I Heard “My Hand Is Already Stretched Forth To Save”

God’s Grace in Romans | Walking in Newness of Life |

We saw from our last discussion that to be born again is to be dead to sin, we cannot live in sin while we are born of God.

Then the apostle continues;

Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Romans 6:3

This is not talking of our physical bodies but our spirits. When we received the son of God, our old man or rather the corrupted nature in Adam died, and we received the new man or the spirit of Christ. This is what this verse is saying (Ezekiel 36:26).

Our bodies and our souls are not dead with Christ for now; they can only be transformed by the renewing of our minds (Rom. 12:1-2, Ps. 19:10). But the old man died with him.

The Apostle is not saying what may happen, but he is declaring what happened when we got saved.

Again a lot of us mistakenly take the word “baptized into Jesus Christ” for water baptism. Some even aver that water baptism is a means to salvation. There are many kinds of baptisms as seen used in the plural form in Hebrews;

Of the doctrine of baptisms…Hebrews 6:2

We have baptism into the body of Christ where we become members of his body and partakers of his life (Romans 6:3-4), then baptism into the Holy Spirit (Acts 1: 5), and water baptism (Mathew 3:11).

All these baptisms have different baptizers. At conversion, the Holy Spirit baptizes us into the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:13). Jesus baptizes into the Holy Spirit (Mathew 3:11). And Believers testify to what happened to a man when he repented by the sign of water baptism (Mathew 3:11).

So Paul here speaks of us being baptized into Christ and completely severed from the old man.

Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so, we also should walk in newness of life. Romans 6:4

Observe this last part of the verse; “even so we also should walk in newness of life”

This is saying the result of our death with Christ is that we are raised to new life, the God-kind of life, hence, we are to walk in the new life we already have on our inside. This is not to be understood as though it is something futuristic.

For the apostle clearly states that we have died with Christ, so we ought to see ourselves raised to this new life that we already have. Our Spirit man is already raised from the dead and seated with Christ in the heavenly (Ephesians 2:5-6).

When we renew our minds to these truths, the spiritual realities of God’s riches; the health, wealth, wisdom, power, righteousness, holiness, and all that God has given to us in Christ which are already in our born-again spirits start manifesting to the physical.

We start seeing who we are and what we have in Christ made manifest in our physical environment.

Confession

I am crucified with Christ and raised to new life. Like as Christ was raised to incorruption, so are am I raised to a life of deathlessness, fearlessness, and agelessness.

I walk in the new Spirit with new health, wealth, power, wisdom, and the fullness of God’s glory in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Prophetic Insight

In an encounter with the Lord, I heard, “Beloved, resist the confusion, push aside the voices from the winds, these are coming because you are already walking on water.

As you have stepped out in faith on this you are already a success, for I will not allow you to sink. When you fail I will not fail you, therefore, you cannot fail.

My hand is already stretched forth to save, for your faith in me has pleased my dear one.

I am walking with you on this, what you can’t see is that I have spoken and blessed your outcome. I have not changed my mind, therefore, be strong, keep looking to me and stay afloat.”

Mathew 14:22-34

Blessings in Christ,
Pastor Jahfas Victor Ahua
Living Hill Christian Church