A Richer Walk

Your Origin Story: The Believer in Christ is a New Creation

2 Corinthians 5:17 (KJV 1900) ¹⁷ Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

The new birth transforms the believer into a new creation, a new species of being. This is because the Spirit of God causes a spiritual metamorphosis that provides a new source of life which is Christ’s eternal, indestructible life, a new nature that seeks to please God and a new power, the indwelling Spirit of God. Each of these endowments enable function as a super powered being.

This new life, nature and power become available the moment you believe the Gospel, the very second that you acknowledge your need for forgiveness of your sins and believe that Jesus paid for those sins by his death upon the cross. At the new birth the spiritual power of the new Christian is real, but it is only potential until he is committed to spiritual growth. By means of this spiritual development, the Christian is prepared for use by God.

As mentioned in the previous installment power belongs to God.

Psalm 62:11 (KJV 1900) ¹¹ God hath spoken once; Twice have I heard this; That power belongeth unto God.

Therefore, the Christian’s use of this power is dependent upon the strength of his ongoing relationship with God. God is infinitely superior to us and the only acceptable basis for this relationship is that of obedience to Him. Again, this is the critical difference between the Christian and the fictional super powered being. The secular superhero answers only to himself, it is not uncommon for him or her to operate outside of the law and governmental authority. The fictional superhero doesn’t even believe in God. The believer in Christ derives his power through love for God and submission to His authority and will as expressed through the Bible.

The First Key to Spiritual Power-Abiding in Christ, the Lifestyle of Intimacy with God

This lifestyle of constant contact to God is called by several names in the New Testament. Paul called it “walking by the Spirit, [Gal 3.16] and to “put on Christ” [Rom 13.14], John called it “walking in the light” [1 Jn 1.7] and “abiding in Christ. [Jn 15.7]”

John 15:4–10 (KJV 1900) 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.

We Abide in Christ by Being Controlled by His Power

The power of God at our disposal is proportional to our love for God [Jn 15.9-10]. The believer’s obedience to God is how his love is communicated to God.

John 14:15 (KJV 1900) ¹⁵ If ye love me, keep my commandments.

The Christian is controlled by the Spirit of God when he is walking in obedience to scripture. Of course, he must know the scriptures before he can follow them, and this is a part of the process of spiritual growth. When the Christian sins, he is free to confess these sins directly to God because they were judged upon the cross [Isa 53.6; 1 Jn 1.9]. By obedience and when necessary, confession, the believer is walking by the Spirit and maintains the communion with God necessary for spiritual growth and the exercise of spiritual power.

We Abide in Christ by Knowing and Obeying the Bible

The fictional superhero impacts the world by using her power to change her environment. The secular superhero’s use of power creates as many problems as it solves. By contrast, the Christian exercises dramatic, history impacting power by changing herself. True spiritual power is directed inward for the greatest result. When the Christian is controlled by the Holy Spirit, learning of the Word of God causes changes in her character. The Scriptures are the raw material used by the Spirit to change the thinking and decision making of the Christian. The virtues of Christ become a part of the personality of that believer. The believer is now able to “put on Christ” [Rom 13.14] because “Christ is formed” in her soul [Gal 4.19]. Learning the Bible is essential to being trusted with spiritual power.

Jn 15.7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.

Knowledge of the Bible equips the believer to know everything about why she has been given power, and his or her specific ministry and purpose in the world as Christ’s representative [2 Cor 5.18-20]. Bible knowledge also immunizes the believer against biblical error and spiritual deception which cause the loss of spiritual power and possibly the loss of much more [1 Jn 5.16].

We Abide in Christ through a Lifestyle of Prayer

The super-powered individual of fiction typically has no spiritual resources and when he does, that resource is always evil. There are no Hollywood superheroes calling upon the God of Scripture, except as an expletive. For the believer, the secret weapon of spiritual growth, as well as abiding in Christ, is prayer. Acquiring the habit of prayer is the greatest contribution a believer can make to their spiritual development because prayer is direct communication with God. By prayer we do not mean the false doctrine of prayer in an unknown language, this practice is not prayer and provides no positive spiritual benefit [1 Cor 14.14]. Truthful prayer includes regular confession of sins to God, resulting in the restoration of spiritual fellowship and positive spiritual momentum. Consistent prayer trains us in true worship of God, and persistent prayer provides a platform for the projection of God’s power upon people and institutions.

There are other factors which are very important to abiding in Christ. For example, associating with mature Christians in a Bible teaching local church provides a source of instruction, encouragement, and spiritual protection that every believer needs to grow. Mature believers become a blessing to the church as they utilize spiritual power for the benefit of the rest of the Body of Christ.

Things to Come: Impacting Heaven and Earth via The Second Key

The believer who abides in Christ develops love for God and this love is directly proportional to the power that God will entrust to that believer. Abiding in Christ is the First Key of Spiritual Power. We will address the Second Key to Spiritual Power: The Transformation of the Personality by the Fruit of the Spirit, in our next installments of this series.