I Did Not Believe -- Because I Was Living

Wow!

The Gospel is so simple, that people insist on making it complicated.

Adam and Eve did not believe the LORD, and instead they allowed Satan to deceive them and thus they were relieved for their blessed status in the Garden of Eden.

Yet despite the devil's desperate attempts to ruin  man, God had a plan not only to restore man, but promote him in His Son:

"And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it." (Romans 2: 15)

and then

"19And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, 20Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, 21Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come:" (Ephesians 1: 19-21)

Notice that God the Father placed His Son at His right hand, in a similar fashion to what God did for Adam in the Garden.

Adam was not placed on a throne over everything.

But the Good News continues for us:

"4But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, 5Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) 6And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: " (Ephesians 2: 4-6)

God the Father seated Christ Jesus at His right hand, and we are also seated in Christ, and thus we are seated at His right hand, too.

I did not know this.

I was never taught this. No had ever taught me about the Great Exchange which took place for me an for all of us when Jesus died on the Cross.

This lack of knowledge is killing a lot of Christians, because if we do not accept that Jesus has finished the work, including the final fulfillment and thus annulment of the Old Covenant, we will inevitably return to trying to fix and perfect ourselves, which can bring forth nothing but disease, dysfunction, and death.

56The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. 57But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." (1 Corinthians 15: 56-57)

then

"7But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory was to be done away: 8How shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious? 9For if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory. 10For even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect, by reason of the glory that excelleth. 11For if that which is done away was glorious, much more that which remaineth is glorious." (2 Corinthians 3: 7-11)

We will not believe if we think that we have to live, that we have to make the effort, if we do not accept that apart from Jesus Christ, we can do nothing (John 15: 5)

I did not believe the Gospel because the Law was still the factor in my life. I was convinced that I had to be obedient, that I had to do my part, so to speak, and keep the rules, not sin etc.

We have no strength in ourselves for anything. We need life and that more abundantly. Jesus provides this and then some:

"The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly." (John 10: 10)

And then

"31What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? 32He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? " (Romans 8: 31-32)

When we stop trying, then Jesus starts living in us, and let us remember that in Him we live and move and have our being (Acts 17: 28)