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  EVEN AS HE IS PURE
  by A.B. Simpson
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Summary: The Christian life is a direct new creation in Christ, where we
live Christlike because we have the Christ-life, and God's standard is
perfection.

Topics: "Righteousness", "Christlikeness"
Scripture References: Matthew 5:20, Romans 8:29, 2 Corinthians 5:17, Galatians 2:20, Ephesians 2:10, Philippians 1:6, Colossians 1:27, Hebrews 12:14, 1 Peter 1:16, 1 John 3:7

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DESCRIPTION
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A.B. Simpson emphasizes that God aims to reproduce the purity of Christ
within us, highlighting that the Christian life is not merely an
imitation but a new creation in Christ. This union with Christ allows
His nature to be imparted to us, enabling us to live Christlike lives as
a natural outgrowth of His life within us. God demands perfection, not
lowering His standards but elevating us to meet them through His grace.
The righteousness required is greater than that of the scribes and
Pharisees, and through sanctification, we are counted as righteous.
Simpson concludes with a prayer for Christ to live His life through us.

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CONTENT
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God is now aiming to reproduce in us the pattern which has already
appeared in Jesus Christ, the Son of God. The Christian life is not an
imitation of Christ, but a direct new creation in Christ, and the union
with Christ is so complete that He imparts His own nature to us and
lives His own life in us. This, then, is not an imitation but simply the
outgrowth of the nature implanted within. We live Christlike because we
have the Christ-life. God is not satisfied with anything less than
perfection. He required that from His Son.

He requires it from us, and He does not, in the process of grace, reduce
the standard, but He brings us up to it.

He does not let down the righteousness of the law, but He requires of us
a righteousness that far exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and
Pharisees, and then He imparts it to us. He counts us righteous in
sanctification, and He says of the new creation, He that doeth
righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous (I John 3:7). Lord,
live out Thy very life in me.

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Source: https://sermonindex.net/speakers/ab-simpson/even-as-he-is-pure/
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