First, Universal Corporate Amnesty was given to the human race the moment Adam sinned. Jesus, at that moment, took the whole human race into Himself including the condemnation and penalty for all our sins based on His future perfect life and sacrificial death on the cross (2 Cor. 5:19; Rom. 3:23, 24; Rom. 5:18; I Tim 4:9-11)
"After the transgression of Adam, the Lord spoke no longer directly with man; the human race was given into the hands of Christ, and all communication came through Him to the world" (White, FE p.237).
Second, "In Jesus Christ" experientially means he or she has accepted, from the heart, Christ as his or her personal Savior and Lord by faith and are filled with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the active agent in salvation making the work of the Father, and the Son in the eternal salvation effective in the believer.
The Holy Spirit is the third living person of the Godhead. He has all the personal characteristics of a person: He loves (Rom. 15:30); speaks Acts 8:29; constrained and restrains the Apostle Paul (Acts 16:6, 7); can search (1 Cor 2:10); cry (Gal:4:6); pray (Rom. 8:26); testify (John 15:26, 27); teach (John 14:26); lead into truth (Rom. 8:14); be grieved (Eph. 4:30);and blasphemed (Mark 3:29).
There are three living persons of the heavenly trio; in the name of these three great powers --- The Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit --- those who receive Christ by living faith are baptized, and these powers will cooperate with the obedient subjects of heaven in their efforts to live the new life in Christ" (White, Evangelism p. 615)
What the Law Could Not Do vss. 3, 4: Jesus did for us and will do through us if we do not resist. He is our only Savior, and by faith we are "being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it unto the day of Jesus Christ" (Phil. 1:6) Guaranteed!
We purpose in our heart, in love to Jesus, to never commit a known sin, by commission or omission. "Satan will come to you saying, "You are a sinner"…. "Yes I am a sinner, and for that reason, I have a Savior" (White, HP p. 116) "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. But if we confess our sins (and occasional besetting sins) He is faithful and just to forgive (Gr. aphiemi, separate us from) us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9), in contrast to forgiveness (Gr. pardon) as in Colossians 2:13. We praise God. The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made the believer free from the law of sin in the flesh.
The Holy Spirit dwells in the believer giving assurance of salvation in Christ, peace that passes all understanding, bringing deliverance from a sinful lifestyle. The true believer depends completely on the righteousness of Christ and He has been given a perfect history and present continuous perfection "in Christ", his substitute by grace through faith.
Carnal professed Christians have compromised their "faith" in Christ with the principles of the world depending on human wisdom and strength rather than the Spirit and "every word that proceeds from the mouth of God." They may believe the theory of the truth but are no longer being transformed by God's unconditional, changeless, self-denying love in sharing Him with others by the power of their lives and personal testimonies, and like their Savior ministering to the lost and oppressed.
We should anticipate the sorrows, the difficulties, the troubles of others. We should enter into the joys and cares of both high and low, rich and poor. "Freely you have received', Christ says, "freely give" (Matt. 10:8). All around us are poor tried souls that need sympathizing words and helpful deeds (White, COL p. 385).
They may have once experienced the joy and power of knowing Christ but have lost their first love. To be carnally minded is death.
Jesus died to give us the freedom to choose our life's top priority, living to change our world for Christ, or floating along in carnal pleasure. Paul is writing to those who profess Christ as he addresses them as brethren.
"But you are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His. And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness" (vs. 9).
Through living in the Spirit we are Sons and daughters of God. Joyfully suffering for Christ as we wait for our deliverance at Christ's coming. The Spirit helps our weakness presenting before the Father our needs in the language of heaven, making intercession for us. Therefore, "We know all things work together for God to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose (instruments in saving the lost) " (vs. 8).
He foreknew us and, "predestined us to be conformed to the image of His Son" (vs. 29) that our lives and words declare Him to be the firstborn of all believers in their heart. Through continual faith and surrender in spite of condemnation and opposition, nothing or no one, can separate us from Jesus. "As it is written, For your sake we are killed all the day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us."
"For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels or principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Rom. 8:36-39)
~Lloyd Knecht
