e. Objects of His Peace – Jn 14:27, Col 3:15l. Gal 5:22
f. Objects of His Consolation – 2Thess 2:16-17
g. Objects of His Intercession – Rom 8:34, Heb 7:25, Heb 9:24
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26. His Inheritance – Eph 1:18
27. The Inheritance of the Saints – 1Pet 1:14
28. Light of the Lord – Eph 5:18
29. Vitally United to the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit –
1Thess 1:1, Eph 4:6, Rom
8:1, Rom 8:9, 1Cor 2:12
30. Blessed with the Earnest or First-Fruits of the Spirit –
2Cor 1:22, Eph 1:14 or Rom 8:23
31. Glorified – Col 3:4, Rom 8:30
32. Complete in Him – Col 2:9,10
33. Possessing Every Spiritual Blessing – Eph 1:3
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