There are two important things to know when you are saved that can help you in your Christian walk as a believer:
1. You have a new identity now in Christ Jesus
2. Your flesh is still vile.
2Co 5:17 KJV -
17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
First, the moment that you recognize your sin nature, and understand that you cannot save yourself and then simply believe the gospel of the grace of God, how that Christ Jesus died for your sins, was buried and rose again for your justification (1 Cor 15:3-4), you are saved and eternally secure in Christ Jesus. You go from being spiritually dead in your trespasses and sins, to being made spiritually alive in Christ (Eph 2:1; Col 2:13). You have the mind of Christ (1 Cor 2:16) , by having God's Spirit living in your spirit and His word renewing your mind daily through Bible study as you read and study God's word rightly divided daily (Eph 4:23; Rom 12:2). You also have a circumcised heart (your soul; Rom 2:29) and as you get sound grace doctrine in your inner man, Christ then lives in and through you. As believers Christ IS our life (Col 3:4). He IS our identity (Gal 2:20; Col 3:3). We are also members of Christ's body (Rom 12:5; 1 Cor 12:12; 1 Cor 12:27) as God is forming the "one new man" (Eph 2:15) the "church the Body of Christ" to inherit the heavenly places. Our inheritance is heavenly and not earthly, so we are here on earth as ambassadors for Christ.
Please note that it is in the KJB that the word "new creature" is used properly and modern versions say "new creation". By saying we are a "new creation" is to suggest that our flesh is made anew and thus we can serve God through our own fleshly efforts. Many Christians will immediately go out and start doing "good works for God" without even having any sound grace doctrine in their inner man (mind and heart). They start serving in the church, quit smoking and drinking, tithe, etc but they are doing this from the energy of their flesh instead of from Christ and HIS WORD rightly divided living in and through them. Usually they burn out in a short time and often go back to how they were living before, sometimes even worse! But the word "creature" is accurate. We are a creature that comes from Christ and a member of his body. We cannot do anything good apart from God which means that we can't do anything good without His Spirit in our spirit and His word rightly divided operating in and through our inner man.
It's also important to understand that although we have God's Spirit living in our spirit, and a circumcised heart and spirit, we still have a carnal, fleshly body until the rapture (if we physically die before the rapture, our spirit and soul goes to be with the Lord in heaven while our bodies "sleep" in the earth until the rapture when we get our new, glorious bodies).
Rom 7:18 KJV -
18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.
Our fleshly bodies have the sin nature running through them, so our flesh is still vile. This doesn't mean that you should hate your body as it is still the vehicle that we use to get around while we are here on earth. However, you must acknowledge that the sin nature still exists in it, but it doesn't have total control over you anymore because your inner man is a "new creature" now with God's Spirit living in you. We are to reckon our old man to be dead and walk in the new man (Rom 6:11). The sin nature in the believer is similar to a chicken with its head cut off- dead but temporarily running around. You do also need to get God's word in your inner man daily if possible by reading and studying God's Word rightly divided, even meditating upon God's word regularly as well, and then believing it and obeying it. Otherwise, the flesh will take the reigns and you will live just like the world. The flesh doesn't change. It's also tricky and highly deceptive. It wars against your spirit. It is still as vile as before you were saved, but you don't have to succumb to it. You can choose to walk in the Spirit instead of after the flesh now (Gal 5:16, 25). It's a daily moment by moment decision. You WILL choose the flesh at times. But you can keep getting God's word in your inner man and this helps you to walk in the Spirit more often. It's important to understand that even though you still have the vile flesh, it is dead and God no longer sees you as being identified with the sin nature. You are HOLY now, set apart, (Eph 1:4) and we can also live holy by allowing Christ and His word in us to live through us (this happens by reading, studying and believing God's word rightly divided and yeilding ourselves over to obey it). GOD SEES YOU AS HOLY BECAUSE OF CHRIST. Living holy is also all about CHRIST too because it's His Spirit and His word living in and through you when you read, study and believe God's word and then obey it (Rom 1:11; 1 Thess 2:13; Col 3:16; Eph 5:19; Col 1:9). Holy living is NOT an effort you make through your flesh. We live by Christs faithfulness, not ours. You can ONLY live holy by understanding God's word rightly divided, knowing God's will for us today (1 Cor 2:7, 13; Eph 1:17; Eph 3:10; 2 Tim 2:15). If you put yourself under the law, for example, that is NOT holy living but an effort you are making through the flesh. Its important to know too that because you are now holy, this means that you cannot loose your salvation and God only sees you now and forever as His dearly beloved.
Understanding both of these things, that you are a new creature in Christ and that your flesh is still vile until the rapture, can greatly help you in your walk as a believer.
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