Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Are You A Bad Girl?


I believe that Jesus removed the former self and brought the new creation, the new self, through His cross and resurrection and our being included in those events (Rom 6:1-7). We were crucified and raised in Him, and we are recognized throughout the heavens as the perfect sons of God—even if we don’t recognize ourselves.

We are frustrated if we believe we remain a bad self, or if we believe we are the flesh. If that were so, we would still need to be crucified—perhaps again and again. However, we were crucified, we were buried, we were raised, and one of the magnificent aspects of our new life in Christ is that we are a new self, one in union with Christ and compatible with Him.

If we believe we are or have a bad self, or that we are the flesh, we will invariably make war on that presumed self and ask God to help us in the battle. Of course, He thinks He already finished that battle! He thinks He was successful with us in Christ at the cross and resurrection, and that we are right now happily and comfortably secured in Him. It delights Him when His sons and daughters, growing in confidence that He thinks highly and accurately of them, ask, “Father, what do you think of me?” He knows the truth about them and, oh, how He loves to tell it.

Those who have never asked such a question are most always afraid of what they will hear. Think of that. God has made us new and clean and perfect and righteous and holy, He has united us with Himself (He is in us and we are in Him), yet we don’t ask the question. It’s not because we’re dumb, it’s because the enemy has sown an entrancing lie that we are not as God says we are. Nevertheless, we are! And He will see to it that we know the truth of His accomplishment and glory shared with us.

How delighted He is when, believing we are who He says we are, we come out of hiding.

15 comments:

  1. Julie Morris3:39 PM

    Ralph, this is great and so is your book!!!!! I'm going to get another copy today so that a girlfriend and I can go through it together.

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  2. Murray Scott4:17 PM

    I'm still chuckling from being asked whether I'm a bad girl.

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  3. Julie--Thanks for telling me!

    Murray--It might explain some things.

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  4. Steven Olive4:24 PM

    GLORY TO GOD THIS IS THE GOSPEL!

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  5. Murray Scott4:51 PM

    What somebody wears on Halloween shouldn't define them for the rest of the year, Ralph. :-)

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  6. John Kenneth Stroud4:51 PM

    Blessed are you, Ralph son of God, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by our Father in heaven! :) Thanks for sharing!

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  7. Murray Scott4:52 PM

    I love the book of Hebrews because it makes such a point of talking about what Jesus did as being once for all and there being one sacrifice for sins forever. Heb 9:12, 9:26, 9:27, 9:28, 10:2 & 10:10, 10:12, 10:14 all use the word 'once' or 'one' to focus us on this.

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  8. Steven Olive4:53 PM

    yes sir, murray, hebrews is amazing!

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  9. Sarah Joy Freese9:55 PM

    Definitely needed this, Ralph. Thanks for tagging me.

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  10. Debbie Sweet-Wells10:19 AM

    Oh this is like ointment Ralph!! Thanks for tagging me...it's just what the great physicial ordered! I am thoroughly enjoying your book....one chapter at a time....I am really praying through it as I read it....I may get the priviledge of leading a group of young women through the principles in your book and if the Lord opens the door for this...we will be needing many many more of them! Thanking God for the gifts you share!

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  11. Sheila Vertoli10:20 AM

    Out of hiding and set free indeed. Good word Ralph.

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  12. Woody Woodward10:21 AM

    Funny, I read this confirming word from CS Lewis yesterday, taken from Mere Christianity, on the heels of receiving your note Ralph: "And now we get to see what the New Testament is talking about. It talks about... being 'born again'... about 'putting on Christ'; about Christ 'being formed in us'... our coming to 'have the mind of Christ'. Put right out of your head the idea that these are only fancy ways of saying that (we) are to read what Christ said and try to carry it out... They mean something much more than that. They mean that a real Person, Christ, here and now... is doing things to you (in you, and has done those things... its all NOW with God)... It is a living Man (the last Adam, the second Man), still as much a man as you, and still as much God as He was when He created the world, really coming and interfering with your very self; killing the old natural self in you and replacing it with the kind of self He has... turning you permanently into a different sort of (person)... a being which... has the same kind of Life as God; which shares in His (resurrection) power, joy, knowledge...". Good News!

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  13. Peggy Smith Shealy10:21 AM

    Looking forward to your book..

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  14. Mike Daniel1:03 PM

    AMEN & AMEN!

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  15. Ted Loeffler8:04 PM

    Outstanding, Ralph!

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