Even as He Is Pure
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.
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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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.
Sermon Outline
- The Christian Life is a New Creation
- The Nature of Christ is Implied Within
- God's Grace Brings Us Up to the Standard
- He requires a righteousness that exceeds the law
- He imparts this righteousness to us
Key Quotes
“God is not satisfied with anything less than perfection.” — A.B. Simpson
“We live Christlike because we have the Christ-life.” — A.B. Simpson
“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).” — A.B. Simpson
Application Points
- We must strive for perfection in our lives, just as God requires from us.
- God's grace is available to bring us up to the standard of perfection, but we must receive it.
- Living Christlike is not an imitation, but a direct result of having the Christ-life within us.