Who Or What – Part 5

Who or what we are should be considered as separate parts of being wholly human, because who or what we are is based on our nature. What we are is based on our actions, which are influenced by who we are. The distinction made between who or what we are is how God can forgive all manner of sin whenever someone comes to Christ and yet still despise the actions they have committed. The sins we commit are a direct result of who we are (our old sinful nature). When we get born again that person – that old nature – is dead, and a new godly nature is given;

Gal 2:20-21

 I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.  (NKJV)

This is the hope of the gospel, in that God has dealt – once and for all – with the root cause of our problems, which is the very nature of who we are. If our old nature is dead, then all the things we did are dead along with it. After all, you can’t hold a dead person accountable for their actions, because they are dead! This is how God can forgive someone who is as vile and corrupt as you could imagine. If that person (no matter what they have done due to what they are) comes to Christ and believes the gospel, then they are brand new on the inside. God has changed who we are for a different person, thereby changing what we are. We are no longer sinners!

It might surprise and offend people to hear the claim that God loved Adolf Hitler as much as He loved Mother Teresa.  WOW!  That caused a reaction or two I’m sure, but it’s true nevertheless.  God loved Adolph Hitler for who he was as a human being, because believe it or not he was made in the image of God as a part of the human race.  He detested the things Hitler did which were the result of his being a sinner, which is what he was.  In the same way, He loved Mother Teresa because she was a human being, which is who she was.  He also approved of the things she did, which were the result of her being born again, which is what she was.  Can you see the difference?  God absolutely loves each one of us because we are made in His image, but He can’t condone what we do as sinners.  God did not hate Hitler any less because of what He did, but it’s because Hitler rejected the love offer God had for him and continued in rebellion.  He is now dead and is reaping the rewards of rebellion.  God did not love Mother Teresa any more for what she did, but it’s because she humbled herself to the obedience of faith in Christ.  She is now dead and is reaping the rewards of obedience through faith.  God loved each one of them to be sure (for who they were), and yet each one of them got a different response from Him as a result of their actions (which flowed from what they were). In every individual’s life, the Bible states clearly that God rewards us for our actions (which come from what we are), and our actions are the direct result of who we are (Galatians 6:7-8).

So how can God then condemn those who were doing all the things listed in the text? Those sound like the very things He wants us to do! Prophesying, casting out demons and doing other works for God sounds right on track, so what is so different about the people He condemns and the ones who are accepted by Him? For that answer, we look to the Word of God to provide insight.

This is Part Five of a multi-part series. Keep an eye out for the next installment!