The Christian Life Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

The Christian Life - Research Paper Example This research will begin with the statement that throughout the scriptures, God is referred to as Holy and His holiness provides the motivation for sanctification – a process by which God has chosen to create a people for Himself. God is not only the â€Å"motivation for holiness, He is also the agent of holiness†. Since God is holy, He requires His children also to be holy and it is He who enables them to become holy with the help of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is therefore the sanctifying agent that enables believers to be transformed. It is of vital importance that believers cooperate with and obey the Holy Spirit to experience Christ like living. Even though the Holy Spirit empowers the believers, the transformation into Christ like living will not manifest unless they willingly surrender and cooperate with the leading of the Holy Spirit. This is important as the goal of every conversion is for believers to be transformed into the likeness of Christ. This is cl early stated in Romans 8:29 (New International Version) which says, â€Å"For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.† Holiness involves putting to death the sin nature which God has already sentenced to death on the cross and living the new life that is indwelt by the Holy Spirit. In the book of Romans, Paul introduces two aspects pertaining to holiness – justification or positional sanctification (Rom 1-5) and experiential sanctification (Rom 6-8). ... w he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.† Holiness involves putting to death the sin nature which God has already sentenced to death on the cross and living the new life that is indwelt by the Holy Spirit.2 Thesis Statement Accepting the scriptural truth that a believer is united with Christ and has the power to walk the victorious Christian life by surrendering to the indwelling Holy Spirit is the key to be transformed into the image of Christ. Justification and Sanctification In the book of Romans, Paul introduces two aspects pertaining to holiness – justification or positional sanctification (Rom 1-5) and experiential sanctification (Rom 6-8). Justification is the legal title declaring that a believer is now holy and righteous and is accomplished by the believer simply placing their trust on the finished work of Christ at the cross, whereby God’s holiness and righteousness is imputed on the believer. Experiential sanctification is the process of being made holy to align with the new legal identity of the believer and is manifested by the believer’s surrender and obedience to the Holy Spirit. It is therefore an important aspect of God’s redemptive plan and the primary work He does to develop godly character in His people. Indwelling of the Holy Spirit The Holy Spirit is central to Paul’s theology. Throughout his writings, Paul emphasizes that the Holy Spirit is granted to all believers in Christ. He underscores that being a Christian is not just accepting certain truths about Christ but rather to have an indwelling of the Holy Spirit. This is clearly recorded in Rom 8:9 which reads, â€Å"You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if