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To Be In His Presense

Because Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous on behalf of the unrighteous so that he might bring us to God, putting to death the flesh, now, making alive the spirit.*

Why did Jesus suffer and die? So that he might bring us to God. To bring to; to approach, come near.* This was what God purposed in Christ, Paul writes, "even as he chose us in Him before the creation of the world to be holy, in his presence, in love, he predestined us for adoption as his own in Jesus Christ... which He purposed in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time bringing together all in Christ, in heaven and on earth in Christ. We have obtained an inheritance, predestined according to the purpose of the one accomplishing all according to the counsel of His will."* This was God's plan, that purposed in Christ, to bring us to God, so we could approach Him, be in His presence, he planned this before he created the world. This was what we were made for, to be in His presence, to be holy, and loved.

in whom we have boldness (assurance, freedom) and confidence (trust, reliance) to approach Him through faith.*

We are blessed in Christ, chosen, favored, adopted, redeemed, and forgiven. Justified by His blood and by grace through redemption, made righteous before Him, we can boldly approach Him. Being born of His Spirit, who testifies that we are His children and cries Abba Father, pouring out His love into our hearts, we have the confidence to approach him. This is how God demonstrates His kindness toward us, the riches of his mercy, and his great love for us, when we were unrighteous, Christ died. The righteous on behalf of the unrighteous so that He might bring us to God, "even as he chose us in Him before the creation of the world to be holy, in his presence, in love."

Now, we know all things work together for good to those loved of God, the ones existing called according to his purpose because those he foreknew also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son.*

Christ died so we can be in His presence. It doesn't end there, no, if we have been baptized into his death, also we will participate in his life. Though dead we are made alive in Christ, "putting to death the flesh, now, making alive the spirit." He chose us to be in His presence, to be loved by Him, which is conditional on His holiness. Paul writes we are to "cleanse ourselves from every pollution of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God."* The ones God chose according to His purpose he also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son.

Because of what we receive freely in Jesus, adoption, redemption, forgiveness, we can boldly approach the throne of grace. But there is fellowship in remaining in Him, abiding and walking in the Light. Being conforming to His image, transformative renewing of the mind, the holiness that glorifies God in the body in which sin dwells and evil is near. In this Jesus is our great High Priest, interceding for us before the Father, as we "put on the new man, the one renewed in knowledge according to the image of its creator."* God purposed in Christ, so we can be in His presence, holy, loved. To these chosen, loved of God, the ones existing called according to his purpose, he is conforming to the image of His Son, so we can be in His presence. 





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