From the foundation of the earth God has declared in His Word that believers are united with Jesus. For all things that were created in heaven, on earth and underneath the earth was created for Him and by Him. (Ephesians 1 3-5), (Colossian 1:16).
A believer must be consciously aware in his mind that God sees us through the blood of Jesus Christ. The blood of Jesus purchased every individual back to God in one spirit for those who believe.
Without Jesus we cannot know God and we cant be known by God. Jesus is the lense through which God sees all believers on earth. A very good analogy to illustrate this is, the soil and a seed. A seed cannot grow or produce fruits by itself unless it is buried in the ground. The seed is always dependent on the soil before it can produce fruits, similarly we (believers) are united with Jesus which connects us closely to God. (Ephesians 2:13).
When we are redeemed through repentance, believers are transformed from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of God (light). We all once lived according to our fleshly desires, influenced by the power of Satan (Ephesians 2:1-2). When Jesus was crucified on the cross, believers were also crucified together with him. We died to sin (flesh) when Jesus died on the cross. Jesus was a sinless man that was made to be sin by God, to carry all of the sins of the world (Galatians 2:20). Man’s body and sensualities that crave for sin must be nailed to the cross with Jesus on a daily basis. Believers must be dead to sin, burying their old self (flesh) in Jesus and resurrect in the newness of life by the power of God (Romans 6:4).
When Jesus was raised from the dead on the third day we were also raised with him. We are alive with him experiencing a new life rejecting sinful activities. As believers, we are raised with Jesus and must consistently surrender the members of our body to righteousness for holiness (Romans 6:19).
From the beginning of creation, man was created in the Image of God. (Genesis 1:26) At this time, the intention was for man to dwell in the presence of God and worship God day and night, to have no issues with sin or death. When sin appeared on the scene, problems for man arose as it caused a separation between man & God. As a result, the agenda of God to reunite mankind back to himself was revealed through the manifestation of our Lord Jesus (Colossian 1:26). The blueprint of this plan was revealed to us in Revelation Chapter 4, which says: “The one that sits on the throne, the spirit of the living God. in His midst was the twenty four elders on the throne. The four living creature, and the seven spirits of God. Also, thousands and thousands of gentiles, including angels worshiping God day and night” (Revelation 4:5-11). When the initial place of man in God was compromised by Satan, the hidden mystery of our Lord Jesus was revealed to be a substitute for the forgiveness of man’s sins. (Ephesians 1:7).
Jesus Christ came to restore man back to God. (Ephesians 2:22), because the flesh of man has been corrupted through sin and now wages war with the spirit of a man in the mind of a believer (Roman 7:22-23). Therefore, through God’s wisdom, the flesh of man has been nailed to the cross with Jesus and has made us alive with Jesus in the spirit, who is seated at the right hand of God interceding for believers (Ephesians 1:3).
As a result of this, believers must now see themselves in Jesus, dwelling in the heavenly places worshiping God along with the twenty elders, the four living creature, the seven spirit of God and the thousands of Gentiles saying “Holy Holy Holy is the Lord God almighty, who was, who is and who is to come” (Revelation 4:8).
By doing this, believers are strengthening and renewing their mindset in Christ. We must not be in conformity to the things of the world by the influence of our flesh (sensualities) but rather see ourselves ascending to the throne of grace through Christ in our mind. Apostle Paul said when we are born again and the spirit of a man becomes united with God, the rest of the journey of a Christian is through the process of renewing of the mind (Romans 12:2).
Here’s an analogy of how God sees a believer. Bacteria, algae are microscopic organism. It cant be seen with the naked eyes but with the aid of a microscope.
Similarly, the microscope is Jesus Christ, the observer is God and the bacteria is man. God looks at man through the microscope of Jesus to see if Jesus is formed in their life.
Jesus being formed in the life of a believer can’t be done by human strength, ability or wisdom. Believers must partner up with the Holy Spirit and yield to the Word of God by walking in obedience for a transformation to take place (John 6:63).
Stay blessed and be encouraged.
Written and composed by Ayo Akingbala
Edited by Shola Akingbala