The podcast this week is a big one! “I'm a new creation in Christ, BUT I will always struggle with sin,” is going to shake the foundation of the sin-consciousness that is so prevalent in the Church. The good news of the Gospel and the reality of the new creatures that we are in Christ is a dangerous message to a self-righteous society and to a system that is built on performance and striving and independence from God.

2 Corinthians 5:17-21 tells us that anyone in Christ is a new creation, that ALL things were reconciled to God through Christ (so, all things are in Christ), and that Jesus became sin itself so that IN Him, we would be righteous.

So why the struggle with sin? In short, sin is an identity issue. Call it the ‘sin habit,’ if you will. The act of sinning comes from what we have been programmed to believe about ourselves. It is a false sense of independence from God.

Independence from God is the nature of the antichrist and self-righteousness, and it is strengthened by the law. And according to the Gospel, God doesn’t see us as separate from Himself - there is no independent ‘you’ outside of Him.

This week’s podcast is rich and meaty, so be prepared to listen more than once. And make sure to really meditate on the following Scriptures:

• 2 Corinthians 5:17-21

• Ephesians 4:1 (specifically in the Mirror Translation)

• Ephesians 1:1-14

• Colossians 3:1-5

Here are some other powerful highlights:

• Not only was the ‘sinful’ you crucified with Christ, the ‘good’ you was as well!

• We’re not like Jesus, we’re IN Him...the ‘IN Him’ is what makes us righteous, holy, and innocent

• There is no ‘you’ outside of Christ

• Our UNION with Jesus is why we do not have a sin-nature

I believe that we have spent too much time relating to the Old Testament (the Law) and we’re not rooted and grounded in the New Testament Gospel. We need to crucify the old man in our minds, AND we need to resist the temptation to believe that we could possibly have any righteousness independent from Jesus, according to our own ‘works.’

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again and again: there is no ‘you’ OUTSIDE of Christ. And, no accusation against us can stand when we are hidden in Christ.