STANDING VS STATE

Standing vs. state
"8 We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.
9 Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him.
10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad." 2. Corinthians 5


February 24 2008 Bond Slave No 67-4
http://www.youtube.com/user/GraceAboundedMore#p/c/0008D73FF541B7C6/3/rQ37UYcMPGY

Curt Crist

www.welcometograce.com


Give Up Serving Self and that will be the best service to self you could ever give yourself. Why, because you will find true freedom and joy to be the ultimate result. Give up serving self and serve others.
We can learn one thing for sure. Overcoming Addiction does not come through the commitment to stop serving the addiction. The more effort you expend in that area the more over-whelming will become the desire for that to which you are addicted. Overcoming addition comes only through the commitment to be addicted to something different.

Paul found that something else. Did you ever think about Paul as being addicted? Paul was a tremendous addict. He had an over-whelming addiction. He was addicted to serving Christ. Therefore, to serving the body of Christ.

Philippians 1:1 Paul and Timotheus, the servants of Jesus Christ, to all the saints in Christ Jesus which are at Philippi, with the bishops and deacons:

"All" is an Extremely important word. Think how many times Paul uses the word "All" in this short little 4 chapter epistle.

Philippians 1:1 all the saints
Philippians 1:4 in every prayer of mine for you all
Philippians 1:7 it is meet for me to think this of you all
Philippians 1:8 I long after you all
Philippians 1:9 in all judgment
Philippians 1:13 all other places
Philippians 1:20 all boldness
Philippians 2:14 Do all things without murmurings and disputings:
Philippians 2:17 I joy, and rejoice with you all.
Philippians 2:21 For all seek their own
Philippians 2:29 all gladness;
Philippians 3:8 count all things but loss... for whom I have suffered the loss of all things
Philippians 3:21 he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.
Philippians 4:7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding
Philippians 4:12 being instructed in all things
Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.
Philippians 4:18 I have all, and abound: I am full,
Philippians 4:22 All the saints salute you
Philippians 4:23 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.

When Paul mentions the saints in Christ Jesus, there's an important point we need to make. Be careful to never confuse "Standing and State". Paul's giving up positional truth here in verse one.

Standing = how God views you 'in Christ'
perfect righteousness! Saints!
State = your experience through time on earth

Standing is what God's made you to be and what you can never cease to be in his eyes.
State has to do with how you're taking advantage or not taking advantage of that God given position that's everlastingly yours by God's decree.

Standing's your position in Christ wrought by God in grace for eternity.
State has to do with your experience in time on earth.
YOUR STANDING IN CHRIST IS NOTHING LESS THAN PERFECT. The very righteousness of God himself attributed to your account when you're joined to his perfectly righteous Son. So, you standing in Christ is nothing less than perfect. It will never be anything less than perfect.

Your state can be deplorable. An example would be the saints at Corinth. Sounds like an oxymoron when you understand that assembly. The Corinthians experience another wards their behavior their conduct was despicable. They were bond slaves to self, carnal or fleshy orientated. At the same time their standing couldn't of been better. Carnal was their state in Christ was their standing. In God's eyes these saints were being preserved blameless in their positional standing in Christ until The day of Christ.

Just be careful never to confuse standing with state. Scripture through Paul distinguishes between the two. So, we should be careful to make the distinction in our own thinking that God makes in his teaching.

God has given us a perfect standing in our union with his perfectly righteous Son. He's also made provision for us now to have an ever improving state or experience. It's called growth. It's called maturing. It's called growing up into him into all things unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: (Eph 4:13) It's what our growth is all about.

There are people out there who believe they can lose their salvation because they've totally confused with their position in Christ with their state.

Philippians 1:2 Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.