YOUR NEW NATURE IN CHRIST

Nature is the intrinsic, indispensable quality of something, especially something abstract, which determines its character. This means that your nature is your basic or inherent features, character, or qualities which control the way you think, live, see and act.

Reference: 2 Corinthians 5:21 New International Version (NIV) 'God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.'

God is awesome. This is the extent He went for us out of love: He made Christ, who had never sinned to become our sin. Jesus' death paid the price for our sin, discarding our guilt and getting rid of the barrier between us and God. Instead of "being sin" ourselves, Christ was made our sin. There was an exchange and that means that those who come to God through faith in Christ are given credit for Christ's righteous, sinless life. We "become God's righteousness". God accepted Christ's death as an atonement for our sin and gave us the credit for Christ's righteousness. So it is an imputed righteousness, enabling you to be justified.

Understand this: Jesus didn't come to help you overcome your sinful nature. He completely eliminated it so that you no longer have to be a slave to sin. The Scripture says, 'We know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin' (Romans 6:6 NLT). Jesus took away every trace of your unrighteousness and gave you His righteousness. This righteousness means "right-standing with God." He did away completely with your old sinful nature and gave you His very nature.

In 2 Corinthians 5:17 (NKJV), the Bible says, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new" In Christ, we have become something we were not before - a new creation. This means that we are not partly righteous and partly unrighteous, having to struggle with a split personality. Jesus did a perfect job when He made you righteous. That's the reason you must 'behold'. In other words, start seeing yourself and everything about your nature differently. When you begin to see yourself as completely righteous in Jesus, your righteous nature will naturally manifest, knowing that due to Jesus' perfect work, your old nature has been replaced by divine nature.

Now that you are entirely a new creature called 'Christian', always live as the righteous person you are in Christ. You are not a mere human being. You are in Christ as someone entirely different. And by the gift of grace and your faith in Christ, you now live a sinless life.

Scripture Reading - Romans 4:13; 1 Corinthians 1:30; Romans 5:19; Philippians 3:9; Romans 9:30; Romans 10:4.

Exuberant Declaration: I am the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. I am a new creation on the basis of Jesus' finished work. I'm justified in Christ and I'm no longer a slave to sin. Today and always, I boldly enjoy quality fellowship with my heavenly Father, knowing that I'm in right-standing with Him because I am clothed in the righteousness of Jesus. Hallelujah!